February 18, 2026
Dear Colleagues,
As I begin my service as interim provost, I want to share how much I value, respect, and support the work you do.
Indiana University Bloomington is a great university. Your work makes that possible—producing knowledge across numerous fields, shaping public conversations, and preparing our students to make a positive difference.
As interim provost, my main goal is to advance academic excellence, building on IU Bloomington’s historic strengths and present momentum. I aim to support your success in all our academic endeavors—in the classroom, the lab, the studio, the stage, the library, and in the field.
I put great value on the breadth of intellectual inquiry on our campus. It enables us to produce knowledge on complex issues that no single discipline or approach can elucidate alone. It also helps us prepare students to thrive professionally in a changing workplace and to lead lives guided by curiosity, openness, and empathy.
These values arise from my own personal experience. I was a biochemistry major in college, but some of my favorite courses were on topics like tragic drama and chamber music. As a law student and doctoral student in international politics, courses on history, finance, and area studies were among those that taught me most. I’ve worked in a large law firm, a human rights NGO, in the U.S. Treasury Department, and for many years at the University of Michigan before coming to IU as a professor of international studies and dean of the Hamilton Lugar School. In every phase, I have benefited from studying at universities where all kinds of intellectual exploration are possible.
I am passionate about research, teaching, and mentoring students. Although I know I will spend less time in the classroom and the archives for a while, I am a professor at heart. I am excited and honored to join you in pursuing academic excellence and ensuring that IU Bloomington is among the very best public universities anywhere.
I am grateful to President Whitten and Chancellor Reingold for the faith they have placed in me and to my predecessor, Rahul Shrivastav, for his mentorship and example.
I very much look forward to working with you and realizing all that we can achieve together.
