NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vanderbilt University named renowned scholar Daniel Diermeier as its new chancellor, the school said Wednesday in a statement.
Diermeier, who is currently the provost at the University of Chicago, will take over the position on July 1, 2020.
"Daniel has the vision, leadership experience and deep commitment to trans-institutional research and teaching that we were seeking in our ninth chancellor," Board of Trust Chairman Bruce R. Evans said. "He embodies Vanderbilt's values and has a keen understanding of what makes Vanderbilt special - academic excellence made possible by a highly collaborative community. Daniel also shares Vanderbilt's commitment to making an elite education accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their background or ability to pay, a commitment informed by his own experiences as a first-generation college student."
Diermeier said he was drawn to the school by Vanderbilt's commitment to research excellence and to educating the whole person at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
"Vanderbilt is among the world's most prestigious universities, bringing together extraordinary faculty and staff with exceptional students to teach, discover and improve the lives of people everywhere. What truly separates Vanderbilt from its peers is the willingness of its various parts to work together, as one, to magnify impact toward a shared mission," Diermeier said.
Diermeier earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Rochester in 1995. He also holds master's degrees in philosophy and political science from the University of Southern California, the University of Munich and the University of Rochester.
In addition to serving as provost, Diermeier is a David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, where he previously served as dean and helped transform it into the third-ranked public policy school in the nation.
Along with multiple awards, Diermeier is a Guggenheim fellow and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has published four books.