Simmons University’s Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten has been unanimously selected to serve as Simmons’ ninth president effective July 1, 2020.
Dr. Wooten will succeed Helen G. Drinan, who ends her term in June after serving as Simmons’ President for the past 12 years. Simmons University offers the only undergraduate program for women in Boston and numerous nationally recognized graduate programs open to all.
“After a comprehensive, nationwide search that attracted significant interest from a diverse group of impressive candidates, we’re delighted to announce Dr. Wooten as the ninth president of Simmons University,” said Regina M. Pisa, Chair of the Simmons Board of Trustees. “Dr. Wooten’s clear strategic vision and creativity, seasoned leadership experience, strong academic record and collaborative style make her ideally suited to advance our university during this critical period. She brings with her not only a deep understanding of higher education, but as a business school Dean, a strong appreciation of how to manage and lead complex organizations through the inevitable changes that are facing all institutions of higher learning today.”
Dr. Wooten is a scholar and academic, and throughout her career she has assumed a number of leadership positions. Most recently, she served as the David J. Nolan Dean and Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.
“With its robust graduate programs and commitment to educating the next generation of female leaders, Simmons University plays a significant role in today’s world,” said Dr. Wooten. “The university’s model – with its focus on liberal arts and professional development – is the future of higher education. I couldn’t be more excited to join this community and to further the institution’s distinctive and vital mission.”
Dr. Wooten’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, and she has been published in journals, such as Academy of Management Journal, American Behavioral Scientist, Human Resource Management, and Organizational Dynamics.
Dr. Wooten is Simmons University’s first African American president. Her appointment is the result of a comprehensive search process, driven by the nationally-respected search firm Isaacson, Miller and a 19-member search committee representing a cross- section of the Simmons community, with student, faculty, administration, alumnae/i, board members and the community participating. The process featured input from a wide swath of the Simmons community, including dozens of listening sessions and online survey participation. After interviewing a number of semifinalists and finalists, the search committee unanimously recommended Dr. Wooten to the Board of Trustees, which voted unanimously to select her as the institution’s ninth president.
Dr. Wooten grew up in Philadelphia and is an alumna of the University of Michigan (PhD). She received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina A&T State University, where she graduated as valedictorian, and her MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. She is an active member in a number of national volunteer leadership organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Jack & Jill of America, Junior League, and The Links Inc.
