Kerry Walk
American higher education leader and former college president

Kerry Walk
Alma materWellesley College (B.A.)
University of California, Berkeley (M.A., Ph.D.)
OccupationAcademic administrator
Known forPresident of Marymount Manhattan College; President of University of the Arts

Kerry Walk is an American higher education leader and former college president. She has served as president of Marymount Manhattan College and the University of the Arts, and as interim president and provost of Otis College of Art and Design. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at Princeton University, Harvard University, and Pitzer College.[1][2]

Early life and education

Walk received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Wellesley College in 1983.[3] She later earned a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley.[4]

Career

Harvard University

Walk taught in the Expository Writing Program and served as Assistant Director of the Harvard Writing Project, a university-wide writing-in-the-disciplines initiative. She was also a researcher for the Harvard Study of Undergraduate Writing.[5]

Princeton University

At Princeton University, Walk restructured and expanded the Princeton Writing Program, overseeing more than 100 interdisciplinary seminars and a writing center offering individual tutoring.[6] She also collaborated with departments to integrate writing into the curriculum and developed a graduate program in scientific communication.[7][8]

Pitzer College

Walk served as Associate Dean of Faculty at Pitzer College.[9]

Otis College of Art and Design

At Otis College of Art and Design, Walk was Provost from 2011 to 2014 and Interim President from 2014 to 2015.[10] During her tenure, the college completed an award-winning campus expansion supported by a capital campaign.[11][12] She also led outreach around the annual Otis Report on the Creative Economy, including a documentary collaboration with PBS SoCal.[13][14]

Marymount Manhattan College

Walk served as president of Marymount Manhattan College from 2015 to 2023.[15][16] She secured the largest gift in the college’s history—US$25 million—and oversaw the construction of the Judith Mara Carson Center for Visual Arts. [17][18] She also launched CityEdge, a grant-funded career program providing experiential learning opportunities in New York City,[19][20] and expanded prison education initiatives supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.[21][22]

University of the Arts

Walk became president of the University of the Arts on August 1, 2023.[23] She emphasized multidisciplinary learning and civic engagement during her tenure.[2] The university announced its closure in June 2024, citing an urgent financial crisis following several years of fiscal strain.[24][25] Walk resigned shortly afterward, after ten months in office.[26]

References

  1. ^ "MMC President Kerry Walk to Step Down in June". Marymount Manhattan College News. April 21, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Snyder, Susan (April 20, 2023). "University of the Arts Has a New President: Kerry Walk Has Led a New York City College for 8 Years". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  3. ^ "One Hundred and Fifth Annual Commencement Program, June 3, 1983" (PDF). Wellesley College Archives.
  4. ^ "Graduate Theses by Kerry Walk". University of California, Berkeley Library Digital Catalog. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  5. ^ Garcia, Katrina Alicia (February 25, 1999). "Expos Study Tracks College Writing Careers". The Harvard Crimson.
  6. ^ Stevens, Ruth (October 15, 2001). "Seminars Put Writing at the Forefront for Freshmen: Revamped Program Introduced This Fall". Princeton Weekly Bulletin.
  7. ^ "In Focus: Princeton Writing Program". Princeton University News. August 31, 2006.
  8. ^ "Graduate Writing Courses in Science & Engineering". Princeton Writing Program. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  9. ^ Etienne, Valcy (June 23, 2015). "Pittsburgh Native Ascends to NYC College Presidency". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  10. ^ "History of Otis". Otis College of Art and Design.
  11. ^ "Otis College of Art and Design – Merit Award, SCUP Excellence in Architecture for a New Building". Society for College and University Planning.
  12. ^ Lauria, Jo. "Three Decades of Unparalleled Support" (PDF). OMAG: Otis College of Art and Design Magazine. No. Spring 2015.
  13. ^ "KCETLink and Otis College of Art and Design Partner on Special Artbound Multimedia Series". PBS SoCal Press Room. March 4, 2015.
  14. ^ "Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California Maps Economic Impact" (Press release). California Arts Council. April 15, 2015.
  15. ^ "MMC President Kerry Walk to Step Down in June". Marymount Manhattan College News. April 21, 2023.
  16. ^ Etienne, Valcy (June 23, 2015). "Pittsburgh Native Ascends to NYC College Presidency". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  17. ^ "Marymount Manhattan College Receives $25 Million Gift". Philanthropy News Digest. February 23, 2021.
  18. ^ "The Judith Mara Carson Center for Visual Arts". Boston Society for Architecture.
  19. ^ "Booth Ferris Foundation Awards MMC Major Grant for CityEdge". Marymount Manhattan College News. June 13, 2017.
  20. ^ "MMC Receives $300K Booth Ferris Grant to Expand CityEdge". Marymount Manhattan College News. October 20, 2022.
  21. ^ "Mellon Foundation Awards $3.3 Million for Prison Education, Reentry". Philanthropy News Digest. June 18, 2019.
  22. ^ "MMC Receives $800k Mellon Foundation Grant to Fund College's Prison Education Programming". Marymount Manhattan College News. June 13, 2019.
  23. ^ Lederman, Doug (June 1, 2023). "New Presidents and Provosts". Inside Higher Ed.
  24. ^ Boucher, Brian (June 2, 2024). "Philadelphia's University of the Arts Announces Sudden Closing". The New York Times.
  25. ^ Fitch Ratings (January 23, 2024). "Fitch Downgrades University of the Arts, PA's Revs to 'B+'; Outlook Negative".
  26. ^ Small, Zachary (June 4, 2024). "University of the Arts President Resigns After School Announces Closure". The New York Times.


External links

  • [Marymount Manhattan College – News Archive](https://www.mmm.edu/live/news)
  • [University of the Arts – Official website](https://www.uarts.edu)

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