First Female President Appointed at Yale University in U.S.

Yale University, an Ivy League prestigious university in the eastern United States, has appointed its first female president in history.

Mori McNiggis [Image source=Yale University (Photo by Dan Renzetti)]

On the 29th (local time), the Yale Board of Trustees announced in a message to the Yale community that Mori McNiggis (58), the current president of Stony Brook University, will take office as the 24th president of Yale University starting this July. This is the first time Yale has appointed a female president since its founding in 1701.

The board stated, "(McNiggis is) a strong leader, an outstanding scholar, and a dedicated educator," adding, "Her 30 years of experience have prepared her to lead Yale in the future." McNiggis, a graduate of the University of Virginia, earned her Ph.D. in Art History from Yale and has served as a Yale trustee since 2022. She is an art historian who has mainly researched the political and artistic interactions surrounding slavery.

Accordingly, McNiggis will succeed current president Peter Salovi, who is stepping down after 11 years in office to return to teaching, and will lead Yale starting July 1. McNiggis said, "I have seen Yale maintain excellence and tradition for over 300 years while continuing remarkable growth," and stated that her top priority is "to meet more of you."

Local media are paying attention to the fact that McNiggis is taking the helm of Yale amid ongoing turmoil in the U.S. academic community during the Gaza Strip anti-war period. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "She faces multiple challenges including growing skepticism about the value of a college degree, questions about the school's role as a moral mediator on urgent issues, concerns about the leftward shift of the faculty, and relationships with major donors who want more influence in the university."

Regarding this, McNiggis said, "True freedom of expression requires recognizing the rights of others who hold and express beliefs different from ours. At the same time, we must ensure the safety and well-being of the campus community," adding, "This was tested this year. When the fall semester returns, it will be tested again."