For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Audrey Arthur
(404) 270-5892
aarthur3@spelman.edu
Twitter:
@spelmanmedia
ATLANTA (September 29, 2016) -- The White House has named Spelman College President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., a “Champion of Change for College Opportunity.” According to a White House press announcement, Dr. Campbell will be among 11 individuals recognized at the White House for “important work in their own communities to strengthen access to high-quality education.”
“It is an honor to be recognized as a White House ‘Champion of Change,’” said Dr. Campbell. “During more than 25 years as a leader in higher education, at New York University and now at Spelman College, I have been associated with two institutions committed to academic excellence and access to education. The mission, in particular, at Spelman, is the education of forward-thinking women of the African Diaspora. We prepare them to be masters in their chosen fields, socially conscious leaders and global citizens.”
During Dr. Campbell’s first year as president, the College established a number of academic programs to broaden students’ intellectual experience and received a number of prestigious financial awards. In fall 2015, Spelman launched the
Common Reading Experience, an interdisciplinary approach to the arts and liberal studies. Also in fall 2015, the U.S. Department of Education, in an effort to drive innovation and keep higher education within reach for all Americans, awarded the College $2.7 million as part of its First in the World grant program. In spring 2016, the National Science Foundation awarded $300,000 in grants to Spelman and Morehouse Colleges to design a dual institution center in socially relevant computing, with an aim to increase African-American representation in graduate schools and STEM jobs.
Visit the Champions of Change website to learn more about the program and view bios for each award recipient.
Why:
The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
When:
Due to a prior commitment, Dr. Campbell will not be in attendance at the ceremony.
The event will be live streamed on the White House website at
www.whitehouse.gov/live on Friday, September 30, at 9 a.m. ET.
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a highly selective, liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer, Broadway producer Alia Jones, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard professor Evelynn Hammonds, author Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson. For more information, visit
www.spelman.edu.