A Selection of Accolades

Diana T. Vagelos ’55, Trustee, and Dr. P. Roy Vagelos

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“When she arrived at Barnard, Sian promised to raise the College’s eminence in STEM fields, and she has delivered. As a renowned scientist herself, she has always understood the importance of the sciences, and she enthusiastically embraced efforts to improve every Barnard student’s scientific literacy — from increasing research opportunities and creating a special ‘Year of Science’ to leading the revitalization of the College’s facilities.

“We are confident that more young women than ever before now view Barnard as a premier destination for a world-class education in the sciences. That is Sian’s thrilling and remarkable legacy, and it has been a pleasure to work with her to help turn her promise into an extraordinary reality.”

Cheryl Glicker Milstein ’82, P’14 Chair, Barnard Board of Trustees

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“Since the day President Beilock arrived on campus, she has been relentless in supporting our students and bringing Barnard’s story to the world. Look back at President Beilock’s four priorities and you will see she achieved exactly what she came here to do:

• “We have the most diverse Barnard community in history, along with new levels of support to make sure all students can access the extraordinary education we provide.
• “For the first time ever, over 40% of Barnard students are math and science majors, as our STEM reputation increasingly matches our excellence in the arts and humanities.
• “With investments like the state-of-the-art Francine LeFrak Center, we are reaching the whole student — supporting their physical, mental, and financial well-being outside of the classroom.
• “Finally, we are sending our students into the world well-equipped to succeed, with a new support network in Beyond Barnard that lasts a lifetime.

“As Board Chair, I couldn’t be more excited about Barnard’s position in this moment. We are grateful for President Beilock’s vision and determination and cannot wait to keep building on this foundation.”

Peter Pilling

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Campbell Family Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education, Columbia University

“Sian’s incredible support for the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium has meant the world to the young women who compete in the athletics program. Because of her leadership and partnership, the Consortium has never been stronger, with more Barnard women competing than ever before. And many of our women’s teams are achieving new levels of excellence both in and out of the competitive arena — led by our recently crowned Ivy League Women’s Basketball Champions. In addition, her scholarly research into performance under pressure is not only fascinating but can teach our student-athletes much about themselves in their pursuit of their goals. Sian, we will definitely miss having you part of the team.”

Francine A. LeFrak

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President, Francine A. LeFrak Foundation

“Sian made wellness a priority from the beginning of her incredible tenure as president, and I was happy to support her vision with the creation of a new wellness center on campus — the first of its kind to include the three pillars of wellness: mental, physical, and financial. As a cognitive scientist, she knew that a focus on comprehensive well-being is crucial for today’s students and alumnae, and the pandemic only proved how right she was to emphasize a holistic approach to education. Because of her leadership, the College has emerged from a historically challenging period as a better, stronger community.”

Rebecca Wright

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Druckenmiller Professor of Computer Science, Director of the Vagelos Computational Science Center

“As a leader and a colleague, Sian is energetic, enthusiastic, and approachable. She deftly weaves her research and her educational values together, and her commitment to empowering women to become leaders and to succeed has been steadfast. At Barnard, she was instrumental in the creation of Barnard’s academic program in computer science and the development of the very popular 4+1 Pathways for accelerated graduate study at Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. Computer science has already become one of the largest majors at Barnard and is still growing, with many of our students going on to graduate study.”