Emory University in Atlanta Chooses Its First Woman President

The board of trustees of Emory University, the highly rated research institution in Atlanta, has selected Claire E. Sterk as the university’s 20th president. When she takes office on September 1, Dr. Sterk will be the first woman to serve as president of the university in its 180-year history.

Dr. Sterk has been serving since 2013 as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Emory. She joined the faculty at the university in 1995. During her tenure, she has served as the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Public Health, associate dean for research, and chair of the department of behavioral sciences and health education.

In accepting the post as president of Emory, Dr. Sterk stated that “I am deeply grateful to the trustees for this extraordinary opportunity to serve as Emory’s president. Emory has earned its place among the world’s premier comprehensive research universities, and is well known for its undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; its leadership in research and scholarship across all disciplines; and an unsurpassed culture of innovation and collaboration. I look forward to engaging with all members of the Emory community to develop a shared vision for future success.”

A native of The Netherlands, Dr. Sterk earned  a Ph.D. in sociology from Erasmus University in Rotterdam and a doctoral degree in medical anthropology from the University of Utrecht.