The Spelman College Board of Trustees has unanimously and enthusiastically elected Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell as the 10th president of Spelman College. Dr. Campbell is dean emerita of the Tisch School of the Arts and university professor in the Department of Art and Public Policy at New York University. Dr. Campbell’s appointment is effective August 1, 2015, following the completion of Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum’s 13 years of outstanding leadership and service.

I invite you to learn more about Dr. Campbell’s journey to Spelman here, and I would like to share precisely why the Board voted unanimously to appoint her. Quite simply, Dr. Campbell is the right leader at the right time. She joins Spelman during a period of momentous change in higher education, and the College’s unique history, mission and proven success provide a solid foundation from which I am confident she will chart a clear and bold direction for the future. The next phase of Spelman’s growth calls for a visionary with a solid administrative track record to further elevate Spelman’s leadership on issues of critical importance to our nation and indeed our world – issues such as college access and completion, affirmation of the value of a liberal arts and sciences education, global integration, health disparities, technology innovation and many more.

A graduate of Swarthmore College, Dr. Campbell has a master’s of science degree in art history and a doctorate in humanities from Syracuse University. She is an accomplished scholar and a leader in both the public and non-profit sectors. As dean, Dr. Campbell elevated the profile and stature of Tisch, increased the recruitment of a more diverse faculty and student body, and led an unprecedented capital campaign for the school. One of her biggest accomplishments was spearheading efforts to integrate art and design into the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines at NYU. As STEAM (the integration of art and design into the STEM equation) becomes a larger part of the conversation for 21st century institutions, Dr. Campbell has been in the vanguard of those promoting STEAM efforts at Tisch and in the broader New York University system.