SUNY Board of Trustees appoint Dr. Peter O. Nwosu as SUNY Oswego’s next president
At the recommendation of State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr., the SUNY Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Peter O. Nwosu as SUNY Oswego’s next president. The announcement was made by the Board and Chancellor King today and becomes effective on Aug. 15, 2023.
Established in 1861 as a teacher training school, SUNY Oswego continues its 162-year tradition as a public postsecondary institution for student-focused, rigorous, creative, purposeful teaching and learning. As one of SUNY’s 64 campuses, SUNY Oswego is a comprehensive four-year institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates. Dr. Nwosu will be the 11th president following the retirement of President Deborah F. Stanley in December 2021. Officer-in-Charge Mary C. Toale will assist with the leadership transition.
Dr. Peter O. Nwosu, an American Council on Education fellow and Fulbright scholar, joins SUNY from Herbert H. Lehman College, where he is provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and student success.
Prior to this role, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Clark Atlanta University, a historically Black college or university (HBCU) and Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution. Before joining CAU, Dr. Nwosu served as associate vice president for academic programs and accreditation liaison officer at California State University, Fullerton, a Hispanic-serving institution and one of the 23 campuses of the California State University System.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr., said, “As SUNY moves forward with the four pillars of our vision—student success; research and scholarship; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and economic development and upward mobility for our students—our campus leadership is crucial to fulfilling our promise to transform SUNY into the best public higher education system for our students, faculty, and staff. My congratulations to SUNY Oswego as we look to welcome Dr. Peter Nwosu and prepare for Fall 2023.”
SUNY Oswego College Council Chair James McMahon said, “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Peter Nwosu as the 11th President of SUNY Oswego. His deep-rooted record in higher education, most recently as Provost at Herbert H. Lehman College—one of the 25-member colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY)—combined with his commitment and belief in student success, equity, access, community engagement and economic development, and shared governance resonated with our university community. Our greater campus community engaged in this important and exciting process, supporting the resolute efforts of the Search Committee and the College Council. SUNY Oswego thanks Chairman Tisch and the SUNY Board of Trustees, and Chancellor King for their official appointment of President Nwosu.”
A passionate advocate for access to high-quality education for our nation’s increasingly diverse student body and a systems thinker and strategic planner with a strong belief in the power of collaboration and shared governance, Dr. Nwosu has led strategic initiatives to advance equity-minded student success outcomes, foster institutional effectiveness, and enhance these institutions’ national reputations and visibility as engines of upward mobility and community engagement.
Dr. Nwosu said, “My career has been and will continue to focus on student success, and what struck me at SUNY Oswego was the energy around campus to create opportunities. Students are encouraged and guided by faculty and staff to get the most out of their education and follow their path—that is the power of education to transform lives and ignite new possibilities. My thanks to Chairman Tisch and the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor King, Jim McMahon and the entire search committee. I look forward to our work ahead.”
Dr. Nwosu is a graduate of the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education and received his Ph.D. in communication studies from Howard University, his MA in liberal studies from Towson University, and his BA in mass communication and journalism from the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu, Nigeria.
"We look forward to working with Dr. Nwosu to continue the strong partnership between SUNY Oswego and Operation Oswego County," said Austin Wheelock, executive director of Operation Oswego County. "Education plays a key role in economic development and workforce development and we are proud to have SUNY Oswego as a neighbor and partner."
