Girton College elects Dr Elisabeth Kendall as new Mistress

Today, Girton College announced (07/03) the election of Dr Elisabeth Kendall as the 20^th Mistress of the College. She will commence the role from October 2022 after the incumbent Mistress, Professor Susan J. Smith, retires.

Dr Kendall currently works at Pembroke College, Oxford as a Senior Research Fellow in Arabic and Islamic Studies.

Her work has involved extensive fieldwork in Yemen with a focus on terrorism and poetry. She also co-founded and chairs a development NGO in the region, which aims to build conflict resilience and support education initiatives like women’s literacy and teacher training.

According to a Girton College press release, Dr Kendall “passionately believes in research and education making a difference beyond the confines of academia.”

Dr Elisabeth Kendall has stated, “I’m thrilled to have been elected the next Mistress of Girton. I’m profoundly conscious of the privilege and responsibility in taking on this role at a college with such a pioneering history and spirit.

“I can’t wait to join Girton’s incredible Fellows, students, staff, and alumni so that together we can steer the College on to new firsts.”

She has previously achieved a DPhil from Oxford University in 1998, during which she also studied as a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard. Beginning her career as an academic, Dr Kendall then spent some time in the private sector, before returning to academia in 2008.

Current Mistress, Professor Susan J Smith, has announced her retirement from the role after 13 years as Mistress, during which Girton celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Smith has welcomed her successor, stating, “Girton is an ambitious, forward-looking institution with a pathbreaking approach to higher education. It will be exciting to see a new chapter unfold under the inspirational leadership of its 20^th Mistress.”

Feature Image Credits: Tom Booth