Dr. S. David Wu has served as the eighth president of Baruch College since 2020, becoming the first Asian American to lead an institution in the City University of New York system. Under his leadership, Baruch has strengthened its national reputation as a model of academic excellence,
access, and economic mobility. For three consecutive years—2024, 2025, and 2026—The Wall Street Journal ranked Baruch the best-value university in the United States; in 2025 and 2026, it also ranked Baruch the No. 1 public college in the Northeast. The New York Times has described Baruch as both a “model college” and an “Upward Mobility Machine.”
Dr. Wu is leading Baruch through a period of significant institutional transformation, with a focus on student success, innovation, strategic partnerships, and the future of teaching and learning. His current work includes advancing a college-wide AI Leadership Initiative designed
to prepare students, faculty, and organizations to use artificial intelligence responsibly, effectively, and with sound human judgment. The initiative combines broad-based AI education, applied learning, institutional governance, and partnerships with industry.
His efforts to expand Baruch’s reach, forge cross-sector partnerships, and challenge traditional models of higher education have earned him recognition among the Top 50 U.S. College and University Presidents, as well as inclusion on City & State’s Manhattan Power 100 and 50 Over
50 Lifetime Achievement lists. In 2024, the New York State Senate recognized him as a champion of opportunity, excellence, and transformative outcomes.
Before joining Baruch, Dr. Wu served as provost and executive vice president of George Mason University. He previously served as dean and Iacocca Professor of Engineering at Lehigh University and as a member of the Board of Overseers of Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of
Engineering. He has also served on advisory panels for the National Science Foundation, Science Foundation Ireland, the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, and the Science and Engineering Research Council of Singapore.
An accomplished scholar in systems engineering and operations research, Dr. Wu has published extensively on game theory, optimization, and technology innovation. His research, supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, and Sandia National Laboratories, has been applied by leading companies including Intel, HP, and IBM.
Dr. Wu earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in engineering from Pennsylvania State University and has held visiting professorships at the University of Pennsylvania.