The nationally recognized robotics and AI leader will take the helm of the nation’s top-ranked HBCU on Aug. 1.
Spelman College has named Dr. Ayanna Howard, a nationally recognized roboticist, entrepreneur, and higher education leader, as its 12th president.
The college’s Board of Trustees announced Howard’s appointment on June 5. She will officially step into the role on Aug. 1, 2026.
Howard joins Spelman from The Ohio State University, where she serves as dean of the College of Engineering and holds the Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean’s Chair. Her career spans higher education, technology, entrepreneurship, and government, including previous work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
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