Carmen Ambar named president of Oberlin College

Ambar is the first African American to head the liberal arts school

(Press Release) – Carmen Ambar has been named president of Oberlin College. She has been president of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Ambar is the 15th person to hold the position as president, she will be succeeding Marvin Krislov who has served as head of Oberlin College for a decade.
He (Krislov) had announced announced earlier this year that he had accepted a new role as president of Pace University in New York City.

Amber is first African American president of the institution.

The 184-year-old Oberlin College prides itself on a history of diversity and social justice. Two years after its founding in 1833, the school began admitting students of all races, becoming the first college in the United States to do so.

According to a press release from the institution, Ambar’s values align closely with Oberlin’s mission.
“I am incredibly excited to work with Carmen Ambar as Oberlin’s next president,” said Chris Canavan, Chair-Elect of Oberlin’s Board of Trustees. “Her life story, her academic achievements, her devotion to the liberal arts and her love of music make her the very embodiment of Oberlin. Under her leadership, I am confident that Oberlin can advance with the times without losing sight of who we are.”

“Oberlin is a singular institution in American higher education, with an historic commitment to social justice, academic and musical excellence, and the liberal arts,” Ambar said at her introduction event on May 30. “I look forward to my work with Oberlin’s faculty, staff, students, board, and alumni to think creatively and collaboratively together. I am humbled to be joining this institution and excited about the opportunity to lead it into its next era.”

About Carmen Ambar: Carmen Ambar, an accomplished attorney and academician, brings to her new position a wealth of experience:
– She has served as the 13th president of Cedar Crest College since 2008;
– She has served as vice president and dean of Douglass College at Rutgers University, and
– She served as assistant dean of graduate education at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.