Catharine Bond Hill

Former President, Vassar College; Managing Director, Ithaka S+R

As managing director, Catharine (“Cappy”) Bond Hill leads Ithaka S+R’s research and consulting initiatives to broaden access to higher education, reduce costs, and improve student outcomes.

A noted economist whose work focuses on higher education affordability and access, as well as on economic development and reform in Africa, Cappy joined Ithaka S+R in September, 2016. She oversees Ithaka S+R’s two program areas, working to help the higher education, library, scholarly communication, and museum communities adapt to the technological and economic context of the 21st century.

From 2006 to 2016, Cappy served as the 10th president of Vassar College. Under her leadership, Vassar reinstated need-blind admissions and replaced loans with grants in financial aid for low-income families. In 2015 the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, awarded Vassar the inaugural million-dollar prize for Equity in Educational Excellence for its efforts to expand access and support to students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. While at Vassar, Cappy also established a first-of-its-kind veterans admission partnership with the Posse Foundation, with Vassar enrolling its first eleven veterans as freshmen in 2013.

Prior to her Vassar presidency, Cappy was the provost of Williams College, where she had chief academic and financial officer responsibilities. She originally joined the economics faculty at Williams in 1985. From 1994-1997, Cappy lived in the Republic of Zambia, working in the Ministry of Finance and with the Bank of Zambia.

Cappy serves on the board of the Yale-NUS College and is senior fellow on the Yale Board of Trustees.

Cappy graduated from Williams College, earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree at Brasenose College, Oxford University. She completed her doctorate in economics at Yale University.