# Kerry Walk

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{{short description|American higher education leader and former college president}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Kerry Walk
| image         = 
| caption       = 
| alma_mater    = [Wellesley College](/source/Wellesley_College) (B.A.)<br>[University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley) (M.A., Ph.D.)
| occupation    = Academic administrator
| known_for     = President of [Marymount Manhattan College](/source/Marymount_Manhattan_College); President of [University of the Arts](/source/University_of_the_Arts_(Philadelphia))
}}

'''Kerry Walk''' is an American higher education leader and former college president. She has served as president of [Marymount Manhattan College](/source/Marymount_Manhattan_College) and the [University of the Arts](/source/University_of_the_Arts_(Philadelphia)), and as interim president and provost of [Otis College of Art and Design](/source/Otis_College_of_Art_and_Design). Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University), [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University), and [Pitzer College](/source/Pitzer_College).<ref name="MMC2023">{{cite web |title=MMC President Kerry Walk to Step Down in June |url=https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4675-mmc-president-kerry-walk-to-step-down-in-june |website=Marymount Manhattan College News |date=April 21, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Inquirer2023">{{cite news |last=Snyder |first=Susan |title=University of the Arts Has a New President: Kerry Walk Has Led a New York City College for 8 Years |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=April 20, 2023 |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/university-of-the-arts-kerry-walk-new-president-20230420.html}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Walk received a [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree in English from [Wellesley College](/source/Wellesley_College) in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |title=One Hundred and Fifth Annual Commencement Program, June 3, 1983 |website=Wellesley College Archives |url=https://repository.wellesley.edu/_flysystem/fedora/2023-12/WCA_1VC_Commencement_1983.pdf}}</ref> She later earned a Master of Arts and a [Doctor of Philosophy](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) in English literature from the [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley).<ref>{{cite web |title=Graduate Theses by Kerry Walk |website=University of California, Berkeley Library Digital Catalog |access-date=October 7, 2025 |url=https://search.library.berkeley.edu/}}</ref>

== Career ==

{{Empty section|date=March 2026}}

== Harvard University ==
Walk taught in the Expository Writing Program and served as Assistant Director of the Harvard Writing Project, a university-wide writing-in-the-disciplines initiative. She was also a researcher for the Harvard Study of Undergraduate Writing.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garcia |first=Katrina Alicia |title=Expos Study Tracks College Writing Careers |newspaper=The Harvard Crimson |date=February 25, 1999 |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1999/2/25/expos-study-tracks-college-writing-careers/}}</ref>

== Princeton University ==
At [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University), Walk restructured and expanded the Princeton Writing Program, overseeing more than 100 interdisciplinary seminars and a writing center offering individual tutoring.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stevens |first=Ruth |title=Seminars Put Writing at the Forefront for Freshmen: Revamped Program Introduced This Fall |newspaper=Princeton Weekly Bulletin |date=October 15, 2001 |url=https://pr.princeton.edu/pwb/01/1015/}}</ref> She also collaborated with departments to integrate writing into the curriculum and developed a graduate program in scientific communication.<ref>{{cite web |title=In Focus: Princeton Writing Program |website=Princeton University News |date=August 31, 2006 |url=https://www.princeton.edu/news/2006/08/31/focus-princeton-writing-program}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Graduate Writing Courses in Science & Engineering |website=Princeton Writing Program |access-date=October 7, 2025 |url=https://writing.princeton.edu/graduate-students-postdocs/writing-courses-science-engineering}}</ref>

== Pitzer College ==
Walk served as Associate Dean of Faculty at [Pitzer College](/source/Pitzer_College).<ref name="Etienne">{{cite news |last=Etienne |first=Valcy |title=Pittsburgh Native Ascends to NYC College Presidency |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=June 23, 2015 |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/06/23/pittsburgh-native-ascends-to-nyc-college-presidency/stories/201506220004}}</ref>

