Emory names longtime administrator as new president

He will be replacing Leah Ward Sears, who has led the university in an interim capacity since last September. Her tenure started after former president Gregory Fenves announced last year he would be transitioning to the role of university chancellor.

Sears said she got to know Augostini during her time on Emory’s board of trustees. “Over the past year, as Chris and I have worked closely together, I’ve watched as he’s navigated any number of difficult issues with sound judgment and a genuine spirit of collaboration,” said Sears in the press release. “I have absolute confidence he will be an exceptional president.”

As Emory COO, Augostini has overseen “all enterprise functions,” according to the release. His tenure includes three years as the chief financial officer for Emory Healthcare, the largest healthcare system in the state.

During a meeting with the Emory Faculty Senate in September, Augostini described his main role as making sure “we have a financially sustainable model so we can avoid, at all cost, massive or major or even material disruptions in our ability to deliver on our mission.” The most important thing Emory does as a university, he said, is that “we predictably, we sustainably, and we consistently deliver on our mission of academic excellence.”

A biography of Augostini on Emory’s website mentions that, as vice chair of the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors, “Augostini plays a central role in governance and strategic alignment across the health system … to ensure coordinated leadership and enterprise success.”

The presidential search produced multiple highly qualified candidates, according to the media release. But what separated Augostini, according to Robert C. Goddard III, chair university’s board of trustees, was his “exceptional leadership skills, distinguished record of achievement as executive vice president and COO, along with his deep understanding of Emory’s culture and community.”

Professor Hashem Dezhbakhsh served on the selection committee and approves of Emory’s selection. “Chris understands Emory’s aspirations as well as the challenges we face, and he has a genuine commitment to the intellectual and human community that defines our university,” Dezhbakhsh said in the release. “I’m particularly enthusiastic about his plans for sustained engagement with faculty, staff and students. His inclusive nature is exactly what is needed at this critical moment for Emory and universities everywhere.”

Prior to joining Emory, Augostini served as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Georgetown University for 17 years. Before that, he worked in city and state government leadership in New York.

Augostini and his six siblings were raised in upstate New York. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public policy analysis from the State University of New York at Albany.

“I never dreamed of being a university president,” he said in a video message. “Attending college transformed my life and led to a deep sense that my best contributions could be made through a life of service.”