A new president was selected today to head SUNY’s Purchase College. The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted to name Michael Steiper to succeed Milly Peña in the post. Steiper is the seventh president in the school’s history.
Steiper has been serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs at CUNY’s College of Staten Island (CSI). At CSI, Steiper has overseen the development and implementation of academic programs and policies.
Prior to CSI, Steiper spent two decades at Hunter College, where he was a faculty member and administrator, most recently as associate provost for academic success, institutional effectiveness and strategic analytics.
A biological anthropologist, Steiper’s research centers on human and primate evolution.
The SUNY Board of Trustees in a statement said, “We commend Dr. Steiper on being appointed to serve as Purchase College’s new president, and are confident that he will help take Purchase College to new heights. As an academic, administrator, musician, and lifetime New Yorker, Dr. Steiper’s experience on-and-off the campus will help support a strong future for Purchase College.”
Steiper said that he was honored and thrilled to be selected.
“With its renowned conservatories and outstanding liberal arts and sciences programs, Purchase is a rare gem in higher education where both critical thinking and creativity thrive,” Steiper said. “Throughout the search process, I have been inspired by the dynamism of the Purchase community. It is a campus where deeply engaged faculty and dedicated staff nurture the aspirations of exceptionally talented students. I am committed to building on Purchase’s vibrant culture to advance its mission of access and excellence, enhance student success and opportunity, and expand Purchase’s impact across New York and beyond.”
Steiper lives in Westchester and earned his Ph.D. and MA from Harvard University and his bachelor’s from New York University.
