Wendy Raymond

Wendy Raymond
Nationality	American
Occupation	Academic administrator, biochemist, molecular biologist
Employer	Haverford College
Known for	President of Haverford College, molecular genetics research
Education	Cornell University (BA) Harvard University (PhD)

Wendy Raymond is an American biochemist, molecular biologist, and academic administrator serving as the 16th President of Haverford College, a position she has held since July 1, 2019. Before assuming the presidency at Haverford, Raymond served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Davidson College, where she was also a professor of biology. Her scholarly work has focused on molecular genetics, and she has contributed to research in the areas of DNA repair and chromatin structure. Raymond holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University and a doctorate from Harvard University. Her tenure at Haverford has included navigating significant institutional challenges, including a 2020 campus strike, the COVID-19 pandemic, congressional scrutiny regarding allegations of antisemitism on campus, and controversies surrounding the naming of campus buildings. In November 2025, Raymond announced that she would retire from the presidency in June 2027.

Early Life

Details regarding Wendy Raymond's early life and upbringing are limited in publicly available sources. She was born and raised in the United States. Raymond pursued her undergraduate education at Cornell University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She subsequently attended Harvard University, where she completed her doctoral studies, earning a PhD in the biological sciences. Her academic training at these institutions laid the foundation for a career that would span both laboratory research in molecular genetics and leadership roles in higher education administration.

Education

Raymond received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University. She went on to earn her Doctor of Philosophy degree from Harvard University. Her doctoral work focused on molecular biology and genetics, fields in which she would build her subsequent research career. The combination of an undergraduate liberal arts background and doctoral training at a major research university informed her later approach to leading liberal arts institutions, where she emphasized the integration of research and teaching.

Career

Research in Molecular Genetics

Raymond's research career has centered on molecular genetics, with a particular focus on DNA repair mechanisms and chromatin structure. Her published work, documented in academic databases, reflects contributions to understanding how cells maintain genomic integrity and how chromatin organization influences gene expression and DNA repair processes. Throughout her academic career, Raymond maintained an active research program while also assuming progressively greater administrative responsibilities.

Davidson College

Raymond spent a significant portion of her career at Davidson College, a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. At Davidson, she held a faculty position as a professor of biology, where she taught courses related to molecular biology and genetics and mentored undergraduate students in research.

In May 2013, Raymond was appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Davidson College. In this role, she served as the chief academic officer of the institution, overseeing the college's academic programs, faculty appointments and development, and curricular planning. The position placed her at the center of Davidson's academic life and gave her broad administrative experience in areas including faculty governance, strategic planning, and institutional priorities. Her tenure as dean provided her with significant experience in higher education leadership at a selective liberal arts institution, a background that would later prove directly relevant to her appointment at Haverford College.

During her time at Davidson, Raymond was also involved in broader national conversations about diversity and inclusion in the liberal arts. She was affiliated with efforts related to diversity in liberal arts education.

National Science Foundation Service

Raymond served on the National Science Foundation's Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), an advisory committee established by Congress to advise the NSF on policies and activities to encourage full participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in scientific, engineering, and professional fields. Her appointment to CEOSE reflected her interest in broadening participation in the sciences and her standing in the academic community as both a scientist and an administrator.

Presidency of Haverford College

Appointment

In December 2018, Haverford College announced that Wendy Raymond had been selected as the institution's 16th president, succeeding Kim Benston, who had served as interim president. Raymond officially assumed the presidency on July 1, 2019. Her appointment was notable as she brought both a strong background in the natural sciences and significant experience in academic administration at a peer liberal arts institution.

Haverford College, located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The college is known for its academic honor code, its Quaker traditions of consensus-based governance, and its close relationship with the other institutions of the Tri-College Consortium, which includes Bryn Mawr College and Swarthmore College.

Early Presidency and Campus Challenges

Raymond's early presidency was marked by several significant challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, forced Haverford and other colleges and universities across the United States to shift rapidly to remote learning and to implement public health measures that fundamentally altered campus life. Like many college presidents, Raymond was tasked with guiding the institution through an unprecedented disruption to its operations and educational mission.

