The Carnegie Corporation of New York announced that seven American college and university presidents are recipients of its Academic Leadership Award. According to the Carnegie Corporation, “the award recognizes educators who, in addition to fulfilling their administrative and managerial roles with dedication and creativity, demonstrate vision and an outstanding commitment to excellence in undergraduate education, the liberal arts, equal opportunity, the development of major interdisciplinary programs, international engagement, and the promotion of strong ties between their institutions and their local communities.” Each winner receives $500,000 to support their academic initiatives.
Three of the seven winners are women.
Marie Klawe is president of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. She became president in 2006 and has made tremendous strides in increasing the number of women and members of underrepresented groups pursuing degrees in STEM fields. Before becoming president of Harvey Mudd College, Dr. Klawe was dean of engineering and professor of computer science at Princeton University. President Klawe holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Alberta in Canada.
DeRionne Pollard is president of Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. She is being honored for an ambitious strategic plan, which focused on student retention and completion. The three-year combined graduation and transfer rate at the college has increased by six percentage points in the past year alone. Dr. Pollard was named president of the 60,000-student college in 2010. She is the former president of Las Positas College in Livermore, California. Dr. Pollard holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Iowa State University. She earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.
Barbara R. Snyder is president of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She is being recognized for a three-fold increase in undergraduate applications and a successful $1.5 billion capital campaign. The funding allowed for a major increase in endowed professorships, greater student support services, and new campus buildings. Snyder became president of Case Western Reserve University in 2007. Earlier, she was executive vice president and provost at Ohio State University. President Snyder is a graduate of Ohio State University and the University of Chicago School of Law.