Atlanta, GA, June 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Spelman College Board of Trustees today announced the appointment of Dr. Ayanna Howard as the College’s 12th president. Dr. Howard, a renowned roboticist, entrepreneur, and higher education leader, will build upon Spelman’s legacy of academic excellence and leadership development while helping prepare future generations of Black women to lead in a rapidly changing world. Dr. Howard will assume her duties as president on August 1, 2026.
Dr. Howard joins Spelman from The Ohio State University, where she serves as dean of the College of Engineering and holds the Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean’s Chair. A nationally recognized expert in robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-centered technology, Dr. Howard’s career spans leadership roles in higher education, industry, entrepreneurship, and government, including service at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Throughout her career, she has championed innovation, expanded access to STEM education, and worked to create opportunities for future generations of students and leaders.
“Dr. Howard is the visionary leader Spelman needs at this pivotal moment in our history,” said Lovette Russell, C’83, Chair of Spelman College Board of Trustees. “Throughout this search process, we sought a leader who would honor Spelman’s legacy while boldly advancing our future, and Dr. Howard embodies that vision. She understands the opportunities and challenges shaping higher education today and shares Spelman’s unwavering commitment to preparing Black women to lead and drive change. The Board is excited about Spelman’s future under her leadership and confident she will build upon the College’s remarkable momentum for generations to come.”
The appointment reflects a thoughtful and comprehensive search process centered on the future of the institution and the needs of the next generation of Spelman students. Led by the Presidential Search and Nomination Committee, the national search engaged trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumnae, and other key stakeholders and reflected the College’s commitment to identifying a leader who could build upon Spelman’s legacy while positioning the institution for continued growth and impact.
Dr. Howard’s appointment comes as Spelman continues to build upon a period of significant momentum and national recognition. As the nation’s top-ranked HBCU, the College remains focused on advancing academic excellence, expanding access and opportunity, and preparing future generations of Black women to lead in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Through initiatives such as the Spelman Forward campaign, the College continues to invest in scholarships, student success, faculty excellence, and institutional sustainability to ensure more students can benefit from the transformative opportunities a Spelman education provides.
“I am deeply honored and excited to join Spelman College, and the amazing faculty, staff, and trustees that have shaped generations of Black women,” said Dr. Howard. “Students choose Spelman because they want to make a difference in the world, and as the world changes, we must equip them to thrive. At a time when technology, the workforce, and society are evolving rapidly, Spelman’s mission has never been more important. I look forward to building on the College’s legacy while honoring its tradition, values, and sisterhood.”
Dr. Howard is the co-founder of Zyrobotics, a company focused on developing educational and therapeutic technologies for children with special needs, and co-founder of Black in Robotics, an organization dedicated to expanding representation and opportunity within the robotics profession. She serves on the boards of Brown University, Autodesk and Motorola Solutions and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Academy of Inventors. Howard was also named to Forbes’ America’s Top 50 Women in Tech in recognition of her contributions to innovation and technology leadership. She has authored more than 300 publications and is widely recognized for her contributions to robotics, artificial intelligence, and ensuring technology serves all people.
Dr. Howard assumes the presidency at a time of extraordinary strength for the College. Spelman has been ranked the nation’s No. 1 HBCU by U.S. News & World Report for 19 consecutive years, is a leading producer of Black women who go on to earn doctoral degrees in STEM fields, and remains one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright Scholars. With the highest graduation rate among HBCUs, Spelman continues to serve as a national model for academic excellence, student success, and social mobility.
“Serving as Spelman’s interim president has been one of the most profound honors of my life, and I am proud of the momentum our community has built since I arrived on campus 18 months ago,” said Rosalind “Roz” Brewer, C’84, Spelman College, Interim President and Chair Emerita. “As we continue to invest in Spelman’s future through initiatives like Spelman Forward, I am confident Dr. Howard will build upon this strong foundation and help lead Spelman to even greater heights.”
Following her tenure as interim president, Brewer will continue her leadership as Co-Chair of the Spelman Forward campaign, helping support the successful completion of the College’s historic fundraising effort and long-term strategic vision.
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About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,700 students. Spelman is the country’s leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by the U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 37 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 33 for undergraduate teaching, No. 2 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 19th year among historically Black colleges and universities. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors and minors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, data science, refugee studies and gaming. Collaborations have been also established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others.
Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, former Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University professor and former Dean Evelynn Hammonds, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones.
To learn more, please visit spelman.edu and @spelmancollege on social media.
- Dr. Ayanna Howard
- Dr. Ayanna Howard