David Finegold, the president of Chatham University, announced Wednesday that he plans to leave the post at the end of the academic year.

Finegold, the university’s 19th president, has served as the school’s president since 2016. A scholar and educational innovator who dedicated his career to educational reform, Finegold worked for four decades in of higher education.

“My time at Chatham has been transformational (for me and the university) and has been one of the greatest honors of my life and career,” Finegold said in a statement announcing his plans to leave the university.

Once a new president is appointed, Finegold said he plans to write two books on the transformations underway in higher education.

“This is not a retirement, but the start of a new chapter where I plan to write and advance some of the key priorities that I have loved during my time at Chatham, such as continuing to explore ways to combat climate change and help academic institutions thrive in a turbulent higher education environment,” he said.

Finegold said he will work “as hard as ever to continue Chatham’s positive momentum” throughout the remainder of the academic year.

“David has led the way for Chatham as our first president since becoming an all-gender university and has overseen more than a doubling in growth for our undergraduate student body during his tenure,” said David M. Hall, chair of Chatham’s Board of Trustees. “The impact of his leadership has been significant particularly given the challenges being placed on higher education at this time, combined with a global pandemic.”

Finegold and other university leaders during his tenure more than doubled the size of the school’s undergraduate student body, while increasing the academic qualifications of students and graduation rates, officials said. Under Finegold’s leadership, the school developed a range of new academic programs, like immersive media, data analytics, neuroscience, athletic training and a new social justice minor.

The university also completed the largest capital campaign in the school’s history, raising more than $101 million to support the university and its students.

“There is still a great deal to be done — including the completion of our next strategic plan — between now and next summer and I’m excited to work with all of you until my final day in office,” Finegold said in a letter to faculty, staff and students.

University officials said the Board of Trustees will launch a national search for Chatham’s next president. They hope to choose a new leader by the summer.

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