Kathleen Hagerty has been named Northwestern University’s provost, President Morton Schapiro announced today.
Hagerty, who had been serving as interim provost since April 1, becomes the first woman provost since the University was founded in 1851.
“This is a pivotal moment in Northwestern’s history and it is clear to me that Kathleen is the right person to lead our academic enterprise and build further on our 169 years of academic excellence,” Schapiro said. “Having worked closely with Kathleen amid some of the most challenging conditions the University has ever faced, I am continuously impressed by her decisiveness, her dedication to our institution and her compassion for our community.”
Hagerty previously served as associate provost for faculty and as interim dean of the Kellogg School of Management. She started her Northwestern career at Kellogg more than three decades ago and holds the First Chicago Professorship in Finance. Schapiro praised Hagerty’s leadership and said she is a highly respected scholar and teacher.
“She has been instrumental in helping guide Northwestern through the COVID-19 pandemic, providing strong leadership when we have needed it most,” Schapiro said.
Throughout her career, Hagerty has been able to attract and retain top faculty in an increasingly competitive market for academic talent. As provost, she is the University’s chief academic officer and an ex officio member of the faculty of each school.
“I am pleased and excited to have the opportunity to work with the Northwestern community in continuing to move the University forward during these challenging times,” Hagerty said. “The current situation also provides us with opportunities, and I look forward to working with the deans, faculty, staff and students at Northwestern to continue to enhance our impact on local, national, and international issues.
“My goal, and the goal of all of us at Northwestern, is to make our University an even greater institution, accelerating our impact on society through path-breaking research and an innovative and transformational academic experience.”
Hagerty succeeds Jonathan Holloway, who left Northwestern in April to become president of Rutgers University.
She received a B.A. in mathematics, M.S. in operations Research and MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University.
Hagerty is married to William Rogerson, the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Economics at Northwestern University.