Ruth Simmons Takes a New (Interim) Presidency

Ruth Simmons (right) was on Monday named interim president of Prairie View A&M University, effective July 1. She succeeds George Wright, who is stepping down after 14 years in the presidency. While Simmons is new to Prairie View A&M, she is not new to being a college president, having served in the position at Brown University from 2001 to 2012 and as president of Smith College before that. She also served as provost of Spelman College earlier in her career.