A Black woman is set to become the president of arguably the most famous and prestigious university in the world.
Claudine Gay, Ph.D, will take the helm of Harvard University on July 1st, 2023, where she will become the 30th president and only the second woman appointed to the institution’s highest seat since its founding in 1636, according to ABC News.
Gay will succeed Lawrence S. Bacow, the current president of the Ivy League institution located in suburban Boston. Bacow announced in June that he’d be stepping down after five years in the position.
The daughter of Haitain immigrants comes to the forefront in the world of education boasting an impressive portfolio. The scholar matriculated through the equally-renowned Stanford University, often called the Harvard of the West Coast, before procuring her Ph.D. in government from Harvard in 1998. She was also awarded the Toppan Prize for best dissertation in political science.
In her latest role at Harvard, she served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Gay said she is indebted to Bacow whom she has worked closely with at Harvard.
“He has shown me that leadership isn’t about one person. It’s about all of us moving forward together. And that’s a lesson I take with me into this next journey,” Gay said in a video posted to the school’s website.
Bacow exuded the highest confidence in Gay as well.
“Under Claudine Gay’s leadership, Harvard’s future is very bright,” he shared in a statement.
