Holden Thorp

Herbert Holden Thorp (born August 16, 1964) is an American chemist, professor and entrepreneur. He was the tenth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, assuming the position on July 1, 2008, succeeding James Moeser, and, at age 43, was noted as being among the youngest leaders of a university in the United States. At the time of his selection as chancellor, Thorp was the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a Kenan Professor of chemistry at the university.

In September 2012, amid allegations of academic fraud within a university department, Thorp announced his intention to resign the University of North Carolina presidency and return to teaching. Shortly thereafter, in February 2013, he announced his decision to leave the university to take up the job of provost at Washington University in St. Louis. He took over as provost on July 1, 2013, replacing Edward Macias. Thorp stepped down as the provost of Washington University in St. Louis on July 15, 2019.

On August 19, 2019, Thorp was announced as the new editor-in-chief of Science magazine. He continues to hold the Rita Levi-Montalcini Distinguished University Professorship of Chemistry in the Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine at Washington University.

In 2023, he became a Professor of Chemistry at George Washington University.