25
Caribbean Life, March 24-30, 2022
By Vinette K. Pryce
Women’s History:
Jamaica-born Susan M. Collins is
making history.
First of her race to head one of the 12
central banks created 108 years ago in
the USA, the 63-year-old economist was
named president of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Boston last month.
“After an intensive search, we are
thrilled to appoint this exceptionally
well-qualified person to be the bank’s
president and a key leader in the Federal
Reserve System,” Dr. Christina Paxson,
President of Brown University and chair
of the Boston Fed board who led the
search committee announced.
Collins was approved by the Federal’s
Board of Governors.
“Dr. Collins brings the technical expertise
and insight to contribute to policymaking
and the leadership ability to head
the organization,” Paxson added.
“It is a remarkable advancement when
you consider that America had a Black
president before any of the 12 regional
banks had a Black president,” Aaron
Klein, senior fellow in economic studies
at the Brookings Institution said.
The statement points to a long standing
dominance by white men to control
the financial system, and the need for
reform President Joe Biden suggested
would diversify the financial system.
“Hopefully Dr. Collins will bring a fresh
perspective to the Fed, which could benefit
from new thinking,” Klein added.
Collins is only second to Cathy Minehan
who made history in 1994 when
she was named the first of her gender to
helm the Boston position.
Collins was not yet a citizen then, the
Caribbean immigrant pledged allegiance
in 1997. Minehan served until 2007.
From left, Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson, Kingsborough Community College President, Claudia V. Schrader
and Medgar Evers College Presdident Patricia Ramsey. CUNY
CUNY celebrates record number of women
in positions of leadership across system
By Nelson A. King
Women’s History Month Celebration
On International Women’s Day and Women’s
History Month 2022, the City University
of New York (CUNY) says it is celebrating
record representation of women in positions
of leadership across the system, including
a recent study that found that the CUNY
Graduate Center is the second-most gender
diverse higher education institution in the
country.
“The pursuit and achievement of gender
parity marks a significant step to ensure
diversity among a university’s leadership,
which has been demonstrated to improve
efficiency and innovation and to elevate outcomes
for students,” said Chancellor Félix V.
Matos Rodríguez in a statement.
“As the chancellor, I have made it a priority
to assemble a leadership team that reflects
the full diversity of CUNY’s students, which,
in turn, parallels that of New York City,”
he added. “We are proud to lead the way in
expanding representation among women in
senior leadership roles, and providing networking
and advancement opportunities for
the women of our faculty, staff and student
body.”
CUNY referred to a recent report in which
the Eos Foundation and the American Association
of University Women named the
CUNY Graduate Center as the nation’s second
most gender diverse higher education
institution in the country for its representation
of women in positions of senior leadership.
According to CUNY, the report examined
the diversity of presidents, provosts, board
chairs, academic deans, presidents’ cabinets
and governing boards among the 130 universities
designated as R1, the highest classification
for research institutions.
The Graduate Center, according to the
report, is one of only 11 R1 universities to
have achieved gender parity, defined as equal
or more women represented in senior leadership,
when compared to men.
The report also says that the Graduate
Center is closest to reaching gender parity
among professors: 43 percent of full tenured
professors at the Graduate Center are
women.
CUNY said this recognition includes the
CUNY Graduate Center and five other schools
that come under the Graduate Center’s
administrative purview: The Craig Newmark
Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY,
CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies,
CUNY Graduate School of Public Health &
Health Policy, CUNY School of Professional
Studies and Macaulay Honors College.
“Welcoming women into the highest
ranks is a CUNY Graduate Center tradition
that stretches back to our founding by Mina
Rees, a noted mathematician and fellow scientist,”
said Graduate Center President Robin
L. Garrell. “That history, coupled with the
fact that women leaders are actively recruited
and highly valued at CUNY, drew me to
CUNY and the Graduate Center in 2020.
“The Eos Foundation report affirms that
we continue to be at the forefront in promoting
women leaders,” Dr. Garrell added. “As
a chemist who was once the only woman
in my academic department, I am passionate
about cultivating an academic environment
in which women faculty and students
in all disciplines and of all backgrounds can
thrive.”
CUNY said that the history of women
leading the Graduate Center, one of only
six schools in the report to have had at least
three women serve as president, dates to its
founding.
Dr. Rees was appointed as the first president
of the Graduate Center in 1969 after
serving as CUNY’s founding dean of graduate
studies, CUNY said.
It said Frances Degen Horowitz served as
president from 1991 to 2005, and Dr. Garrell
is the third and current woman at the helm.
Dr. Zulema Blair, left, with Dr. Una S.T.
Clarke, center, and others. CUNY CUNY
Revolutionaries
Jamaican: First
Black to preside
over Federal
Reserve Bank
Dr. Susan M. Collins, Ph.D., provost at
the University of Michigan, poses in
this undated handout picture. Federal
Reserve Bank of Boston/Handout via REUTERS