Carol Quillen

Carol Quillen is the 18th and current president of Davidson College. She is the first female president of the college and the first non-alum president since John Rood Cunningham.[1]

Quillen grew up in New Castle, Delaware, and attended the University of Chicago, where she was a student of Allan Bloom. After finishing her PhD at Princeton University, Quillen became a professor of history at Rice University in 1990. At Rice, Quillen eventually became a vice president, focusing on international studies.[2]

As president, Quillen has overseen major initiatives and changes at Davidson. The college has undergone major construction projects, namely adding a new practice facility at the Baker Sports Complex and a new science center. She also aided in the transition from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 Conference.[3] During her tenure, Davidson received totaling $45 million from The Duke Endowment, the largest donation in the school's history.[4] Quillen has also overseen the college's $425-million capital campaign.

Since 2016, Quillen has served as a trustee of the National Humanities Center in Research Triangle Park.