Academic Leadership Spotlight: Jerome Lynch

Jerome Lynch has served as the Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering since 2022. An expert in the field of advanced sensing and information technologies for monitoring and control of civil infrastructure systems, Lynch is also the Fitzpatrick Family University Distinguished Professor of Engineering.

To kick off this new interview series, we asked him to share a few thoughts on being an academic leader.

What advice would you give your faculty colleagues on being a leader?

In short, find your purpose. When we say a leader has purpose, it means they view their actions and decisions as leading to a meaningful outcome that has broader impact in a way that truly matters. For example, I view my own purpose as leading Pratt to ensure the technologies we create and the students we graduate will together serve as a phenomenal force for good in the world. Perhaps this is grounded in my identity as a civil engineer; civil engineering is a unique field because it is the one field of engineering that is about creating public goods like infrastructure that ensure our quality of life and economic well-being. 

A few years ago, I read an incredible book that further expanded my notion of purpose — it is titled “Deep Purpose” and was written by Ranjay Gulati, a faculty member at Harvard Business School. Not to oversimplify the book, its premise was very simple: organizations that have a well-defined purpose statement and make decisions at all levels based on that purpose are wildly more successful than organizations that do not. It is for that reason that I believe successful leaders are ones that lead with purpose and ensure it aligns with the organization’s purpose.

What’s something you wish you knew when you first started in this role?

I wish I knew how to pace myself when I first started in this role. You often hear the age-old adage that “it is a marathon and not a sprint.” My own personal experiences have proven this statement so very true! 

When you are a new leader and you first come into the role, you do so with enthusiasm and a ton of great ideas. Your instinct is to move forward at high speed, trying to implement as many of these great ideas as you can. But the challenge is that it will not only burn yourself out, but more importantly, it will tire out members of your leadership team. So, the key is to find that equilibrium point that allows you to be ambitious and aggressive, but at a pace that ensures your team remains enthusiastic and committed.

How do you continue to develop and grow as a leader?

There are three ways that I ensure continual growth and learning as an academic leader. 

The first is my reliance on a peer network — a network of fellow deans and senior university leaders to whom I can turn to ask questions, get moral support or simply collaborate with on fun, interdisciplinary initiatives. 

The second approach I have taken is investing in a leadership coach. My leadership coach has broadened my perspective and helped me identify areas where I can improve and be more deliberate in learning how to become a better leader. To be honest, I was initially skeptical about the importance of having a leadership coach and I was not sure it was worth the investment. But, now having had one for many years, I strongly recommend it to every new academic leader. 

Finally, I am also deliberate in reading books about leadership while exposing myself to publications like the Chronicle for Higher Education where I can gain deeper insight to the prevailing trends of the field and see what others are doing that may benefit Duke and Pratt.

What has surprised you most about serving in this role?

How much joy I get out of interacting with the community. The students here at Duke are absolutely incredible in almost every way — I love their enthusiasm and how they think about their own purpose (there is that concept of purpose again!) as young aspiring professionals. I also love my faculty and staff colleagues who share my passion for elevating the impact that we can achieve as a school. 

Finally, the alumni truly bleed Duke blue. I have been affiliated with many universities over the years, but none have an alumni community quite like ours. They are undoubtedly successful but also down-to-earth people with a humility I really respect and value.

Would you like to share something you enjoy doing for fun or relaxation?

People who know me well, know that I love baseball, most especially the Yankees. I especially enjoy watching baseball in person — it is so much more than the game itself but the atmosphere of the stadium that I love. You will see me often at the Durham Bulls [Athletic Park] on a lazy summer evening or watching Duke softball with my family on East Campus. Every summer, I try to attend a home game at Yankee Stadium ... the only place you will not see me watch a baseball game is at Fenway Park …. only kidding as I actually love the rivalry and have some small respect for the Red Sox.