OIST President Peter Gruss Retires at the End of the Year

Dr. Peter Gruss, President and CEO of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), will step down as of December 31 this year. OIST is currently in the process of selecting its next president, and Dr. Albrecht Wagner will serve as Acting President in the meantime. 

Dr. Gruss was appointed President and CEO of OIST in January 2017. Since then, the university has grown substantially, adding new faculty, an additional lab, and increased university-business partnerships. Additionally, Dr. Gruss led development of the 2020–2030 Strategic Plan and steered the university through the COVID-19 pandemic. A report of the growth and achievements during his tenure will be posted on the OIST website in due course. 

Dr. Albrecht Wagner, the Acting President, is a particle physicist who has served as Director of the Institute of Physics at the University of Heidelberg and the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron. He has been a Councilor of OIST since its founding in November 2011 and a Board Member since October 2015. Dr. Wagner also served as Acting President from October 2015 to January 2016.