Nancy L. Zimpher | |
|---|---|
 Zimpher in 2013 | |
| 12th Chancellor of the State University of New York | |
| In office June 1, 2009 – September 4, 2017 | |
| Appointed by | David Paterson |
| Preceded by | John J. O’Connor (Officer in Charge) |
| Succeeded by | Kristina M. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-10-29)October 29, 1946 (age 78) Gallipolis, Ohio, U.S. |
| Spouse | Kenneth R. Howey |
| Residence(s) | Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Ohio State University |
| Profession | Educator |
| Institutions | Ohio State University University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee University of Cincinnati State University of New York |
| Salary | $545,400 |
| Website | Office of the Chancellor |
Nancy Lusk Zimpher (born October 29, 1946) is an American educator, state university leader, and formerChancellor of theState University of New York (SUNY).[1] Prior to her service at SUNY, Zimpher was a dean and professor ofeducation atOhio State University (where she had earned herbachelors,master's anddoctoral degrees); then Chancellor of theUniversity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee between 1998 and 2003; andPresident of theUniversity of Cincinnati from 2003 through May 2009. Zimpher was the first woman to serve as Chancellor of SUNY, UWM's first woman chancellor, and UC's first female president. Zimpher is a native of the village ofGallipolis in southernOhio.[2]
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 historicalWisconsin 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 ofthe Greater Milwaukee area,[3] and raised the profile of UWM in the regionvis-a-vis crosstown rivalMarquette University.[4]
At UC, she worked to eliminate the previous divisions among the colleges (such as by creating a single universitycommencement) and continuously championedUC|21, an academic plan which redefined UC as a "newurbanresearch university" for the 21st century. It has also positioned Cincinnati as a candidate forAAU status. Her work was complicated by controversy over her ousting of longtime basketball coachBob Huggins. Shortly after her arrival at UC, Huggins had been arrested fordriving 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 atBinghamton University. Aftera 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 theNew York Times described as "a litany of transgressions, including lowered admission standards and changed grades." In its wake, Binghamton presidentLois B. DeFleur retired in July, athletic director Joel Thirer resigned and basketball coachKevin Broadus, was placed on paidadministrative 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]
Zimpher advocated the use ofsystemness to begin overhauling SUNY in her January 9, 2012 State of the University address.[12]
On May 31, 2016, Zimpher announced her intention to step down as SUNY chancellor on June 30, 2017.[13][14][15]
Zimpher's husband is Kenneth R. Howey, Senior Fellow at theRockefeller Institute of Government, apublic policy research institute at theUniversity at Albany. She was also married to Craig Zimpher, Director of OSU residence hall Scott House, while studying for their advanced degrees at The Ohio State University from c: 1968 through the early 1970s.
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chancellor of theUniversity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 1998–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of theUniversity of Cincinnati October 2003 – April 2009 | Succeeded by Monica Rimai (Interim) |
| Preceded by John J. O'Connor (Officer in Charge) | Chancellor of theState University of New York June 2009 – September 2017 | Succeeded by |
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