Esther Barazzone

Esther Barazzone (born 1946) is an independent American consultant in higher education governance and leadership, and president emerita of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[1] Her experience with New College's experimental program guided her philosophy throughout her career, emphasizing institutional innovation and “a high level of accountability in student learning and great levels of freedom and support in helping them get there.” [2] After studying history in Spain on a Fulbright scholarship, she was named a graduate Fellow of the Faculty at Columbia University, where she earned an MA and a PhD in European Intellectual history.

She later earned certificates from the Wharton School of Business Administration and the Harvard Institute for Educational Management.

Building on Chatham’s academic strengths, early in her presidency Barazzone led the creation of coeducational graduate and professional programs as a complement to the undergraduate liberal arts majors.

Barazzone also oversaw the development of programs to prepare students and members of the community for civic leadership, entrepreneurship and political engagement.

Building around an endowed chair named for philanthropist Elsie Hilliard Hillman, Chatham created a women’s studies program and a Center for Women and Politics in Pennsylvania that strengthened Chatham’s focus on how to run for and succeed in public office.

Chatham became fully coeducational in 2015; these women’s programs continue, however, to play a role in defining the institution.

It created a Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship that in 2019 was ranked “nationally outstanding” by the Small Business Administration.

Among Chatham’s major accomplishments during Barazzone’s tenure were creation of the Eden Hall campus and the Falk School of Sustainability.

For many years she served on the board of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, which funds education and other services in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Nationally she served on many boards, including those of the Public Leadership Education Network for women (which she chaired), the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, the Tuition Plan Consortium (the only non-state-sponsored 529 savings plan), and an advisory board for the Institute for International Education, affiliated with the U.S. Government’s Fulbright programs Barazzone is currently a trustee of the University of the District of Columbia and of the American University of Rome (Italy).

Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh declared April 26, 2016 “Esther Barazzone Day.” Among the many commendations from her community are the PNC Women of Legacy Award, the Pittsburgh Business Times Lifetime Achievement and CEO of the Year Award, History Maker in Education designation by the Senator John Heinz III History Center, and Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, an honor bestowed by the governor.

Burger, Jane, Sigo Falk, Jennifer Potter, and S. Murray Rust III (current and former board members, in a letter to the editor).

Esther L. Barazzone, Educator & Administrator: A life's recounting in the subject's own words,” Pittsburgh Quarterly, 2016 Spring [Sewald, Esther B, 2016] https://pittsburghquarterly.com/pq-people-opinion/pq-profiles/item/1169-esther-barazzone-educator-administrator.html Townsley, Michael K. “Small-College Turnarounds, NACUBO Business Officer, Sept. 2002, pp 39-40 Pages 193-195 Townsley’s book The Small College Guide to Financial Health: Beating the Odds.