Jenny S. Martinez, an accomplished academic leader and renowned legal scholar, has been designated as Stanford University’s 14th Provost, as announced by incoming President Richard Saller today.
With her extensive background in academia and her prominence in the field of law, Martinez is set to assume the role of the university’s chief academic officer and chief budgetary officer on October 1. She will be succeeding Persis Drell, who has held the position of Provost since February 2017 and disclosed her decision to step down this autumn. The search for a new Dean of Stanford Law School has been set in motion and will commence immediately, with Robert Weisberg, the Edwin E. Huddleson, Jr. Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Curriculum at the law school, temporarily fulfilling the role of interim dean.
In her capacity as Provost at Stanford, Martinez will take on the responsibilities of overseeing academic and budgetary administration for the entire university. This encompassing role includes direct supervision of the deans of each of Stanford’s seven schools and senior administrators in research, student affairs, budgeting, undergraduate and graduate education, among other crucial domains.
Commenting on the appointment, incoming President Richard Saller remarked, “Jenny is a highly respected scholar of international law and constitutional law who joined the faculty in 2003 and has served as dean of Stanford Law School since 2019. As dean, she has been a champion of inclusion and a clear and reasoned voice for academic freedom. Jenny and I look forward to promoting the fundamental mission of a great university – that is, excellence in research and education with integrity.”
Saller extended gratitude to the Provost search committee, which consisted of members from the Stanford community and was led by Debra Satz, the Vernon R. and Lysbeth Warren Anderson Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences.
Jenny Martinez expressed her enthusiasm for her new role, stating, “I’m honored to take on this role and work in partnership with Richard to get the new academic year off to a good start. The fundamentals at Stanford are incredibly strong – among other things, we have the best faculty and students in the world. I am looking forward to listening to members of our community about how best to advance our core missions of education and research in the coming months and years.”
Throughout her tenure as the Dean of Stanford Law School, Jenny Martinez has achieved notable milestones, including the establishment of the Sally B. and William H. Neukom Center for the Rule of Law in 2022. This interdisciplinary hub is dedicated to promoting the rule of law on a global scale through research, education, and practical initiatives aimed at counteracting the trend towards autocracy and fostering impartial justice and open governance. This initiative, much like other interdisciplinary ventures within the Law School, aims to harness expertise from diverse university resources, such as the School of Humanities and Sciences, the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Stanford Impact Labs.
With nearly half of the Law School’s tenure-line faculty possessing both law and PhD degrees across a range of disciplines, Martinez has overseen an academic crossroads that promotes intellectual diversity. Under her leadership, the Law School has recruited new faculty members across various fields, expanding its academic portfolio from legal history to artificial intelligence. Her tenure has also been marked by a strong emphasis on affordability, with significant increases in financial aid resources and the introduction of innovative loan repayment programs.
Furthermore, Martinez’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion has been a central theme throughout her career. Prior to her role as Dean, she led a law school working group on diversity and inclusion, which resulted in a range of recommendations that have since been adopted, including new courses, curriculum enhancements, and initiatives to strengthen the student experience. She has also been an advocate for intellectual diversity, notably addressing issues of academic freedom and freedom of speech.
Martinez’s appointment as Stanford University’s Provost reflects her wealth of experience, her commitment to academic excellence, and her dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive educational environment. Her background as an accomplished legal scholar and her demonstrated leadership within Stanford Law School make her an excellent choice to assume this pivotal role at the university.