BACK TO ALL

Gilda A. Barabino, Ph.D.

President, Olin College of Engineering

Gilda Barabino is president of Olin College of Engineering, and a professor of biomedical and chemical engineering there, as well as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A biomedical engineer trained in chemical engineering, with broad interest in global health, systems, and interdisciplinary engineering education, Barabino is a noted investigator in sickle cell disease and in cellular and tissue engineering. She is an internationally recognized thought leader and highly sought-after speaker and consultant on race/ethnicity and gender in science and engineering, with particular focus on creating cultures and climates that support a sense of belonging. She has led a number of initiatives in these areas, including serving as the founder and executive director of the National Institute for Faculty Equity. Barabino earned her B.S. degree in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University. She is an active member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, and serves on numerous committees of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, including the Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine; the Health and Medicine Division Committee; and the Committee on Women in Science Engineering and Medicine, which she chairs. Barabino also serves as a member of the National Institutes of Health’s National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee for Engineering; the congressionally mandated Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering; and the American Association for the Advancement of Science Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy. Her many honors include the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Award for Service to Society; the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring; the Pierre Galetti Award, the highest honor of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering; and an honorary degree from Xavier University of Louisiana.

Photo of Gilda A. Barabino, Ph.D.