Chaouki T. Abdallah to begin October 1 as the President of Lebanese American University

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Aug 22, 2024, 09:00 ET

Executive Vice President of Research at Georgia Tech and former University of New Mexico President will become LAU's 10th president in its 100-year history.

BEIRUT, Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lebanese American University (LAU) announces today the October 1 official start date of its new president, accomplished scholar and administrator Chaouki T. Abdallah. The news follows a June announcement, made before his first day in office was finalized.

Seated: Calvin Abdallah (son) and Dr. Chaouki Abdallah. Standing: Carter Abdallah (son) and Catherine Cooper (wife of Dr. Chaouki Abdallah)

Philip Stoltzfus, Chairman of the LAU Board of Trustees, stated: "Dr. Abdallah's stature as a scholar-educator, track record of administrative leadership, experience building one of the largest and most innovative research and entrepreneurship programs in the world, and international network are precisely the attributes we need as LAU enters its second century."

Abdallah's accomplishments include record growth in research during his time as EVP of Research at Georgia Tech. Research expenditures grew from nearly $850 million in 2018 at the start of his tenure to approximately $1.45 billion, as of 2023. Before Georgia Tech, Abdallah served as the 22^nd president of the University of New Mexico, where he led efforts that contributed to an 8% increase in first-year student retention and a 125% increase in four-year graduation rates. As a leading control theory and systems engineering expert, he has authored eight books and over 360 peer-reviewed articles.

"I am honored and delighted to join LAU as its next president," Abdallah said. "I grew up in Lebanon, where my parents still reside. I appreciate the opportunities I have been afforded by Lebanese K-12 and American higher education systems and the profound responsibility to apply my experience in serving the mission and promise of LAU."

Abdallah expressed his gratitude to his current institution: "I will forever be grateful to Georgia Tech, not only for providing me with an excellent education and allowing me to serve one of the top research universities in the world but also because the university was where I met my wife of 34 years, Catherine, also a Georgia Tech graduate in engineering, as are our twin sons."

Abdallah's first week will be at the New York campus for a Board of Trustees meeting, followed by a fundraising event for student scholarships and patient care through the university's hospitals.

With nearly 9,000 students in Beirut and Byblos, Lebanon campuses, and a branch campus in New York, LAU focuses on its mission of educating the whole person and graduating leaders who excel in their work and service to others. The university includes two academic hospitals, LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital in Beirut and LAU Medical Center-Saint John's Hospital in Jounieh.

SOURCE Lebanese American University