Some people just have the right names. G. Gabrielle Starr is certainly one of them. Truly an intellectual star, this scholar of English literature is the first woman and first African American to lead Pomona College, a prestigious liberal arts college in Claremont, California, part of the Claremont Colleges consortium.
Renaissance Woman
Starr’s wide-ranging scholarly interests include both 18th-century British literature and neuroscience. Her most recent book, Feeling Beauty: The Neuroscience of Aesthetic Experience (MIT Press, 2013), explores the latter topic at length.
In her career in higher education, Starr has worked to expand access by partnering with New York City’s largest community college to create a STEM education pipeline and a faculty partnership that concentrates on the global humanities.
She also co-founded a prison education program that offers associate degrees in the liberal arts to students in a New York State medium-security prison.
Here’s more about this extraordinary and dynamic leader who is eminently qualified to take on this new post:
- Gabrielle Starr, a highly regarded scholar of English literature whose work reaches across neuroscience and the arts, has been selected as the 10th president of Pomona College.
Qualified to Lead
Dean of New York University’s College of Arts and Science, Starr leads NYU’s 7,000-student undergraduate liberal arts college, oversees its $130 million budget, and coordinates the undergraduate experience across 55 departments and programs. She has led the development of new cohort and first-year programs, helping to create scholarly communities for undergraduates in the arts and sciences.
Her collegiate work began at the age of 15Â when she set off to study at Emory University before going on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. She then launched into a dynamic and varied career combining science and the humanities, intensive research, and campus leadership.
“It’s a great honor to join Pomona’s extraordinary community of scholars and researchers, artists and activists, educators and entrepreneurs,†says Starr, who will take office July 1. “The life of the mind speaks to a deep human need, and we are truly fortunate to be able to pursue the true breadth of human knowledge in a vibrant and open atmosphere.
“The gift Pomona gives us brings with it an obligation to reach beyond our gates: as the world continues to change around us I look forward to working together with you as we let Pomona’s light shine for another generation, and, together, shape our world anew.â€
Visit the website of Pomona College to learn more.