- Professor Susan Elias has become the first woman principal of St Stephen's College in its 145 years history
- Her tenure to begin from 1 June 2026
- The announcement made by Paul Swarup led to an outburst of appreciation on the social platform X
Delhi University's historic St. Stephen's College has embarked on a fresh journey by appointing the first woman principal in the college's 145 years of existence.
A Post Doctoral Fellowship and PhD holder, Professor Susan Elias is set to assume office as the college's 14th principal on June 1, 2026, ushering a major turning point in the history of one of the country's oldest and most prestigious colleges.
The decision was conveyed through an official communication from the college. The letter, which was attested by Paul Swarup, Bishop of Delhi and chairman of St Stephen's College, verified that Professor Elias will be the first woman to be at the helm of the college since its establishment in 1881. Paul has been a part of the Diocese of Delhi for the past 35 years and also been Presbyter-in-Charge of various parishes including the Cathedral Church of the Redemption, New Delhi.
Additionally, the news immediately stirred reactions on social media, platform X, where graduates, students, and educationalists sent felicitations. Many expressed that it was a "long overdue" appointment and some of the ex-students considered it as a very moving and highly symbolic emblematic of their alma mater.
The posts reflected joy and excitement over the news with one person marking it as an "exciting news" and another alum sharing the news made her "feel very happy indeed".
Besides the experience of working in southern Indian universities, Professor Susan is also a very seasoned academic with more than 30 years of experience in teaching, research, engineering education, and university administration.
She has worked as a Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) at Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh for a short period this year. Before that, from 2024 to 2025, she was Director of Research at Hindustan University.
Most of her professional life has been devoted to Vellore Institute of Technology. There she has, over the years, held various important leadership positions.
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