Delhi's St. Stephen's College Gets First Female Principal In Its 145-Year History

St. Stephen’s College, Delhi has appointed Professor Susan Elias as its 14^th principal on Tuesday. This is the first time when a woman is appointed as the head of the institution in its more than 145 years of history. The appointment will be effective from June 1, 2026, according to an official notice issued by the college.

“The Supreme Council of the College is pleased to announce that Prof Susan Elias will take charge as the XIV Principal of the College and as its first lady Principal with effect from the 1st of June 2026,” the notice reads, signed by Rt. Revd Dr Paul Swarup, Bishop of Delhi and chairman of the college.   

Due to administrative and legal processes related to appointments, the principal’s post at the college remained unoccupied for a long time.

Prof Susan has been in the academic field for over three decades, along with administrative experiences. Primarily, she was a part of engineering and research institutions in South India.

According to the details available on her professional profile, she recently held the position of pro vice chancellor (research) at Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh, from January to May 2026. Prior to this, she was director (research) at Hindustan University from October 2024 and December 2025. She also served in multiple positions at Vellore Institute of Technology, including professor and dean of the School of Electronics Engineering, professor and deputy director at the Centre for Advanced Data Science, and associate professor and head of department in electronics engineering.

St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of Delhi University. It awards both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Established in 1881, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious liberal arts and sciences colleges in India.