Ellen Granberg will take over as president of George Washington University after being chosen by the board of trustees, the university announced on Wednesday (January 11).

Granberg will become the first female president of George Washington University after currently holding the position of provost at the Rochester Institute of Technology (GWU). On July 1 of this year, she will assume over.

Mark Wrighton, a former chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis who was appointed president of GWU a year ago, will be replaced by Ellen Granberg.

In a press release announcing Granberg’s selection as the 19th president of GWU, the university noted that she is a creative and dynamic leader and sociology expert with years of experience in research universities.

According to GWU, throughout her academic career, Granberg supported a variety of initiatives, including student success, research and scholarship, educational innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion, academic reputation, staff and faculty excellence, and financial and operational management.

Her efforts to increase student retention and graduation rates in order to close the achievement gap between Indigenous, Black, People of Color (BIPOC) and non-BIPOC students are one of her accomplishments.

The University of California at Davis awarded Granberg a Bachelor’s degree in history, and Vanderbilt University awarded her an MA and Ph.D. in sociology. At the University of Georgia, she finished her postdoctoral studies in family and community health.