On Oct 17, Linda G. Mills was inaugurated as the 17th president of New York University, the first female president of the University.
At her inauguration, President Mills shared a vision for the future of NYU that is built on the stories of alums, faculty members, and leadership who have inspired her and helped create NYU’s lasting legacy of leading the way. She expressed gratitude to her predecessors and colleagues who commit themselves to the University’s missions every single day. She spoke about the University’s “heritage of inclusion, ingenuity, imagination,” and looked forward to its future.
“Humbled, deeply moved, I stand here today, prepared to take up this mantle and this challenge. Not alone, not singularly, but with all of you, confident that our very best days are ahead of us,” Mills said. “We will walk through the present — together — unafraid of what we don’t entirely know. We will act. This capacity, this will, this action — this is the magic, this — I might even dare say in the company of so many scientists — this is the alchemy of NYU.”
Mills brings a vast array of experiences with her as she takes on the helm of leadership at NYU. A Lisa Ellen Goldberg Professor of Social Work, Public Policy, and Law, an attorney, licensed clinical social worker, award-winning filmmaker, and parent of an NYU graduate, Mills has served as NYU's Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice Provost for Global Programs and University Life for more than a decade. Her experiences and dedication to the University have led to her selection as the president, the Board of Trustees announced back in February. Mills took on her duties from July 1.
In her speech, Mills also mentioned that NYU Shanghai followed NYU Abu Dhabi’s success, boasting a diverse student body “representing every continent but Antarctica,” when it welcomed the first batch of 295 students in 2012. And she vowed joined-forces with global partners, including NYU Shanghai, “to convene a 21st century science and tech community — one that is symbiotic with New York City’s foundation, industry, and financial ecosystem.” Mills visited NYU Shanghai last month as part of her listening tour of campuses in the NYU Global Network, where she spoke with students, faculty and staff about their experiences.
NYU Shanghai Chancellor Tong Shijun traveled to New York to represent the NYU Shanghai community and witness this historical moment. He extended heartfelt congratulations to President Mills and conveyed his best wishes to her and to NYU. He voiced NYU Shanghai’s unwavering support to the “remarkable success story of NYU as a whole in the future.”
“In a world that appears both massively interconnected and yet deeply divided, there is nothing more crucial for educators than to be part of a university [like NYU Shanghai] that embodies the spirit of ‘a temple of cosmopolitan exploration’,” he said.