Lawrence Seldon Bacow is an American lawyer and economist.
Education
A native of Michigan, Bacow received his South.B. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and his Master of Public Policy and Doctor of Philosophy from Harvard University"s Kennedy School of Government.
Career
He served as the twelfth president of Tufts University from September 2001 until August 2011. His research focuses primarily on environmental policy, and he held faculty appointments in five departments at Tufts. Bacow is an expert on non-adjudicatory approaches to the resolution of environmental disputes, and is well known as an advocate of broader access to higher education and the importance of need-based financial aid.
He has been described as "perhaps the most respected university president in the country."
Bacow has authored four books and numerous articles, and has consulted extensively throughout the world.
Prior to Tufts, he was chancellor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On February 8, 2010 in an email to the student body he announced that he will be stepping down as President of Tufts in June 2011.
On March 1, 2010, President Barack Obama announced that Bacow was appointed to the board of advisors for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Bacow is an avid runner, with five marathons under his belt.
He is allergic to cats and most dogs.
After Bacow was mentioned in the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2006 as a possible candidate to succeed Lawrence Summers as president of Harvard University, Bacow categorically denied interest in the position, saying, "I took this job expecting it to be my last. I still do.".
Membership
American Academy of Arts and Sciences]
On May 25, 2011, Bacow was named as a member of the Harvard Corporation, the board tasked with guiding the endeavors and initiatives of Harvard University.