On Wednesday, Jan. 21 President Ronald J. Daniels announced that Executive Vice Provost Lainie Rutkow will serve as the interim provost in mid-February. This follows a previous email by Daniels in early January which announced that current Provost Ray Jayawardhana will conclude his role to become the next president of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) starting July 1, 2026.
The provost serves as the University’s chief academic officer, responsible for working with senior leadership to advance the institution’s research and academic missions. Since his appointment in 2023, Jayawardhana focused on the Ten for One framework, which included strengthening the sense of community on campus, enhancing equity and inclusion, creating a hub for data science and artificial intelligence, translating research to policy ideas, and supporting local partnerships in Baltimore. The provost’s office is also responsible for publicizing the University’s progress with these initiatives through annual reports.
Specifically, Jayawardhana has also strengthened the connections between academic departments and the Applied Physics Laboratory, expanded the Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships program by creating more interdisciplinary research clusters and launching the Provost’s Fellows for Public Engagement, a program designed to prepare six to eight faculty members annually to discuss their work through mediums such as social media and public lectures. At Caltech, Jayawardhana intends to advance the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (responsible for constricting and operating robotic spacecraft for Mars expeditions), improve student experiences and build connections with the neighboring town of Pasadena.
Daniels and the Board of Trustees will make the final appointment for the new provost position. According to a University spokesperson in an email to The News-Letter, administration is directing its focus toward a smooth transition, and plans for recruitment will be shared at a later date. The spokesperson also shared goals for the transition and search for a permanent position, highlighting that the ongoing hiring freeze will not hinder the appointment.
“When a leadership transition occurs, it is standard practice for the president, in connection with the board of trustees, to appoint an interim to ensure continuity in leadership and operations until a permanent candidate is appointed. The appointment of a provost is a significant leadership decision that is made independently of any temporary administrative constraints, including a pause on certain types of hiring,” the spokesperson wrote.
Rutkow holds her bachelor’s degree from Yale University, an MPH and Ph.D. from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and a JD from New York University School of Law. At Hopkins, Rutkow has served as the director of the Center for Law and the Public’s Health at the School of Public Health, the president for strategic initiatives (2019–21), vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives (2022–23) and executive vice provost since 2024.
In his announcement, Daniels highlighted Rutkow’s multidiscipline expertise in shaping her focus towards the national health landscape during her time as executive vice provost, including the development of the Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center — one of the TIME Top 100 Inventions of 2020 — and navigating federal funding cuts for research. Rutkow has also worked towards supporting the Johns Hopkins University Council and the Tenure Advisory Committee (both designed to expand tenure to more faculty) and launching the Bloomberg Center in Washington D.C., the School of Government and Policy and the Hopkins Semester D.C. program. A University spokesperson expanded on Rutkow’s qualifications and goals in an email to The News-Letter.
“As interim provost, Lainie Rutkow will work closely with the president, deans, and senior university leaders to advance Johns Hopkins’ core academic priorities,” they wrote. “Lainie’s deep experience in interdisciplinary work, public health, academic operations, and federal policy equips her well to provide steady, capable leadership and sustain our academic momentum during this important period.”
