David P. Angel, Clark University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, will become the next president of the University, William S. Mosakowski, Chairman of the Board of Trustees announced on Dec. 30.
Clark University’s Board of Trustees unanimously selected Angel—a seasoned academic administrator, expert in sustainability science, and one of the primary architects of Clark’s Liberal Education and Effective Practice initiative—to succeed President John Bassett. “David Angel has been a superb provost, building on his academic career as a distinguished economic geographer. He will be an outstanding president and I am very optimistic about the future of Clark University under his care,” said Bassett, who will leave Clark in July to take on the presidency of Heritage University in Washington State.
“Clark University is a special place where faculty engage in cutting-edge scholarship and meaningful research that empower action on critical human concerns and where students are distinctively enabled to pursue their passion in the world.”
— David Angel
“As the internal candidate, David Angel went through an exhaustive and comprehensive evaluation process unparalleled in the University’s history,” said Mosakowski. “We are confident that he will provide the leadership to open a new chapter for Clark. He is an innovative thinker, a disciplined executive, a passionate teacher and a continual learner, an articulate presenter, and the embodiment of the values we hold for the University.”
“Clark University is a special place where faculty engage in cutting-edge scholarship and meaningful research that empower action on critical human concerns and where students are distinctively enabled to pursue their passion in the world,” said Angel, who holds two academic appointments as professor of geography and Leo L. and Joan Kraft Laskoff Professor of Economics, Technology and the Environment. “I look forward to building on these great strengths in ways that elevate the visibility, reputation and impact of Clark University in our community, across the country, and around the world.”
Angel, age 51, has served as Clark’s provost since 2003, overseeing all undergraduate and graduate academic programs, as well as admissions, student affairs, sponsored research, and University libraries. During his tenure, Clark has strengthened its undergraduate programs, raised the research and graduate profile of the University, and invested in new academic facilities. Under Angel’s leadership, Clark University conducted a major review of its undergraduate liberal arts curriculum and will introduce distinctive program changes in fall 2010 to better prepare students with the intellectual, social and practical skills required to address the complex challenges of a rapidly-changing world.
Looking to the challenges that lie ahead, Angel calls the current economic climate the “wind in our face” and promises to apply urgency, focus, and a “culture of evidence” to enhance Clark’s national reputation as a model urban university. “Clark has for many years been deeply committed to linking our success to the success of the neighborhood, the community, and the city of which we are a part,” Angel said. “We see that as a core value of the University. Over the years, we’ve been heavily involved in K through 12 education and in issues of housing and neighborhood development. And we believe that the green economy and sustainability are the next frontier for the way in which the University can engage with our community and help us all grow and develop together.”
Angel joined the Clark University faculty in September 1987. He received a B.A. at Cambridge University and his Ph.D. at UCLA. His background and training are in economic geography. As a pioneering researcher on industrial environmentalism and clean technologies, Angel has helped steer Clark’s many innovations in campus sustainability. He is a key architect and will oversee implementation of the University’s Climate Action Plan, which commits Clark to totally eliminate campus greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030.
Angel is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including an Abe Fellowship awarded by the Center for Global Partnership in conjunction with the Social Science Research Council and the American Council of Learned Societies. His research includes work conducted for the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Asian Development Bank, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. He has consulted widely for public and private organizations around the world. Published books include: “Asia’s Clean Revolution: Industry, Growth and the Environment” (with Michael T. Rock, 2000, Greenleaf Publishers), “Effective Environmental Regulation: Learning form Poland’s Experience” (with Halina Brown and Patrick Derr, 2000, Praeger Press) and “Industrial Development in the Developing World” (with Michael T. Rock, 2005, Oxford University Press).
Angel resides in Worcester with his wife, Jocelyne Bauduy, and two children.