ALFRED, NY, January 25, 2022 – Upon the recommendation of the State University of New York Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley, the SUNY Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Steven A. Mauro as President of Alfred State College (ASC). The statement was announced by the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Stanley and is effective March 28, 2022.
Alfred State College Council Chair Patricia K. Fogarty said, “The Alfred State community couldn’t be happier, and I am personally delighted to have Dr. Mauro, a native of Niagara Falls, now coming to make Alfred State his home. Starting before Dr. Skip Sullivan’s retirement last June, a dedicated and experienced search committee spent months evaluating candidates in a nationwide search. During this time, we have been so incredibly fortunate to have the steady hand of Dr. John Anderson leading ASC. Having served as our president from 2008 to 2013, he’s very familiar with faculty, staff, alumni, and employers. John has assisted several colleges during presidential transitions and is an expert in this work. He has the college community prepared to welcome Steven. Getting to know Dr. Mauro from interviews and his visit to campus, I believe he is an innovator, educational entrepreneur, and able to lead many initiatives including academic programming, recruitment, retention, fundraising and so much more. He combines these attributes with an overwhelming dedication to college students and their future.”
Incoming President Dr. Mauro said, “Higher education is at the forefront of ensuring success and opportunities essential to professional and personal development. It is therefore imperative that every person who wishes to seek out higher education can do so in a way that is equitable and encouraged. This dedication to students and their education is precisely what I observed at Alfred State College. As a SUNY alumnus myself, who believes in the promise of higher education, I look forward to continuing and advancing that momentum and working with Alfred State’s faculty, staff, and students. My thanks to the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor Stanley, the College Council of Alfred State, and all those involved in the search process across SUNY for this opportunity.”
Alfred State College Officer in Charge Dr. John Anderson said, “Dr. Mauro is an ideal choice to lead ASC thanks to his accomplishments in multiple areas of academics, strategy, and operations. Being from WNY and a SUNY alumnus, he should feel right at home. I say welcome, Steven! With the governor leading an initiative to reinvent SUNY and highlighting the need for the state’s education system to provide more qualified and skilled workers, Alfred State College’s long-held position of career-ready graduates will serve us well into the future. While so many schools, businesses, and workers are having to reinvent themselves due to the pandemic and other forces of change, our faculty and staff are experts in how to assist students to launch promising careers while employers are so eagerly searching for those who are bright, skilled, and ready to help fuel the state’s economy.”
About Dr. Steven Mauro:
Dr. Steven A. Mauro currently serves as vice president for Strategy and Campus Operations at Gannon University. Prior to that, he served as dean of Health Professions and Sciences, interim provost, and vice president for Academic Administration. His innovative and entrepreneurial leadership approach in these roles contributed to establishing additional campuses, launching independent online programming, improving retention, participating in fundraising, generating alternate revenue (including establishing a COVID-19 surveillance lab), engaging community and corporate partners, and overseeing a multi-million-dollar construction portfolio.
Born and raised in Niagara Falls, upon graduating valedictorian of his high school class, he received his education at the State University of New York at Buffalo, graduating magna cum laude and earning a BS and PhD in Biology. Dr. Mauro was also awarded a National Institutes of Health Ruth Kirchstein Postdoctoral Fellowship to further his education at Cornell University.
From 2005 to 2013, Dr. Mauro joined the faculty at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. His work on the abundance and distribution of viral, bacterial, and chemical agents in recreational water has received national attention through peer-reviewed publications and press releases, including articles featured by the National Science Foundation, Homeland Security, and National Geographic News.
Dr. Mauro is an outdoor enthusiast and participates in endurance athletic events. His worldly travels have given him an appreciation for the value that affordable, accessible, high-quality education can bring, which has become his vocational calling.
Qualifications Sought by ASC:
The Alfred State search committee stated that honesty, integrity, and an open approachable style are needed along with these qualifications:
· Possess significant experience in or understanding of executive-level higher education administration, including enrollment, academic affairs, student affairs, finance, strategic planning, and institutional development.
· Have the ability to lead and support faculty and staff within a transparent culture of shared governance.
· Possess an enthusiasm for the college’s technology-focused, student- centered mission and respect for the values and traditions of the college.
· Bring exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; model the ability to energize and inspire students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, college council members, and other external constituencies; and be able to build upon a history of programmatic strength.
· Be able to maintain and grow external relationships with donors and build rapport as well as visibility within the local community and region, including with corporate, educational, and government leaders as well as with manufacturing and industrial entities to benefit Alfred State College.
Additional key criteria include a successful record in building institutional diversity, a commitment to a student-centered, hands-on learning environment, a passion for technical education, the ability to work well with people at all levels and from various backgrounds, and a dedication to sustainability and civic engagement.
Caption: Dr. Steven Mauro, WNY native and accomplished higher education leader, is appointed the 13th Alfred State College President by the SUNY Board of Trustees on Jan. 25, 2022.
An Alfred State degree gets results!
At Alfred State College, hands-on experience leads to career success. An emphasis on real-world training enables students to reach goals and develop the skills needed to thrive at in-demand jobs. With 80 majors, 100 clubs and civic groups, and 17 NCAA Division III sports, Alfred State prepares students to become leaders, achievers, and Pioneers who are ready to Hit the Ground Running …
