Meet George Washington University’s pioneering lesbian president Ellen Granberg

It’s a mild June afternoon in Washington, D.C., when Ellen Granberg comes flying through the door of her office building for an interview with The Advocate, donning dark sunglasses and a welcoming smile. She’s just been meeting with somebody influential, somebody who’s good to know and knows many people. Meeting people is much of what she does as the public face of George Washington University. Becoming the first woman and first lesbian president of the prestigious institution in 2023, Granberg’s journey to the helm is as inspiring as it is groundbreaking.

Granberg’s path was far from linear. Born in 1962, she witnessed the seismic cultural shifts of the late 20th century, each leaving an indelible mark on her worldview.

“I remember when California passed the Consenting Adults Initiative in the late ’70s,” she recalls. Before 1976, when the state’s Consenting Adult Sex Law, signed by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in the spring of 1975, went into effect, gay sex among consenting adults was illegal.

“It’s a reminder that the work is never done, no matter how far we may think we’ve come,” she says.

In her early professional life, Granberg navigated the corporate corridors of Pacific Bell, the telecommunications giant, in San Francisco.

“I found the San Francisco community and connected there,” Granberg shares. Despite her corporate success, she yearned for something more fulfilling. A chance encounter with academia reignited her passion for learning and set her on a new trajectory.

She pursued a master’s degree in information technology and eventually earned her Ph.D. in sociology from Vanderbilt University. Her academic journey took her to Clemson University, a conservative stronghold in South Carolina where she learned to navigate complex social dynamics while staying true to herself.

“My entire identity during that period was that I was done with management. I was going to be a faculty member, do research, and work with students,” she says. But leadership had other plans for her. Mentors recognized her innate talent and gradually guided her into roles of increasing responsibility.

“Almost every one of those mentors were straight men who knew me and supported me,” Granberg notes, reflecting on the irony and gratitude of her journey. “I would have loved to have had a couple of either gay or female mentors along the road, and I want to try to do that for others.”

Before becoming president of George Washington University, Granberg was the provost and senior vice president of academic affairs in New York at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Since she’s arrived at GW, she’s felt the love.

“The reception’s been all I could have asked for. People have been so welcoming and incredibly kind,” she says. “There’s this little extra piece of pride when I meet students, staff, and faculty. It’s been everything we could have asked for.”

Her leadership comes at a pivotal time in higher education, marked by debates over curriculum content and historical narratives at some public institutions and the role of diversity in academia. Granberg understands the need to navigate these situations with care.

“It’s a reminder that the work is never done. The critique is not only from the right but also from the left. As a leader, I’m trying to speak to that nexus,” she explains. She emphasizes the importance of the quality of instruction, the value of tuition dollars, and the need to prepare students for the complexities of the 21st century.

Granberg’s commitment to inclusivity extends beyond policy and rhetoric. It’s personal. Her relationship with her wife, Sonya Rankin, is a cornerstone of her life and leadership. The two met in 1999 at a November birthday party in Nashville.

“Our relationship is the rock that my entire life stands on,” Granberg says. “[Rankin]’s incredibly smart, has a great sense of humor, and is highly organized. It’s been a wonderful partnership.”

Although Granberg, 61, and Rankin, 71, have been together 25 years, Granberg says they waited to be married until marriage equality became the law of the land. They wed in 2016.

The couple lives in the historic F Street House, a grand, elegant mansion that serves as a residence and home of the president and a venue for university functions. Nestled in the heart of the GW campus and a mere 30-second walk from Granberg’s office building, the F Street House is an architectural gem with stately rooms and lush gardens that provide a serene backdrop for Granberg’s myriad events, from intimate dinners to large gatherings.

Their move to D.C. has been a new chapter filled with exploration and joy, according to Granberg. The couple revels in the city’s vibrant cultural scene, from long walks and brunches to theater outings and political lectures.

“We love to take the metro to a new part of the city, take a long walk, and find a great place to have brunch. We’re getting to know the city and feeling like it’s home,” Granberg enthuses.

For Granberg, being a visible and out leader is not just a personal triumph but a beacon of hope for young LGBTQ+ individuals navigating their paths. She urges LGBTQ+ students who are looking for colleges to consider GW.

“I can confidently say that this is a wonderful place to go if you are a queer youth, particularly if you want a place that’s going to be very affirming,” she says. “The student body, staff, and faculty here are very welcoming and inclusive.”

Her advice to those struggling with their identity is clear: “I’ve always felt that it’s important to bring my identity with me. I’m grateful to be able to do this as a gay person and to be able to do this job authentically.”

Granberg’s tenure at GW is marked by a delicate balance of tradition and innovation, respect for the institution’s history, and a forward-thinking vision for its future.

“When the [first-year] class moved in, we spent two days just in and out of the dormitories meeting parents and students. They’re all so excited, and it was so much fun,” she recalls. “Towards the end of the year, the focus shifts to the seniors. Every single one of them had a plan. They were going to graduate school, starting a position at Deloitte, or pursuing other opportunities. It was great to see.”

One of the most striking aspects of Granberg’s leadership is her commitment to dialogue and inclusion. Recent pro-Palestinian protests at universities nationwide, including at GW, underscore this commitment. In early May, police used pepper spray to clear a tent encampment of demonstrators protesting the Israel-Hamas war at GW, resulting in the arrest of 33 people. The scene had been largely peaceful until authorities cited concerns about the protest becoming “more volatile and less stable,” the Associated Press reported.

“GW has a long and deep tradition of protest, and we knew when we moved in that there would be regular protests in front of the house,” she says. “What feels a little different now is the focus on disruption. As a university, we’re trying to figure out how to fit this into our systems and open up good dialogue with students.”

“As an educational institution, we’re trying to think about how we can make that into a teaching moment,” she explained. “We put out a call for faculty interested in doing some discussion groups to help us think about how to provide constructive avenues for people who want to be involved.”

She adds, “What universities are struggling with is how we continue to maintain the educational mission at the same time we make appropriate room for activism. I don’t think anybody’s got the right answer yet, but we’re all trying to figure it out.”

As Granberg navigates her role at GW, she is keenly aware of the responsibility and opportunity it brings.

“Being a university president and having the opportunity to create so much opportunity for students and their families—I can’t imagine anything better,” she says. “The mission keeps me going, even when things are tough.”

Granberg’s reflections on her coming-out journey provide a powerful message for those grappling with their identity. “When I moved to South Carolina and joined Clemson University, I debated whether or not to stay in the closet,” she admits. “But I discovered that I could bring my identity with me, and I was always treated fairly. It’s important to me to be able to bring my identity with me and to be able to progress in my career as an out person.”