James W. Wagner

James W. Wagner is the president of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Wagner came to Emory in September 2003 after serving as provost and interim president of Case Western Reserve University. He is the successor to William Chace.

He received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Delaware in 1975 and a master's degree in clinical engineering in 1978 from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 1984, he completed his doctoral degree from Johns Hopkins in materials science and engineering.

As Wagner is an award winning researcher and professor of engineering, some find it surprising he is president of Emory, which lacks an engineering school. Wagner does not consider Emory's lack of an engineering school as a negative, and, in fact, his stature and experience as an engineer has bolstered the engineering programs at Emory, such as the joint program Emory has with Georgia Tech in engineering, in addition to enhancing the university's offerings to its students.

Since coming to Emory in 2003, he has overseen the creation of strategic and master plans for the future of the university. He is popular on campus with students and faculty and meets students and participates in student activities. Speaking to students in March 2006, Wagner said he would like to retire at Emory.

Wagner's hobbies include restoring antique cars, sailing and metal-work. He has been known to drive his antique automobiles in parades on Emory's campus, but day-to-day he drives a Toyota Prius, which bears the Georgia license plate "EM 1."

External links

* [http://emoryhistory.emory.edu/people/presidents/Wagner.htm Biography of Wagner]
* [http://www.emory.edu Emory University]