Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher
Chancellor of the State University of New York
On June 1, 2009, Nancy Zimpher became the 12th Chancellor of the State University of New York by unanimous vote of the SUNY Board of Trustees. With more than 465,000 students, SUNY is the nation’s largest comprehensive system of higher education.A dynamic and nationally recognized leader, Chancellor Zimpher is known as an effective agent of change in education. She started her career as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in the Ozarks and has never lost her passion for providing accessible, quality education for every student.Chancellor Zimpher began her work at SUNY with a statewide tour of SUNY’s 64 campuses, which became the first phase of a systemwide strategic planning process. This plan, called The Power of SUNY, was launched in April 2010, with the central goal of harnessing SUNY’s potential to drive economic revitalization and create a better future for every community across New York.As The Power of SUNY is put into action, the Chancellor is leading a diverse set of new initiatives at SUNY in several key areas, including research and innovation, energy, health care, global affairs, and the education pipeline. She has also been a vocal advocate for groundbreaking legislative reforms that ensure SUNY can continue to provide broad access to higher education in an environment of declining state support, while maximizing its impact as an engine of economic development.A former chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, Dr. Zimpher now leads the national Coalition of Urban Serving Universities and co-chairs a national blue-ribbon panel on transforming teacher preparation. She serves on the board of CEOs for Cities, is a member of the Business-Higher Education Forum, and the Board of Governors of the New York Academy of Sciences.Prior to coming to SUNY, Dr. Zimpher served as president of the University of Cincinnati, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and executive dean of the Professional Colleges and dean of the College of Education at The Ohio State University.She has authored or co-authored numerous books, monographs, and academic journal articles on teacher education, urban education, academic leadership, and school/university partnerships.Chancellor Zimpher holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education and Speech, a master’s degree in English Literature, and a Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Higher Education Administration, all from The Ohio State University.