John B. King
Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the board of trustees of State University of New York released this statement on the eve of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day:
“On Yom HaShoah, we remember the six million Jewish people and all those murdered at the hands of the Nazi regime and those who enabled them during the Holocaust. As we commemorate those who lost their lives and honor the survivors, we also reinforce our steadfast commitment to ensuring these atrocities never occur again.
“We must learn the lessons of the past, and remember that ignorance, intolerance, and hatred must be combatted with knowledge, respect, and tolerance for all.
“On this day, and every day, the lessons of standing up against antisemitism, racism, and bigotry weigh heavy and remind us that we must not forget and should always work to advance the pledge: Never Again.”
King’s story
John B. King Jr. is the 15th Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States. As Chancellor, King and the SUNY Board of Trustees have established four pillars to guide SUNY’s progress: student success; research and scholarship; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and economic development and upward mobility.
Under Chancellor King’s leadership, SUNY has seen its largest operating aid increase in five decades, including double-digit percentage increases for every state-operated campus, the first two back-to-back operating aid increases for community colleges in decades, and dedicated recurring annual funding for expanding mental health services, services for students with disabilities, paid internships, and research, as well as addressing food insecurity.
Under Chancellor King, SUNY has experienced three years of enrollment gains in every sector for the first time in 15 years. As part of the Chancellor’s commitment to student success, SUNY launched ASAP and ACE – the nation’s leading, evidence-based retention and completion initiatives – which is at 34 campuses and is in the process of scaling them to reach 10,000 students within the next two years. Chancellor King has also championed a System-wide Civics and Service Agenda, which includes the launch of the Empire State Service Corps to provide paid community service opportunities to hundreds of SUNY students each year.
John B. King
In research and scholarship, Chancellor King is committed to achieving Governor Hochul’s charge to double research expenditures. Under Chancellor King’s leadership, SUNY is at the forefront of cutting-edge research that fuels economic growth, drives social impact, and enhances human well-being. SUNY researchers are leading the way in areas including artificial intelligence, renewable energy, quantum computing, semiconductors development, and biotechnology and health care. SUNY is implementing the Governor’s Empire AI research center for the public good, which is hosted at the University at Buffalo and includes SUNY’s four University Centers as well as leading private universities.
SUNY’s enabling statute requires that the university “provide educational services of the highest quality with the broadest possible access.” To advance diversity, equity, and inclusion Chancellor King has championed expanded access for students from low-income backgrounds, veterans, AmeriCorps alumni, first-generation college students, and students from communities with high levels of adversity. The Chancellor ensured the successful implementation of SUNY’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion General Education requirement, and relaunched PRODiG+ as a postdoctoral fellowship for faculty from all backgrounds who are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Chancellor King has ensured that SUNY stands firmly against antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hatred and bigotry – including by requiring Title VI training for all faculty, staff, and student organization leaders.
To ensure economic development and upward mobility for the students SUNY services, Chancellor King has established the ambitious goal that every undergraduate student will complete an internship or other experiential learning opportunity before they earn their degree. To advance that goal, the Chancellor has overseen the launch of the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund, the NYS FAFSA Completion Corps, the Climate Corps, and the Veterans’ Enrollment and Support Internship Program. In addition, Chancellor King is leading implementation of Governor Hochul’s SUNY Reconnect initiative, which provides free community college tuition, fees, books, and supplies for adults ages 25-55 who don’t already have a college degree and pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field. Chancellor King has been at the forefront of promoting this transformational opportunity and ensuring SUNY is ready to help empower eligible New Yorkers to enter the workforce in high-demand careers.
Before being appointed SUNY Chancellor, King served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. Upon tapping him to lead the U.S. Department of Education, President Obama called Chancellor King “an exceptionally talented educator,” citing his commitment to “preparing every child for success,” and his lifelong dedication to public education as a teacher, principal, and leader of schools and school systems. Following his service as U.S. Secretary of Education, King was President and CEO of The Education Trust, a national civil rights nonprofit, and served as Professor of the Practice at the University of Maryland College Park.
Before joining President Obama’s cabinet, Chancellor King served as New York State Education Department (SED) Commissioner, and was the first African American and first Puerto Rican to lead in that role. As SED Commissioner, King oversaw all elementary and secondary schools, as well as public, independent, and proprietary colleges and universities, professional licensure, libraries, museums, and numerous other educational institutions.
Chancellor King holds a Bachelor of Arts in government from Harvard University, a J.D. from Yale Law School, as well as both a Master of Arts in the teaching of social studies and a doctorate in education from Teachers College at Columbia University.
SUNY Board Chairwoman Dr. Merryl H. Tisch
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Dr. Merryl H. Tisch
Dr. Merryl H. Tisch is one of the nation’s leading voices on education. She was appointed Chair of the State University of New York in September of 2019, after serving as Vice-Chair since 2018. From 2009 to 2016, Dr. Tisch served as Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, New York State’s governing body for education.
Prior to serving as its Chancellor, Dr. Tisch was a dedicated member of the Board of Regents for twenty years and then held the position of Vice Chancellor from 2007 to 2009. While leading the Board of Regents, Dr. Tisch was responsible for setting the state’s education policy and overseeing both public and private education throughout New York. Her policies were informed by years of experience in the fields of education, community service, and philanthropy.
Dr. Tisch currently holds a number of influential philanthropic and civic positions in New York and beyond. She sits on the board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and acts as the Met’s representative on the Public Design Commission, and she also serves as the Chair of the Rhodes Scholarship District Selection Committee. While at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dr. Tisch endowed a Curator at Large position that has significantly impacted the museum’s ability to offer broader, more inclusive perspectives to exhibitions, collections, and programming including the recently acclaimed exhibition “the Harlem Renaissance” curated by Denise Murrell.
Additionally, she serves on the board of The Trust for Cultural Resources of the City of New York and as a Trustee of Barnard College. She sits on the executive committees of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Citizens Budget Commission.
Dr. Tisch was a member of the NYC Charter Revision Commission, and Chair Emeritus of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, a leading social services agency.
In 2017, alongside her husband James S. Tisch, Dr. Tisch endowed a chair to develop the Educational Director for the New York Public Library System. This initiative was designed to revolutionize the library’s educational programs, with a particular focus on literacy and digital equity. It aimed to empower the library to rethink, transform, and broaden its educational outreach.
In 2008, Dr. Tisch and her husband endowed the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center. In 2021, furthering their commitment to health and wellness, the Tisches increased their gift to $100 million to help build the Tisch Cancer Hospital at Mt. Sinai. This additional gift will facilitate the construction of a cutting-edge cancer hospital and is set to broaden access to innovative therapies, diagnostics, and clinical trials.
Dr. Tisch earned a B.A. from Barnard College, an M.A. in Education from New York University, and received an Ed.D from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She and her husband have three children who are married and live in New York City.
Data provided by Gary Ginsburg, Chief Communications Officer, The State University of New York
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