SUNY Board of Trustees Appoints Dr. Aaron M. Podolefsky as President of Buffalo State College

Albany – The State University of New York Board of Trustees today appointed Dr. Aaron M. Podolefsky as president of Buffalo State College. His appointment is effective July 1, 2010, at an annual salary of $225,000.

“As a successful higher education leader with strategic planning know-how and a proven track record for cultivating campus-community partnerships and economic development, Dr. Podolefsky will be a tremendous asset to Buffalo State College, Western New York and the SUNY system,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “I am grateful to the Board for approving his appointment and recognizing the great talent and promise that Dr. Podolefsky’s leadership has to offer.”

“Dr. Podolefsky comes to us with extensive experience as a higher education administrator and mentor, having led the University of Central Missouri to record levels of academic quality and the highest rates for job placement and graduation in its history,” said SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl T. Hayden. “I am confident that Buffalo State College will continue to grow and prosper under his leadership. Our thanks go out to Search Committee Chairman and College Council Vice Chairman Howard Zemsky and his colleagues for their hard work and the outstanding result.”

Dr. Podolefsky said, "I want to thank Chancellor Zimpher and the SUNY Board of Trustees for their votes of confidence and for the opportunity to serve as the eighth president of Buffalo State College. I consider it an honor to advance the vital mission of Buffalo State and to lead SUNY's largest comprehensive college. Ronnie and I look forward to moving to Buffalo this summer and engaging with the campus and the community.”

Dr. Podolefsky currently serves as President and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Central Missouri, a position he has held since 2005. His efforts to reach out to local, state and federal governmental entities and support development of an Innovation and Energy Park at the University have been recognized as significantly promoting economic development in the region. In close collaboration with his campus, he successfully led the development of a new Strategic Plan and a new Campus Master Plan, and also led the University through the transition to adopt a new vision, a new name and new crest.

Prior to his tenure at the University of Central Missouri, Dr. Podolefsky served for seven years as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Before that, he served for eight years as Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UNI. From 1986 to 1990, he was Professor of Anthropology and head of Western Kentucky University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work. Prior to this position, he served as Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University, and was a Research Associate for the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research at Northwestern University.

Dr. Podolefsky earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from San Jose State University and received two Master of Arts degrees (liberal studies and anthropology) and a Ph.D. with Distinction from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He has authored numerous scholarly books, textbooks and articles, and he is a fellow of the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Dr. Podolefsky is married to Ronnie Podolefsky (Shapiro), an attorney practicing in the areas of civil rights, employment law and mediation. Dr. and Ms. Podolefsky have two sons.

Dr. Podolefsky will succeed Dr. Dennis Ponton, who has been serving as Interim President since August 1, 2009, when Dr. Muriel Howard, who had been President since 1996, stepped down to assume the presidency of The American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, DC. 

Dr. Podolefsky will be provided College-owned housing adjacent to the Buffalo State College campus and have use of a campus-leased vehicle during the term of his presidency.

Founded in 1871, Buffalo State College offers 152 undergraduate and 61 graduate programs in the arts, sciences, professions and education. Each year, more than 11,000 students choose Buffalo State College for its superb academic programs, applied learning opportunities, affordable tuition and metropolitan location.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 465,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.

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