Spelman College's New President Becomes Artificial Intelligence Expert

Serdar HocamAuthor & Editor

The long-standing higher education institution Spelman College has appointed Ayanna Howard, who specializes in robotics and artificial intelligence, to the presidency to shape its future.

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Ayanna Howard in 2020, when she was a robotics researcher at Georgia Tech.
Ayanna Howard in 2020, when she was a robotics researcher at Georgia Tech.NYDIA BLAS/NYT

Atlanta-based Spelman College, a historically Black women's liberal arts institution, has appointed artificial intelligence and robotics expert Ayanna Howard as president to chart the school's future vision.

Strategic Choice for the School's Future

Spelman College, located in Atlanta and known for its deep-rooted history in the liberal arts, has made a remarkable leadership move to outline the institution's path forward.

Passion for Programming Starting at an Early Age

The new president, Ayanna Howard, took her first step into the tech world by teaching herself computer programming when she was only in the third grade.

NASA and Mars Research Background

Howard previously worked at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, leading navigation research for Mars rovers and developing robotic technologies to study glaciers in Antarctica.

Academic Leadership Experience

Immediately prior to this new role at Spelman College, the experienced academic served as the dean of the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University.