Harvard named Claudine Gay its 30th president. A Haitian-American social scientist and dean of largest faculty. Gay is the first Black and second woman to lead the university starting July 1. Claudine Gay, a widely admired higher education leader and distinguished scholar of democracy and political participation, will become the 30th president of Harvard University on July 1, 2023. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

Claudine Gay will become the first Black and second woman president of Harvard University on July 1, 2023, the institution announced Dec. 15. The daughter of Haitian immigrants is known for her leadership and scholarly writings on democracy and political participation. 

“As a woman of color, as a daughter of immigrants, if my presence in this role affirms someone's sense of belonging at Harvard, that is a great honor,” Gay said in a video released to the public after her election to the position. 

Overview:

Harvard University has appointed Claudine Gay as president of the the world-renowned institution. She is a leader, a scholar and the daughter of Haitian immigrants.

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J.O. Haselhoef is the author of “Give & Take: Doing Our Damnedest NOT to be Another Charity in Haiti.” She co-founded "Yonn Ede Lot" (One Helping Another), a nonprofit that partnered with volunteer groups in La Montagne ("Lamontay"), Haiti from 2007-2013. She writes and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.