The Emory University Board of Trustees today announced that President Gregory L. Fenves will serve as the university’s sixth chancellor. Leah Ward Sears, current Emory Board of Trustees member and former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, has been appointed interim president. Fenves will complete his term as president on Sept. 1, 2025, on which date Fenves and Sears will assume their new roles.
“I’m honored and excited to announce the appointment of Greg Fenves as chancellor and Leah Ward Sears as interim president,” said Board of Trustees Chair Bob Goddard. “Dr. Fenves has been a highly effective and dedicated president, and this new role will enable him to build on the essential growth he helped facilitate while focusing on Emory’s future.”
Amidst the backdrop of a challenging moment for higher education, Fenves and the Board of Trustees have explored a potential refocusing of his role. This summer marks the five-year anniversary of his presidency and the conclusion of Emory’s 2O36 fundraising campaign. Together, Fenves and the board agreed that the university would be best served if he devoted significantly more time and energy to further strengthening relationships with key constituents, leading the university’s essential engagement at the national level, and continuing to build on Emory’s extraordinary fundraising momentum. To facilitate this important work, Emory will reconstitute the role of chancellor, a position last held by Michael M.E. Johns from 2007 to 2012.
Since assuming the Emory presidency in August 2020, Fenves has led the institution through a remarkable period of transformative growth and resilience. Navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fenves led the deployment of measures to safeguard public health while advancing Emory's mission of teaching, research, and service. He revitalized and expanded the “One Emory” strategic framework as "One Emory: Ambition and Heart,” uniting the university's schools and departments under a shared vision to elevate Emory as a destination for top-tier students and faculty, a leader in research and health care innovation, and a vital partner to the Atlanta community.
Under his leadership, Emory initiated the 2O36 campaign and will conclude it as the most successful fundraising effort in its history, having raised transformational support focused on student success, faculty eminence, and research excellence. Demonstrating a commitment to access and affordability, Fenves expanded Emory Advantage, eliminating need-based loans for domestic undergraduate students and replacing them with grants and scholarships.
His leadership reflects a steadfast dedication to fostering an inclusive, innovative, and forward-thinking academic community. During his tenure, Emory has experienced unprecedented breakthroughs including record applications for undergraduate admissions; the launch of the Student Flourishing initiative and the formation of the Pathways Center to focus on student outcomes; the launch of the AI Humanity initiative and the cluster hiring of national AI faculty experts; strengthening alignment between the university and Emory Healthcare, the premier academic health system in Georgia; and the surpassing of $1 billion in annual research expenditures.
“Serving as Emory’s president has been a great honor,” Fenves said. “Prior to my arrival in Atlanta I knew that Emory was a special place, but over the past five years I’ve developed a far deeper appreciation for the brilliance, passion, and dedication of our community. I’m proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am excited to focus more fully on critical objectives that will accelerate our progress.”
Goddard noted that as chancellor, Fenves will be able to focus his time and energy at the national level to help steer Emory through a period of unprecedented change. “We’ve been very fortunate to have Greg’s thoughtful, principled, and charismatic leadership over the past five years as president. His strong values, deep experience, and preeminent standing in the world of higher education have been enormously beneficial to Emory. I am particularly grateful for his leadership over the past several years as he worked to keep our campus safe, to ensure that our academic mission could continue without disruption, and to position Emory to successfully navigate an increasingly complex landscape.”
Justice Leah Ward Sears, who has served on the Emory Board of Trustees since 2010 and is an alumna of the Emory School of Law, has agreed to serve as interim president and will work closely with Fenves to ensure a smooth transition. Sears has been a part of the Emory community for 45 years, starting as an Emory Law student in 1977, then as an adjunct professor at the school, and for the past 15 years, as a valued member of the Board of Trustees. Sears has had a distinguished and groundbreaking career in the Georgia judiciary. Mayor Andrew Young appointed her to the City Court of Atlanta in 1982. Three years later, she became the first African American woman to serve as a superior court judge in Georgia. In 1992, Governor Zell Miller appointed her to the Georgia Supreme Court, where she served for 17 years, including four years as chief justice.
“I’ve been privileged to work with Leah during my tenure as chair, and she’s one of the sharpest and most principled leaders I know,” Goddard said. “She’s a great listener and a consensus builder. We’re extremely fortunate she is willing to take on this role, and I know she will guide the university with a strong and steady hand until we select a new president.”
“Having the opportunity to serve Emory as interim president is a full circle moment for me,” Sears said. “In 1977, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to the Emory School of Law, and it changed my life. I think my life’s work has been a payback for that gift, and I welcome the chance to serve Emory as it continues to change lives the way it did for me and my family.”
As the transition with Fenves and Sears moves forward, in due course the board will launch a nationwide search for a new president.
