First African American dean of Harvard’s Education School seeks to inspire
In May of last year, Bridget Terry Long, A.M. ’97, Ph.D. ’00, was appointed dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSE), becoming the first African American to hold the position since the School was founded in 1920. She assumed the role in July. A member of the faculty since 2000, Long, who is the Saris Professor of Education and Economics, is an economist who studies higher education and the transition from high school to college. It’s a topic that is close to her heart: Both of her parents delayed attending college — her mother until after several years of work and her father after serving in the Air Force — and they always spoke of education as the ticket to success. The Gazette sat down with Long to talk about her first months on the job, the meaning of her appointment, and her aspirations as dean of the Ed School. Q&A Bridget Terry...