Mary Schmidt Campbell
A leader in education, the arts and the public sector for nearly 40 years, Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell began her tenure as the 10th president of Spelman College on Aug. 1, 2015. Prior to being appointed president, Dr. Campbell was dean emerita of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and University Professor in the Department of Art and Public Policy. During Dr. Campbell's more than two decades as dean of Tisch, the institution vaulted to the top echelon of university art schools.
Early in her career, Dr. Campbell led the Studio Museum in Harlem. Under her leadership, the museum was transformed from a rented loft into the country's first accredited Black fine arts museum. Prior to joining Tisch in 1991, Dr. Campbell served as New York City's cultural affairs commissioner and was responsible for the city's cultural policy, as well as the capital and operational development of major cultural institutions. In 2009, Dr. Campbell was appointed by President Barack Obama as the vice chair of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, a non-partisan advisory committee to the president on cultural matters. She is currently a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and sits on the board of The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
