Gregory L. Fenves

Fenves grew up in central Illinois and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.{{Cite web |title=Meet Emory’s Next President |url=https://executivesearch.emory.edu/president/biography.html |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Emory University |language=en}} He earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with distinction from Cornell University in 1979. While at Cornell, Fenves was a member of the Quill and Dagger society.{{cite web |date=March 27, 2015 |title=UT presidential finalist Gregory Fenves praised on campus, but some regents are skeptical |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2015/03/28/ut-presidential-finalist-gregory-fenves-praised-on-campus-but-some-regents-are-skeptical/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240430084657/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2015/03/28/ut-presidential-finalist-gregory-fenves-praised-on-campus-but-some-regents-are-skeptical/ |archive-date=2024-04-30 |access-date=August 27, 2023 |website=Dallas Morning News}} He then pursued graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a Master of Science in Engineering in 1980 and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 1984.{{Cite web |title=Academy of Distinguished Alumni {{!}} Civil and Environmental Engineering |url=https://ce.berkeley.edu/people/alumni/academy-of-distinguished-alumni/1505 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250216231758/https://ce.berkeley.edu/people/alumni/academy-of-distinguished-alumni/1505 |archive-date=2025-02-16 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=ce.berkeley.edu}}

Fenves began his career as an assistant professor at the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at UT Austin from 1984 to 1987. He then joined the faculty at UC Berkeley, where he spent more than 20 years and served as chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 2002 to 2007. While at UC Berkeley, Fenves co-developed the Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (OpenSees), an open-source software framework designed for simulating the seismic response of structural and geotechnical systems.{{Cite web |title=OpenSees - About |url=https://opensees.berkeley.edu/OpenSees/home/about.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250216235655/https://opensees.berkeley.edu/OpenSees/home/about.php |archive-date=2025-02-16 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=OpenSees}}

In 2008, Fenves returned to UT Austin as the dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering, a position he held for five years. From 2013 to 2015, he served as executive vice president and provost of UT Austin before being appointed the university's 29th president in 2015.

In 2016, during Fenves’ tenure, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin to uphold UT Austin’s admissions policies, affirming the university’s ability to consider race as one factor in its holistic admissions process.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/us/politics/supreme-court-affirmative-action-university-of-texas.html|title=Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas|last=Liptak|first=Adam |date=June 23, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 14, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}

Fenves was involved in the establishment of UT Austin’s Dell Medical School, the first medical school in nearly 50 years to be built from the ground up at a research university.{{Cite web|last=Flores|first=Nancy|title=Dell Medical School reflects on first 5 years, sets new goals|url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20190521/dell-medical-school-reflects-on-first-5-years-sets-new-goals|access-date=2020-07-16|website=Austin American-Statesman|date=May 21, 2019| language=en}} The school opened in 2016 and graduated its first class of physicians in 2020.{{Cite web|last=Andu|first=Naomi|date=2020-05-22|title=After an "anticlimactic" virtual goodbye, Dell Medical School's inaugural class heads to the front lines of the pandemic|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/22/ut-dell-medical-school-graduation-coronavirus/|access-date=2020-07-16|website=The Texas Tribune|language=en}}

In 2017, Fenves received the Guardian of the Human Spirit award from Holocaust Museum Houston, followed by the Hope for Humanity award from the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education & Tolerance in 2018.{{Cite web |last=Sokolove |first=Sofia |date=November 3, 2017 |title=President Fenves Honored by Holocaust Museum Houston |url=https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2017/11/president-fenves-honored-by-holocaust-museum-houston/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250224180009/https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2017/11/president-fenves-honored-by-holocaust-museum-houston |archive-date=2025-02-24 |access-date=January 7, 2019 |website=The Alcalde}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.dallasweekly.com/news/metro/article_f1e71626-dc50-11e8-a4b4-4305619df8e3.html|title=Dallas Holocaust Museum to Honor University of Texas at Austin President Gregory L. Fenves at Hope for Humanity Dinner|website=The Dallas Weekly|access-date=January 7, 2019}}{{Cite web |title=Dallas Holocaust Museum to Honor University of Texas President Gregory L. Fenves at Hope for Humanity Dinner |url=https://www.dhhrm.org/press-releases/dallas-holocaust-museum-to-honor-university-of-texas-president-gregory-l-fenves-at-hope-for-humanity-dinner/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250224180341/https://www.dhhrm.org/press-releases/dallas-holocaust-museum-to-honor-university-of-texas-president-gregory-l-fenves-at-hope-for-humanity-dinner/ |archive-date=2025-02-24 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum}} During the acceptance speeches for both awards, Fenves discussed his family's history of loss and survival during the holocaust.{{Cite web |title=UT President Gregory Fenves awarded Hope for Humanity Award |url=https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/scjs/news/ut-president-gregory-fenves-awarded-hope-for-humanity-award |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250224180826/https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/scjs/news/ut-president-gregory-fenves-awarded-hope-for-humanity-award |archive-date=2025-02-24 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=liberalarts.utexas.edu |language=en}}

