Sally Ann Kornbluth is an American cell biologist and academic administrator, serving as the 18th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since January 2023. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, around 1960-1961, she grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Kornbluth earned a BA in Political Science from Williams College in 1982, a BS in Genetics from Cambridge University in 1984 as a Herchel Smith Scholar at Emmanuel College, and a PhD in molecular oncology from Rockefeller University in 1989, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Diego. She joined Duke University in 1994 as an assistant professor of pharmacology and cancer biology, advancing to associate professor in 2000 and full professor in 2005, also holding the James B. Duke Professor title. From July 2014 to December 2022, she served as provost of Duke University, the first woman in that role. As MIT president, Kornbluth has faced significant scrutiny, including testimony before Congress in December 2023 during hearings on antisemitism on college campuses following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Her responses, alongside those of Harvard and Penn presidents, drew widespread criticism for appearing equivocal on whether calls for genocide against Jews violated campus policies, leading to resignations at the other institutions but not hers. She has been pressured by figures like Ronald S. Lauder to resign amid allegations of inadequate handling of antisemitism at MIT, though she remains in her position. Kornbluth's career focuses on cell biology research, particularly in pharmacology and cancer.