Elizabeth Kiss officially began her tenure as Union’s 20th president Tuesday, walking the College’s historic campus, meeting with students and faculty working on summer research, and greeting staff and visitors in the Reamer Campus Center.
On her first day as Union's new president, Elizabeth Kiss learns about the summer research by Hades Panlilio '26 and other students working with John Rieffel, professor of computer science and department chair.
Kiss (pronounced quiche) takes over for David Harris, who stepped down in June after seven years as president.
She is the first woman to lead the College in its 230-year history.
“I’m truly honored to be trusted with leading this distinguished institution,” Kiss said. “Union has such a rich history as a premier liberal arts college, and I’m excited to be a part of it. The energy and excitement I felt today as I walked around this beautiful campus is inspiring. My husband, Jeff, and I are so happy to join this wonderful community.’
The daughter of Hungarian refugees who fled the country during the 1956 revolution, Kiss is a native of New York City.
Her journey to Schenectady began at Davidson College, where she majored in philosophy. She was also the first woman at Davidson to receive a Rhodes Scholarship. She earned her master’s and doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford.
Her impressive academic pedigree includes stints as a fellow in the Program in Ethics and Professions at Harvard University and an assistant professor of politics at Princeton University.
President Elizabeth Kiss stopped by the Residential Education offices on her first official day on the job.
She was the inaugural director of Duke University’s Kenan Institute for Ethics.
Kiss also spent 12 years as president of Agnes Scott College, a private women's liberal arts college outside of Atlanta.
During her time at Agnes Scott, the college set new highs for enrollment and retention, and emerged as a national leader in campus sustainability. She also oversaw the creation of Summit, a signature program for all students focused on global learning and leadership development; led increased investment in athletics; and championed new programs in public health, sustainability and business management. The Chronicle of Higher Education named her one of the most influential figures in U.S. higher education in 2017.
From 2018 to this past January, Kiss served as CEO of the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, U.K., where she expanded the Rhodes Scholarship program across Africa and Asia and led initiatives such as the Schmidt Science Fellows and Rise, global fellowship programs aimed at developing future leaders in science and social impact.
Kiss has said that she was drawn to Union in part because of its longstanding commitment to integrating traditional liberal arts disciplines with engineering.
Kiss arrives at Union at a time of significant challenges in higher education. She is confident the College will continue to lean into its strengths during these unprecedented times. She will spend the next couple of months familiarizing herself with Union’s operations before the next academic year begins with opening Convocation on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Ashlesha Bhaghat '26 poses for a selfie with President Elizabeth Kiss Tuesday.
“I believe passionately in the mission of Union, and I look forward to working together to build on our strengths and shape an even brighter future for the College,” she said.
Kiss will be officially inaugurated as president Oct. 9-11, during Homecoming and Family Weekend.