Sylvia Mathews Burwell is president of American University and the first woman to serve as president. Previously, Burwell served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. She has served as president of the Walmart Foundation and ran its global Women’s Economic Empowerment efforts. And she served at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, including roles as COO and as president of the Global Development Program.