At his last campus meeting as Carleton president, Steven Poskanzer introduced his successor, who will begin work on August 1. “The election of Alison Byerly as Carleton’s 12th president is certainly a watershed moment in the life of this college,” he told staff and faculty members gathered on Zoom. “She is wise. She is erudite. She is bold. She is energetic. . . . She is going to be a superb president.”
Poskanzer’s commendations are rooted in interactions both professional and personal. Byerly is known in academic circles for her accomplishments as president of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where she oversaw a $426 million fundraising effort and the construction of an integrated science center. Before that eight-year stint, Byerly was a faculty member, provost, and executive vice president at Middlebury College.
As chronicled in a comprehensive interview conducted by Sam Kwait-Spitzer ’21 and published by the Carletonian in mid-May, Byerly and Poskanzer also got to know each other as Carleton parents. “When I saw how much my daughter loved Carleton, it really gave me a sense of what a special place it is,” said Byerly, who graduated from Wellesley and earned a PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania. “I feel very honored at the thought of being able to work with such fantastic faculty, such dedicated staff. And, knowing a lot of my daughter’s friends, I think Carleton students are an amazing group.”
Byerly is set to arrive on campus with her husband, Stephen Jensen, a medical editor, just as Poskanzer’s leadership team closes the books on the Every Carl for Carleton campaign, which raised over $490 million for the college. Members of the Presidential Search Committee unanimously concur that, with such a strong financial position to build from, the first permanent female president in Carleton history is uniquely suited to guide the college as it emerges from the pandemic and looks to expeditiously, but thoughtfully, move forward on issues of inclusion, diversity, and equity.
“I appreciate Alison’s directness and candor,” says committee member and associate professor of physics Marty Baylor. “This, combined with her demonstrated ability to quickly take in multiple perspectives, sift through the fluff, get to the heart of the matter, synthesize the most essential issues, and propose solutions that respect different positions will help Carleton move in the directions we want to go.”
President Byerly’s first column will appear in the Voice’s fall issue.