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Gita Manaktala to lead Columbia University Press
The veteran publishing executive will assume the role on Sept. 8 after more than three decades at MIT Press.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 10, Jun 2026
- 17:27 EDT
- 46
Gita Manaktala / Photo credit: Gretchen Ertl/ Columbia University
Columbia University on June 10 appointed Indian American publishing executive Gita Manaktala as executive director of Columbia University Press.
The appointment was announced following a national search conducted by a committee of faculty and administrative leaders co-chaired by Sarah Cole, dean of Columbia's School of the Arts, and Ann Thornton, vice provost and university librarian.
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Manaktala will assume the role on Sept. 8. She joins Columbia after a distinguished career at MIT Press, where she spent more than three decades helping shape the academic publisher's growth and editorial direction.
Most recently, she served as executive editor at large after nearly 15 years as editorial director. During her tenure, Manaktala helped expand MIT Press's publishing output from approximately 200 to 300 titles annually, grew its trade publishing program, and advanced digital publishing and open-access initiatives.
She also strengthened relationships with authors and scholarly communities while overseeing major editorial and strategic initiatives.
Announcing the appointment, Columbia provost Angela V. Olinto praised Manaktala's leadership and contributions to academic publishing.
“Gita is an accomplished publishing leader whose career has been defined by intellectual curiosity, editorial excellence, and a deep commitment to expanding access to knowledge,” Olinto said.
“Throughout her career, Gita has demonstrated an ability to expand the reach and impact of academic work while upholding the highest standards of intellectual rigor. At a time when universities play an increasingly important role in advancing knowledge and informing public understanding, I am confident that she will build on Columbia University Press’s extraordinary legacy and help shape its future with creativity, ambition, and purpose,” she added.
Commenting on her appointment, Manaktala said university presses play a critical role in bringing scholarly research to broader audiences.
“I am honored to join Columbia University Press and to build upon its distinguished tradition of publishing scholarship that informs, challenges, and inspires,” she said.
“At a time when the world faces complex social, scientific, technological, and political questions, university presses play a vital role in bringing rigorous research into the public conversation. I look forward to working with the Press’s talented staff, authors, faculty partners, and supporters to champion exceptional scholarship and bring it to wider audiences around the globe,” she added.
Olinto also thanked outgoing director Jennifer Crewe, who led Columbia University Press for more than a decade, and interim director Brad Hebel for guiding the press during the leadership transition.
“Jennifer’s leadership strengthened the Press’s reputation as one of the world’s leading university presses while expanding its scholarly impact and global reach. We are deeply grateful for her many contributions to the University and the broader publishing community,” Olinto said.
Manaktala, who was born in India and immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of three, has held leadership roles across the publishing industry.
She previously served on the board of directors of the Association of University Presses and currently serves on the advisory boards of Beacon Press and George Washington University's Publishing Program.
She holds a bachelor's degree in English and American Literature from Harvard University.
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