Carol Christ
Carol Christ served as the 11th chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley from 2017 to 2024, and now holds the title of Chancellor Emerita. A respected scholar of Victorian literature, she is known for her advocacy for accessible public higher education, the liberal arts, and advancing women and diversity on college campuses.
Christ spent more than 30 years as a professor and administrator at UC Berkeley and served as president of Smith College from 2002 to 2013. She returned to Berkeley in 2015, becoming chancellor in 2017, where she focused on strengthening campus community, improving climate and financial stability, addressing housing challenges, and advancing a long-term strategic vision.
She holds degrees from Douglass College and Yale University and joined Berkeley’s English faculty in 1970. Christ has authored and edited several influential works in Victorian literature.