Dr. Kwang-Wu Kim

Kwang-Wu Kim, D.M.A, is president and chief executive officer of Columbia College Chicago. He is the 10th president in the 123-year history of Columbia College. Appointed by a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees and the Presidential Selection Advisory Panel, President Kim has served in this role since July 1st, 2013. A native Chicagoan born and raised in Hyde Park, President Kim is an outspoken advocate for the arts and a proponent of expanding the role of creative practice in society. President Kim is deeply committed to preparing students for the transformative roles of creative individuals in society. President Kim holds a doctorate of musical arts and an artist diploma from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with legendary pianist and conductor Leon Fleisher and served as Maestro Fleisher’s teaching associate. He received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy, magna cum laude, from Yale University. As a pianist, President Kim made his solo debuts at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Washington D.C.’s Phillips Collection, his orchestral debut with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and was presented at the Marlboro Festival by then artistic director, Rudolf Serkin. In addition to his presidential role, Dr. Kim serves as a faculty member in the Columbia College Chicago Department of Music.