Pratt Institute made history on Nov. 2 with the inauguration of the school’s first female president.
Frances Bronet is a historic figure at Pratt Institute for another reason. She is the first president to have a background in architecture, according to school officials. She was appointed earlier this year but her official inauguration didn’t take place until Friday.
Bronet is the 12th president in the school’s 131-year history.
Founded in 1887 as a school for the study of art and architecture, Pratt Institute’s main campus is located at 200 Willoughby Ave. in Clinton Hill. The school also operates a satellite campus at 144 West 14th St. in Manhattan and a third location in Utica.
Prior to coming to Pratt Institute, Bronet served as the senior vice president and provost at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Her academic career also includes leadership roles at the University of Oregon and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
She holds degrees in architecture and engineering from McGill University. She was licensed by the Ordre des Architectes du Quebec in 1982, and practiced in New York and Canada. She owned her own architecture practice in Montreal.
In addition to her role as president of Pratt Institute, Bronet is a distinguished professor of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and is the co-founder of the ACSA Women’s Leadership Council.
She was named the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching New York Professor of the Year in 2001. That same year, she won the William H. Wiley Distinguished Professor Award for excellence in teaching, research and service.
Bronet has made presentations in the U.S. and around the world on topics such as leadership and education, the continuum of art and science learning and design and entrepreneurship.
Bronet is married to Jeff Paules. They have two children, Ileana and Asher.
