Ms. gay is the first person of color and the second woman to hold the role of president of Harvard University, according to CNN.
Born into a Haiti-based immigrant family, Ms. gay received her PhD from Harvard in 1998. She is also the recipient of the Toppan Prize for the best thesis in political science, according to the Harvard Gazette.
Since 2018, Ms. gay has been the Head of the Faculty of Science and Arts. She is also a leading scholar of political behavior, reviewing race and political issues in the US, and is the founding president of the US Unequal Initiatives - a multi-disciplinary effort launched in 2017.
gay's predecessor, Lawrence S. Bacow, announced in June that he would resign as president of Harvard after five years in office.
Ms. gay will take office in July 2023. She was elected president of the Harvard Corporation - the university's main board of directors.
Claudine is a person with a foundation of integrity. She will provide Harvard with the strong moral guideline needed to lead this wonderful university. The Search Committee has made an inspiring choice for our 30th president. Under the leadership of Claudine gay, Harvard's future is very bright" - the current president of Bacow shared with Harvard Gazette.
