Claudine Gay became Harvard University's 30th president on Thursday, making her the school's first black president in more than 400 years.
Gay is the first black president of Harvard.
Gay will become dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on July 1, 2023.
Gay is the second woman to hold the position after Drew Faust stepped down after 11 years.
Gay will be an inspiring president for all of Harvard, according to a fellow at the university and lead for its presidential search committee.
According to the university, Gay is a leading scholar of political behavior, specifically her research into how the election of minority officeholders affects public perception of government and how housing mobility programs affect political participation for the poor
Controversy arose after Gay placed professor John Comaroff on academic leave as he faced sexual harassment allegations, which were disputed by some faculty members in a letter to Gay in February, but some withdrew their support of Comaroff after three women filed lawsuits against him.
According to the New York Times, Gay's appointment comes amid an ongoing Supreme Court review of the university's consideration of race in its admissions process.
Five of the eight Ivy League schools will now be led by women, including Brown and Cornell, which were both led by women in July.
Gay got her bachelor's degree in 1992 and her PHD in 1998 from Harvard. She returned to Harvard as a professor of government in 2006 after working as an associate professor atStanford. She is the founder of the Inequality In America Initiative and the vice president of the Midwest Political Science Association. Gay's research accomplishments addressed American political behavior, including voter turnout and the politics of race and identity, according to Harvard.
Legacy admissions need to end as the Supreme court considers affirmative action's future.
Claudine Gay is going to be Harvard's first black president.
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