Raleigh, N.C. — Meredith College alumna Jo Allen was formally installed Thursday as the school's eighth president.

Allen, who has been on the job for eight months, succeeds former President Maureen Hartford, who was the first woman to lead the 120-year-old all-female college in Raleigh.

At her inauguration Thursday, Allen spoke about the need to balance tradition and change.

"In spite of our beliefs otherwise, the truth is that roots do move. They must move, and they must have room to move in order to grow," she said.

She said she wants students to feel closer to the school's administration, and she has an open-door policy at Meredith.

"We're really excited to have somebody that understands the traditions and has been through Meredith and understands the culture and the calling that our college has," junior Kate-Noel Naef said.

Allen is from La Grange and received her Ph.D. in English literature.