JENNIFER CHRISLER SELECTED TO LEAD HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE'S NEXT BOLD CHAPTER

AMHERST, Mass., Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hampshire College has appointed Jennifer Chrisler as its ninth president. An accomplished higher education administrator and leader, LGBTQIA+ advocate and non-profit executive, Chrisler's 30+ year career has spanned the fields of private and public education, electoral politics and national public policy advocacy. A longtime resident of western Massachusetts, Chrisler is a Smith College alumna and the mother of three sons. Chrisler assumes the presidency after serving as interim president for three months, continuing her duties without interruption.

"I believe in Hampshire's promise, and I believe in its people," said Chrisler. "The College's creation required a radical rethinking of how to approach the liberal arts, and we've been pushing higher education forward ever since. Hampshire's purpose is reinvention, which is a vital capacity in the current moment. Now is the time to supercharge our work to envision a 21st-century education that prioritizes student agency, adaptability and real-world impact. The key to all of this is to lay the groundwork for transformative growth with the Hampshire community, while ensuring Hampshire's operational health."

"Jennifer Chrisler's exemplary leadership has already proven essential for the College, with a combination of vision and resilience that makes her a perfect fit for us as an experimenting institution," said Jose Fuentes, chair of Hampshire's board. "In her, we have a steady and savvy financial hand, as well as a strategist who can see the macro trends in higher education and forge an innovative future for both Hampshire and the liberal arts."

"I can't think of a better person to take the reins at Hampshire College right now than Jennifer Chrisler," said filmmaker Ken Burns, an alumnus of the College and cochair of its Change in the Making campaign. "She has lived our recent past and knows the workings and the secret sauce of the College at every level. I look forward to working with her over the coming months and years as Hampshire continues to be the groundbreaking laboratory of higher education in the country."

Hampshire College offers a bold curriculum that gives students the tools to tackle the complex, pressing issues of the 21st century. Departing completely from traditional majors and departments, Hampshire intentionally prepares students for a future of constant and rapid change, in which graduates will need to apply advanced skills and innovate continually.

SOURCE Hampshire College