MIT Selects Its First Female President

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By Daisuke Wakabayashi

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Reuters) - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (news - web sites) on Thursday named Susan Hockfield as its first female president, a breakthrough for the world-renowned school that has churned out more than 50 Nobel prizewinners but which ranks below the national average for its percentage of female students.

The selection of Hockfield, a neuroscientist who currently serves as Yale University provost, adds to the growing presence of women presidents among America's most prestigious colleges, including Princeton University and Brown University.

But experts noted there is much room for improvement, especially since women make up more than half of the U.S. undergraduate population and yet account for only about a fifth of all college presidents.

Hockfield, 53, who is also MIT's first president with a background not in engineering, is slated to assume the post in early December.

"We think it's terrific that we have a woman and a life scientist," said Dana Mead, who headed up the committee to pick the school's new president.

Outgoing MIT President Charles Vest made headlines in 1999 when he acknowledged that the school's female professors suffered from discrimination in hiring, awards, promotions and access to laboratory space and research money.

Women represent 42 percent of undergraduates at MIT, versus 56 percent at the national level, according to the American Council on Education.

Sheldon Steinbach, ACE general counsel, said the U.S. primary and secondary education system has turned off many women from pursuing careers in math and sciences, but that this may be changing.

"The choice of MIT hopefully will send a strong message to young women that the fact an internationally recognized school selects a woman as its president means that success in the sciences is possible," Steinbach said. (Additional reporting by Greg Frost)

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