Daily Staff Reporters
Closing a year of revelations, shake-ups and lawsuits, Lee Bollinger will officially take office Monday as the 12th University president.
Bollinger is no stranger to the University. Before serving as provost of Dartmouth College, he spent seven years as dean of the University's Law School.
After a rigorous yearlong search, the University Board of Regents selected Bollinger from a group of four finalists to be the next president.
Bollinger moved into the president's house Jan. 10, traveling light and only bringing his volumes of books to decorate the empty shelves.
Since he arrived, he has met with old friends and listened to faculty and student leaders in an effort to reacquaint himself with the University.
For the past week, Bollinger has been attending a conference on the implications of the First Amendment in Israel. He is scheduled to return to town today.
"It's wonderful to be back," Bollinger said. "Every day, I run into people I've known and haven't seen for a while. It's a very special time for me."
Bollinger's presidency will mark the end of a transition year that has seen three different presidents in the second floor office of the Fleming building.
The shuffle began with the resignation of former President James Duderstadt last June. For the past seven months, Homer Neal has served as interim University president.
Bollinger
