As the 22nd president of Trinity College, she led the strategic vision and management of this highly selective, Carnegie-classified teaching and research institution for 11 years. Under her leadership, Trinity achieved transformational progress: student retention increased to 91%, graduation rates to 86%, and post-graduation career outcomes to 97%, while the College's U.S. News and World Report ranking rose from No. 46 to No. 36. She enhanced faculty quality and diversity while launching innovative initiatives including the Center for Arts and Neuroscience, Center for Caribbean Studies, Entrepreneurship Center, Liberal Arts Action Lab, and Trinity Plus curriculum, alongside partnerships with Infosys and Hartford Healthcare and numerous community-based organizations.

Financially, she increased financial aid by 50%, grew the endowment by more than50% to $830 million, and increased net assets by 36% to $1 billion while leading the College's largest fundraising campaign, raising over $438 million. An expert in crisis management, she navigated social media controversies, political challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully reopening the campus in fall 2020. She also served as chair of Hartford Healthcare's board of directors through several significant mergers, and now serves on boards including The Henry Luce Foundation, The Dana Foundation, the Allen Institute, and the Institute for International Education.

Previously, she served as dean of Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences and associate dean at Wellesley College, where she rose to tenured, endowed full professor in Biology and Neuroscience. Throughout her career, she has championed STEM innovation and diversity and inclusive excellence in higher education along with strategic organizational growth.

Currently, she is founder and CEO of Health and Science Solutions, Inc., partnering with educational, science and health leaders to create sustainable solutions to leadership challenges.