SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher to Recommend Virginia Schaefer Horvath as President of SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today announced that she will recommend Virginia Schaefer Horvath to be the next president of SUNY Fredonia. Consideration of the appointment will take place at the SUNY Board of Trustees meeting on March 28, 2012.

“We are so fortunate to have found such a perfect fit for leadership at SUNY Fredonia,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “Dr. Horvath’s proven commitment to improving academics and bringing education into the Western New York community will serve her well in her new role as president. She has an impressive legacy to build upon and I know she will exceed the expectations of students, faculty, staff, and alumni alike.”

Dr. Horvath is currently the vice president for academic affairs at SUNY Fredonia, a position she has held since joining the campus in 2005. She was chosen and endorsed out of a pool of more than 50 candidates and five finalists by a 15-member search committee before being recommended by Chancellor Zimpher. If appointed by the Board of Trustees, she would take office on July 1, becoming the first female president in the Fredonia campus’ 186-year history. Her selection concludes a national search aided by R. H. Perry & Associates, which began in September 2011 and drew candidates from across the U.S.

A Western New York native, Horvath was born and raised in Amherst, N.Y. She is a SUNY graduate, having earned a bachelor of arts in English from the University at Buffalo before continuing on to Kent State University for both a master’s and Ph.D., also in English. She joined the faculty at Kent State in 1985 and became dean of academic and student services for the regional campuses, a position she held from 2001 to 2005. Even as a full-time administrator at Kent State and SUNY Fredonia, Horvath has continued to teach undergraduate courses on a regular basis.

As vice president for academic affairs, the 54-year-old Horvath has served as the chief academic officer and the second-highest ranking official at SUNY Fredonia for the past seven years, making her uniquely aware of the campus’ strengths and recent successes as well as its opportunities for growth and improvement. Her scholarship includes more than a dozen critical articles and books, in addition to numerous poems and reviews. She has presented and given workshops at more than 70 regional, national, and international conferences. Her service to her profession and to her current and previous campuses is also well known.

About the State University of New York

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