Judith Shapiro
Encyclopedia
Judith R. Shapiro is a former President of Barnard College
, a liberal arts college
for women affiliated with Columbia University
; as President of Barnard, she was also an academic dean
within the university. She was also a professor
of anthropology
at Barnard. Shapiro became Barnard's 10th president in 1994 after a teaching career at Bryn Mawr College
where she was Chair of the Department of Anthropology
. After serving as Acting Dean of the Undergraduate College in 1985-6, she was Provost
, the chief academic officer, from 1986 until 1994. Debora L. Spar
was appointed to replace Judith Shapiro, effective July 1, 2008.
, President Shapiro was the first Barnard president educated in the New York public schools. Her mother taught Latin and was a librarian in the school system. Judith Shapiro is a magna cum laude graduate of Brandeis University
in Massachusetts
. She received her Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University
in New York. She began her teaching career at the University of Chicago
in 1970, the first woman appointed to the Department of Anthropology, and moved to Bryn Mawr
in 1975.
She has written many scholarly articles on gender differentiation, social theory and missionization, based on her field research in lowland South America, notably among the Tapirapé and Yanomami Indians of Brazil, and in the North American Great Basin
. She was President of the American Ethnological Society, a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behaviorial Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies. In December 2002, she received the National Institute of Social Sciences’ Gold Medal Award for her contributions as a leader in higher education for women. She was elected in 2003 to membership in the prestigious American Philosophical Society
, joining 728 distinguished members nationally in the oldest learned society in the United States.
In the course of a three-year curriculum review initiated by President Shapiro in the 1990s, Barnard redefined the components of a superior liberal arts education through its highly regarded focus on "The Ways of Knowing", nine areas that together explore the major cross-disciplinary means by which human knowledge has been constructed.
President Shapiro was a strong proponent of the College’s goal to prepare women with the necessary skills to succeed in the future. An impressive example is The Barnard Electronic Archive and Teaching Laboratory (BEATL). By utilizing Web technology to enhance teaching and coursework, BEATL has become an indispensable portal to academic information and resources.
Building on a strong financial foundation, the College doubled its endowment
to $134 million during President Shapiro's tenure and has continued to expand its annual fundraising, even during the economic downtown of the 2002-2003 fiscal year, when a record $25 million in gifts and pledges was raised. And, in recent years, the number of alumnae who made gifts to the College has doubled.
Shapiro established a major public forum in 2001, The Barnard Summit. The inaugural Summit on the Barnard campus drew an audience of more than 1,000 people for a discussion on women’s leadership; panelists included former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno
, activist Marian Wright Edelman
, and General Claudia Kennedy
, the first female three-star general. Connecticut Public Television produced a program on the Summit, which aired in March 2003. The 2003 Barnard Summit drew an international who’s who of experts on women’s health—from the United Nations
, the U.S. government, leading medical schools and international advocacy groups and foundations—and will be the subject of a PBS documentary.
(Every Mother/Every Child). President Shapiro in 2003 forged a partnership with the revived New York City Women’s Commission under Mayor Michael Bloomberg
in which Barnard will guide and expand a newly launched economic/employment survey of New York women. In 2003-2004, she assumed the presidency of the Morningside Area Alliance, a cooperative association of academic, religious and other not-for-profit organizations in Morningside Heights.
In January, 2008, Shapiro joined the Board of Directors at the largest child-centered philanthropy program in the United States. At Common Cents
, the creators of The Penny Harvest
, Shapiro serves as Board Chair and will aid Common Cents
in its continued development as a tireless advocate for education.
and The Chronicle of Higher Education
, and her views cited in other leading publications including The Christian Science Monitor
, The Boston Globe
and U.S. News and World Report. Vanity Fair
, in its November 1998 issue, included Shapiro as one of America’s 200 Most Influential Women.
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
, a liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
for women affiliated with Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
; as President of Barnard, she was also an academic dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
within the university. She was also a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at Barnard. Shapiro became Barnard's 10th president in 1994 after a teaching career at Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
where she was Chair of the Department of Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. After serving as Acting Dean of the Undergraduate College in 1985-6, she was Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
, the chief academic officer, from 1986 until 1994. Debora L. Spar
Debora Spar
Debora L. Spar is the current President of Barnard College, a liberal arts college for women affiliated with Columbia University. As President of Barnard, she is also an academic dean within the university...
was appointed to replace Judith Shapiro, effective July 1, 2008.
