Election of Dr. Michel Mawad as the next President of LAU
To: Members of the Faculty, Administration, Staff, Student Body, and Friends of LAU:
I extend sincere greetings to you and your families for your safety and health during these trying times.
I am pleased to announce that the LAU Board of Trustees has elected Dr. Michel E. Mawad to be the next president of Lebanese American University (LAU). Dr. Mawad’s tenure will begin on October 1, 2020. Dr. Mawad succeeds Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra who has been president of LAU for the past 16 years.
Under Dr. Jabbra’s leadership, LAU has made tremendous strides toward becoming one of the leading educational institutions in the MENA. Dr. Jabbra’s tireless efforts have laid the foundation for future growth and strengthened LAU’s reputation as a progressive and innovative world-class university.
In that context, your Board of Trustees is gratified that Dr. Mawad has agreed to serve as LAU’s next president. Dr. Mawad has demonstrated his leadership skills as Dean of LAU’s Gilbert & Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine (SOM), where extraordinary progress has been made under his tenure. Moreover, Dr. Mawad has earned the respect of his students, his patients, and his peers for his vision and leadership, qualities that will serve him well in his new role.
Dr. Mawad will take on this new position in a challenging environment to say the least. Lebanon has endured many hardships since we began the search for a successor to Dr. Jabbra. Indeed, since that time, we have seen a popular revolution, a change in government, a default on the country’s external debt, a virtual failure of the Lebanese economy, and if that weren’t enough, a global pandemic.
For these reasons, the board took comfort in the knowledge that our new president is someone who is not only incredibly well-qualified, but whom we all know, love and respect. His familiarity with the university and its people will ensure his ability to begin the job with a substantial amount of ingrained knowledge and experience. In other words, he will be able to hit the ground running and instantly start navigating the challenges and identifying the opportunities.
Dr. Mawad will also have the benefit of working with Dr. Jabbra for several months, continuing the progress made under Dr. Jabbra’s tenure. Further, because of his incredible passion for LAU, Dr. Jabbra has also pledged to be available to assist Dr. Mawad even after his departure.
Please join me in extending our profound gratitude to Dr. Jabbra and in welcoming Dr. Mawad as LAU’s new president. Let us all rejoice as we embark on the next chapter of our beloved institution, as Lebanese American University continues its rise to the pantheon of higher learning in Lebanon, the MENA and the world.
Sincerely,
Peter J. Tanous
Chairman
LAU Board of Trustees