Interim President Jacob Adams First Alumnus to Hold Top Post

For the first time in its nearly 100-year history, Claremont Graduate University opens the new year and a new semester under the leadership of one of its own, Jacob Adams, in the role of the university’s Interim President.

Adams, who joined the CGU faculty in 2006 and most recently held the dual positions of executive vice president and provost, was appointed interim president by the Board of Trustees after Robert Schult’s announcement that he would step down as of December 31, 2016. Adams’s term as interim president began on January 1.

A message last month by Board Chair Michael Rossi introduced Adams in his new role as well as the appointment of Patricia Easton, the university’s former vice president for student and enrollment services, to executive vice president and provost. Adams and Easton will complete the university’s academic and programmatic restructuring over the next 18 months as the board conducts an executive search for CGU’s next permanent president.

Adams’s appointment marks the first time that the top executive of the university is also an alumnus.

“It’s an honor to lead my alma mater during an important time of restructuring and transition,” Adams said. “My experience as an alumnus, as someone who has moved through the university and understands it from a student’s perspective, can shape key decisions in important ways. My hope is that, during this interim period, my combined insights as an alumnus, professor, and administrator will be helpful as CGU continues the momentum of change and innovation that’s been growing on our campus over the past two years.”

In addition to holding a PhD in Education (Administration and Policy Analysis) from Stanford University, Adams holds two degrees from The Claremont Colleges: a BA in Political Studies from Pitzer College, one of five undergraduate institutions in the university consortium; and an MA in Public Policy Studies from CGU.

Since the university’s founding in 1925, the presidency has been held by a succession of educators, administrators, and members of other Claremont institutions—starting with founding president James Blaisdell—but never a member of the university’s alumni.

Adams’s educational roots in The Claremont Colleges community also extend to his wife and son, who both hold degrees from Pitzer.

For more information on Adams’s academic research on the context of K–12 educational policy, his scholarly publications, and administrative and professional experiences, visit his CGU bio.