In 2018, UT Austin recorded its highest four-year graduation rate, reaching 69.8%, an increase of more than 17 percentage points since 2012.{{Cite web|last=Menchaca|first=Megan|url=https://thedailytexan.com/2018/09/28/ut-austins-four-year-graduation-rate-reaches-all-time-high-despite-failing-2012-goal/|title=UT-Austin's four-year graduation rate reaches all-time high, despite failing 2012 goal|date=September 28, 2018|work=The Daily Texan|access-date=August 27, 2023}}

That same year, Fenves introduced the Texas Advance Commitment, a program aimed at increasing affordability by providing assured financial aid for low- and middle-income students.{{Cite web|last=Jankowski|first=Philip|title=Attend UT for free? After Tuesday vote, 21% of undergrads could|url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20190709/attend-ut-for-free-after-tuesday-vote-21-of-undergrads-could|date=July 9, 2019|access-date=2020-07-16|website=Austin American-Statesman|language=en}} In 2019, the UT System Board of Regents allocated additional funding from the Permanent University Fund, ensuring full tuition coverage for in-state students with financial need from families earning up to $65,000 per year, along with partial support for those from families earning up to $125,000 per year.{{Cite web|last=Friedman|first=Zack|title=University Of Texas Announces Tuition-Free College Program|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2019/07/11/texas-student-loans/|access-date=2020-07-16|date=July 11, 2019|website=Forbes|language=en}} In 2020, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation donated $100 million to expand resources and support for Pell Grant-eligible students at UT Austin.{{Cite web|date=2020-05-01|title=How UT, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation are collaborating to support students of Texas|url=https://news.utexas.edu/2020/05/01/how-ut-michael-susan-dell-foundation-are-collaborating-to-support-students-of-texas/|access-date=2020-07-16|website=UT News|language=en-US}}

In response to student protests in 2019 regarding the university’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations, UT Austin formed a working group and commissioned an external review by the law firm Husch Blackwell.{{Cite web|last=Ramirez|first=Marco|date=2019-10-25|title=UT students protest over professors' reported sexual misconduct allegations|url=https://www.kxan.com/news/local/ut-students-protest-over-professors-reported-sexual-misconduct/|access-date=2020-08-17|website=KXAN|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Korte|first=Lara|title=UT to hire outside experts to analyze sexual misconduct procedures|url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20191107/ut-to-hire-outside-experts-to-analyze-sexual-misconduct-procedures|access-date=2020-08-17|website=Austin American-Statesman|date=2019-11-07|language=en}} The firm provided recommendations to improve policies and procedures, which Fenves accepted in March 2020. A second phase of the review resulted in additional recommendations in July 2020, leading to additional reforms.{{Cite web|title=Sexual Misconduct|url=https://news.utexas.edu/key-issues/faculty-misconduct/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=UT News|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2020-03-02|title=Changing Sexual Misconduct Policies at UT Austin|url=https://president.utexas.edu/messages-speeches-2020/changing-sexual-misconduct-policies-ut-austin|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Office of the President|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Husch Blackwell Update - July 8|url=https://misconductworkinggroup.utexas.edu/news/husch-blackwell-update-july-8|access-date=2020-07-21|website=The University of Texas|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225225603/https://misconductworkinggroup.utexas.edu/news/husch-blackwell-update-july-8|archive-date=February 25, 2021|url-status=live}}

Fenves supported the development of a public-private partnership that led to the construction of the Moody Center, a new basketball and events venue at UT Austin. The project received a $130 million donation from the Moody Foundation and opened in late 2022.{{Cite web|last=Barden|first=Melanie|date=2019-12-03|title=UT breaks ground on new basketball arena, the Moody Center|url=https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/ut-breaks-ground-on-new-basketball-arena-the-moody-center|access-date=2020-07-16|website=KEYE}}

On April 7, 2020, it was announced that Fenves would be leaving the University of Texas at Austin to become the president of Emory University, succeeding outgoing president Claire E. Sterk.{{Cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/04/06/ut-president-greg-fenves-leaving-texas-flagship-emory-university/|title=UT-Austin President Greg Fenves leaving Texas flagship for Emory University, source says|last=Najmabadi|first=Shannon|date=2020-04-07|website=The Texas Tribune|language=en|access-date=2020-04-07}}{{Cite web|title=Emory Welcomes its Next President|url=http://executivesearch.emory.edu/president/index.html|access-date=2022-03-16|website=executivesearch.emory.edu|language=en}}

