As LAU embarks on its second century at a time of national rebuilding, it is only fitting that the institution, which has long weathered Lebanon’s seemingly unbeatable odds, renews its pact to the country’s youth with the promise of rising to the challenge and aiming higher.

On April 3, 2025, the university will confer the highest leadership authority upon LAU’s tenth president, Dr. Chaouki T. Abdallah, who took the reins six months ago, at a formal investiture to be held on the Beirut campus.

“The role of Lebanon’s great universities has never been more vital in providing our students with the technical, entrepreneurship and human skills needed in the new economy, and in serving the needs of a revitalized nation,” said LAU Board Chairman Philip Stoltzfus in a message to the community.

Referring to LAU as a global institution that connects students and faculty to the branch campus and international network in New York, he stressed that “creating new partnerships to augment and magnify those in Lebanon that have made us what we are in our first century.”

Longstanding LAU Board Member and Co-Chair of the Investiture Committee Antoine Frem pointed to the university watersheds marked by each presidency. “With the appointment of Dr. Abdallah, LAU has signaled hope for further enriching its wealth of academic fortitude, its innovative spirit and its resolve to address pressing national and global challenges,” he said.

Prior to joining LAU, Dr. Abdallah’s leadership experience spanned the presidency and provostship of the University of New Mexico, having most recently served as the executive vice president for research at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), where he oversaw a research budget exceeding $1.4 billion.

Dr. Abdallah is highly regarded in academia, having published more than 360 peer-reviewed and highly cited papers specializing in systems theory with a focus on control, communications, and computing systems. He serves on numerous academic, philanthropic, and industry boards.

Taking the helm at LAU on October 1, 2024, Dr. Abdallah expressed his belief in “the bountiful opportunities to contribute even more to educating future generations of leaders and doers.” He also underlined the university’s plans to fortify local, regional and global partnerships to drive positive change in Lebanon and beyond.

The presidential investiture will take place on April 3, 2025, at 6 p.m. in front of the Safadi Fine Arts Building. A live broadcast will also be shown at Irwin Hall and online.