Professor Helen White Named Provost of Haverford College

Helen White, the William H. and Johanna A. Harris Professor in environmental studies and chemistry and associate provost for curricular development and research, has been appointed provost of Haverford College. White will begin her new role effective July 1, 2025, succeeding Provost Linda Strong-Leek, who has served as the College’s chief academic officer since 2020. 

Haverford’s provost is tasked with shaping and advancing the College’s academic mission and serves on the College’s Senior Staff. White will oversee Haverford’s entire academic enterprise, including faculty, curriculum, research, the libraries, three academic centers, and the forthcoming Kim Institute for Ethical Inquiry and Leadership. The portfolio also includes programs such as Tri-Co Philly; the Office of International Academic Programs (study abroad); the distinguished visitors program; VCAM (Visual Culture, Arts, and Media); and activity in entrepreneurship and innovation. She will continue to play a critical leadership role in implementing Haverford 2030, the College’s strategic plan, a process she has co-led as associate provost. 

“Helen is an eminent scholar with an international profile in biogeochemistry,” says Haverford President Wendy Raymond. “She embodies the values Haverford’s academic community holds most dear: boundless intellectual curiosity, a rigorous and collaborative scholarly orientation, and a commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments and community. She invests deeply and compassionately in the College’s well-being. As a professor and in her role as associate provost, Helen has distinguished herself through her energetic support of students and faculty and her leadership of some of our most impactful academic initiatives. I am excited to work with her to realize the academic aspirations our community has laid out in Haverford 2030.”

Haverford’s newest provost received her master’s in chemistry from the University of Sussex in England and was introduced to the promise of a liberal arts education during a study abroad semester at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. That experience, she says, redefined her understanding of education and shaped the platform for the interdisciplinary, collaborative work she has pursued at Haverford.

White joined Haverford’s faculty in 2009 after completing her Ph.D. in chemical oceanography at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She has distinguished herself as a widely engaged scholar. Her work regularly appears in leading peer-reviewed journals and is the focus of presentations worldwide, often in collaboration with Haverford’s undergraduate students.

White’s research, which includes a focus on the far-reaching impacts of oil spills and environmental contamination, has been supported by significant grants from the National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Foundation, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Gulf Research Program, and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. She worked closely with colleagues at Haverford and Bryn Mawr to establish the Bi-Co environmental studies minor and later supported efforts to develop the major’s curriculum.

She has contributed her expertise to national scientific leadership, including service on two National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study committees focused on oil spill response and dispersants. In addition, White served for 10 years as a member of The Franklin Institute’s Committee on Science and the Arts in the Earth and Environmental Science cluster.

“I am honored to be chosen to serve as Haverford’s provost and to continue working with a community that has shaped me in lasting ways,” White says. “Haverford is a place that values rigorous academic inquiry, creativity, and connection. It’s a privilege to have this opportunity to deepen my support for the faculty, celebrate their achievements, and work together to strengthen the liberal arts while advancing our shared goals for the future.”

As associate provost, White has been focused on new initiatives centered on ethics and entrepreneurship, two crucial elements of Haverford 2030. She has served as the director of Haverford’s Marian E. Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center (KINSC), as well as co-director of Haverford’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence Program, collaborating with leaders from 14 peer institutions—including liberal arts schools and large research universities—nationwide. The initiative addresses challenges and equity in STEM education through partnerships across institutional contexts. White’s contributions have been recognized with the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award and, from Haverford, the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award and the Innovation in Teaching Award.

Professor Strong-Leek, the current provost, has been instrumental in strengthening Haverford’s academic landscape by serving as a tireless advocate for academic freedom. Her provostship began during the challenging circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and has been marked by an enduring commitment to equity and progress across multiple fronts. Through her leadership, the College hired 21 new tenure-track faculty members, expanding and diversifying Haverford’s academic community. She also co-developed the Campus Read program, introduced stipends or course releases for department chairs for the first time in the College’s history, and made considerable progress in elevating faculty salaries.

“Linda’s contributions have made a lasting impact on our community,” says Raymond. “Her dedication to recruiting and supporting outstanding scholar-teachers and her commitment to inclusive excellence have enriched the intellectual life of the College for years to come. I am grateful for her steady and insightful leadership over the past five years.”

Strong-Leek, who announced her intention to complete her service as provost last December, will remain in the position until the end of the current academic year. She will return to the classroom, her first love, as a professor of Africana studies and gender and sexuality studies.