Susan Elias Appointed as First Woman Principal of St Stephen College

First time in the history of St Stephen College since it was established in 1881, this is for the very first time when a woman named Susan Elias has appointed as the 14^th principal of college. The announcement was made by the Supreme Council of college and she will be officially taking the charge from June 1, 2026.

The appointment is perceived as major milestone in overall gender representation in higher education leadership. Although, women are admitted in the college from the decades ago but the higher post remained acquired by men. Due to this many students, alumni, and academicians refers the decision as “historic” and “long overdue”. This marks a significant move as well as reflects broader conversations around women leadership roles.

Professor Susan is a computer scientist and academic administrator with the experience of more than three decades that represents her as a deserving candidate for the role. Moreover, she has earlier worked in research and leadership roles at institutions like Chandigarh University and Hindustan University. She is reportedly also an alumna of the college and desire to preserve college’s legacy while also focusing on emerging fields including artificial intelligence and advanced technology education.

But soon after the announcement Delhi University questioned the appointment process while arguing that UGC norms may not be followed properly when forming the selection committee. DU also asked the college to temporally halt the decision that not only creates tension between college and university administration but has added a procedural debate on the decision celebrating historic appointment.