Biography
Dr. Gilda A. Barabino
President and Professor
Olin College of Engineering
Milas Hall, Suite 205
1000 Olin Way
Needham, MA 02492
Term: 05/01/2018 – 04/30/2024
Gilda A. Barabino became the second president of Olin College of Engineering, and Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, on July 1, 2020.
Previously she served as Dean of The Grove School of Engineering at the City College of New York [CCNY]. She also served as Daniel and Frances Berg Professor, with appointments in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, as well as the City University of New York School of Medicine.
A biomedical engineer trained in chemical engineering, with broad interest in global health, systems, and interdisciplinary engineering education, Dr. Barabino is a noted investigator in the areas of sickle cell disease, cellular and tissue engineering. She is an internationally recognized thought leader and highly sought speaker and consultant on race/ethnicity and gender in science and engineering, with particular focus on creating cultures and climates that support a sense of belonging. She has led a number of initiatives in these areas including serving as the founder and Executive Director of the National Institute for Faculty Equity.
Before joining CCNY, she served as Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. She also served as Georgia Tech's inaugural Vice Provost for Academic Diversity. Prior to that, she spent 18 years at Northeastern University, rising to the rank of Full Professor of Chemical Engineering and serving as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.
Dr. Barabino is an active member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine and serves on numerous committees of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, including the Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine; the Health and Medicine Division Committee; and the Committee on Women in Science Engineering and Medicine which she chairs. Dr. Barabino also serves as a member of the National Institutes of Health's National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; National Science Foundation's Advisory Committee for Engineering; the congressionally mandated Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering; and the American Association for the Advancement of Science Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy. Dr. Barabino also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub.
Her many honors include the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Award for Service to Society [2019]; the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring [2018]; the Pierre Galetti Award [2017]. The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's highest honor; and an honorary degree from Xavier University of Louisiana [2016].
Dr. Barabino is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Biomedical Engineering Society.
She sits on the board of trustees for VentureWell, Associated Universities, Inc., New York Hall of Science and Xavier University of Louisiana.
Dr. Barabino earned her B.S. degree in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University.
She is married to Joseph Barabino. They have a son, Jori.