Yale University has selected its first permanent president after a long search.
Maurie McInnis became 24thth Ivy League school president, telling The New York Times she is committed to maintaining Yale’s diverse campus despite the Supreme Court’s ruling last year against affirmative action in the application process.
“My deep commitment to advancing opportunities for students and our future students is unwavering, 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 decision of the court.”
The search for a new president began last fall after Peter Salovey stepped down, leaving the school without a permanent director amid a chaotic academic year that saw schools struggling with both pro-Palestinian protests on campus and the release turbulent experience of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Dozens of protesters were arrested at Yale last month while calling 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 also arresting students.
Both McInnis and Yale grappled with higher education’s troubled history with slavery. The University of Virginia graduate’s most recent book, according to the Times, is “Educated in Tyranny: Slavery at Thomas Jefferson University.”
Yale in February issued an official apology for its past connections to slavery.
“A compelling leader, distinguished scholar, and dedicated 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 the Yale Board of Trustees and chairman of the President’s Council search committee, wrote in a statement. “Her experience and accomplishments over the past three decades have prepared her to lead Yale in the years to come.”
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