Harvard University made history on Thursday. Claudine Gay was announced as the 30th president, making her the first Black person and the second woman to lead the school, according to The Guardian.
Gay, 52, is currently the dean of the university but will step into her new role starting July 1, 2023. Her predecessor, Lawrence S. Bacow, is set to leave in June after a five-year tenure.
“I am humbled by the confidence that the governing boards have placed in me and by the prospect of succeeding President Bacow in leading this remarkable institution,” Gay told the Harvard Gazette.
“It has been a privilege to work with Larry over the last five years. He has shown me that leadership isn’t about one person. It’s about all of us, moving forward together, and that’s a lesson I take with me into this next journey.”
Harvard’s 15-member committee picked Gay after five months of hunting for a president, making it the shortest search yet, according to The Harvard Crimson. The nomination list included more than 600 names.
Gay became the dean in 2018. Born to Haitian immigrants, she grew up in New York. She went on to attend college at Standford University and later earned her doctorate from Harvard in 1998, per the report.
“Claudine is a person of bedrock integrity,” 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.”