Dr. Wendy Cadge will be the next president of Bryn Mawr College. Cadge follows President Kim Cassidy’s as she retires from her 11-year long position as leader of Bryn Mawr College.
The news was announced in an email to students and faculty on April 9, 2024. The email, which was written by the Chair of the Board of Trustees Cynthia Archer, stated that Cadge had the “moral compass, clarity of thought, generosity, creativity, and energy to lead our Bryn Mawr community forward in rich and unique ways.”
An event took place later that afternoon in Great Hall, where soon-to-be President Cadge was given the opportunity to meet students and staff.
President Cassidy began the event with a speech, calling the announcement “historic and eventful.” By 2 PM, Great Hall was filled with faculty, staff, and students. Cassidy thanked Cynthia Archer, the chair of the Bryn Mawr College board of Trustees, and the rest of the hiring committee which has worked for the past year to find the next president of Bryn Mawr.
Archer, who also gave a speech, expressed confidence in Cadge’s ability to lead the school in the coming years and applauded her “clear moral compass.” Archer also thanked President Cassidy for her dedication to the college, saying that Bryn Mawr is “so strong thanks to Kim’s incomparable leadership over the past eleven years.”
In her speech, Cadge said that she was “thrilled to be joining you [Bryn Mawr College] as Bryn Mawr College’s 10th President.” Her speech was hopeful, and she expressed a “deep affinity” for Bryn Mawr College and liberal arts education in general.
Cadge is no stranger to the Tri-Colleges. She graduated from Swarthmore College in 1997 with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology, and later went on to get her masters and PhD in sociology from Princeton University. Previously, Cadge was the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Brandeis University. Her research focuses on contemporary American literature, according to her website.
Cadge grew up in Delaware County and attended Springfield High School. She won the Bryn Mawr College Book award in high school.
At the announcement event, Cadge was officially welcomed into Bryn Mawr through the passing of a lantern, a key Bryn Mawr tradition that dates back to 1889. Student Government Association (SGA) President Bryn Osborne and incoming traditions mistexes Kendall Phillips and Suzanne Schinella presented Cadge with a light blue lantern.
Cadge noted in her speech that she was “committed to upholding its [Bryn Mawr’s] legacy,” and noted the “unique dynamic” a Bryn Mawr College education offers.
Cadge will begin her term on July 1, 2024.
