Bowdoin College President Clayton Rose  Times Record file photo

The president of Bowdoin College has been elected chairman of the country’s largest private biomedical research institute.

Clayton Rose will succeed Kurt L. Schmoke, former mayor of Baltimore, as chairman of the trustees of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

The institute funds research in human health, biology and science education.

Rose has been president of Bowdoin since July 1, 2015. He has served as a trustee of the institute since 2009, serving on the Finance and Nominating and Governance committees and as chairman of the Audit and Compensation Committee.

Erin O’Shea, president of the institute, said Schmoke helped the institute’s efforts to recruit and retain early career scientists, engage the public through films and improve the undergraduate experience in science. After serving three terms as Baltimore’s mayor, Schmoke became president of the University of Baltimore. He told the institute last year that he intended to step down as chairman, but will remain a trustee.

Rose, 61, earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s of business administration from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School prior to his appointment as president of Bowdoin. He is also on the board of directors of Bank of America.