Skip to main content

Reflections on Duke's President-Elect

Vincent Price is introduced to the Duke community at a public event Friday in Penn Pavilion. Photo by Duke Photography
Vincent Price is introduced to the Duke community at a public event Friday in Penn Pavilion. Photo by Duke Photography

David Rubenstein, chair of the Duke Board of Trustees

“When we launched the presidential search in April, we had an ambitious goal: to identify a worthy successor to Dick Brodhead, whose leadership over the past 12 years has transformed Duke into a model for a global and engaged research university.  The search committee, led by Trustee Jack Bovender and vice chair Professor Ellen Davis, sought input from every part of the Duke community, as well as from leaders in higher education and public life.  They identified the characteristics that the next president should have to continue Duke’s momentum: intelligence, integrity, passion and the ability to elevate and realize the aspirations of a diverse university.

“The search committee is confident that Vince Price exemplifies these characteristics and will be an outstanding president for Duke.  A scholar of note himself, as provost Vince has developed and upheld the highest standards for faculty and scholarship.  He has a deep understanding of the student experience and the importance of diversity, inclusion, and open inquiry.  His experience in building a global program gives him the perspective to lead the already rich array of international activities at Duke.  And he has a great sensitivity to the special obligation that a university and academic medical center have in a community.”

 

Jack Bovender, chair of the Duke Presidential Search Committee

“Our goal was to identify a leader whose wisdom, vision and intelligence could sustain Duke’s remarkable progress over the last decade and help the university fulfill its great ambitions. Vince Price is that person. He is a transformative scholar, a dedicated educator and an experienced executive at a very complex institution not unlike Duke. His commitment to our values and to the mission of a great research university is inspiring. I could not be more excited to have him as our tenth president.”

“This was perhaps the most comprehensive and exhaustive search in Duke’s history.  I am grateful to my colleagues on the search committee, who took their responsibilities seriously, and who made it possible for us to connect with many members of the Duke community, more than 100 nominees, 25 potential candidates, and leaders in higher education across the country.  We can all be proud of their work.”

 

Ellen Davis, vice chair of the Duke Presidential Search Committee

“Vince is very strong in all the areas the committee judged to be most important for our next president: he is a scholar of note, clear and nuanced in thought and expression, who has distinguished himself in leadership at several outstanding universities. Above all, Vince is widely known for his wisdom and deep personal integrity. All of us—faculty, students, and trustees—feel both confidence and excitement as we anticipate his presidency.”

 

Mary Klotman, professor of Medicine, member of Presidential Search Committee

Vince’s comfort with and in-depth knowledge of the myriad of issues facing higher education were impressive.  He has a deep understanding and appreciation of the opportunities provided through strong alignment with an academic health system and medical school gained from his leadership position at Penn.

 

Marcus Benning, Duke Law student, member of Presidential Search Committee

"At Duke, we have a strong culture of shared governance where undergraduate, graduate and professional students partner with administrators to create policy and drive innovation. As such, Duke's leaders must appreciate the nuances of the undergraduate and graduate experiences and must value the unique contributions of both groups.  

“In Vince's role as provost, he has encountered curricular, social and cultural issues that impact students across all degree programs. Vince has demonstrated a willingness to build relationships with students and to consult students for advice and guidance on the issues that affect their lives. We are confident that Vince will leverage these past experiences, seek out diverse perspectives and build on Duke's culture of student engagement. When Vince arrives on campus, he will encounter a student body that is eager to collaborate and continue Duke's upward trajectory. On behalf of the students, I would like to welcome Vince to Duke."

 

Valerie Ashby, dean of Trinity College, member of Presidential Search Committee

“Vince’s demonstrated commitment to the student experience impressed us all.  He is an educator first, whose actions to promote diversity and inclusion have been thoughtful, powerful and effective.”

 

Andrea Mitchell (NBC News, vice chair of the Penn Board of Trustees)

“All of us at Penn are thrilled for Vince Price to have the opportunity to lead such a great institution as Duke University, even as we will miss his extraordinary service to our University.  Vince has led our efforts to advance academic excellence, interdisciplinary scholarship, access and faculty diversity.  He has every skill you could want in a university president and is beloved by our students, faculty and deans.  Duke is indeed very fortunate to have Vince’s leadership going forward.”

 

Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania

“Duke has made an absolutely superb choice. No one is better prepared or more deserving than Vince to lead a distinguished university such as Duke. We at Penn are both proud and extremely happy for him, Annette and their family, even if our happiness is tinged with the sadness of our cherished colleague and friend departing from Penn come July 1.”

 

David Cohen, chair of the Penn Board of Trustees

"This is a bittersweet day for Penn as we have to say goodbye to a great academic leader, but also have the opportunity to congratulate Vince Price and Duke.  To a person, every Penn Trustee admires the leadership that Vince has brought in his role as Provost at Penn. He has a passion for academic excellence, and a remarkable talent for building and leading highly effective teams in a large and complex environment. At Duke, he will be a president who will be accessible to Deans, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. I believe Vince is destined to lead Duke on a great path in the years ahead.”