president@ul.edu.lr

Dr. Layli Maparyan, Ph.D. is a globally recognized scholar, academic leader, and advocate for gender justice and social transformation. With a Ph.D. and M.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Philosophy (cum laude), she currently serves as the President of the University of Liberia (since January 2025), becoming the first woman to hold the position in its history. Her academic career spans over three decades, marked by interdisciplinary excellence in gender studies, Africana studies, psychology, and womanist thought.

Prof. Maparyan is internationally known for her pioneering contributions to womanist theory, authoring foundational texts such as The Womanist Idea (2012) and Womanism Rising (2025), and co-editing The Womanist Reader (2006). She previously held tenured faculty appointments at Wellesley College, where she chaired the Africana Studies Department and served as Executive Director of the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), as well as at Georgia State University, where she was Graduate Director of the Women's Studies Institute. She has also held visiting roles at Spelman College, Emory University, and others.

Her scholarship spanning over 70 book chapters, journal articles, and edited volumes, explores womanism, Africana studies, psychology, spirituality, and social justice. She is widely sought after as a keynote speaker and panelist, having delivered lectures at Harvard, Brown, and numerous international venues, including Liberia, Cape Verde, and India.

An accomplished grant writer and principal investigator, Prof. Maparyan has secured multi-million-dollar funding for research, policy, and development projects, including on gender-based violence, education, equity, and sustainability, partnering with institutions such as the Mastercard Foundation, USAID, and the Carnegie Corporation.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Maparyan, Layli. (2025). Womanism Rising. New York: Routledge.
• Maparyan, Layli. (2012). The Womanist Idea. New York: Routledge.
• Maparyan, Layli (Ed.). (2006). The Womanist Reader. New York: Routledge.

AWARDS AND HONORS

• Fulbright Specialist Award
• Gloria Anzaldúa Book Prize (Honorable Mention)
• Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award
• First female President of the University of Liberia (2025-present)

EDUCATION

• Ph.D. in Psychology
• M.S. in Psychology
• B.A. in Philosophy (cum laude)