Linda G. Mills: NYU’s First Female President Elected

By Zhiyu Lindy Luo

Photo courtesy of NYU.

On Feb. 15, the New York University Board of Trustees announced that Linda G. Mills, NYU’s Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President for Global Programs and University Life, would succeed Andrew Hamilton as the 17th president of NYU. She will take on her responsibilities as president on July 1, 2023.

In a letter to the community Dr. Mills is introduced as a candidate of considerable commitment to the University’s core values with extensive knowledge of the University and immense dedication to flexibility, diversity, and inclusion. “In an era of rapid change in higher education and a competitive environment in which NYU starts with considerably fewer economic advantages than many of its peers, Linda brings a bold vision for our future that no other candidate could match,” the letter reads.

Upon assuming her duties as President-Designate, the Lisa Ellen Goldberg Professor of Social Work, Public Policy, and Law stresses NYU’s core values of democratic approaches, metropolitanism, enterprise, and practicality. She further acknowledges the many traumas and challenges brought about by a rapidly changing world; in the face of inequalities, discrimination, hate crimes, wars, and natural disasters, including the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, she emphasizes the importance of community, shared purposes, and the feeling of being seen and heard. “I’m approaching these new challenges as I do my scholarly work—with curiosity, rigor, and the ability to listen,” reads her letter to the community.

Zhiyu Lindy Luo is Senior News Editor, The Gazelle.