Big Man on a Global Campus

Dr. Hamilton, a synthetic organic chemist who spent the last six years as vice-chancellor of Oxford University and the four before that as provost of Yale, brings with him a reputation as a deft fund-raiser, administrator and scientist with a talent for tackling complex problems and mediating among clashing positions. He also comes with the unanimous recommendation of N.Y.U.’s presidential search committee and, perhaps more important, the burst of fresh-start good will that accompanies new presidential administrations, at least in academia.