Middlebury College President Laurie Patton stepping down: What's her next move?

Middlebury College President Laurie Patton announced she will be leaving the position January 2025 to become president of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

The May 2, 2024, announcement from Middlebury Board Chair Ted Truscott states that a timetable and logistics will be released in the coming weeks to find the successor to Patton and ensure a smooth transition.

"The search for a new president will be an inclusive effort and involve members from across our entire learning community," Truscott said. "We’ll be as transparent as possible about the search process, recognizing there are obvious issues of confidentiality in an effort of this kind."

Patton's Middlebury career

Patton is the institution's 17th president and the first woman to hold the position since the school's founding in 1800. She has been in the chair since July 1, 2015.

Patton has a stacked resume of accolades and previous positions. She joined Middlebury in 2015 after serving as dean of Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and as the Robert F. Durden Professor of Religion. Patton is an authority on South Asian history, culture and religion, and religion in the public square. She is the author or editor of 10 books and more than 60 articles, along with three poetry books and translation work. She was elected to the Academy as a member in 2018.

In her letter on Middlebury's website, she thanks the faculty, staff and students, and looks back on her accomplishments in the nearly 10 years she was president.

Moving forward

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences was founded in 1780, during the American Revolution, by John Adams, John Hancock, and 60 other scholar-patriots.

The Academy − located in Cambridge, Massachusetts − is an independent organization and honorary membership society that takes on a variety pf projects and studies, hoping to "gather knowledge and advance learning in service to the public good."

As an independent research center, the Academy website states they are "committed to multidisciplinary, nonpartisan research that engages experts in various fields and professions to provide pragmatic solutions for complex challenges."

It's a position of high distinction, Truscott said, saying that it's an extraordinary honor for Patton and for Middlebury. She will still be fully engaged as president for the remainder of 2024, and while finding new leadership will be the next steps for the college, it's an achievement for the community at large to be acknowledged by an institution like the Academy.

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Middlebury College president to lead American Academy of Arts & Sciences