(TROY, N.Y. – May 7, 2013) The SUNY Board of Trustees today voted unanimously to appoint Merodie A. Hancock the fourth permanent president of Empire State College. Hancock will begin serving as president in early July of this year.

The board took action at its regularly scheduled meeting held on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College.

“Dr. Hancock’s experience and knowledge of higher learning and especially the delivery of online programs across campuses and international borders is certain to serve students and faculty at Empire State College and throughout our system very well,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “As we implement Open SUNY and work to leverage our systemness in greater service to New York state and all who live and work here, Dr. Hancock’s leadership will be invaluable.”

“I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for appointing me to lead Empire State College and to Chancellor Zimpher for her confidence and support,” said Hancock, “I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Empire State College to build on the more than 40-year tradition of innovation and academic excellence at the college.  As the implementation of Open SUNY moves forward, I look forward to bringing all of Empire State College’s open-education expertise to scale and to collaborating with the chancellor and my colleagues across the SUNY system to expand access to higher education.”

Hancock succeeds Alan R. Davis, who served from Aug. 1, 2008 to Aug. 31, 2012 and resigned to take the presidency of Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia.  Joseph B. Moore and James W. Hall, the college’s founding president, preceded Davis.

The SUNY news release announcing Hancock’s appointment is available here.

About Merodie A. Hancock

Currently, Hancock is vice president for Central Michigan University Global Campus and is responsible for the delivery of academic programs for CMU’s remote campuses, military and community college locations and online programs.

Previously, Hancock held both teaching and administrative positions at the University of Maryland University College. After joining UMUC in 2000, she earned promotions of increasing complexity and responsibility and served as associate vice president from 2005-07. UMUC serves more than 90,000 students through online and face-to-face programs.

Hancock holds a Ph.D. in urban services and education administration from Old Dominion University, an MBA from Claremont Graduate University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Scripps College. She has dedicated her career to expanding access to higher education for adults and has extensive experience educating veterans and active members of the military.

About SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College was established in 1971 to offer adult learners the opportunity to earn associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the State University of New York.

In addition to awarding credit for prior college-level learning, the college pairs each student with a faculty mentor who supports that student throughout his or her college career. Students engage in guided independent study and course work onsite, online or a combination of both, which provides the flexibility for students to learn at the time, place and pace they choose.

The college serves more than 20,000 students worldwide at more than 35 locations in the state of New York and online. Its 66,000 alumni are active in their communities as entrepreneurs, politicians, business professionals, artists, nonprofit agency employees, teachers, veterans and active military, union members and more. More information about the college is available here.

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Media contact: David Henahan, director of communications

518-587-2100, ext. 2918

David.Henahan@esc.edu

518-321-7038 (after 5 p.m. and weekends)