Spelman College has named former New York University dean Mary Schmidt Campbell as a finalist to be its next president, according to a letter from its board of trustees posted Wednesday.
Campbell is dean emerita of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and has an extensive background in education, the arts and public service.
If ultimately approved for the position, Campbell would replace Beverly Tatum, who retires June 30 after a dozen years at the helm of the acclaimed historically black women's college.
Campbell was appointed dean of the Tisch School in 1991, serving more than two decades at the college before retiring in August 2014. Prior to her tenure at NYU, she also served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem and as New York City's cultural affairs commissioner, appointed by Mayor Ed Koch. In 2009, Campbell was appointed by President Barack Obama as the vice chairwoman of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and sits on the boards of The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival.
Campbell will be on campus Thursday for a day of sessions with faculty, students and alumnae, beginning with a town hall forum at 10 a.m.
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