Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I’m pleased to announce that Sarah Pearson has agreed to serve as our next vice president for Advancement. As I shared with you in August, when Sarah joined the College in an interim capacity, her wealth of experience includes leadership roles at institutions such as Bates College, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Northwestern University, and The University of Chicago. Sarah’s decades of experience, enthusiasm, and passion have had immediate, positive effects on our fundraising efforts. I am grateful for her continued dedication and vision as she leads our Advancement team.

Though I initially planned to conduct a national search for this position, I asked Sarah to remain with the College after I agreed to extend my term as president. I felt that recruiting a new Advancement leader would be challenging given the duration of my remaining tenure at Swarthmore, and that doing so would interrupt the great energy and forward momentum Sarah has established with our talented staff in Advancement. This leadership continuity will allow us to focus on increasing our engagement with alumni, parents, and families and strengthening our fundraising efforts to support Swarthmore’s academic pursuits and the student experience, with a particular focus on initiatives outlined in Swarthmore Forward.

Please join me in thanking Sarah for her continued service and enthusiasm for Swarthmore’s mission.

Sincerely,  

Val Smith  
President