Skip to main content

Rebecca Chopp Begins Term as College's 14th President

Rebecca Chopp Begins
Term as College's 14th President

by Nancy Nicely
7/01/2009

Rebecca Chopp

Rebecca Chopp addressed students, faculty, staff, and alumni earlier this year. more

Rebecca Chopp, named president-designate in February after a nation-wide search, took office today as Swarthmore's 14th president. Chopp, a distinguished author, scholar, and administrator, is Swarthmore's first female president.

Chopp received a B.A. from Kansas Wesleyan University, an M.Div. from St. Paul School of Theology, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. A well-known scholar of religion and American culture, she has authored or edited five books and has published more than 50 articles in her areas of expertise. In recent years, her research and professional presentations have focused on changing structures and cultures of higher education, the role of liberal arts in a democratic society, and religion and higher education. more