Michael Steiper
Dear Commons Community,
The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted yesterday to name Michael Steiper, Ph.D. as the seventh president of Purchase College. Dr. Steiper has served in administrative capacities at CUNY’s the College of Staten Island and Hunter College. Below is the announcement from the SUNY Board of Trustees.
Congratulations Dr. Steiper!
Tony
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New York, NY – The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted today to name Michael Steiper, Ph.D. as the seventh president of Purchase College. Dr. Steiper currently serves as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at CUNY’s College of Staten Island. The appointment is effective August 11. During today’s meeting, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the SUNY Board of Trustees thanked Dr. Milly Peña for serving as Purchase College’s president and recognized her service to the Purchase community.
“Purchase College is a leader in accessible and extraordinary arts and arts-adjacent education and is an outstanding liberal arts institution,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “This storied college has a proud history of supporting students and helping them grow, create, and inspire, and SUNY looks forward to working with Dr. Steiper as he leads Purchase through the institution’s next chapter.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees 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.”
Dr. Michael Steiper said, “I am honored and thrilled to be selected as the next president of Purchase College, SUNY. 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. 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. I am grateful to the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chairman Tisch, Chancellor King, the Purchase College Council, Chair Glazer, and the Search Committee for their confidence and support.”
Dennis Glazer, Purchase College Council Chair and Presidential Search Chair, said, “After a comprehensive nationwide search, Purchase College has a terrific new President in Dr. Michael Steiper. Dr. Steiper’s intellect, experience, and highly collaborative leadership style are an excellent match for our campus. Our College Council, Foundation Board, faculty, staff and students were all part of the selection process and we very much look forward to partnering with President Steiper as we build on the special community that is Purchase College.”
About Dr. Michael Steiper
Dr. Michael E. Steiper is a mission-driven academic leader dedicated to faculty and student success who currently serves as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at CUNY’s College of Staten Island (CSI). At CSI, Dr. Steiper coordinated the campus’ vision for student success, contributing to strong increases in student retention and growth in enrollment. In his current capacity, he oversees the development and implementation of academic programs and policies and represents the campus on CUNY system-wide initiatives.
Prior to his time at CSI, Dr. Steiper spent two decades at Hunter College, where he had roles as a faculty member and administrator, most recently as Associate Provost for Academic Success, Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Analytics. During his time at Hunter, he served as the inaugural director of Hunter’s Human Biology Program, now the college’s second largest major. He led an active research lab that explored key questions in primate evolution and mentored students at all levels, many of whom have gone on to careers in academia and STEM fields.
As a biological anthropologist, Dr. Steiper’s research centers on human and primate evolution, with particular emphasis on primate molecular evolution, the relationship between genetic and fossil records, and the interplay between skeletal and genetic variation. His work primarily utilizes genetic and bioinformatic techniques, and he has participated in paleontological fieldwork across three continents.
Dr. Steiper is a lifelong New Yorker and current Westchester resident who earned his Ph.D. and MA from Harvard University and his bachelor’s from New York University.
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, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire 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 $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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