It was in classrooms where Kerry Walk developed the passion that shaped her career.
“Like a lot of people, I was deeply inspired by my teachers and professors,” said Ms. Walk, 54, who was recently appointed president of Marymount Manhattan College in New York City,
Born in McKeesport and raised in nearby Elizabeth, Ms. Walk graduated from Winchester Thurston School in Shadyside and Wellesley College in Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in English literature.
At Winchester Thurston, she remembers being dazzled by Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy in a Russian literature course, motivated to travel to places she studied in history courses: Athens, Greece; Cairo, Rome, Paris and London.
“Classes were small, and class discussions and activities were exciting — there’s really no other word for it,” she said.
“We wrote songs to keep all the Russian names straight. In biology, we dissected sharks and fetal pigs over many weeks, and developed an understanding of comparative anatomy.
“There’s a reason I’m passionate about the arts, literature, history, and the sciences, and have assiduously pursued these as an adult. My high school teachers and college professors inspired me to be a lifelong learner.”
Ms. Walk earned a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of California at Berkeley. She has taught introductory writing at Harvard University, directed the writing program at Princeton University and was associate dean of faculty at Pitzer College in Los Angeles.
Most recently, Ms. Walk served as provost of Otis College of Art and Design, also in Los Angeles. And now, she looks forward to moving to the New York City borough of Manhattan with partner Maggie Browning as she assumes her new role as the eighth president of Marymount Manhattan on July 1.
“The Marymount Manhattan College Presidential Search Committee selected Dr. Kerry Walk to serve as our next president in light of the strength of her vision, experience, and intellect,” said Hope Knight, chairwoman of the school’s board of trustees and president and CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corp.
“She is a shining light in the academic arena, and possesses the requisite leadership skills that we are confident will strengthen our college community.”
Ms. Walk said the location of the school, which has an enrollment of about 1,640, was appealing.
“Marymount Manhattan was originally a branch campus of Marymount College, which was located in Tarrytown, N.Y. Instead of being outside of the city, it was immersed in the city. It’s located on the Upper East Side, with all of the resources of New York right there. Even at the beginning, students who went to Marymount Manhattan had careers in sight when they were educated at the college,” she said.
“That continues to be the case and the great opportunity for the institution to be able to give first-class, broad education with significant experience through internships, visitors to classes, and other opportunities.”
Ms. Walk’s Winchester teachers said they were not surprised by her success as a university administrator and have vivid memories of her 36 years after she graduated.
Retired educator Martha Cussler, who taught Ms. Walk English in 10th grade and advanced placement English in her senior year, remembers a “wonderful observer” who had an “ability to work well with many types of students.”
Susan Brownlee, now executive director of the Fine Foundation in Pittsburgh, taught Ms. Walk honors English in her junior year. She recalled “a brilliant student” who “was intellectually curious [and] very conscientious.”
Ms. Brownlee recalled one time when she briefly left the classroom and returned to find Ms. Walk teaching the class.
Ms. Walk said she makes it a point to visit her family in Pittsburgh at least four times a year and frequently visits many cultural institutions such as the Carnegie museums whenever she comes back.
“I think Pennsylvania is one of the most beautiful states in the nation — and what makes it gorgeous are the hills and the bridges.” she said. “When you’re driving from the airport to the Fort Pitt Tunnel, you come out of the tunnel [and] you get this magical view of the city. I’m always blown away whenever I make that drive.”
She also fondly recalls her early years here and quickly notes a favorite memory: Steelers Nation.
“I grew up in Pittsburgh in the 1970s, when all of the professional teams [and the University of Pittsburgh football team] were winning, so that was a great decade to grow up in the city. In some ways, it was like going to a giant college because there was so much spirit around the sports teams. I loved that. I loved going to church on a Sunday and if it’s game day, people are wearing black and gold.”
First Published: June 23, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
