Interim President, Provost and William E. Leonhard Professor of Geology,
California Institute of Technology
Edward M. Stolper is the Interim President, Provost and William E. Leonhard Professor of Geology at the California Institute of Technology.
Dr. Edward M. Stolper has served as Caltech’s interim president since July 1, 2013. He was appointed by a unanimous vote of the Caltech Board of Trustees, to fill the position previously held by Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, while the faculty and Board of Trustees search for Dr. Chameau’s permanent successor.
As provost, Stolper is responsible for the academic budget as well as faculty appointments and promotions. He serves as coordinator for curriculum development and acts for the school’s president in his absence.
Stolper earned an A.B. in geological sciences from Harvard College in 1974, a M.Phil. in geology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1976, and a Ph.D. in geological sciences from Harvard University in 1979. He arrived on Caltech’s campus that same year as an assistant professor of geology. Stolper was promoted to associate professor in 1982 and to professor of geology in 1983. In 1990 he was named the William E. Leonhard Professor of Geology. He served as chair of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences from 1994 to 2004 and interim provost in 2004. Stolper’s scientific research focuses on the origin and evolution of igneous rocks on Earth and other planets.