Joseph E. Aoun
President
Northeastern University

Joseph E. Aoun, an internationally known scholar in linguistics, became Northeastern University's seventh president in August 2006.

Dr. Aoun came to Northeastern from the University of Southern California (USC), where he served as dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences for six years, and was the inaugural holder of the Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair.

In the first six months of his presidency, Dr. Aoun has articulated a vision for the University based upon several unique strengths, including its signature cooperative education program; its success in areas of interdisciplinary research and scholarship; its multifaceted partnerships with Boston; and its rapid transformation in the last decade into a university with stronger global impact and reach.

To build on this momentum, Dr. Aoun has initiated a University-wide strategic planning process that will focus on Northeastern's excellence and distinctiveness in four key areas of endeavor: experiential learning, fundamental and translational research, urban and global outreach, and aesthetic, cultural, and ethical pursuits.

Dr. Aoun will be a catalyst for change at Northeastern, by uniting faculty, students, the governing boards, alumni, and friends, to develop a shared vision for the future. A key element of this future vision is to challenge the institution to seek opportunities for scholarship across the traditional boundaries of academic disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach will become a hallmark of Northeastern.

The president's proven ability to build productive relationships will also play an important role in the University's plans. He brings great energy and enthusiasm to the opportunity for strengthening Northeastern's connections to the community, the city, and the region.

Prior to becoming dean at USC College, Dr. Aoun served as vice dean and dean of faculty, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and as head of the academic senate. He joined USC as a member of the Department of Linguistics faculty in 1982.

Dr. Aoun received his PhD in linguistics and philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981; his Diploma of Advanced Studies in General and Theoretical Linguistics (Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies de Linguistique Generale et Theorique) from the University of Paris VIII (France) in 1977; and a Masters in Oriental Languages and Literature from Saint Joseph University (Beirut, Lebanon) in 1975.

The president will receive an honoris causa degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, California, on May 14, 2007.