2024-12-22T01:41:17-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/149969486/cooper-union-appoints-first-woman-president-laura-sparks Julia Ingalls 2016-09-20T18:46:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/yx/yx9mlzsea6tyd20y.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>It's been a tumultuous year for Cooper Union:&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/135726149/cooper-union-to-return-to-tuition-free-model" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">after revoking and then reconsidering its free tuition policy</a> for students last year, the institution saw numerous prominent trustees resign. Now, Cooper Union has appointed executive director of the William Penn Foundation Laura Sparks as its first woman president, whose background in philanthropy and successful community engagement seems like an ideal match for the school. As Sparks noted about her appointment:</p><p>"I have been impressed with the passion, commitment and determination of Cooper&rsquo;s board and search committee to &lsquo;look forward&rsquo; while also acknowledging and respecting dissenting views and the voices of many throughout the wider school community. I am eager to meet more of the college&rsquo;s passionate, thoughtful and accomplished students, and to engage with its extraordinary faculty as we move the institution forward while holding true to its founding principles. I am confident that together we can reaffirm our sense of mission, stab...</p>