SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor King Announce Appointment of Dr. Michelle Coach as the Ninth President of SUNY Morrisville
August 18, 2026
Dr. Coach Currently Serves as Dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at Connecticut State Community College
Albany, NY — The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted today to name Dr. Michelle Coach as the ninth president of SUNY Morrisville. Dr. Coach currently serves as Dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at Connecticut State Community College. Dr. Coach's appointment is effective on August 19, 2026, as she takes over following the retirement of Dr. David Rogers, who served as SUNY Morrisville's eighth president since 2015.
"SUNY Morrisville is an essential institution of higher education that provides our students with vital opportunities to learn while gaining hands-on experience," said SUNY Chancellor King. "I am excited to welcome Dr. Michelle Coach as the next president of the campus. President Coach's proven record and dedication to experiential learning and academic excellence will help ensure SUNY Morrisville continues to empower SUNY students and serves as a vital engine of upward mobility."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY Morrisville has a proud history of student success, workforce development, and supporting New York's economic prosperity. With our appointment of Dr. Michelle Coach as the next president of SUNY Morrisville, we look forward to working with her to support students pursuing an affordable, excellent public higher education at this institution."
SUNY Morrisville Incoming President Michelle Coach said, "SUNY Morrisville provides a wide-ranging academic experience, and I am excited to join faculty and staff to build on this reputation and expand programs that enable students to succeed. I am grateful to Chancellor King, Chairman Tisch, the SUNY Board of Trustees, and the SUNY Morrisville search committee for this opportunity."
SUNY Morrisville College Council Member and Presidential Search Chair Allen Riley said, "SUNY Morrisville and the community are excited to welcome Dr. Michelle Coach as the ninth president. Dr. Coach brings valuable experience and a strong commitment to student success. Her leadership will build on Morrisville's strong tradition of providing a career-focused education that prepares students for successful careers and meaningful contributions to their communities."
About Dr. Michelle Coach
Dr. Michelle Coach currently serves as Dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at CT State, where she provides academic leadership across a twelve-campus system, overseeing academic quality, curriculum alignment, program review, faculty support, laboratory operations, external accreditations, and workforce responsiveness in high-demand fields. She has partnered with faculty, staff, students, community organizations, workforce boards, and industry leaders to strengthen academic programs and better connect students to employment opportunities.
A seasoned higher education executive, Dr. Coach previously served as campus Chief Executive Officer of CT State Asnuntuck, where she led campus operations, enrollment, budgeting, student success, external partnerships, and institutional strategy during a major system transformation. Her prior roles also include Interim Dean of Academic Affairs, Department Chair, Science Coordinator, faculty member, and Phi Theta Kappa New England Regional Coordinator.
Dr. Coach's record includes sustained enrollment growth following the pandemic, expansion of workforce pathways in advanced manufacturing and other high-demand fields, strengthened student support, and significant external resource development. Under her leadership, CT State Asnuntuck secured new funding for student success, workforce development, campus infrastructure, health and wellness supports, Second Chance Pell programming, and advanced manufacturing initiatives supported through the Metallica Scholars program.
Dr. Coach holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Elementary Education Certification from Westfield State University in Massachusetts, Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Master of Science in Biology from the University of St. Joseph in Connecticut, and Doctor of Education in Leadership in Higher Education from Northcentral University in California.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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