== Otis College of Art and Design ==

At [Otis College of Art and Design](/source/Otis_College_of_Art_and_Design), Walk was Provost from 2011 to 2014 and Interim President from 2014 to 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Otis |website=Otis College of Art and Design |url=https://www.otis.edu/about/otis-glance/history-of-otis}}</ref> During her tenure, the college completed an award-winning campus expansion supported by a capital campaign.<ref>{{cite web |title=Otis College of Art and Design – Merit Award, SCUP Excellence in Architecture for a New Building |website=Society for College and University Planning |url=https://www.scup.org/award-winner/otis-college-of-art-and-design-campus-expansion/}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lauria |first=Jo |title=Three Decades of Unparalleled Support |magazine=OMAG: Otis College of Art and Design Magazine |issue=Spring 2015 |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b4be531365f0271a4b36e08/t/62070368974feb30f48faeca/1644626801120/OTIS+-+OMAG+-+Spring+2015+Issue+16+%28Compersed%29.pdf}}</ref> She also led outreach around the annual ''Otis Report on the Creative Economy'', including a documentary collaboration with [PBS](/source/PBS) SoCal.<ref>{{cite web |title=KCETLink and Otis College of Art and Design Partner on Special Artbound Multimedia Series |website=PBS SoCal Press Room |date=March 4, 2015 |url=https://www.pbssocal.org/press-room/kcetlink-and-otis-college-of-art-and-design-partner-on-special-artbound-multimedia-series-and-broadcast-exploring-los-angeles-creative-economy}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California Maps Economic Impact |publisher=California Arts Council |date=April 15, 2015 |url=https://arts.ca.gov/press-release/otis-report-on-the-creative-economy-of-california}}</ref>

== Marymount Manhattan College ==
Walk served as president of [Marymount Manhattan College](/source/Marymount_Manhattan_College) from 2015 to 2023.<ref name="MMC2023"/><ref name="Etienne"/> She secured the largest gift in the college’s history—US$25 million—and oversaw the construction of the Judith Mara Carson Center for Visual Arts.
<ref>{{cite news |title=Marymount Manhattan College Receives $25 Million Gift |work=Philanthropy News Digest |date=February 23, 2021 |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/marymount-manhattan-college-receives-25-million-gift}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Judith Mara Carson Center for Visual Arts |website=Boston Society for Architecture |url=http://designawards.architects.org/projects/interior-architectureinterior-design/the-judith-mara-carson-center-for-visual-arts/}}</ref> She also launched ''CityEdge'', a grant-funded career program providing experiential learning opportunities in New York City,<ref>{{cite web |title=Booth Ferris Foundation Awards MMC Major Grant for CityEdge |website=Marymount Manhattan College News |date=June 13, 2017 |url=https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/2159-booth-ferris-foundation-awards-mmc-major-grant-for}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MMC Receives $300K Booth Ferris Grant to Expand CityEdge |website=Marymount Manhattan College News |date=October 20, 2022 |url=https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4259-mmc-receives-300k-booth-ferris-grant-to-expand}}</ref> and expanded prison education initiatives supported by the [Andrew W. Mellon Foundation](/source/Andrew_W._Mellon_Foundation).<ref>{{cite news |title=Mellon Foundation Awards $3.3 Million for Prison Education, Reentry |work=Philanthropy News Digest |date=June 18, 2019 |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/mellon-foundation-awards-3-3-million-for-prison-education-reentry}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MMC Receives $800k Mellon Foundation Grant to Fund College's Prison Education Programming |website=Marymount Manhattan College News |date=June 13, 2019 |url=https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/3169-mmc-receives-800k-mellon-foundation-grant-to-fund}}</ref>

== University of the Arts ==

Walk became president of the [University of the Arts](/source/University_of_the_Arts_(Philadelphia)) on August 1, 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lederman |first=Doug |title=New Presidents and Provosts |work=Inside Higher Ed |date=June 1, 2023 |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2023/06/01/new-presidents-or-provosts-berks-columbia-fla}}</ref> She emphasized multidisciplinary learning and civic engagement during her tenure.<ref name="Inquirer2023" /> The university announced its closure in June 2024, citing an urgent financial crisis following several years of fiscal strain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Boucher |first=Brian |title=Philadelphia's University of the Arts Announces Sudden Closing |work=The New York Times |date=June 2, 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/02/arts/design/philadelphias-arts-university-closing.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Fitch Ratings |title=Fitch Downgrades University of the Arts, PA's Revs to 'B+'; Outlook Negative |date=January 23, 2024 |url=https://www.fitchratings.com/research/us-public-finance/fitch-downgrades-university-of-arts-pa-revs-to-b-outlook-negative-23-01-2024}}</ref> Walk resigned shortly afterward, after ten months in office.<ref>{{cite news |last=Small |first=Zachary |title=University of the Arts President Resigns After School Announces Closure |work=The New York Times |date=June 4, 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/arts/design/university-arts-kerry-walk-philadelphia.html}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

External links
* [Marymount Manhattan College – News Archive](https://www.mmm.edu/live/news)
* [University of the Arts – Official website](https://www.uarts.edu)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Walk, Kerry}}
Category:Living people
Category:American academic administrators
Category:Wellesley College alumni
Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni
Category:Marymount Manhattan College faculty
Category:Princeton University staff
Category:Harvard University staff
Category:Pitzer College faculty
Category:Otis College of Art and Design
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kerry Walk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Walk) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Walk?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.