William and Mary’s President was Keynote Speaker at PELF Event
Dr. Katherine A. Rowe, William and Mary's 28thpresident, was the guest speaker for the Peninsula Executive Leadership Forum's (PELF) winter event on Jan. 28 at the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
Rowe discussed the development of new programs and services at William and Mary in its quest to maintain excellence in a highly-technical world. The first woman to serve as president of William and Mary, she emphasized that as president she is focused on enhancing the institution's resources and bolstering its reputation in educational innovation including entrepreneurship and technology.
Formerly, at Smith College in Massachusetts, Rowe served as provost and dean of faculty. She led academic strategy and planning, overseeing all academic operations. She led a senior team administering over 600 faculty members and staff in almost 200 units. During her tenure, Smith launched a design thinking curriculum which greatly increased diversity in faculty hiring and established one of the first statistical and data sciences majors at a liberal arts college. Rowe also served as interim vice president for inclusion, diversity and equity for Smith.
Holding a bachelor's in English and American literature from Carleton College as well as a master's and a Ph.D. in English and American literature from Harvard, she is the
co-founder and former CEO of Luminary Digital Media. She is a renowned innovator in higher education with a vast career that includes the publication of three books and numerous scholarly articles as well as 16 years
Also during the 7:30 - 9 a.m. program, Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Bob McKenna gave opening remarks and Thomas Nelson's Interim President Dr. Greg DeCinque delivered closing remarks.