In the fall of 2020, Haverford experienced a student strike in which students called for institutional changes related to racial justice, the treatment of students of color, and the college's relationship with its surrounding community. The strike drew national media attention and presented a test of Raymond's leadership and the institution's Quaker traditions of community dialogue and consensus.

Congressional Testimony on Antisemitism

In May 2025, Raymond was called to testify before the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce in a hearing examining antisemitism on college campuses. The hearing, titled "Beyond the Ivy League," broadened Congress's scrutiny of campus antisemitism from large research universities to smaller liberal arts colleges. Congressman Tim Walberg, who chaired the hearing, stated that "antisemitism has taken root at Haverford College" and explained his rationale for selecting the institution for congressional testimony.

Raymond's testimony before the committee drew significant attention and reaction both on campus and beyond. The Clerk, Haverford's student newspaper, published an opinion piece examining the performance and its implications for the college community. The hearing and its aftermath placed Haverford College at the center of a national debate about how institutions of higher education address antisemitism, free expression, and campus climate. A subsequent analysis published in Public Books in November 2025 examined what made Haverford's situation distinctive in the context of congressional oversight of college campuses.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the congressional hearing was a factor that made the year leading up to Raymond's retirement announcement a difficult one for the president and the institution.

Lutnick Library Naming Controversy

In February 2026, Raymond was involved in addressing a campus controversy regarding the naming of Haverford's library after Howard Lutnick, a Haverford alumnus and major donor who had become a politically prominent figure. Students held a town hall to discuss concerns about Lutnick's name remaining on the campus library. The following day, Raymond announced that she was considering convening a committee to review the naming. The controversy reflected broader national debates about the relationship between institutional naming, donor recognition, and campus values.

Announcement of Retirement

On November 20, 2025, Raymond announced that she would retire from the presidency of Haverford College, with her departure planned for June 2027. The announcement came just two days after Vice President and Dean of the College John McKnight separately announced his own departure from Haverford. The near-simultaneous departures of two of the institution's senior leaders drew attention from both campus media and regional news outlets.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the announcement followed a difficult year for Raymond and Haverford, citing the congressional hearing on antisemitism as a significant challenge. DELCO.Today, a regional news outlet, reported that a search for Raymond's successor would begin in the new year.

An opinion piece in The Clerk reflected on the departures of Raymond and McKnight, describing them as the loss of "steady hands" at the institution and examining what would come next for Haverford's leadership. The piece characterized the departures as both unexpected in their timing and anticipated given the institutional pressures of the preceding years.

Research and Scholarship

Raymond's scholarly contributions are in the field of molecular genetics, with a focus on DNA repair and chromatin biology. Her published research has examined the mechanisms by which cells detect and repair damage to their DNA, as well as the role of chromatin structure—the complex of DNA and histone proteins that makes up chromosomes—in regulating cellular processes. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is documented in academic citation databases.

Throughout her career, Raymond has combined her research activities with a commitment to undergraduate education in the sciences. At both Davidson College and Haverford College, she has been involved in mentoring students in research, an approach consistent with the liberal arts model of integrating teaching and scholarship.

Her curriculum vitae, as documented by Haverford College, details her publications, grants, teaching, and service activities over the course of her career.

Service and Professional Activities

In addition to her roles at Davidson College and Haverford College, Raymond has been active in national organizations and advisory bodies related to science, education, and diversity. Her appointment to the National Science Foundation's Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) reflected her engagement with policy-level discussions about broadening participation in STEM fields. CEOSE is a congressionally mandated advisory committee that provides recommendations to the NSF regarding policies and programs to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering.

Raymond has also been involved in initiatives related to diversity and inclusion in liberal arts education more broadly.

Personal Life

Limited information about Raymond's personal life is publicly available. She has resided in the Haverford, Pennsylvania area during her tenure as president of Haverford College.