With an influx of new students for the fall 2009 semester, Pipe Dream would like to help reacquaint the students with Binghamton University’s administration.
The President:
The fifth and current president of Binghamton University is Lois DeFleur, who arrived in 1990 after serving as provost at the University of Missouri-Columbia. According to her biography Web page, DeFleur received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. DeFleur is an authority on juvenile delinquency in Latin America through her teachings in sociology. The president has been a pilot for around 30 years and owns her own plane, a Comanche 260. As president, DeFleur has overseen a number of changes and projects at BU, including the implementation of construction throughout campus, the rise of the University’s endowment to $64.5 million, the initial planning of a BU law school and the declaration of BU as a New York State Center of Excellence in 2006.
The Vice Presidents:
Mary Ann Swain is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Binghamton. According to her biography Web page, she began work at BU in 1993 after she served as the associate VP for academic affairs at the University of Michigan, where she also received her master’s and Ph.D. Swain is in charge of all of Binghamton’s academic programs, faculty recruitment and the budget.
Gerald Sonnenfeld has been the vice president for research at BU since 2004 and, according to his biography, has been researching the regulation of the immune system and how stress influences responses in the body. He received his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and has been given the Founder’s Award for his research.
Marcia Craner was recently appointed vice president for external affairs after having worked for Binghamton University for 23 years as the director of alumni and parent relations, senior associate vice president for alumni and development and executive director of the Binghamton University Foundation, according to a recent BU press release. Craner received her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and was a part of Harvard University’s Executive Leadership Program. She is now in charge of Binghamton’s fundraising goals and the school’s development and communications.
Brian Rose has been the vice president for student affairs at BU since January 2008, working closely with the Student Association and student groups. According to an Inside BU press release, Rose previously held the same position at Rutgers University, where he had worked since 2004. Rose earned his degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. In addition, he served as an attorney with the Stradley, Ronon, Stevens and Young law firm. Rose is one of the primary administrators that deals with students on campus, especially at functions such as town hall meetings.
The Deans:
Donald Nieman began as the dean of the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences on July 1, 2008. According to an Inside BU press release, Nieman has a doctorate in history and was a dean at Bowling Green State University in Ohio for eight years. He has been a history professor at a number of colleges, including CUNY at Hunter College and Kansas State University.
Upinder Dhillon is the dean of the School of Management. He received his bachelor’s from Punjab University in India and his master’s and Ph.D. at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to his biography Web page. He has produced a number of publications and has received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for excellence in teaching in 1996.
Joyce A. Ferrario is the dean of the Decker School of Nursing. According to her biography Web page, she has a Ph.D. in gerontological nursing from Case Western Reserve University.
S.G. Grant is the dean of the School of Education. He received his bachelor’s in social studies education at the University of Maine and his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. An Inside BU press release states that before coming to BU in 2008, Grant was the associate dean of teacher education at the University at Buffalo where he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for teaching in 2006. He has produced numerous publications on the topic of education in America.
Hari Srihari is the dean of the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science. Having started on June 1, he is the newest dean to BU. He has been an engineering professor at Binghamton University since 1988.
Patricia Wallace Ingraham is the dean of the College of Community and Public Affairs. She received her doctorate in political science/ policy science from Binghamton University. Prior to working at BU, she was a professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, according to her biography Web page.