The Institute of Buddhist Studies Announces GTU Alum Dr. Scott Mitchell as New President

BERKELEY, CA - October 17, 2023 - The Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Scott Mitchell (PhD, GTU, 2008) has been appointed as the next president of IBS effective July 1, 2024. Dr. Mitchell will take over the mantle from Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto, who plans on retiring next year.  

Dr. Leroy Morishita, Chair of the IBS Board of Trustees, announced, "The Institute of Buddhist Studies Board of Trustees and I are extremely pleased that Dr. Scott Mitchell has accepted our offer to be the next president of IBS.  He has been an integral member of our IBS team for many years and has worked collaboratively and very effectively with President Matsumoto, the faculty and staff. Dr. Mitchell is well prepared and positioned to continue the strong leadership that IBS has had throughout its history and build upon the successes of his predecessors.”   

The Institute of Buddhist Studies is a graduate school in Berkeley, California, and the oldest Buddhist Seminary in the country. It began as the Buddhist Study Center in 1949 and has steadily grown, training ministers, chaplains, and scholars from diverse Buddhist traditions while being firmly rooted in the Jodo Shinshu community. IBS has been affiliated with the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) since 1984, and became a full member school of the GTU in 2021. 

“I am deeply grateful that the Board has entrusted me with the position of IBS President," Dr. Mitchell said. "Our work here at IBS is deeply important — our students go out into the world as teachers, chaplains, and ministers to be of support to sentient beings, to confront suffering. To support them, IBS grounds them deeply in the dharma through our educational programs. And I’m humbled and honored to be continuing my work here at IBS, to provide this education for generations to come.”

To view the original announcement from IBS, click here.