New Carleton College President With a Flair for Fundraising Focuses on Making Campus More Inclusive

Alison Byerly may be the only college president to ever perform a lip-sync of "Hamilton," cannonball into a swimming pool wearing a business suit and challenge a Major League Baseball team manager to a pitch, hit and run contest. As president of Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, Byerly was not afraid to embrace the ridiculous if it helped the private liberal arts school reach its fundraising goals. After eight years at Lafayette, where she raised $425 million and grew the college's financial aid budget significantly, Byerly is bringing her spirited leadership style to Minnesota. She took office as the first female president of Carleton College in Northfield on Aug. 1.