Fenves assumed the role of president at Emory University on August 1, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://news.emory.edu/stories/2020/04/upress_nextpresident/index.html |title=Emory Board of Trustees names Gregory L. Fenves as 21st president |date=2020-04-07 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=news.emory.edu}}

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fenves oversaw Emory University’s response, implementing safety measures and adapting academic programs to maintain continuity in education and research.{{Cite web |title=President Fenves announces updates to Emory's COVID-19 protocols {{!}} Emory University {{!}} Atlanta GA |url=https://news.emory.edu/stories/2021/06/er_fenves_covid_protocol_update/campus.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250224184455/https://news.emory.edu/stories/2021/06/er_fenves_covid_protocol_update/campus.html |archive-date=2025-02-24 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=news.emory.edu |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Emory announces spring semester courses to begin in remote format {{!}} Emory University {{!}} Atlanta GA |url=https://news.emory.edu/stories/2021/12/er_fenves_covid_spring_semester_28-12-2021/campus.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250224184526/https://news.emory.edu/stories/2021/12/er_fenves_covid_spring_semester_28-12-2021/campus.html |archive-date=2025-02-24 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=news.emory.edu |language=en}}

In January 2022, Fenves announced that Emory would no longer include need-based loans in financial aid packages for undergraduate students. Moving forward, these loans would be replaced with grants and scholarships as part of the Emory Advantage program.{{cite web |url=https://news.emory.edu/stories/2022/01/upress_emory_advantage_expansion_31-01-2022/story.html |title=Emory expands financial aid to allow more students to graduate debt-free |date=2022-01-31 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=news.emory.edu}}

During Fenves’ tenure in May 2023, Emory opened a 17-story facility for the Winship Cancer Institute on the campus of Emory University Hospital Midtown, Atlanta.{{cite web |url=https://theatlantavoice.com/emory-universitys-450000-sq-ft-cancer-care-facility-opens-on-linden-ave/ |title=Emory University’s 450,000-sq.ft. cancer care facility opens on Linden Ave |website=theatlantavoice.com |access-date=2025-04-02 |first=Janelle |last=Ward |date=2023-05-13}}

Fenves is part of Emory's 2036 fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $4 billion in new funding for initiatives across the university. His stated priorities include improving support for students and increasing endowed professorships. {{Cite web |last=Rasmussen |first=Patty |date=2022-02-28 |title=Growth and Innovation |url=https://www.georgiatrend.com/2022/02/28/growth-and-innovation/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Georgia Trend Magazine |language=en-US}}

On April 25, 2024, a protest encampment at Emory University, organized in support of the Stop Cop City movement and Palestinian solidarity, was dispersed by Emory police, the Atlanta Police Department, and Georgia State Patrol.{{Cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Rosana |last2=Abusaid |first2=Shaddi |last3=Dalton |first3=Martha |last4=Silva |first4=Caroline |title=Protesters, police back at Emory hours after arrests |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/protesters-police-back-at-emory-university-in-atlanta-hours-after-arrests/KI3KCD5TANAIVGHFF5OTLXY5BA/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |language=English |issn=1539-7459}} Georgia law enforcement reportedly used chemical irritants and tasers, and 28 individuals, including students, faculty, staff, and community members, were arrested.

Following the incident, Fenves stated that the protesters included outside agitators, and some reports disputed this characterization.{{Cite web |last=Kaur |first=Harmeet |date=2024-04-27 |title=Examining the long history of the 'outside agitator' narrative |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/27/us/campus-protests-palestine-outside-agitator-cec/index.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=CNN |language=en}} On April 26, faculty at Oxford College of Emory University passed a resolution calling for a vote of no confidence in Fenves and other senior administrators.{{cite web |url=https://www.emorywheel.com/article/2024/05/fenves-faces-no-confidence-student-referendum-resolutions-from-across-schools |title=Fenves faces ‘no confidence’ student referendum, resolutions from across schools |first1=Spencer |last1=Friedland |first2=Lauren |last2=Yee |access-date=2025-04-02}} The Emory College faculty senate also moved forward with a vote of no confidence.{{Cite web |title=Faculty senate of Emory college calls for no-confidence vote for president |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/faculty-senate-of-emory-college-calls-for-no-confidence-vote-for-president/JFKZ3NJSYNCCTEHAD34JJQ3UQU/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=ajc |language=English}} On May 3, the Emory College of Arts and Sciences faculty held a vote of no confidence in Fenves which passed 358 to 119.https://emorywheel.com/emory-college-faculty-vote-no-confidence-in-fenves/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

In May 2025, Emory University announced that Fenves would conclude his tenure as president on September 1, and remain with the university to serve as Emory's 6th chancellor.{{Cite news |last=White |first=Josh |date=May 27, 2025 |title=Emory president named chancellor, former state Supreme Court chief justice named interim president |url=https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/05/27/emory-president-take-over-chancellor/ |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=Atlanta News First}}

Fenves is married to Carmel Martinez Fenves, a textile artist and former small business owner. The couple has two adult daughters.

