Judith Shapiro, Pres. Of Barnard College To Join Common Cents As Board Chair
Common Cents is pleased to announce that Judith Shapiro, President of Barnard College, has accepted the position of chair of the Board of Trustees of Common Cents, effective immediately.
“I welcome the opportunity to play an integral role in helping Common Cents elevate the prominence of the Penny Harvest and also attract enthusiastic and committed new supporters,” said Shapiro. “The Penny Harvest is an especially effective means toward helping children build their moral and civic character, and is an opportunity I think all children should be afforded. It also underlines the central role of philanthropy in a democracy, something we should all keep in mind.”
“Judith is a tireless advocate for education,” said Teddy Gross, co-founder and executive director of Common Cents. “We are thrilled to have such a passionate voice in the educational community join our cause.”
Shapiro will be stepping down as the 10th president of Barnard College at the end of the 2007-08 academic year, a position she has held since 1994. She is a widely respected cultural anthropologist who has done pioneering research on gender differences. A prominent voice on women’s education, Shapiro has led Barnard through exceptional transformations at every level, enhancing the College’s academic reputation and physical space and strengthening its financial position and public presence. During her tenure, applications increased two-fold and, with an attendant rise in selectivity, Barnard has become the most sought-after private liberal arts college for women in the United States.
Shapiro is a graduate alumna of Columbia University, where she received her Ph.D. in anthropology in 1972. She received her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and attended P.S. 26, J.H.S. 216 and Jamaica High School in Queens, NYC.
Shapiro also serves on the Board of the Fund for the City of New York, is a Partner in the New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of the New York Building Congress. She is chair of the Board of the Consortium for Financing Higher Education, and is a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Common Cents is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to build informed, capable, and caring communities by igniting the civic spirit of a new generation. The Penny Harvest currently operates in NYC/Metro NY, the Capital Region of NY, Colorado, Nashville, TN, Florida and Seattle, WA as well as select individual schools across the country. Common Cents provides program tools, curriculum, professional development, as well as ongoing logistical and programmatic support to each participating school to ensure the Penny Harvest is a rich experience in service-learning and civic education for all students. For more information about Common Cents and the Penny Harvest, to make a donation, or enroll your school, please visit www.CommonCents.org.#
