Yale University has selected its first permanent female president after a long-search.
Maurie McInnis became the 24th president of the Ivy League school, telling The New York Times she is committed to keeping Yale’s diverse campus despite the Supreme Court ruling last year against affirmative action in the application process.
“My deep commitment to advancing opportunities for students and for our prospective students is steadfast, certainly in my work at Stony Brook, and that will continue at Yale,” McInnis told the outlet, adding, “And none of that changes with the court ruling.”
The search for a new president began last fall after Peter Salovey left the position, leaving the school without a permanent head amid a chaotic academic year that saw schools grappling with both the pro-Palestinian campus protests and a bumpy rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, forms.
Dozens of protesters were arrested at Yale last month as they called for the school to divest from weapons manufacturers amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
McInnis, who was previously president of Stony Brook University, came under fire there after she also had students arrested.
Both McInnis and Yale have grappled with higher education’s troubled history with slavery. The most recent book by the University of Virginia graduate, according to the Times, is “Educated in Tyranny: Slavery at Thomas Jefferson’s University.”
Yale in February issued an official apology over its past connections to slavery.
“A compelling leader, distinguished scholar, and devoted educator, she brings to the role a deep understanding of higher education and an unwavering commitment to our mission and academic priorities,” Josh Bekenstein, senior member of Yale’s Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee, wrote in a statement. “Her experience and accomplishments over the past three decades have prepared her to lead Yale in the years ahead.”