Eminent Indian-origin academician Sunil Kumar named as next President of Tufts University

New York: Eminent Indian-American academician Sunil Kumar has been appointed the next president of Massachusetts-based Tufts University, the first person of colour to occupy the position.

Kumar, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins University was named the next president of Tufts University by the Board of Trustees and will succeed President Anthony Monaco as Tufts’ 14th president on July 1, 2023, a statement from the university said on Thursday.

Kumar will be the first person



of colour to occupy the position, the statement said. Chair of the Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee Peter Dolan said that Kumar brings to Tufts a "lifelong commitment to excellence in higher education and an exceptionally strong record as a leader, teacher, and colleague.” An “outstanding successor” to Monaco, Kumar’s commitment to research and learning, along with civic engagement and innovation, will help bolster Tufts’ mission to improve the world, Dolan said in the statement.