WINTER PARK, Fla. – Former long-standing Rollins College president Dr. Rita Bornstein has died.
Dr. Bornstein was the 13th president and the first woman to hold the title of president at Rollins College beginning in 1990. Over 14 years, Dr. Bornstein focused her energy on commitment to excellence, innovation and the community.
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In addition to her time as the college president, she was also an author, teacher and well-accomplished fundraiser. During her time, she helped transform the college by securing $160.2 million to provide support for academic programs, scholarships, faculty and facilities.
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“Speaking personally, Rita welcomed Peg and me to Rollins with great warmth and became a trusted friend and advisor. She could not have been more supportive of us throughout our time here. We enjoyed her wit, intelligence, and insight, and will miss her dearly,” said Grant Cornwell, Rollins College president.
During her tenure, the college’s endowment more than quintupled and the college established 16 new endowed chairs and added, expanded, or renovated 25 facilities.
“Fourteen years later, when I retired, I was satisfied that, building on the work of our predecessors and through the efforts of colleagues and supporters, Rollins was far stronger in quality, prestige and financial health. I had faced some difficult moments — but overall, I loved the job and achieved my goals,” Bornstein said in a 2020 issue of the Winter Park Magazine.
A native of New York City and a longtime Florida resident, Bornstein earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Florida Atlantic University.
She went on to get her Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Miami.
Following her time at Rollins College, Dr. Bornstein continued to serve the Central Florida community, serving as a board member of the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, Winter Park Health Foundation and the Parkinson Association of Central Florida. In 2022, Dr. Bornstein was honored for her work in the Jewish community by the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida. During a special ceremony, she received the 2022 Tess Wise White Rose Award.
Dr. Bornstein passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at a home alongside her family in Winter Park. She had just celebrated her 88th birthday.
A celebration of her life will be held in the Knowles Memorial Chapel on the Rollins campus. Information regarding the date and time will be available soon.
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