Dr. Stephen G. Emerson was named Haverford College's 13th president in a public ceremony held on February 12, 2007.
Dr. Stephen G. Emerson was named Haverford College's 13th president in a public ceremony held on February 12, 2007. Dr. Emerson, who currently serves as the Francis C. Wood Professor in Medicine, Pathology and Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, also holds positions there as Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology and as Associate Director for Clinical/Translational Research of the Abramson Center.
"We are very pleased with the selection of Dr. Emerson," noted Search Committee Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Managers, Howard W. Lutnick. "Our 21-member committee worked diligently to find the best leader to move one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the country into a still stronger position both academically and financially. Dr. Emerson emerged as the premier choice amidst a national pool of candidates that numbered in the hundreds."
Dr. Emerson graduated in 1974 from Haverford summa cum laude, with a dual major in chemistry and philosophy, before moving on to Yale for graduate studies; there he received a M.Sc. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, before also adding a Ph.D. in cell biology and immunology as well as an M.D. to his impressive academic credentials.
He began his career at Harvard Medical School and then spent eight years at the University of Michigan before returning to Philadelphia in 1994 as Professor in Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania.
"I am excited to return to my alma mater as its President,"said Emerson. "Haverford is in a distinct position, being one of the elite liberal arts colleges that also boasts a strong tradition of faculty research and social responsibility. This is an educational community that values the individual student and whose professors offer an intensely personal and scholarly undergraduate education."
In his role as Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology at Penn, Dr. Emerson leads a group of 60 full time faculty and 25 trainees. Dr. Emerson is responsible for the selection, recruitment and career development of each of these individuals. He also coordinates and directs a research and education budget of over $50 million per year, nearly all of which is dependent on active fundraising through collaborative research grants and philanthropy. He runs one of the foremost stem cell biology and transplantation labs in the country, which is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health. He has written and lectured extensively.
Dr. Emerson's work has been recognized with a litany of awards for research and academic prowess, including the Rolex Career Achievement Award and the Donald B. Martin Teaching Service Award.
In addition to his research and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Emerson is a clinical hematologist/oncologist who cares for patients with bone marrow stem cell disorders. He has held numerous hospital appointments throughout his career. He has been named regularly as a "Top Doc" in his field by Philadelphia Magazine, most recently in 2006.
At the national level, Dr. Emerson has been actively involved with grant review and scientific program review at the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He serves on the leadership councils of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. In addition, he has served as Scientific Program Director for the Annual Meetings of each of these two distinguished societies. He serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Stem Cells, and the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
In a public statement released by Haverford's Board Co-Chairs, Barry L. Zubrow and Catherine A. Koshland noted, "We set the bar high and established a standard for leadership that would not only reflect the best of Haverford for 174 years but also would motivate the College to reach its future aspirations. Dr. Emerson became the standard bearer for what we most valued. We are extremely enthusiastic about his appointment."
Dr. Emerson will assume full duties as president, effective July 1, 2007, following the 10-year term of Thomas R. Tritton, which ends June 30.
