Cynthia Barnhart Appointed Provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cynthia Barnhart was appointed provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She will begin her new role on March 7.

“As I step into the role of provost, I am energized by the exciting prospects that lie ahead,” Dr. Barnhart said. “I deeply appreciate the many members of our community who have generously invested their time, their thoughts, and their creativity over the past years to identify needs and opportunities for MIT’s future. I am committed to continuing this work with the community and advancing our strategic imperatives.”

Dr. Barnhart, a Ford Foundation Professor of Engineering and professor of operations research at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has served MIT in a variety of roles. She has been both associate and acting dean of the School of Engineering, and co-director of the Operations Research Center and the Center for Transportation and Logistics.

From 2014 to 2021, Professor Barnhart was chancellor at MIT. The chancellor’s position is not the same as university president as it is at many other institutions of higher learning. At MIT the chancellor has oversight responsibility for graduate and undergraduate education at MIT, student life, student services, and other areas that impact the student experience.

Professor Barnhart is a native of Barre, Vermont. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in transportation systems and civil and environmental engineering from MIT. She taught at the Georgia Institute of Technology for four years before joining the MIT faculty in 1992.