Joyce P. Jacobsen has been named the first woman president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. The colleges enroll just over 2200 students, 51 percent of whom are women.
Currently, Dr. Jacobsen serves as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. In this role, she oversees the entire academic enterprise, including athletics, institutional research, and community partnerships. She has contributed to student affairs and equity and inclusion, created fundraising and stewardship plans, collaborated on admissions and enrollment strategies, and been involved with planning the university’s budget.
In addition to her administrative positions, Dr. Jacobsen serves as the Andrews Professor of Economics at Wesleyan. Her research focuses on labor economics, particularly the economics of gender, including patterns of workforce gender segregation, migration, and the effects of interrupted work experience on women’s earnings and advancement. In 2007, she won the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
“I am struck by the scope of Hobart and William Smith’s impact in Geneva and around the globe, and am looking forward to working with a community so clearly invested in questions, ideas and actions that make the world a better, brighter place,” says Dr. Jacobsen. “The Colleges have deservedly earned a reputation for trailblazing academic programs led by a talented faculty and staff; a remarkably engaged pool of alumni and alumnae; and students of deep curiosity and creativity. I couldn’t be more excited to join this vibrant community.”
Dr. Jacobsen holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.