Dr. Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir will assume office as the new rector of the University of Iceland, following a victory in the recent university elections.
Silja won against candidate Magnús Karl Magnússon with 50.7% of the total votes against Magnús’ 47.6%.
According to RÚV, Silja Bára garnered more support with university faculty while Magnús was more popular among students. Magnús won the popular vote, but due to staff ballots weighing 70% against the students’ 30%, Silja won.
Silja Bára is a Professor of Political Science at the university. She completed her BA studies in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon; an MA in international relations from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles; and a PhD from University College Cork in Ireland. She has taught at the Faculty of Political Science since 2005, focusing on international relations, US politics, and foreign policy analysis.
With Silja’s election, every head of Icelandic universities, public and private, is female.
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