Teresa Amott, Ph.D.
President In Residence, American Academic Leadership Institute
Dr. Teresa L. Amott is President Emerita of Knox College, where she served as the 19th president and the first woman to lead the institution, which was founded in 1837. President Amott holds a Ph.D. from Boston College and a B.A. from Smith College. Prior to assuming her post at Knox, President Amott spent six years as provost at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and five years as vice provost at Gettysburg College. She has held academic appointments at Bucknell University, Harvard University, University of Massachusetts – Boston and Amherst, and Wellesley College. Her research has focused on the labor market experiences of women and people of color.
During her decade of service to Knox, she focused her efforts on the creation and implementation of a strategic plan that advanced the College’s distinctive approach to liberal education for the 21st century, strengthening belonging and engagement across the many constituencies that make up the Knox community, renewing campus facilities, and ensuring the sustainability of the College. During that time, the College recorded all-time highs in applications for admission and record-breaking fundraising initiatives, the introduction of new academic programs, the LEED-Gold renovation of historic Alumni Hall, the revitalization of Umbeck Science and Math Center, and the construction of the Whitcomb Art Center, which opened in 2017 and has received numerous awards for architecture and sustainability.
During her presidency, she served as chair of the Midwest Conference Board of Directors, from which she received the Thomas Kunkel Presidential Engagement Award, on the NCAA Division III Presidents Council and on the Executive Committees of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Annapolis Group. She retired from Knox in July 2021 and is currently volunteering her time with several local community organizations and serving on the Board of Trustees of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.