Marcella David

Marcella believes in the transformative power of higher education, a commitment grounded in her family’s experiences. She grew up in New York City, the second daughter of parents who appreciated education all the more because for them it was so dearly obtained: they both attended and graduated from the City University of New York as working parents because they believed it would transform their lives and the lives of their daughters. Following their example she attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earning a BS in computer and systems engineering in 1986 and a J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School in 1989.

She started her career in higher education in 1995 as an associate professor at The University of Iowa College of Law, where her research emphasized international law and human rights. She was promoted to full professor in 1999 and since then has served in leadership roles at The University of Iowa, a flagship public institution and Florida A&M University, Florida’s only historically Black public institution. She recently completed six impactful years as provost at Columbia College Chicago, an urban liberal arts college with a creative arts focus.

Her training in engineering and law helps Marcella bring a range of analytical and problem-solving skills to the challenges she meets as an academic leader. She has a deep understanding of the complex challenges facing higher education and experience working with campus leaders to develop creative solutions to address them.