Congratulations to Harvard President-elect, Dr. Claudine Gay
December 21, 2022
The Harvard Kennedy School Black Alumni Association (HKS BAA) congratulates Claudine Gay on her historic selection as the 30th President of Harvard University, commencing on July 1, 2023. President-elect Gay will be the first Black and only the second woman to serve as president of Harvard. She is the daughter of Haitian immigrants and the current Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The HKS BAA is proud and delighted that President-elect Gay will lead Harvard, as we navigate headwinds of significant change and address future challenges. Her personal and professional commitment to diversity, academic excellence, and the American dream for all is exactly what Harvard and higher education need at this pivotal time in history.
President-elect Gay received her bachelor's degree from Stanford University and subsequently earned her Ph.D in government at Harvard. Rudy Brioché, son of Haitian immigrants and Chair of the HKS BAA, said: "As Harvard's most international school and a school of government, HKS has a special role to play in the future of Harvard. We stand ready to partner with President-elect Gay and the entire Harvard community to promote these values in the United States and abroad."
Penny Pritzker, Chair of Harvard's Presidential Search Committee, described President-elect Gay's impressive personal qualities as "her quality and clarity of mind, her broad curiosity about fields beyond her own, her integrity and fair-mindedness, and her dedication to creating opportunities for others. She will be a great Harvard president in no small part because she is such a good person."
The HKS BAA is pleased to have President-elect Gay represent the Harvard community, expand opportunity, and--with the support of many--guide us through Harvard's perennial quest to discover and understand the truth.
Veritas.
Please see President-elect Claudine Gay's full biography here.
Please also check out the December 15th Harvard Gazette article here.