The First Woman President of Pratt Institute in New York

Frances Bronet was named as the twelfth president of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. When she takes office on January 2, Bronet will be the first woman to lead the educational institution in its 130-year history.

Pratt Institute enrolls about 3,500 undergraduate students and 1,350 graduate students. Many students focus on degree programs in architecture, design, and the visual and performing arts. Women make up 69 percent of the student body.

In accepting the appointment, Bronet stated that “during the years ahead, I will work closely with the faculty, administration, students, the local and global communities, and the trustees to ensure that Pratt continues to build upon its notable past achievements and realizes all of its creative potential for the future. This is a key moment for art and design education to critically address the complex challenges around us.”

Since 2015, Frances Bronet has been senior vice president and provost at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Previously, she served as a distinguished professor and dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon. Earlier in her career, she was a faculty member and associate dean of architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Bronet is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal. She holds a master of architecture degree from Columbia University in New York City.