PROFILE   |   Nancy Zimpher

Nancy Zimpher Director, Power of Systems

Nancy L. Zimpher is Chancellor Emeritus of The State University of New York (SUNY) and from 2009 to 2017, served as the twelfth chancellor of The State University of New York, the nation’s largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Prior to SUNY, she served as president of the University of Cincinnati, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and executive dean of the Professional Colleges and dean of the College of Education at The Ohio State University.

Throughout her career, Dr. Zimpher has embraced the expansive responsibilities of public higher education in the 21st century. “To educate more people and to educate them better” is at the center of her collective-impact theory of action, which she exercises in several key areas, including building on university strengths to drive regional and local economic development; creating seamless cradle-to-career education pipelines in every community; and systemically transforming teacher education into a rigorous practice that reliably creates great teachers for every classroom and student.

Dr. Zimpher is co-founder of StriveTogether, a national network of innovative partnerships that holistically address challenges across the education pipeline. As SUNY chancellor, she served as chair of the National Association of System Heads from 2014–2017, the New York Academy of Sciences from 2011–2016, and CEOs for Cities from 2012–2013, and the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities from 2005–2011.

Dr. Zimpher holds a BS in English Education and Speech, an MA in English Literature, and a PhD in Teacher Education and Higher Education Administration, all from The Ohio State University.