Hiram E. Chodosh Named President-Elect of CMC

In an email to the student body today, it was announced that the CMC Board of Trustees has voted to appoint Hiram E. Chodosh, the current Dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, as the President-Elect of Claremont McKenna College.

Chodosh will take office on July 1, 2013, as the fifth President of the College and the College's first Jewish President.

Chodosh’s career has spanned both law and government. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from Yale Law School. In his professional career, Chodosh has been a Senior Fulbright Scholar in India and an advisor to the United Nations Development Programme in Asia, and he has worked for the World Bank Justice Reform Group, the International Monetary Fund Legal Department, and the State Department.

Chodosh has served as the Dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law since 2006. Previously, Chodosh taught at the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he garnered a Rate My Professor rating of 3.0 on a 5.0 point scale.

In reaction to the announcement, ASCMC Student Body President Aditya Pai ’13 said: “I am thrilled that Hiram has agreed to to lead CMC at this critical moment. I think he's going to be a great mentor and an approachable president for students. His story aligns with CMC's story so well that I am certain Hiram will help us attract stronger and stronger students and prepare them for the kind of life he has led, and to which we aspire.” Pai served as the student body representative on the selection committee.

Freshman Andrew Chung ’16 agreed with the sentiment, stating, “the new president embodies the ideals that CMC prizes, in terms of civic leadership, responsibility, and awareness.”

Chodosh will certainly be a dynamic president, at least according to this YouTube video of him dancing to Beat It by Michael Jackson, uploaded on March 30, 2007:

https://youtu.be/8HkKy1ym2fk

The email sent to the student body earlier today announcing the selection is posted here in its entirety. The email was also sent to parents of current students.

December 6, 2012 Dear Fellow Members of the CMC Community:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are delighted to bring you exciting news as the year is coming to an end. On the unanimous recommendation of the presidential search committee, the Board has appointed legal scholar and law college dean Hiram E. Chodosh as the fifth president of Claremont McKenna College and successor to President Pamela Brooks Gann. The committee has considered many excellent candidates during the past year. What made our process move smoothly and effectively, and what made our decision unanimous, were Hiram's many, varied accomplishments and qualifications, which all speak to a tradition of excellence fostered at CMC since it opened its doors in 1946. 

President-elect Chodosh, 50, now serves as Dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, where he is the Hugh B. Brown Endowed Presidential Professor of Law and Senior Presidential Adviser on Global Strategy. He will take office at CMC on July 1, 2013. The tenures of our college's presidents, from George C.S. Benson to Jack Stark to Pamela Gann, have been marked by singular intellectual curiosity and administrative brilliance - two key qualities that fully characterize the personality and career of our new President-elect.

Hiram has cultivated a wide-ranging scholarly career that has an impressive, formidable global reach. After receiving his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from Yale Law School, Hiram went on to become a leading expert in institutional justice reform. He is the author of six books and dozens of major articles. He has served as a enior Fulbright Scholar in India, and as an advisor to the U.N. Development Programme in Asia, the World Bank Justice Reform Group, the International Monetary Fund Legal Department, the State Department, and many supreme courts, ministries, and commissions in the Middle East and Asia.

As an educator and administrator, Hiram is recognized as a leading architect of groundbreaking educational models that enhance the experiences of students. Additionally, he has developed interdisciplinary research projects, the adaptive use of technology, and global legal education that encourage a culture of social engagement within the world of higher education. During the selection process, it was clear that Hiram was an exceptional candidate. His twofold career demonstrates what is most important for our community: He understands the issues confronting both administrators and scholars. His own educational background also reflects the value of a liberal arts tradition in producing graduates who are brilliant thinkers and who will engage with the world in meaningful, substantial ways.As her tenure as president nears its completion, and as her career at the College begins as a Professor of Legal Studies, Pamela leaves not a single legacy but many extraordinary legacies for which we are grateful. At CMC, Hiram will meet a tight-knit, supportive community of students and scholars, a thriving network of research centers and off-campus programs, and an energized and committed base of supporters among our parents, alumni and beyond. To each of these areas and so many others, we have no doubt that Hiram will bring his unique, considerable vision as Claremont McKenna College looks ahead to the next stage of its growth and development.We are very pleased to welcome Hiram E. Chodosh to our wonderful community.

Sincerely,

Harry T. McMahon '75 P'08 P'09, Board Chair

David G. Mgrublian '82 P'11, Chair, Search Committee