SUNY Poly begins search for new president

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — The search is on for a new president at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, after former leader Tod Laursen stepped down on December 14. An interim president has filled Laursen’s shoes since, but the college announced Tuesday that a national search for a permanent replacement has begun.

The search, led by SUNY Poly’s college council, will be conducted in accordance with SUNY’s presidential search policy guidelines and seeks a strong leader to continue the institution’s legacy.

“On behalf of SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Presidential Search Committee, we are proud to announce that this new, national search to find SUNY Poly’s next President has begun,” said College Council Chair RoAnn Destito. “We look forward to embarking on this process to provide permanent leadership. In addition, after the expected transfer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, located in Albany, to the University at Albany, the successful presidential candidate will continue to foster the growth and success of our Utica campus, enabling SUNY Poly’s unmatched student experience as well as further supporting economic activity in the Mohawk Valley region and across New York State.”

“This presidential search process will act as an important milestone for SUNY Poly while we work toward enabling a vibrant future for our faculty, staff, and students,” said SUNY Poly Officer-in-Charge Dr. Andrew Russell. “We will employ an inclusive process to engage our alumni, SUNY Poly Foundation, faculty, staff, students, and representatives from SUNY as we pursue an outcome that will set the stage for a thriving campus for years to come.”

The search committee will retain the services of an executive search firm to identify the appropriate candidates for the position through targeted outreach and screening.

Recently, the SUNY Board of Trustees voted to initiate a process that seeks to transfer SUNY Poly’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, located at the Albany Nanotech Complex, to the University at Albany. The resolution also indicated that Interim Chancellor Deborah Stanley charged the SUNY Poly College Council with “immediately launching a national search for a Permanent President of SUNY Poly Utica,” and that, in the meantime, SUNY Poly Officer-in-Charge Dr. Russell is authorized to “begin the process of creating a robust strategic plan along with local stakeholders, strengthening the future of SUNY Poly Utica as the premier public polytechnic school in the state and nation.”