| Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher | |
|---|---|
| 12th Chancellor of the State University of New York | |
| Term | June 1, 2009 – present |
| Predecessor | John J. O’Connor (Officer in Charge) John R. Ryan |
| Born | October 29, 1946 Gallipolis, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | The Ohio State University |
| Institutions | The Ohio State University University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee University of Cincinnati State University of New York |
| Residence | Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Profession | Educator |
| Salary | $545,400 |
| Spouse | Kenneth Howey |
| Website | Office of the Chancellor |
Nancy L. Zimpher (born October 29, 1946) is an American educator, state university leader, and Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY).[1] Prior to her service at SUNY, Zimpher was a dean and professor of education at Ohio State University (where she had earned her bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees); then Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee between 1998 and 2003; and President of the University of Cincinnati from 2003 through May, 2009. Zimpher is the first woman to serve as Chancellor of SUNY, was UWM's first woman chancellor, and was UC's first female president. Zimpher is a native of the village of Gallipolis in southern Ohio.[2]
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At UWM (where she was the first female Chancellor of that university), Zimpher created the now-defunct "Milwaukee Idea", a deliberately-derivative variation on the historical Wisconsin Idea that "the University's boundaries are the State's boundaries", with a strategic plan that tied UWM, with its faculty knowledge base and research facilities, to the economic health and strength of the Greater Milwaukee area,[3] and raised the profile of UWM in the region vis-a-vis crosstown rival Marquette University.[4]
At UC, she worked to eliminate the previous divisions among the colleges (such as by creating a single university commencement) and continuously championed UC|21, an academic plan which redefined UC as a "new urban research university" for the 21st century. Her work was complicated by controversy over her ouster of longtime basketball coach Bob Huggins. Shortly after her arrival at UC, Huggins had been arrested for driving under the influence. This arrest, combined with the poor performance of Huggins' players in the classroom, were among many factors that led Zimpher to force Huggins to resign in 2005.[5][6][7]
Soon after taking over at SUNY, Zimpher promised to visit all 64 campuses in the sprawling system—the largest university system in the nation under a single governing board.[8]
Eight months after being sworn in, Zimpher had to deal with another athletic controversy, this time at Binghamton University. After a rash of incidents involving the school's basketball team, Zimpher ordered an audit of Binghamton's athletic department—to be overseen by the SUNY board of trustees, not Binghamton.[9] The resulting report tallied what the New York Times described as "a litany of transgressions, including lowered admission standards and changed grades." In its wake, Binghamton president Lois B. DeFleur retired in July, athletic director Joel Thirer resigned and basketball coach Kevin Broadus, was placed on paid administrative leave and ultimately stripped of coaching duties.[10]
Zimpher eventually assigned SUNY’s interim provost, David K. Lavallee, to lead an overall effort for the SUNY system to ensure that academics remain the highest priority; and Charles R. Westgate, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Binghamton, as a special adviser for academics and athletics for the SUNY system: moves some critics of the over-emphasis on athletics decried as insufficient.[11]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John H. Schroeder |
Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 1998–2003 |
Succeeded by Carlos E. Santiago |
| Preceded by Joseph A. Steger |
President of the University of Cincinnati October 2003 – April 2009 |
Succeeded by Monica Rimai (Interim) |
| Preceded by John J. O'Connor (Officer in Charge) |
Chancellor of the State University of New York June 1, 2009 – Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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