|
|
New SUNY chancellor, almost
|
February 03, 2009 | 09:54 AM
The State University of New York finally has a new chancellor, almost.
"Unless something unexpected happens," SUNY Trustee Michael Russell, of Setauket, said, Nancy Zimpher, 62, president of the University of Cincinnati since 2003, will be named to the post vacant for 22 months.
The SUNY website lists a Governance Committee meeting scheduled for today, Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 2 pm, but no agenda was available. Russell said he had not yet been called to Albany. The Governance Committee oversees "compensation and personnel," among other issues, for the SUNY Board of Trustees.
The previous SUNY chancellor, retired Navy Vice Admiral John Ryan, served less than two years before leaving to head a nonprofit organization in North Carolina.
According to the Cincinnati website, Zimpher was appointed the university's first female president in October 2003. Under her leadership, "The university has experienced enrollment growth to over 37,000 students, increased retention and graduation rates, improved student satisfaction and enhanced national rankings — including the Princeton Review's 2009 best colleges list."
"She chairs a national network of presidents called the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU), an organization committed to the urban agenda and the role of urban-located universities in their communities. She is a past chair of the Board of Directors for National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the nation's primary alliance of public universities. In November 2007, she represented urban universities at the launch of the Blueprint for American Prosperity at the Brookings Institution. In addition, she serves as the Big East representative to the Division I Board of Directors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and on the national board for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)."
Zimpher has co-authored and co-edited books on university leadership, teacher education and urban education. Her frequent co-author has been her husband, Kenneth Howey, a research professor in education at Cincinnati.
At Ohio State University Zimpher earned a bachelor's degree in English education and speech, a master's degree in English literature, and a PhD in teacher education and administration in higher education.
Russell said in an interview Monday that the appointment of a chancellor for SUNY would likely speed the process of appointing a replacement for retiring Stony Brook University President Shirley Strum Kenny. Stating that Kenny will leave "big shoes to fill," Russell said SBU's new president "must be somebody of extremely high caliber."
On another topic, Russell described SUNY's institutions as "economic engines" for the state, and warned that cuts to higher education due to the current fiscal crisis would be shortsighted. "Every dollar in state aid gets back two," he said.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Copyright 2010
(631) 751-7744 | news@tbrnewspapers.com | www.northshoreoflongisland.com | About |
|
| |
|
