Bryn Mawr’s Board of Trustees announced the election of Dr. Saskia Subramanian to serve as the next Chair for the Board of Trustees on Monday.
Subramanian, whose term starts next June, graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 1988 and master’s degree in 1989, both from Bryn Mawr, and received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. She was also President of Bryn Mawr’s Alumnae Association from 2016-2021 and currently co-chair of Haverford’s Parent and Family Leadership Council, with her husband, Marcus Linden. Subramanian has previously done work with the Roessler Chadwick Foundation Group, where she worked on expansion into international educational markets in Korea. She is also a former research sociologist at UCLA’s School of Medicine where she focused on women’s health issues and disparities.
When asked about her new role, Dr. Subramanian told The Bi-Co News that “it has been a pleasure to serve on a board that is deeply focused on student experience. The vast majority of trustees are alumnae/i or parents of alumnae/i, and students are at the core of our commitment to the College.”
During her tenure on the Board, she has seen the initial creation of the comprehensive campus plan, a campus-wide plan to engage staff and students in changes on the Bryn Mawr campus.
“The completion of the comprehensive campus plan will afford the board further opportunity to carefully consider and operationalize how we best enhance the campus for living and learning,” Subramanian said. “We are all committed to making our students genuine partners in this vital work. It will be very rewarding to be part of the leadership in this effort.”
Among Bryn Mawr’s Board of Trustees are five Trustees who are nominated by the members of the Alumnae Association. The Board discusses topics such as finances, academic programs and strategic direction in annual October, February, and April or May meetings. In 2024, the Board led the selection of Bryn Mawr’s new President, Wendy Cadge. Additionally, the Board prepares for fundraising, discusses future budget plans for Bryn Mawr, approves recommendations for new members of the Board, and designates emeritus or honorary trustees. The Board also meets with the Committee of Academic Priorities and Faculty Advisory Council to discuss graduates’ futures, including job market opportunities and alumni networks, with the goal of preparing undergraduate and graduate students for success in their post-graduate careers.
Correction December 1: Corrections to this article have been made regarding the role of the Board of Trustees, noting that certain decisions are supported or discussed by them but not passed with their sole authority. Additionally, it has been noted that the comprehensive campus plan has not yet been passed and is still in the process of being drafted.
Correction December 8: This article once stated the the Board of Trustees chose the DLR to structure the campus plan project. This is incorrect: while the Board was a partner in choosing the DLR, the decision was made alongside staff at The College. The Bi-College News apologizes and has seen rectified the error.
