MIT Provost Cynthia Barnhart has declared that Vice Provost for the Arts Philip S. Khoury will resign from the role on Aug. 31. Khoury, the Ford International Professor of History, held the position for 19 years. Following a sabbatical, he will return to the faculty in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS).

“Since joining MIT in 1981, Philip has advocated for what he defines as the Institute’s ‘artistic ecosystem,’ which exists at the crossroads of technology, science, the humanities, and the arts. Thanks to Philip’s vision, this ecosystem has become a fundamental aspect of MIT’s educational and research objectives and a vital element of how we further knowledge, comprehension, and discovery for the benefit of society,” states Barnhart.

Khoury was designated associate provost in 2006 by then-MIT president Susan Hockfield, with a dual portfolio aimed at enhancing the Institute’s nonacademic arts initiatives and initiating an assessment of MIT’s international operations. These initiatives include the List Visual Arts Center, the MIT Museum, the Center for Art, Science and Technology (CAST), and the Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT). After five years, the latter part of this portfolio evolved into the Office of the Vice Provost for International Activities.

Khoury dedicated a significant portion of his tenure to enhancing the Institute’s arts infrastructure, raising the profile of its outstanding arts faculty, and fostering increased student engagement in the arts. Currently, over 50 percent of MIT undergraduates enroll in arts courses, with more than 1,500 studying music.

“Philip has been an extraordinary leader at MIT over the decades. He has made certain that the arts are an integral part of the MIT ‘mens-et-manus’ [‘mind-and-hand’] experience and that our community has the chance to appreciate, learn from, and engage in creative thought across all fields,” remarks L. Rafael Reif, the Ray and Maria Stata Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and MIT president emeritus. “As a historian — and a humanist at heart — Philip has also been pivotal in assisting MIT in formulating a reflective international strategy in research and education.”

“I will miss my colleagues above all as I transition from this role,” Khoury reflects. “However, I have been proud to witness the quality of our faculty and the surge in student interest in the arts, alongside a growing acknowledgment of how the arts are thriving at MIT.”

Stream of creativity

During his tenure as vice provost, he collaborated with then-School of Architecture and Planning (SAP) dean Adèle Santos and SHASS dean Deborah Fitzgerald to launch the CAST in 2012. The center fosters artistic collaborations and provides seed funding and research grants to students and faculty.

Khoury also played a significant role in the extensive expansion of the Institute’s art facilities, featuring the distinctive multipurpose design of the Theater Arts Building, the new MIT Museum, and the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building. Together with the List Visual Arts Center, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, these dynamic spaces “offer students a chance to engage in activities distinct from what they came to MIT for in science and engineering,” Khoury notes. “It provides them an avenue for different types of exploration.”

“What contributes to the arts’ success here is that they are very much part of the creative stream, which is the essence of science and technology,” he adds.

One of Khoury’s enduring ambitions has been to elevate the stature of the arts faculty, “to demonstrate that the excellence of our efforts in those areas aligns with the quality of our achievements in engineering and science,” he states.

“I will forever remember Philip Khoury’s leadership and advocacy as dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences for transforming the definition of the ‘A’ in SHASS from ‘and’ to ‘Arts.’ That minor change has had significant ramifications for professional opportunities for artists, enrollments, and subject options that continue to be a source of renewal and strength today,” remarks Institute Professor Marcus Thompson.

Most recently, Khoury and his team, in partnership with faculty, students, and staff from throughout the Institute, oversaw the creation and execution of MIT’s new festival of the arts, labeled Artfinity. Launched in February and accessible to the public, the Institute-sponsored, campus-wide festival showcased a series of 80 performing and visual arts events.

International activities

Khoury became a faculty member as an assistant professor in 1981 and served as dean of SHASS from 1991 to 2006. In 2002, he was appointed the inaugural Kenan Sahin Dean of SHASS.

His academic interests made him a logical choice for the inaugural coordinator of MIT international activities, a position he held from 2006 to 2011. During this period, he traveled extensively to gain insights into the various ways MIT faculty engaged abroad, and he led the creation of a significant report on the status of MIT’s international operations.

“We aimed to formulate a strategy, but not establish a foreign policy,” Khoury explained regarding the report.

Khoury’s experience in the international role prompted him to contemplate how collaborations with other nations should be balanced so as not to weaken MIT’s offerings domestically, he notes. He also sought to promote more partnerships with nations in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and some regions of the Middle East.

Future plans

Khoury was vital in establishing the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee, which was tasked by Provost Barnhart in June 2024 in conjunction with Dean Hashim Sarkis of the School of Architecture and Planning and Dean Agustín Rayo of SHASS. The committee seeks to discover new approaches to envision the role of arts at the Institute — a task that has not been undertaken since 1987, he notes. The committee submitted a preliminary report to Provost Barnhart in April.

“I believe it will identify the sweet spot where arts converge with science and technology, but not where art is dominated by science and technology,” Khoury asserts. “I think advancing that, along with emphasizing other connections with art, is truly what we should be striving for and cultivating.”

After concluding his role as vice provost, Khoury intends to dedicate more time to authoring two books: a personal memoir and a volume about the Middle East. He is eager to observe how the arts at MIT will evolve in the near future. “I feel elated about where we’ve arrived and where we will continue to go,” he expresses.

As Barnhart highlighted in her letter to the community, the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee’s initiatives, combined with Khoury’s continued presence through the end of summer, offer President Kornbluth, the incoming provost, and Khoury the chance to reflect on the Institute’s future direction in this crucial domain.