| NEW YORK, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2008 - The Barnard College Board of Trustees announced today that it has unanimously approved the appointment of Debora L. Spar as the next president of Barnard College effective July 1, 2008.
In announcing Spar’s appointment at a meeting of the College’s faculty, Anna Quindlen ’74, Chair of the Barnard Board of Trustees, said, “When I announced this search I told all of you, ‘The 11th leader of the College must be someone with considerable gifts of both mind and heart, a charismatic intellectual deeply committed to the value of single-sex education for women.’ I have no doubt that we have found just such a person in Debora Spar.”
Spar is the Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration and has been Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development at Harvard Business School. She is an expert in business-government relations and the political environment of international commerce, with a body of research that has spanned topics as varied as the impact of investment on human rights and labor standards, the business of stem cell research, and the obligations of pharmaceutical companies to respond to the epidemic of AIDS in Africa. She is the author or co-author of six books; her latest book, The Baby Business, explored the economic, political and social issues surrounding reproductive technologies and attracted considerable media attention when it was published in January 2006. Professor Spar has appeared on 60 Minutes, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, ABC World News Tonight, and in many newspapers and magazines. Her own articles have appeared in publications ranging from The New England Journal of Medicine to Foreign Affairs to The Review of International Political Economy. Spar is a frequent guest speaker and teaches and consults for a number of multinational corporations, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
Quindlen said Professor Spar’s success in juggling dual roles as both scholar and administrator at Harvard Business School made her a particularly compelling candidate. “In one role, she epitomizes the teacher-scholar model that is the linchpin of Barnard’s superb faculty. In the other, she has been a stellar administrator who has brought innovative leadership to governance issues. And despite the demands of both she has also devoted herself to the concerns of social justice, which are so important to our students.”
Helene L. Kaplan ’53, co-chair of the search committee and Chair Emerita of the Board, said, “The members of the search committee were continually impressed by her prodigious intellect, her global expertise, her ability to build consensus and introduce innovation, and her devotion to acting as mentor and resource for female faculty and students. During extensive referencing with colleagues, we were told many times that Barnard could find no better leader for the future. All of us agreed.”
“I am deeply honored to have been chosen by the search committee and trustees and look forward to joining what I already know to be a warm, vibrant and welcoming community of scholars and students,” said Spar. “Barnard College offers something that is increasingly hard to find in our world yet increasingly important: an intense and intimate liberal arts environment devoted solely to the education of women.”
A native of Rye Brook, New York, Spar, 44, graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1984 and earned her doctorate in government at Harvard University. She taught briefly at the University of Toronto before joining the faculty of Harvard Business School in 1991.
At Harvard Business School, Spar is a respected professor who teaches courses on the politics of international business, comparative capitalism, and economic development. She was awarded the Student Association Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2000 and often serves as an advisor for students on research projects. Spar has served as Chair of the Harvard University Committee on Human Rights and is creator and Chair of Making Markets Work, an executive education program devoted to developing public and private sector leaders in Africa.
As Senior Associate Dean, Spar was responsible for distributing nearly $20 million in research funds by working closely with faculty on their project goals and demands. She instituted a fellowship that allows faculty members to live abroad to work on international research, and a program that brings visiting scholars from other countries to Harvard. Spar also developed a new policy on family leave and led the effort to develop a part-time tenure track.
Professor Spar is married to Miltos Catomeris, an award-winning architect who specializes in academic, institutional and corporate campuses. They are the parents of three children – two sons, ages 18 and 15, and a daughter, age 11.
Laura Stoffel ’08, member of the search committee and President of the Student Government Association, said she was most excited by Spar’s demonstrated dedication to her students. “As a student, I felt it was important that the next leader of Barnard be in tune with campus life and student issues,” said Stoffel. “She is a great listener and amazingly competent. I just can’t say enough about all her wonderful qualities.”
Spar is equally enthusiastic about Barnard’s students. “Barnard attracts some of the most extraordinary young women in the world. My family and I are delighted to be moving to New York and joining the Barnard community. In many ways, it feels like coming home.”
Spar succeeds Judith R. Shapiro, who announced in April 2007 that she was stepping down after fourteen successful years as president. President Shapiro and President-elect Spar will work hand-in-hand to ensure a smooth transfer of leadership and collegial exchange of information until Spar officially takes office on July 1, 2008.
To schedule an interview with President-elect Spar, please contact Joanne Kwong at 212-854-7580 or jkwong@barnard.edu.
About Barnard College
The idea was bold for its time. Founded in 1889, Barnard was the only college in New York City, and one of the few in the nation, where women could receive the same rigorous and challenging education available to men. Today, Barnard is among the strongest colleges in the country, and the most sought-after women’s college.
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