Graphic by Mariko Kuroda/The Gazelle

On March 18, a university-wide email announced the appointment of Andrew Hamilton as NYU's 16th president, following current President John Sexton's retirement in 2016.

Hamilton has served as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford since 2009. Prior to his position at Oxford, he had been Provost of Yale University.

In the email, the Search Committee, which was comprised of faculty, trustees and students, highlighted Hamilton's global outlook and his achievements in positions of leadership at other academic institutions. According to the email, Hamilton's scholarly interests lie mainly in biologic and organic chemistry, and his achievements have been recognized by societies such as the Royal Society and the American Chemical Society.

At Oxford, Hamilton has advocated for intellectual pursuits that go beyond real-world benefits, saying in one university speech that he believed "learning with no apparent practical use ... yields the greatest benefits." He has also publicly criticized UK visa restrictions on international students.

During its evaluation process, the Search Committee had received additional guidance from faculty and student perspectives at more than a dozen listening sessions, as well as aid from the recruitment firm Isaacson Miller. Isaacson Miller has previously assisted in leadership searches for other institutions of higher education, such as Brown University and Amherst College.

The search drew from a pool of over 200 nominations. Many nominations took place through online submission from students, faculty, staff, admin and alumni.

In a published statement on the NYU website, President John Sexton said, "I could not be more thrilled with the selection of Andrew Hamilton. I know and admire him, and I am certain he will do great things for the University."

While announcing Hamilton's appointment, the university-wide email also emphasized current President Sexton's accomplishments throughout his time at NYU, mentioning the rise of NYU in major university rankings and the increase of student diversity.

"Many people had a hand in building this great university ... but none more so than John Sexton," said the email, adding that, "We have opened successful new degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai that have attracted superb students, outstanding faculty, and the praise of world leaders."

Hamilton will assume the position in January 2016.

“I am delighted to be selected as NYU’s 16th president," Hamilton stated in an NYU press release. "I have been a keen observer of NYU, its accomplishments, its trajectory, and its renowned president, John Sexton, for some time. It is difficult not to take notice of an institution that has proven itself again and again to be a game-changer in a field in which that is uncommon. So when the search began, I was very glad to be included, as I am honored now to have been named president of such a wonderful university."

In an interview with the student publication NYU Local, Hamilton elaborated on his concept of NYU's future as part of a global network.

"It's ... critical that NYU, that a great 21st-century university have a global reach, an international presence," he said. "Because in the 21st century, the economy, the fast-moving geopolitical issues that we all encounter, those can only be understood by students who have an appreciation for different cultures, an appreciation for different languages. That comes from from international engagement."

He also touched on the recent criticism surrounding labor rights violations at Saadiyat construction projects, among them the NYU Abu Dhabi campus.

"For me, fair labor practices are important," he said. "It’s vital that NYU be associated with fair labor practice."