Gilda Barabino

Now Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Gilda A. Barabino served as the second president of Olin College of Engineering from 2020 to 2025. A chemical engineering pioneer in the field of medicine and global health, she has pursued an equity ethic across her interdisciplinary career. She is an internationally recognized thought leader on race/ethnicity and gender in science and engineering, with a particular focus on creating cultures and climates that support a sense of belonging.

Prior to becoming president of Olin College, Barabino served as Dean of the Grove School of Engineering at the City College of New York. She also held academic and administrative appointments at Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Northeastern University. From 2021 to 2024, Barabino served as President-elect, President, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest interdisciplinary scientific society.

Barabino earned a B.S. in chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Rice University. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring Award, the Pierre Galletti Award from the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and honorary degrees from Xavier University of Louisiana and Dartmouth College.