Harvard's First Black President... Haitian-American Dean Claudine Gay

First Since Its Founding in 1636... Harvard University "Leader Contributing to the Advancement of Academic Excellence"
Earned a PhD at Harvard after Majoring in Economics at Stanford University

Dean Claudine Gay, nominated as the next president of Harvard University. Photo by AFP · Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Harvard University, regarded as the top prestigious institution in the United States, will have its first Black president.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 15th (local time) that Harvard University has appointed Claudine Gay (52), Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as the next president, with her term starting in July next year.

Since its founding in 1636, this is the first time in 386 years that a Black scholar has been appointed president of Harvard University. It is also only the second time a woman has become president at Harvard, following Professor Drew Gilpin Faust in 2007.

Dean Gay graduated from Stanford University in 1992 and earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University in 1998. Her doctoral dissertation was recognized as the best in the field of political science and was awarded the 'Toppan Prize' by Harvard.

Gay began her professorial career in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University in 2000 and was appointed as a professor at Harvard University in 2006. According to the NYT, her research primarily focused on the impact of minority groups, including Black people, holding elected office on public perceptions of government, and how housing and residential support policies for the poor affect their political participation.

In July 2015, she became Dean of the Social Sciences at Harvard, and three years later was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the largest undergraduate division at Harvard. Harvard praised her tenure as dean, stating that she "expanded educational access and opportunities for students, accelerated excellent research, and worked to bring new energy to fields such as ethnicity, poverty, and migration," and that "during the COVID-19 pandemic, she effectively achieved two goals: community health and maintaining academic continuity."

Dean Gay is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), the California Policy Research Institute, Stanford University's Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS), and Harvard's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Penny Pritzker, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and chair of Harvard's presidential search committee, announced Gay as the next president, saying, "Claudine Gay is not only distinguished by her outstanding professional achievements but is also an impressive individual with excellent character, cross-disciplinary curiosity, diligence, and dedication to creating opportunities for others. I am confident she will be a president who offers deep thoughtfulness and inspiration to all Harvard students."

After being appointed as the next president, Dean Gay said in a speech, "Today, we live in a moment of astonishingly rapid social, political, economic, and technological change. Harvard has a history of responding to and overcoming new challenges, and with this special strength behind us, we will boldly, courageously, and pioneeringly address the challenges we currently face."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.