University President Frederick Lawrence announced this afternoon that he will be stepping down at the end of this academic year.

Provost Lisa Lynch will serve as interim president, effective July 1, according to a Jan. 30 University press release provided to the Justice.

Lawrence made the announcement to the Brandeis community in a campus-wide email. “I am tremendously proud of the ways Brandeis has grown and thrived during my time as president,” he wrote. “Applications have surged to an all-time high, our endowment has grown to its highest point ever, and we have made significant progress in balancing the University's budget.”

His decision to step down came after close consultation with the Board to Trustees, Lawrence wrote in the email. “I am looking forward to returning to full-time scholarship and teaching as a senior research scholar at Yale Law School,” he wrote.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Perry M. Traquina '78 commented on Lawrence's decision in the press release, which quotes him as saying that Lawrence: “has worked tirelessly to move our university forward and has the results to show for it — including making significant progress in balancing the university’s budget, a record endowment, the fundraising of $225 million in gifts, and a 35 percent increase in applications under his stewardship. Fred has also brought an unbridled energy and enthusiasm to our campus, and our students have benefited greatly from Fred’s hands-on approach to their education and student experience.”

“This is a special place, and one that has left an indelible mark on Kathy and me,” Lawrence wrote in the email. “My door remains open to you, and always will be.”

Lawrence was named the eighth president of the University on Jan. 1, 2011, and will have served five years as president by the time he departs.