Catharine "Cappy" Bond Hill is the former president of
Vassar College
Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
in
Poughkeepsie, NY
Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...
. She began in 2006, after former president
Frances D. Fergusson retired. Before coming to Vassar, Hill was provost at
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...
. In September 2016 she became managing director of
Ithaka S+R.
Biography
After graduating with a
BA degree ''
summa cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' from Williams College in 1976, Hill went to
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...
, where she received an
BA with first class honours and an
Oxford MA
In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts are promoted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts (MA) on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university (including years as an u ...
in
philosophy, politics and economics (PPE). She subsequently obtained a
PhD degree in economics at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in 1985.
In her early career Hill worked for
The World Bank
The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Grou ...
(1982–1987) and the
Congressional Budget Office
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress.
Inspired by California's Legislative Analyst's Office that manages ...
(1981–1982). In 1985, however, Hill returned to her alma mater to teach economics, and she began her role as Williams provost in July 1999, holding major financial and academic responsibilities.
As chief financial officer of the college, she was responsible for the annual college budget and long-range financial planning, as well as the Controller's office. Hill was also responsible for the Williams College Museum of Art, the Williams College Libraries and the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid and Information Technology. In addition, she was a member of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions, which makes all reappointment and tenure decisions and allocates faculty positions. Hill chaired the Williams economics department from 1997 to 1999, as well as the college's Center for Development Economics from 1992 to 1994.
In what Hill has called one of the most transformative experiences of her life, she and her family lived from 1994 to 1997 in the
Republic of Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are the ...
, where she was the fiscal/trade advisor and then chief-of-party for the
Harvard Institute for International Development
The Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) was a think-tank dedicated to helping nations join the global economy, operating between 1974 and 2000. It was a center within Harvard University, United States.
Foundation and leadership ...
's Project on Macroeconomic Reform. She has written widely from her experiences in Africa, including co-editing the books Promoting and Sustaining Economic Reform in Zambia (2004) and the widely reviewed Public Expenditure in Africa (1996).
Hill and her husband Kent J. Kildahl, who teaches in the Upper School at
Riverdale Country School
Riverdale Country School is a co-educational, independent, college-preparatory day school in New York City serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is located on two campuses covering more than in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, N ...
(Riverdale, New York), have three children. She is an Alumni Fellow at the Yale Corporation Board. Hill enjoys golf in her spare time.
Vassar under Hill
Shortly after President Fergusson announced her retirement in 2005, Vassar began an extensive national search for her successor that yielded more than 200 candidates. Of those contenders, the Board of Trustees unanimously selected Hill as the tenth President of Vassar College. Hill succeeded Fergusson on July 1, 2006, and was officially inaugurated in a five-day celebration from October 25–29 that included events for students such as "Cappy and the Chocolate Factory", a party in the
Students' Building featuring live entertainment and desserts such as "Cappy candy bars", a cotton candy wall and a chocolate fondue fountain. Hill highlighted her primary goal as improving affordability and access, and also, as she said at one of her first gatherings with students, to "articulate and build a consensus around a vision of an institution."
In one of the most notable events in Vassar's history, Hill returned the school to a
need-blind admission
Need-blind admission is a term used in the United States denoting a college admission policy in which an institution does not consider an applicant's financial situation when deciding admission. This policy generally increases the proportion of ad ...
policy, which ensures that the financial need of an applicant will not be a criterion considered in the admissions process. When she first became president, Hill made clear that of her priorities for Vassar's future, a robust financial aid program would be paramount.
Hill announced the decision to go need-blind during her remarks at Vassar's 2007 Commencement ceremony. Under Hill's leadership, Vassar has also replaced loans with grants in financial aid for low-income families, in further efforts to increase access to higher education.
Hill announced in late March 2016 that she intended to step down from the presidency after the 2016–2017 academic year. Near the start of what was to be her final academic year as Vassar's president, Hill announced on July 20, 2016, that she would not be serving as president through the summer of 2017, but would instead be leaving Vassar three weeks later on August 15, 2016.
Academic Board and Advisory Positions
University of the People (Member of President's Council)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Catharine Bond
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Williams College alumni
Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
Yale University alumni
Williams College faculty
Presidents of Vassar College
Harvard Institute for International Development
University of the People people