In a landmark moment, Harvard University welcomed Claudine Gay as its new president on Friday, making her the university’s first Black president and the second woman to hold this prestigious position.
Claudine Gay assumes the role of the 30th president of Harvard University, a prestigious institution established in 1640. During her inaugural address, she outlined her vision for the Ivy League school.
“I stand before you today humbled by the prospect of leading Harvard, emboldened by the trust you have placed in me, and energized by your own commitment to this singular institution and to the common cause of higher education.
“The courage of this University — our resolve, against all odds — to question the world as it is and imagine and make a better one: It is what Harvard was made to do,” Gay said.
Massachusetts Governor and Harvard graduate, Maura Healey noted the significance of Gay’s presidency saying, “President Gay, your presidency is truly historic, you have my admiration and support.”
It is worthy to note that Gay was elected after an intensive speech by the Harvard Corporation and the University’s principal governing board.
“Claudine is a person of bedrock integrity,” outgoing president Lawrence Bacow said in the Harvard Gazette. “She will provide Harvard with the strong moral compass necessary to lead this great university. The search committee has made an inspired choice for our 30th president. Under Claudine Gay’s leadership, Harvard’s future is very bright.”
CNN maintained that Gay previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She’s also a leading scholar of political behavior and is the founding chair of the Inequality in America Initiative, a multidisciplinary effort launched in 2017 to research social and economic inequality.
