Biographical Information

Karen L. Gould is the ninth president of Brooklyn College and assumed the office on August 15, 2009.  She is the first woman to serve as president of the college and is an internationally known scholar in the field of French-Canadian literature.
 
In a joint statement, CUNY Chairperson Benno Schmidt and Chancellor Matthew Goldstein stated: "Dr. Gould's appointment is a marvelous stroke of good fortune for both Brooklyn College and the City University. She brings to this important leadership post extensive academic and administrative experience from five major public higher education institutions, along with an impressive record as a scholar and fund-raiser. Dr. Gould will take an outstanding institution to higher levels in the years ahead."
 
Before coming to the college, Gould served as the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). As the chief academic officer of one of the largest and most diverse of 23 public institutions in the CSU system, Gould was responsible for ensuring a high-quality educational experience for 31,000 undergraduates and 7,000 graduate students, including 1,400 international students, in eight academic colleges. As provost, she provided academic leadership and promoted excellence in all aspects of the university's academic mission. CSULB is nationally recognized for its academic excellence.
 
Gould is the author or co-editor of six books and more than 50 articles and essays on contemporary Quebec literature, francophone women writers, and the modern French novel. She has been honored with both the Canadian Governor General's International Award for Canadian Studies in 2003 and the Donner Medal in Canadian Studies in 2005 for her research and professional contributions to the field of Canadian studies. Gould is the former editor of the interdisciplinary journal Québec Studies and has received numerous grants, fellowships and awards for her research. Active in the profession, she has served as president of the International Council for Canadian Studies, president of the  American Association for Canadian Studies in the United States, and a member of the executive board of the national Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences.
 
Gould received a B.A., cum laude, from Occidental College in 1970, a diploma from the Sorbonne, and a Ph.D. in romance languages from the University of Oregon in 1975.