Belen Yudess ’25 and Juliette Des Rosiers ’26
Social Media Manager and Copy Editor Intern
Amy Marcus-Newhall began her three year term as President on April 6 following the departure of former President, Suzanne Keen on March 20. Marcus-Newhall has acted as interim President twice, once in 2015-16 and the second in 2021-22. Now, as she takes on the role of President, Marcus-Newhall is thrilled to engage with the Scripps community in this finally-official position.
Marcus-Newhall graduated from Occidental College with a BA in Psychology and American Studies, and attended the University of Southern California (USC) for her Masters and PhD in social psychology. Wanting to remain in a liberal arts environment, she began her time at Scripps in 1992 as a social psychologist for the Psychology Department.
After spending 18 years in the classroom, she decided to transition into administrative work and was appointed as the first Associate Dean of Faculty in 2000, eventually becoming the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty in 2010. She continued in this role, aside from her times as interim President until this year when she was elected as President.
Although Marcus-Newhall planned on returning to the classroom following the end of this academic year, her dedication and devotion to Scripps motivated her to accept the position as President, and continues to drive her enthusiasm about the role. “We have an inspiring mission and a superb academic program created and supported by our exceptional faculty,” she said. “Our students are of the highest caliber academically, co-curricularly, and personally. Our stellar staff are as committed and dedicated as they come. I look forward to building on the community that we have and strengthening it even more.”
Marcus-Newhall has built an impressive resume throughout her time at Scripps, which includes the creation of Scripps College Academy, her work within Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Justice (DEIJ), the removal of the “Young Woman” statue from the Tiernan Field House, and most recently leading the departure of CMC from Keck.
“While I was Interim President, I helped negotiate with Pitzer and CMC regarding the departure of CMC from our science program. That was a very important initiative to complete, and though we still have a lot of work to do there, it’s really exciting,” said Marcus-Newhall. “We’re building the Nucleus, which is a wonderful new building for science that is so well deserved. Keck’s classes have been over-enrolled for many years, so this is something that we wish we would’ve been able to do earlier. Most importantly, it’s the real excitement about thinking how the Scripps-Pitzer science program will flourish even more than they have been.”
Looking forward, Marcus-Newhall is dedicated to her work with DEIJ and the values exemplified in the Scripps College Academy, specifically, making a Scripps education more accessible to more students. “A top priority I will pursue during my tenure as President is our student access initiative,” she said. “We are working diligently to increase the opportunities for any and all students to attend Scripps College regardless of their financial situation.”
Marcus-Newhall is also committed to transparency and communication with the student body. In addition to regular meetings with the SAS President and other SAS Committees, she looks forward to collaborating with students in more interpersonal ways. “I will have student office hours so that students are able to stop by the President’s Office and chat with me, fill me in on your hopes and dreams, and discuss with me ways to improve the College,” Marcus-Newhall shared.
Although Marcus-Newhall is juggling several important projects, the Centennial Plan in preparation for Scripps’ 100 year anniversary in 2026 is one of her priorities. The plan focuses on four themes: inclusive student success, mission driven outreach, innovative learning organization, and distinctive identity.
“This plan, its themes, and its initiatives enable us to create and sustain a unique Scripps educational environment as a leading liberal arts women’s college in a consortium of distinguished colleges,” Marcus-Newhall said. “I have high aspirations for the next centennial for Scripps. We will continue to flourish and prepare our students to affect change in our world.”
Reflecting on her tenure at Scripps, Marcus-Newhall looks back on her decision to choose and remain at a historically women’s college, and how the Scripps community fosters a welcoming environment that facilitates a loyalty towards the college.
“Scripps fits my values of social justice and the empowerment of women,” Marcus-Newhall said. “I truly respect the faculty, staff and students, and this sense of community at Scripps is unique. There are lots of wonderful colleges, but everybody really selects to be at Scripps and stay at Scripps.”
Image Source: Scripps College
