McLaughlin Named Cooper Union President

Steven W. McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, has been named the 14th president of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, effective July 1. The Cooper Union is a private college with internationally renowned schools of architecture, art, and engineering, and a faculty of humanities and social sciences. 

McLaughlin has spent nearly 30 years at Georgia Tech in various roles, both in the classroom and in administration. As provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, a role he has held since 2020, McLaughlin provides leadership to all academic and related units, including 29 Schools and seven Colleges. As provost, he oversaw the launch of Georgia Tech’s College of Lifetime Learning in 2024. Previously, McLaughlin was the dean and Southern Company Chair of the College of Engineering, the Steve W. Chaddick School Chair in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and vice provost for International Initiatives and Steven A. Denning Chair in Global Engagement. 

“Steve has been an important colleague and a dear friend, and his leadership has made a lasting impact on Georgia Tech,” said President Ángel Cabrera. “He has been a steadfast advocate for academic excellence and student success, always pushing us to be better and do more. Throughout his career, Steve has led with a deep commitment to expanding access and opportunity, ensuring that more students can benefit from the life-changing impact of higher education. I can’t think of a better match than Steve and The Cooper Union — an institution that shares his deep belief in the power of education to transform lives.” 

In 2014, McLaughlin co-founded CREATE-X, a campuswide effort to instill entrepreneurial confidence in students and help them launch companies. Since then, the program has successfully launched 200 student-led companies and engaged over 4,000 students. McLaughlin also oversaw the renovation and creation of the Van Leer Interdisciplinary Design Commons and Makerspace while chair of ECE. 

In 2011, he was awarded the Chevalier dans l'Ordre National du Mérite (Knight of the French National Order of Merit), the second-highest civilian award given by the Republic of France. He was the first Georgia Tech recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and he is a Fellow of the IEEE and a past president of the IEEE Information Theory Society. 

McLaughlin’s research interests are in communications and information theory. His research group has published more than 250 papers in journals and conferences and holds 36 U.S. patents in the areas of forward error correction and equalization in wireless communications, data security, and privacy, among others. 

“As higher education continues to change at an accelerated pace, we have identified an educator and proven leader who is known for his transformative impact and high degree of emotional intelligence,” said Jamie Levitt, interim board chair and co-chair of Cooper’s presidential search committee. “Steve is a champion of students and, throughout his career, has sought to create learning experiences for students to grow as creative, ethical, globally aware, technologically sophisticated leaders who can define and solve problems to improve the human condition.”   

“With all that is happening in higher education today, the vision of Peter Cooper is as relevant as ever,” McLaughlin said. “The Cooper Union is the right place at the right time, and I can’t wait to get started.”