On Friday, February 2, 2024, Barnard College will officially inaugurate its ninth president, Laura Ann Rosenbury. The ceremony will feature a wide variety of speakers and attendees, including faculty, alumnae, trustees, city and state officials, special guests, and Columbia President Minouche Shafik.
“I offer my warmest congratulations to President Rosenbury on this momentous occasion,” said President Shafik, who joined Columbia in 2023. “The relationship between Barnard and Columbia is singular and special, a mutually enriching partnership that allows both of our institutions to thrive. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Laura as we navigate our first years as presidents, and I look forward with great anticipation to all that is to come.”
Laura Rosenbury began her tenure as Barnard’s president on June 12, 2023. Prior to that, she served for eight years as dean and Levin, Mabie & Levin Professor of Law at University of Florida Levin College of Law. Previous roles included professor of law and vice dean at Washington University School of Law. She also has served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, and University of Chicago Law School.
At the time of her appointment as president of Barnard, Rosenbury said: “Higher education is where I learned to see and understand the world in a new way and was given the space to identify where my passions lie. It’s incredibly special to be joining a community devoted specifically to helping the next generation of women do the same.”
The inauguration is also being livestreamed and comes as the culmination of a week of related events. These include a preview of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Center, an Acts of Service Day, Showcasing the Arts at Barnard, A Fireside Chat with Elizabeth Ananat and Linda Bell: Persistent Poverty and Inequality, and the 2024 Lewis-Ezekoye Distinguished Lecture in Africana Studies.