Education and career
A native of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, President Shapiro was the first Barnard president educated in the New York public schools. Her mother taught Latin and was a librarian in the school system. Judith Shapiro is a magna cum laude graduate of Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. She received her Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York. She began her teaching career at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1970, the first woman appointed to the Department of Anthropology, and moved to Bryn Mawr
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
in 1975.
She has written many scholarly articles on gender differentiation, social theory and missionization, based on her field research in lowland South America, notably among the Tapirapé and Yanomami Indians of Brazil, and in the North American Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
. She was President of the American Ethnological Society, a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behaviorial Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies. In December 2002, she received the National Institute of Social Sciences’ Gold Medal Award for her contributions as a leader in higher education for women. She was elected in 2003 to membership in the prestigious American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
, joining 728 distinguished members nationally in the oldest learned society in the United States.
Leadership
Under her leadership in 2001-2002, Barnard completed both a College strategic plan and a campus master plan. The College is now poised to undertake an ambitious building and restoration program over the coming decades, beginning with the selection of an architect in the fall of 2003 to design a new multi-use six-story center for academic and social activities, which will house a new library, student activity space, faculty offices, a café and a 900-seat event space on Barnard’s architecturally distinguished campus.In the course of a three-year curriculum review initiated by President Shapiro in the 1990s, Barnard redefined the components of a superior liberal arts education through its highly regarded focus on "The Ways of Knowing", nine areas that together explore the major cross-disciplinary means by which human knowledge has been constructed.
President Shapiro was a strong proponent of the College’s goal to prepare women with the necessary skills to succeed in the future. An impressive example is The Barnard Electronic Archive and Teaching Laboratory (BEATL). By utilizing Web technology to enhance teaching and coursework, BEATL has become an indispensable portal to academic information and resources.
Building on a strong financial foundation, the College doubled its endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
to $134 million during President Shapiro's tenure and has continued to expand its annual fundraising, even during the economic downtown of the 2002-2003 fiscal year, when a record $25 million in gifts and pledges was raised. And, in recent years, the number of alumnae who made gifts to the College has doubled.
Shapiro established a major public forum in 2001, The Barnard Summit. The inaugural Summit on the Barnard campus drew an audience of more than 1,000 people for a discussion on women’s leadership; panelists included former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
, activist Marian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman is an American activist for the rights of children. She is president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund.-Early years:...
, and General Claudia Kennedy
Claudia Kennedy
Claudia Jean Kennedy is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. She is the first female to reach the rank of three-star general in the U.S. Army. She retired in 2000 after 31 years of military service.-Early life:...
, the first female three-star general. Connecticut Public Television produced a program on the Summit, which aired in March 2003. The 2003 Barnard Summit drew an international who’s who of experts on women’s health—from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, the U.S. government, leading medical schools and international advocacy groups and foundations—and will be the subject of a PBS documentary.
Membership
Shapiro 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, serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of the New York Building Congress and on the New York State Leadership Council for the development of a Women’s Museum in New York City, and is a member of the Advisory Committee of Save the ChildrenSave the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
(Every Mother/Every Child). President Shapiro in 2003 forged a partnership with the revived New York City Women’s Commission under Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
in which Barnard will guide and expand a newly launched economic/employment survey of New York women. In 2003-2004, she assumed the presidency of the Morningside Area Alliance, a cooperative association of academic, religious and other not-for-profit organizations in Morningside Heights.
In January, 2008, Shapiro joined the Board of Directors at the largest child-centered philanthropy program in the United States. At Common Cents
Common Cents
Common Cents is a national educational, not-for-profit organization, which specializes in creating and managing service-learning programs for young people between the ages of four and 14...
, the creators of The Penny Harvest
The Penny Harvest
The Penny Harvest, an educational program created by the not-for-profit Common Cents, engages students in Youth Philanthropy – fundraising, grant-making and service – with the goal of developing their generosity and moral character as well as their understanding of democratic...
, Shapiro serves as Board Chair and will aid Common Cents
Common Cents
Common Cents is a national educational, not-for-profit organization, which specializes in creating and managing service-learning programs for young people between the ages of four and 14...
in its continued development as a tireless advocate for education.
Other Interests
President Shapiro is frequently called upon for media comment and has had opinion articles published in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty, staff members and administrators....
, and her views cited in other leading publications including The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
, The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
and U.S. News and World Report. Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, in its November 1998 issue, included Shapiro as one of America’s 200 Most Influential Women.