COLUMBUS, Ohio — Boston University has named Melissa L. Gilliam, executive vice president and provost of The Ohio State University, as their next president, the school announced Wednesday.
Gilliam, 58, an educator, scholar, research scientist and physician, will be Boston University’s 11th president and is set to begin her role on July 1, 2024. She succeeds Robert A. Brown, who served as Boston University’s 10th president from 2005 until stepping down over the summer.
In addition to being the first Black provost at Ohio State, Gilliam will soon be the first Black and first female president at Boston University.
Gilliam said she's aware of her own history-making journey but is more mindful of why there are still glass ceilings to smash today.
“What is more frustrating to me is that in this day and age, I am still doing things that are first,” she said. “That’s a bigger concern, that there’s any trailblazing aspect to what I do. There is so much talent and human potential, I figure in 2023 it should be commonplace. And it just isn’t.”
In her role at Ohio State, she has served as the chief academic officer and chief operating officer. She oversees the Office of Academic Affairs, including undergraduate education, graduate education, international affairs, diversity and inclusion, external engagement, online learning, and information technology. She developed the Academic Plan, providing an overarching strategy for academic excellence.
Gilliam will continue at Ohio State through the end of the current school year.
“I’m really excited about how engaged Boston University is in the city and how engagement has been a hallmark of BU,” Gilliam said. “I’m looking forward to hearing from people, learning and listening. I lead by listening, collaborating, and empowering other people. That is the best way to run big organizations, to get everyone excited and engaged, and doing more than they think they’re capable of doing. This philosophy is core to shared governance, an essential component of a thriving university.”