The provost serves as MIT’s chief academic and fiscal officer, bearing overall responsibility for the Institute’s educational offerings, as well as overseeing the hiring, promotion, and tenure processes for faculty. Together with the president and other members of the Institute’s senior leadership team, the provost sets academic goals, manages financial planning and research support, and supervises MIT’s global partnerships.

“I feel profoundly honored to assume the responsibilities of provost,” says Chandrakasan, who is also the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “Looking forward, I envision myself as a vital enabler, empowering faculty, students, postdocs, and staff to persist in making remarkable contributions to both the nation and the globe.”

Investing in excellence

Chandrakasan succeeds Cynthia Barnhart, who declared her decision to step down from her role in February. As dean of engineering, Chandrakasan collaborated closely with Barnhart during her time as provost and previously as chancellor.

“Cindy has been an incredible mentor,” he remarks. “She is consistently very considerate and ensures she listens to all perspectives, which is something I aim to replicate. I admire how skillfully she navigates intricate issues and embraces diverse viewpoints and methodologies.”

As MIT’s chief academic officer, Chandrakasan will concentrate on three primary priorities: discerning institutional needs and strategic financial planning, attracting and retaining premier talent, and bolstering interdisciplinary research, education, and entrepreneurship initiatives. He intends to solicit frequent feedback from across the Institute regarding all these areas.

“Acknowledging that each school and other academic units function within a distinct context, I plan to engage deeply with their leaders to grasp their challenges and ambitions. This engagement will aid me in refining and establishing priorities for the Office of the Provost,” Chandrakasan states.

He also plans to form a provost faculty advisory group to continually gather insights from faculty across the five schools and the college, alongside student/postdoc advisory groups and an external provost advisory council.

“My objective is to advance excellence at MIT at every level,” Chandrakasan asserts.

He continues: “There is an enormous opportunity for MIT to be at the forefront of innovations in areas where the United States seeks to excel. This involves AI, semiconductors, and quantum technologies, along with biosecurity and biomanufacturing — but it transcends that. We require students who are capable of more than merely coding, designing, or building. We truly need students who appreciate the human perspective and insights. This underscores why collaborations between STEM disciplines and the humanities, arts, and social sciences, such as through the new MIT Human Insights Collaborative, are critically important.”

In her communication to the MIT community, Kornbluth also highlighted that Institute Professor Paula Hammond, currently vice provost for faculty, will take on an expanded role with the new designation of executive vice provost, and Deputy Dean of Engineering Maria Yang will temporarily serve as dean until a new dean is appointed.

Advancing the president’s vision

In February 2024, Chandrakasan was designated as MIT’s inaugural chief innovation and strategy officer, tasked with developing and executing plans to enhance research, education, and innovation in areas deemed top priorities by President Kornbluth.

In close collaboration with the president, Chandrakasan supervised the launch of several Institute-wide initiatives, including the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC), the MIT Health and Life Sciences Collaborative (MIT HEALS), the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium (MGAIC, or “magic”), the MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM), and various energy- and climate-related initiatives, including the MIT-GE Vernova Energy and Climate Alliance.

These initiatives unite MIT faculty, staff, and students from across the Institute, along with industry partners, to support bold, groundbreaking research and education aimed at tackling urgent challenges. In initiating them, Chandrakasan was responsible for the “full stack” of activities, from crafting the vision to securing funding to executing the programming — a considerable endeavor alongside his other duties.

“People perceive me as intense, which may hold some truth,” he chuckles. “The reality is that I am profoundly passionate about MIT’s academic mission to foster breakthrough technologies, train the next generation of leaders, and serve both the nation and the globe.”

New models for collaboration

During his tenure as dean of engineering, Chandrakasan played a pivotal role in advancing numerous historic Institute-wide initiatives, including the establishment of the MIT Schwarzman College of computing and the formulation of the MIT Fast Forward strategy for combating climate change. He also served as the first chair of the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health and as co-chair of the academic workstream for MIT’s Task Force 2021. Previously, he led an Institute-wide working group to guide the formulation of policies related to MIT’s 2016 establishment of The Engine, an incubator and accelerator for hard tech, and also served on its inaugural board.

He instituted a range of interdisciplinary programs within the School of Engineering, creating innovative models for how academia and industry can collaborate to expedite the pace of research. This effort led to the initiation of multiple new endeavors, such as the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium, the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, the MIT-Takeda Program, the MIT and Accenture Convergence Initiative, the MIT Mobility Initiative, the MIT Quest for Intelligence, the MIT AI Hardware Program, the MIT-Northpond Program, the MIT Faculty Founder Initiative, and the MIT-Novo Nordisk Artificial Intelligence Postdoctoral Fellows Program.

Chandrakasan further embraced and supported 110 newly appointed faculty members at the School of Engineering, which includes the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, collaboratively reporting between the School of Engineering and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. He also managed 274 cases of faculty and senior researcher promotions within the Engineering Council.

A primary focus during his tenure as dean was to enhance the School of Engineering’s sense of community, originating several programs that empower students and staff to play a significant part in shaping the school’s initiatives and operations, including the Staff Advice and Implementation Committee (SAIC), the undergraduate Student Advisory Group, the Graduate Student Advisory Group (GradSage), and the MIT School of Engineering Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Engineering Excellence. Collaborating closely with GradSage, Chandrakasan was instrumental in founding the Daniel J. Riccio Graduate Engineering Leadership Program.

A proponent of EECS research and education

Chandrakasan received his BS, MS, and PhD in electrical engineering and computer sciences from the University of California at Berkeley. Upon joining the MIT faculty, he directed the Microsystems Technology Laboratories from 2006 until 2011, when he assumed the role of EECS department head.

Consistently active in research during his time at MIT, Chandrakasan has led the MIT Energy-Efficient Circuits and Systems Group while also embracing new administrative responsibilities. The group focuses on the development and realization of integrated systems, spanning ultra-low-power wireless sensors, multimedia devices, and biomedical systems. Chandrakasan has accumulated over 120,000 citations and has mentored or co-mentored 78 PhD graduates. He believes this experience will aid his success as provost.

“To grasp the challenges faced by our researcher scholars, you must be engaged in the field,” he remarks.

While leading EECS, Chandrakasan introduced several initiatives benefiting the department’s students. One such initiative, the Advanced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, better recognized as “SuperUROP,” is an independent research program that commenced in EECS in 2012 and expanded across the entire School of Engineering in 2015.

Chandrakasan also established the Rising Stars program in EECS, an annual gathering for graduate and postdoctoral women designed to share insights about the initial phases of an academic career. Another initiative for EECS postdocs, Postdoc6, sought to cultivate a communal atmosphere for postdocs and assist them in developing skills beneficial for their careers.

As higher education confronts new hurdles, Chandrakasan expresses eagerness to assist MIT in positioning itself for the future. “I’m not hesitant to pursue bold initiatives,” he states.