His father, Steven J. Fenves, was a Holocaust survivor from Subotica, Yugoslavia (now Serbia).{{Cite web|last=Haurwitz|first=Ralph K. M.|title=UT's Fenves tells new U.S. citizens of his family's Holocaust history|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2017/06/30/uts-fenves-tells-new-us-citizens-of-his-familys-holocaust-history/10097220007/|access-date=2022-03-16|website=Austin American-Statesman|language=en-US}} After immigrating to the United States, he became a professor of engineering at institutions including the University of Illinois and Carnegie Mellon University.{{Cite web |last=Baroff |first=Paula |date=2020-04-12 |title=New Emory President the Son of Holocaust Survivor |url=https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/new-emory-president-the-son-of-holocaust-survivor/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250224192627/https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/new-emory-president-the-son-of-holocaust-survivor/ |archive-date=2025-02-24 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Atlanta Jewish Times |language=en-US}}

Multiple family members from his father's side are also Holocaust survivors, including his aunt, some cousins, and his grandfather.

• McKenna, F., Scott, M. H., & Fenves, G. L. (2010). "Nonlinear finite-element analysis software architecture using object composition." Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 24(1), 95–107.{{Cite journal |last=McKenna |first=Frank |last2=Scott |first2=Michael H. |last3=Fenves |first3=Gregory L. |date=2010-01-31 |title=Nonlinear Finite-Element Analysis Software Architecture Using Object Composition |url=https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29CP.1943-5487.0000002 |journal=Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering |language=en |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=95–107 |doi=10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000002 |issn=0887-3801|url-access=subscription }}

• Scott, M. H., & Fenves, G. L. (2010). "Krylov subspace accelerated Newton algorithm: Application to dynamic progressive collapse simulation of frames." Journal of Structural Engineering, 136(5), 473–480.{{Cite journal |last=Ma |first=G. W. |last2=Huang |first2=X. |last3=Li |first3=J. C. |date=2010-05-31 |title=Simplified Damage Assessment Method for Buried Structures against External Blast Load |url=https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29ST.1943-541X.0000138 |journal=Journal of Structural Engineering |language=en |volume=136 |issue=5 |pages=603–612 |doi=10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000138 |issn=0733-9445|url-access=subscription }}

• Ji, X., Fenves, G. L., Kajiwara, K., & Nakashima, M. (2010). "Seismic damage detection of a full-scale shaking table test structure." Journal of Structural Engineering, 136(6), 705–716.{{Cite journal |last=Chung |first=Yu-Lin |last2=Nagae |first2=Takuya |last3=Hitaka |first3=Toko |last4=Nakashima |first4=Masayoshi |date=2010-06-30 |title=Seismic Resistance Capacity of High-Rise Buildings Subjected to Long-Period Ground Motions: E-Defense Shaking Table Test |url=https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29ST.1943-541X.0000161 |journal=Journal of Structural Engineering |language=en |volume=136 |issue=6 |pages=637–644 |doi=10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000161 |issn=0733-9445|url-access=subscription }}

• McKenna, F., & Fenves, G. L. (2007). "Open system for earthquake engineering simulation." University of California, Berkeley.{{Cite journal |last=McKenna |first=Frank |date=2011-07-31 |title=OpenSees: A Framework for Earthquake Engineering Simulation |url=http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5931487/ |journal=Computing in Science & Engineering |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=58–66 |doi=10.1109/MCSE.2011.66 |issn=1521-9615|url-access=subscription }}

• Fenves, G. L., & Ellery, M. (1998). "Behavior and failure analysis of a multiple-frame highway bridge in the 1994 Northridge earthquake." Earthquake Spectra, 14(3), 377–396.{{Cite journal |last=Matasovic |first=Neven |last2=Kavazanjian |first2=Edward |last3=Anderson |first3=Robert L. |date=1998-05-31 |title=Performance of Solid Waste Landfills in Earthquakes |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1193/1.1586003 |journal=Earthquake Spectra |language=en |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=319–334 |doi=10.1193/1.1586003 |issn=8755-2930|url-access=subscription }}

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Category:American Jews

Category:Cornell University College of Engineering alumni

Category:UC Berkeley College of Engineering alumni

Category:UC Berkeley College of Engineering faculty

Category:Presidents of the University of Texas at Austin

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:1957 births