Priscilla Levine Kersten has been appointed chair of the University of Chicago Women’s Board, effective July 1.
Kersten is the president of Square One Foundation, a private family foundation active in civic, educational and social justice issues. She is a founding member of Impact 100 Chicago, on the board of the Chicago Children’s Choir and is the current chair of High Jump, an organization that serves academically talented and under-resourced middle school students.
She has served as vice president of the League of Women Voters of Chicago and as a board member at the Latin School of Chicago, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Jewish Women’s Foundation.
At the University of Chicago, Kersten serves on the governing board of the UChicago Charter School. She has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Women’s Board since 2011, is a founding co-chair of the Women’s Board/UEI Partners Committee and sits on the 2016 Women’s Board Grants Committee.
Kersten holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She and her husband, University of Chicago Trustee Steve Kersten, have three children, Sam, Ben and Allie.
The University’s Board of Trustees established the Women's Board in 1960. Today, the Women’s Board is composed of more than 530 intellectually curious, engaged members, who enjoy furthering their knowledge of the University and its work through sponsoring faculty presentations on a wide range of topics related to key University initiatives.
These programs showcase to members and guests the breadth, depth and world-class thought leadership of the University on both national and international issues. The faculty presentations also provide a vital connection between the University and the larger Chicago community.
Women’s Board members are also committed to furthering University initiatives through active philanthropy. Each year the Women’s Board raises substantial funds from its membership and directs 100 percent of the proceeds to faculty research, the arts and cultural institutions, student life and community outreach programs.
The Women’s Board grants committee is convened annually to determine the fund recipients. The committee hears proposals from across the University and decides where funding should be distributed based upon a rigorous and highly selective process. The strategic support provided spans a wide variety of University initiatives from early stage seed money to established ongoing programs.
Questions or comments may be sent to Bonita Mall, Executive director of the University of Chicago Women’s Board, at bmall@uchicago.edu or (773) 834-0245.