May 23, 2006

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tracy Schario, (202) 994-3566, tschario@gwu.edu

GW's CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ANNOUNCES

PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON -- Charles T. Manatt, J.D. '62, chairman of the Board of Trustees of The George Washington University, has announced the formation of the search committee to identify the next president of the University.  President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg will become President Emeritus and a University Professor in the summer of 2007.

"Steve Trachtenberg has strategically advanced GW's reputation as a top-tier university," said Manatt. "The search committee announced today is now charged with identifying his successor and assessing the institutional priorities for the next decade so that The George Washington University may continue to build upon its strategic objectives for excellence in research and academic pursuits, operational excellence, and community among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other key stakeholders."

            The search committee will be chaired by W. Russell Ramsey, B.A. '81, who also is vice chair of the GW Board of Trustees.  The vice chair of the committee is Lydia W. Thomas, who is also vice chair of the Board.  Additional trustees on the search committee include Cynthia Baker, MVC '78; Joseph L. Brand, J.D. '63 (emeritus trustee); Nelson A. Carbonell Jr., B.S. '85; Gerald Lazarus, M.D. '63 (alumni trustee); Raymond J. Oglethorpe, M.S. '69; Kristy McDonnell Ortiz, B.S. '00, M.S. '01 (alumni trustee); and Linda Rabbitt, M.A. '72.

            In addition to the nine trustees, the search committee includes three faculty members, the president of the GW Alumni Association Christopher G. Young, B.B.A. '80, M.Accy. '83, and GW Student Association President Lamar Thorpe. The faculty representatives are Gary L. Simon, professor of medicine and of microbiology and tropical medicine, and vice chairman for department of medicine; Philip W. Wirtz, professor of management science and of psychology; and Arthur E. Wilmarth, Jr., professor of law. The faculty also have established a consultative committee consisting of representatives of GW's eight schools and colleges to advise and consult with the search committee and Board of Trustees in the selection of the next president.

            The presidential search committee will be charged with finalizing the search process, which will include opportunities for public comment from the various constituencies of the University community, developing the search criteria and candidate qualifications, and completing candidate recruitment and selection. The committee will periodically report to the full Board of Trustees and may make public statements as appropriate.

Located four blocks from the White House, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the nation's capital with approximately 24,000 students at its three campuses and graduate centers in Virginia, nearly 8,000 staff, and approximately 1,500 full-time and 1,200 part-time faculty, as well as an endowment of nearly $1 billion. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business, and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 120 countries.

For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org

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