SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor King Announce the Appointment of Dr. Melinda Treadwell as the 14th President of SUNY Geneseo
September 16, 2025
Dr. Treadwell is an Accomplished Academic and Researcher with a Career That Spans the Public and Private Sectors
Stony Brook, NY – The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted today to name Dr. Melinda Treadwell as the 14th president of SUNY Geneseo. Dr. Treadwell currently serves as President of Keene State College. The appointment is effective October 27, 2025.
During today's meeting, Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees thanked Dr. Denise Battles, who served as SUNY Geneseo's president for a decade and stepped down this summer. Dr. Mary C. Toale has been serving as officer-in-charge since August 20, 2025, during this leadership transition.
"Dr. Melinda Treadwell's credentials are impeccable, having a longstanding and successful career as an academic, administrator, faculty member, and researcher in both the public and private sectors," said SUNY Chancellor King. "Melinda is a champion for public higher education and appreciates the value of a solid liberal arts education. We are pleased to welcome her to SUNY."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY Geneseo is a gem within the system, known for its academic excellence that attracts renowned faculty in their fields of study. We are grateful to the search committee for bringing forward a stellar candidate in Dr. Melinda Treadwell to lead."
Dr. Melinda Treadwell said, "I am honored to have been chosen as SUNY Geneseo's next president and to be welcomed by the SUNY system. Geneseo is an exceptional institution with a strong identity as both New York's public liberal arts college and public honors college. The college's legacy and mission are critically important to the future of the region and the state. My heartfelt thanks to Chancellor King, to Chairman Tisch, and to all members of the SUNY Board of Trustees. I also wish to thank Search Chair Valentino and the SUNY Geneseo Presidential Search Committee for placing their trust in me. I am excited and energized to join Geneseo's students, faculty, and staff and get started on our strategic work to innovate, expand access, and deliver on our mission, vision, and values."
Christian Valentino, Esq., search committee chair and member of SUNY Geneseo College Council, said, "Having had the opportunity to meet and converse with Dr. Melinda Treadwell on numerous occasions, I am confident that she is perfectly suited to lead SUNY Geneseo in advancing its mission and reinforcing its position as SUNY's equity-centered Public Honors College. Dr. Treadwell is an exceptionally talented individual who shares our deep commitment to providing a high-impact liberal arts education. I earnestly encourage everyone to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Treadwell and to actively support her in her endeavors as the next President. As the Chair of the Search Committee and a longstanding member of SUNY Geneseo's College Council, I am sincerely excited about the future of SUNY Geneseo."
Congressman Joe Morelle (SUNY Geneseo ‘86) said, "Here in New York, we're lucky to have some of the very best universities in the nation—and SUNY Geneseo is second to none. I'm thrilled that the SUNY Board of Trustees has chosen Dr. Melinda Treadwell as the next president of my beloved alma mater. I know she will build on Geneseo's proud tradition of excellence, championing its values of learning, creativity, belonging, civic engagement, and sustainability. Congratulations, Dr. Treadwell—and, as always—Go Knights!"
State Senator Pamela Helming said, "As Dr. Treadwell begins her leadership at SUNY Geneseo, I look forward to working with her to strengthen and support our region together. Her journey as a first-generation college graduate is inspiring, and as someone who shares that experience, I know how meaningful it will be for students to see what is possible. Her story will resonate deeply and motivate the next generation of leaders. Congratulations! "
State Assemblywoman Andrea Bailey said, "I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Melinda Treadwell to the 133rd District and my hometown of Geneseo as the 14th President of SUNY Geneseo. Her leadership and experience will be a tremendous asset to our community and to the future of this distinguished institution. At the same time, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to President Denise Battles for her years of dedicated service. Her commitment to academic excellence and community partnership has left an enduring legacy, and I wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement."
State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest (SUNY Geneseo '11) said, "As a proud SUNY Geneseo alum and someone who knows full well the power of higher education, I am excited to see the next chapter of my alma mater unfold under the leadership of Dr. Melinda Treadwell. My SUNY Geneseo education was second to none, and I hope many New Yorkers have the same experience now and for generations to follow."
About Dr. Melinda Treadwell
Dr. Melinda Treadwell comes to SUNY Geneseo after serving for eight years as President of Keene State College. She became president after having served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, and as dean of Professional & Graduate Studies.
Dr. Treadwell joined the college as a faculty member in 2000 in the Safety and Occupational Health Applied Sciences department. She served as a principal investigator on many federal projects and developed research and teaching opportunities for Keene State students. Dr. Treadwell is deeply committed to expanding access to the transformative power and impact of the public liberal arts.
She has published in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a book on ethical decision-making in environmental and occupational health. She has experience in management of environment, safety, and health programs, and in developing state and national policy for ambient and indoor air quality, diesel exhaust, and particulate matter. In the private sector, Dr. Treadwell led as a toxicologist and public health policy advisor.
Throughout her career, Dr. Treadwell has valued ethical decision-making and science-informed policy advocacy and leadership at the regional and national levels. She has served at an executive level on numerous national bodies, including most recently the Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges; NCAA (Division III Management Council and Presidents Advisory Group); New England Commission of Higher Education; and the New Hampshire College and University Council.
Dr. Treadwell was the first in her family to attend college, majoring in industrial safety with a minor in chemistry at Keene State College. She earned her PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Dartmouth Medical School, completing her dissertation, "Activation of vascular endothelial cells in response to mineral fibers".
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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