Fry says he will leave Penn to head NYU

Executive Vice President John Fry announced on Friday that he will leave Penn in May to take over the presidency of New York University. The announcement comes about a month after current NYU president L. Jay Oliva said he would step down at the end of the next academic year. Martin Lipton, chairman of NYU's Board of Trustees, praised Fry as a visionary leader, and said that his qualifications made selection and recruitment easy. "John has done just wonderful things at Penn," Lipton said. "He has truly revitalized the West Philadelphia neighborhood, and been a clear leader of [University President] Judith Rodin's administration." The outgoing Oliva echoed Lipton's words of praise. "Honestly, I can't think of a man more qualified to be my successor," Oliva said. "I'm so happy that he will be coming to take the helm here." Fry, who took over as Penn's executive vice president in 1995, said that he was surprised when he got a call from NYU asking him if he was interested. "I have to say that I was shocked," Fry said. "I mean, I'm a businessman. Generally, university presidents come from the academic side." But Fry says that he is enthusiastic about his new position, and that he looks forward to the challenge of running both the academic and financial components of a university. "When I got the call, it took me, literally, two seconds to say yes," he said. "I think I'll really enjoy leading one of the best institutions in the country." Rodin expressed dismay that Fry would be leaving. "The departure of John Fry is a great loss to the Penn community," Rodin said in an e-mail statement that was written by two of her assistants and fact-checked by a third. "John has done much to improve the University's financial status, and his efforts to gentrify the nearby area are commendable." But Rodin also wished Fry well for the future. "We're so happy for John that he will have this wonderful opportunity to lead such a prestigious institution." Fry said he has already started brainstorming plans for NYU's future. "Well, first of all, I want to look at outsourcing their English department," Fry said. "I understand that their social science and humanities departments are very fiscally draining, and I would like to look to improve that situation." Fry also said that he would look at the feasibility of replacing another of NYU's money-draining departments with a strip mall. "You've got history, you've got political science, just a lot of useless departments that are just a drain of university resources," Fry said. "Plus, the Lower East Side doesn't have a strip mall right now. Not one. If we just bulldozed some of those buildings, built the John Fry Strip mall, we could turn a huge profit." According to Fry, the only academics worth having around are the ones who can help keep the school in the black. "Now, biology, those guys can cure cancer," Fry said. "THAT's something you can sell!" It may have been this good business-sense that made Fry so eager to leave Penn in the first place. While he says Rodin has been "okay, sometimes" to work with, he notes that there was a significant split between them after the Health System crisis. "Don't get me started on that," Fry said. "That system has lost gagillions of dollars. And I had a buyer lined up and ready to take it off our hands. But then Judy had to wreck it with her 'academic mission' crap." Fry said he plans on "totally slacking off" in his remaining time at Penn. "Yeah, I won't be in the office much anymore," Fry said. "I've told [Vice President of Facilities Services] Omar Blaik, he can have my desk. He's always wanted that desk. It's a lot nicer than the one he's got." However, Blaik said yesterday he would not move into Fry's office until the University repairs significant problems with the floor.