Maud Mandel
Maud Mandel (born June 14, 1967) is an American historian and academic administrator. She is the 18th and current President of Williams College, the first woman to hold that role. Mandel was previously a Professor of History and Judaic Studies and Dean of the College at Brown University. She specialises in twentieth-century French history, with a particular focus on the interaction of Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian communities in France. She is the daughter of Ruth Mandel who was the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Early life and education. Mandel received her BA  in English from Oberlin College in 1989. In 1993, she received an MA from the University of Michigan, followed in 1998 by a PhD in Modern Jewish History from the same institution. Brown University. Professorship. In 1997, she joined the Brown faculty as a visiting assistant professor in the History department. Mandel's scholarship focuses on ethnic and religious minorities in twentieth-century France. She has written about immigration, nationalism, integration, and inter-ethnic relations. Mandel has particularly emphasized the Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian communities in France and has investigated how these groups interact with each other and with broader  society. Mandel became a full member of the faculty in 2001, served as chair of the Judaic studies program from 2012-2014, and was named a full professor in 2014. Administration Leadership. In June 2014, Mandel was named Dean of the College. In this role, she prioritized Brown's advising programs and the development of skills through the undergraduate curriculum. Specific projects led by Mandel include establishment of the Brown Learning Collaborative that stresses liberal arts competencies teaching "through a peer-to-peer approach," 1stY@Brown online coursework that prepares incoming students for undergraduate curriculum rigors, and overseeing the opening of  the First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center. Williams College. On March 11, 2018, Mandel was selected to be the 18th president of Williams College. Mandel assumed the position on July 1, 2018.