About President Bolton

Dr. Shantay N. Bolton is a transformational executive and nationally recognized higher education leader serving as the eleventh president and chief executive officer of Columbia College Chicago. With more than two decades of senior-level leadership across complex public and private institutions, she is widely regarded for her fiscal stewardship, inclusive leadership, and ability to guide institutions through moments of renewal and possibility.

Appointed in July 2025, President Bolton became the first woman of color—and the first woman in nearly 90 years—to lead Columbia College Chicago. She launched Renaissance Rising: Shaping Tomorrow Together, a comprehensive transformation agenda aligning academic, financial, operational, and enrollment priorities to position the College for long-term vitality and impact. Under her leadership, Columbia is strengthening its financial foundation, rebuilding trust and shared governance, reimagining enrollment and student success, while advancing a bold vision for creative careers at the intersection of art, technology, and industry.

A recognized voice on the future of the creative economy and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in higher education, President Bolton is elevating Columbia’s national profile through thought leadership, strategic partnerships, and signature initiatives that center innovation, access, and workforce relevance.

Prior to joining Columbia, President Bolton served as executive vice president for administration and finance and chief business officer at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she oversaw a multi-billion dollar enterprise and advanced major capital projects, administrative modernization, and organizational effectiveness initiatives. She previously served as executive vice chancellor for administration and chief administrative officer at Washington University in St. Louis and as vice president and deputy chief operating officer at Tulane University, where she founded the Tulane University Leadership Institute. President Bolton began her career in higher education in senior executive leadership at Tuskegee University, contributing to institutional transformation and talent development.

President Bolton was recently named a 2026 Daniel Burnham Fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago. Her honors also include “Crain’s Chicago Business’” Who’s Who in Education, the W.E.B. Du Bois Higher Education Leadership Award, Titan 100 (St. Louis and Georgia), and recognition as a Top 25 Chief Business Officer by Women We Admire. She is a fellow of the Chicago Leadership Circle, a joint initiative of “Crain’s Chicago Business” and the University of Chicago Graham School, and an active member of the Economic Club of Chicago.

President Bolton holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Walden University, an M.B.A. from Florida International University, and both a B.S. and M.S. in Psychology from Alabama A&M University. A passionate educator and advocate, she has taught at multiple institutions, including the Federal Executive Institute.

Her civic and global engagement includes longstanding service as an educational missionary in Haiti and the Dominican Republic; leadership as international director of Zeta Organizational Leadership (ZOL) with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; involvement with national higher education organizations; and mayoral-appointed service in New Orleans and St. Louis advancing workforce development and community impact. She advocates in support of autism research, Easterseals, and March of Dimes.

President Bolton is the proud mother of her son, Brandon.