Susan Whitehead

A resident of Boston, Susan Whitehead currently serves on the boards of several organizations and comes to Berklee with a wealth of knowledge in the field of higher education. Whitehead is vice chair and life board member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a life member of the MIT Corporation (MIT’s Board of Trustees). She is also currently serving on the boards of the Museum of Science in Boston, and Horizons for Homeless Children. In addition, she is the former chair of Horizons for Homeless Children, the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Bayview Correctional Facility in New York City, and Whitehead Institute.

Currently, Whitehead is working with an art institution in India to organize a photography exhibition to travel to North America.

Whitehead was formerly a trial attorney in private practice in Boston and also has experience as an assistant district attorney in New York City. She directed a clinical program at Brooklyn Law School; worked for the American Civil Liberties Union in Jackson, Mississippi; and developed a comprehensive education program for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Whitehead received her J.D. from Cardozo School of Law in 1982 and her B.S. from Cornell University in 1976.

When asked what excites her about her involvement at Berklee, Whitehead said, “Berklee is a unique, world-class institution on the move, full of extraordinarily talented people who are accomplishing a lot under Roger’s leadership. It’s also fun and it’s always dynamic.” Whitehead is a big music fan but doesn’t play favorites—she has so many she can’t list them. She is also an avid reader, photography collector, moviegoer, hiker, and skier.