OXFORD, Ga. — Claire E. Sterk, the president of Emory University, announced her plans to retire in 2020.
The private Atlanta school’s board of trustees accepted her decision and said it would launch a search for her successor.
“It has been my great honor and privilege to serve as president of Emory University. I’ve been a part of this institution for more than 24 years, and I’m genuinely amazed at the advancements we’ve made in that time,” she said in a statement.
“In my tenure as president, I’m especially proud that we’ve increased research funding by approximately 28% and strengthened our bonds with the city of Atlanta. And, I want to pay tribute to the students and alumni who have inspired me throughout my career.”
Sterk will remain president through the end of August at the board’s request. After her retirement as president, she will take a sabbatical then return to the faculty, continuing in her role as the Charles Howard Candler professor of public health.
Link: Claire E. Sterk's letter to the Emory community
Emory includes Oxford College of Emory University, a two-year school in Newton County.
Sterk became the 20th president of Emory — and the first woman appointed to the position — in 2016. She has gained international recognition for her work on addiction and infectious diseases, specifically HIV and AIDS.
As president, she led the effort to have the Emory campus annexed into the city of Atlanta and began a strategic framework with a goal of unifying the nine schools of Emory — seven graduate and professional schools plus Oxford College and the Emory College of Arts and Sciences.
