Education 2023: KATHERINE A. ROWE

In 2018, Rowe took the helm of the nation’s second-oldest university, William & Mary, bringing with her a diverse educational background that includes degrees in literature, graduate work in cinema and media studies, and 16 years as an English professor and department chair at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. A Shakespearean scholar, she also co-founded and was CEO of a software company that developed apps to help students understand the Bard of Avon’s plays.

Rowe has championed entrepreneurism and job readiness at W&M, leading to the university’s No. 1 spot on The Wall Street Journal’s ranking of best public schools for internships three years in a row. Meanwhile, U.S. News & World Report has ranked W&M No. 1 in annual alumni giving for eight consecutive years. The university raised nearly $150 million in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, supporting priorities such as scholarships, internships and the W&M Athletics Complex.

Rowe serves on the Northern Virginia Technology Council board of directors and the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission.

SOMEWHERE I’D LIKE TO VISIT: South Africa

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPIEST: Being part of a classroom, rehearsal, practice, lab — or any kind of learning experience