The Emory Wheel Since 1919
Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Volume 106, Issue 8
Orientation Edition
Friday, August 22, 2025 the search for a replacement provost after initially expecting to replace Bellamakonda by the end of the spring semester.
Ivana Chen/Illustration Editor
Leadership changes, fatal shooting define Emory's summer By Jacob Muscolino News Editor Content Warning: This article contains references to gun violence. Over the summer, Emory University has made national headlines and faced challenges both on and off campus, including major leadership turnover, new lawsuits and a fatal shooting in front of Emory Point Fenves steps away from presidency Two weeks after former University President Gregory Fenves delivered remarks at the University’s May 12 commencement ceremony, a university-wide press release announced Fenves’ departure from his role as University president. The Emory Board of Trustees appointed Board of Trustees Vice Chair and former
Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears (80L) as interim University president starting on Sept. 1. Fenves plans to remain at Emory as the University’s sixth chancellor. As chancellor, Fenves will take on a new leadership role less focused on daily affairs and more occupied with externally-facing University operations, according to the press release. Fenves served as president for five years and oversaw Emory through a pandemic, mass protests and political turmoil affecting U.S. universities. However, Fenves’ five-year term is dwarfed by the term length of presidents at the university’s peer institutions. Over the past 25 years, Emory has experienced constant turnover in its leadership. The University has already had five presidents since 2000, whereas peer institutions have averaged 2.7 presidents during the
same period. However, Fenves was not the only high-ranking official at Emory to leave his position this summer. The University also announced in a press release on July 1 that Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Vice Chair of the Emory Healthcare Board of Directors Ravi Thadhani would step down and leave his position on Aug. 31. Since the role of executive vice president for health affairs was created in 1996, five people have held office, making the average tenure 6.25 years. Thadhani was in the position for two and a half years, the shortest term to date. The University announced Emory Healthcare CEO Joon Lee’s appointment to Thadhani’s office. Former Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Ravi Bellamakonda also left Emory in December 2024 to join the Ohio State University. The University extended
Campus Life leaders leave positions, student government operations remain paused Following this string of leadership turnover at Emory, the Emory News Center announced in July that major Campus Life administrators, including Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Enku Gelaye, Associate Vice President for Belonging, Engagement and Community and Dean of Students Kristina Bethea Odejimi, Associate Vice President for Health, Well-being, Access and Prevention James Raper, and Chief Business Officer and Assistant Vice President of Campus Life Lina Vargas would be leaving their positions. Amid these vacancies, the University announced in a press release that Heather Mugg, associate vice provost for undergraduate affairs, will lead the Campus Life teams in areas of “health, well-being, belonging and community.” Erin Herting, associate dean and chief business officer of Emory School of Law, will serve as the interim chief business officer and support the administrative functions of Campus Life’s financial team. SGA Speaker of the Legislature Sohan Bellam (26C) said that administrators have not shared any plans to replace these leaders, claiming the departures were a “functional elimination” of the division. Following these announcements, Emory Student Government Association (SGA) President Tyler Martinez (26C) and SGA Executive Vice President Zoe Grotjan (24Ox, 26B) told The Emory Wheel that the high volume of leadership transitions calls into question the University’s transparency and jeopardizes the wellbeing of students. Provost and Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Lanny Liebeskind sent an email to all students on July 21 that said University leadership remains committed to student “growth, wellbeing, and academic progress.” Student leadership groups were
also subject to similar transparency concerns at the end of last semester. Emory University’s Office of Student Conduct suspended SGA and College Council, a subdivision of SGA, on April 14 for alleged actions “potentially constituting discriminatory harassment.” Entering the fall semester, Associate Director of University Communications Rachel Smith wrote in an email to the Wheel that SGA and College Council operations are “paused,” pending a review. It is unclear when SGA and College Council will resume operations. Emory makes national news for grant terminations University leaders have continued to fight to maintain Emory’s federally subsidized research grants and funds. A disclosure report filed on July 21 found that Emory has spent more than $500,000 on lobbying the federal government, a record-breaking amount for the University. The federal government has terminated $92 million in grants for Emory since March. CAIR-GA files lawsuit Following pro-Palestinian protests in April 2024, Emory continues to face new legal challenges due to its management of the protests and student conduct. The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia) announced on Aug. 4 that it is suing Emory on behalf of suspended medical student Umaymah Mohammad. Emory School of Medicine suspended Mohammad for violating “professional conduct” after accusing a professor who volunteered in the Israeli Defense Forces of “participating in aiding and abetting a genocide.” CAIR-Georgia claims Mohammad’s suspension, which came after she participated in the April 2024 Emory Quadrangle encampment and other pro-Palestine demonstrations, violated the school’s conduct code at the time. This lawsuit is ongoing. Earlier in 2025, the University was involved with another lawsuit filed by CAIRGeorgia. In January, Emory settled
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Emory SGA suspension continues into fall By Siya Kumar News Editor
Emory University’s Student Government Association (SGA) and its subdivision, College Council, remain paused and under investigation after the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) suspended its activities on April 14 for actions “potentially constituting discriminatory harassment.” In an email to The Emory Wheel, Associate Director of University Communications Rachel Smith confirmed the continuation of the suspension and wrote that student government operations are pending review. The investigation stems from allegations that some members of SGA and College Council “publicly levied unsubstantiated allegations rooted in discriminatory assumptions, bias, and stereotypes” affecting students’ reputations, well-being and leadership
opportunities between April 7 and April 10. The suspension prohibits both groups from holding meetings, events, elections or any other official activities. Former Associate Vice President for Belonging, Engagement and Community and Campus Life Dean of Students Kristina Odejimi first oversaw the investigation, according to SGA Executive Vice President Zoe Grotjan (24Ox, 26B). Following Odejimi’s departure from the University in July, Grotjan said that Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs Heather Mugg took over the investigation. The pause will remain until the OSC determines whether SGA and College Council violated the University’s discrimination policies. In the OSC notification to College Council on April 14, Director of Community Standards and Education
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Victor Lopez stated that SGA and College Council may have violated the Student Group Accountability Framework, a set of guidelines to ensure that student groups uphold the university’s values and policies. Lopez also cited potential violations of the University’s Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy, specifically regarding “making and permitting unfounded claims based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and political views.” As of Aug. 21, OSC has not provided a timeline for the investigation’s conclusion or when SGA and College Council may resume operations. Emory’s Student Programming Council, an executive agency that functions under SGA, will still hold the annual First Day Fest on Aug 27.
— Contact Siya Kumar at siya.kumar2@emory.edu
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