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M. Lee Pelton

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LEE PELTON, PhD ’84, English and American literature and language, is the 12th president of Emerson College. A well-respected thought and innovation leader, Pelton is an internationally known speaker and writer on the value of the liberal arts and the importance of leadership development, civic engagement, and diversity and inclusion in higher education. He has outlined a bold vision for Emerson as the global hub for arts, communication, and the liberal arts. Pelton served as dean of the college at Colgate University and Dartmouth College and was president at Willamette University for 13 years.

At Harvard, Pelton previously served on the Graduate School Alumni Association Council (1996–2005) and the Board of Overseers (2000–2006), for which he served as executive committee vice-chair (2005–2006). He also served on several Harvard visiting committees, including the Committees to Visit Harvard College (1998–2006; chair, 2000-2006), Harvard Libraries (2006-2010), and Athletics (2000–2015). He was a member of the Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (2014–2016) and has been a member of the Harvard Magazine Board of Incorporators since 2011.