Schenectady, NY – Union Graduate College named Laura Schweitzer, Ph.D.,
the next president of the college. Schweitzer currently serves as Chief
Academic Officer/Bassett Healthcare and Founding Regional Dean, Cooperstown
Campus/Albany Medical College.
Schweitzer brings extensive
academic experience, having served in leadership posts at SUNY Upstate,
Syracuse University and the University of Louisville. In her current post, she
successfully created a two-year medical college campus, based in Cooperstown
and run jointly by Albany Medical College and Bassett Healthcare.
Schweitzer will become president
in January, 2009. She was named president of Union Graduate College following a
nationwide search to replace former president Sue Lehrman, Ph.D., who left in
2007 to join Providence College.
After conducting a national
search with a very strong pool of applicants, Dr. Schweitzer emerged as the
overwhelming choice to be our next president, said Thomas Hitchcock, President
of the Board of Trustees. Her strong academic background, considerable
executive experience, demonstrated leadership and communication skills, roots
in the Capital District, and incredible passion make her ideal to lead Union
Graduate College at this important time. With a new campus under construction
and our programs growing, we look forward to Lauras arrival with great
excitement and anticipation.
Construction is underway for Union
Graduate Colleges new, state-of-the-art campus in downtown Schenectady, which
is slated to open in the fall of 2009. The college offers masters degrees in
management (including a specialization in healthcare), education, engineering
and bioethics, a program offered in partnership with Mt. Sinai Hospital in New
York City.
I am delighted to join Union
Graduate College at such an extraordinary time in its history, Schweitzer said.
With excellence in its degree programs, the deep commitment of a gifted faculty
and staff, and savvy students working hard to further their careers, Union
Graduate College is well-positioned to grow. I believe the college has a vital
role to play in the exciting development taking place across Tech Valley.
Schweitzer was recently named the
2008 winner of the Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award. A national
honor from the Association of American Medical Colleges, it recognizes an
individual who has made significant contributions to advancing women leaders in
academic medicine.
A Washington University and Duke
trained neurobiologist, Schweitzer is past Vice-President for Academic
Affairs/SUNY Upstate and Vice-Provost/Syracuse University. She has also served as student dean,
dean of allied health, University Presidential Fellow and interim dean of
medicine at the University of Louisville. In 2005, she received the University
of Louisville Diversity and Equity (Tachau) Award.
Laura brings outstanding
credentials and proven leadership skills, but her past positions also afford
her a valuable understanding of the needs of the Capital Region and Upstate New
York, said Michael Newell, Trustee and Chair of the search committee. Laura
draws rave reviews from everyone she has worked with – and we saw that same
enthusiasm echoed by our students, faculty, staff and trustees during her
interviews.
About Union Graduate College
Union Graduate College is a
private, independent institution in Schenectady, New York, offering masterÕs degrees in management
(including a specialization in healthcare); education, engineering and bioethics,
a program offered in partnership with Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Formerly part of Union College, a separate graduate college was chartered by
the New York State Board of Regents in 2003, to serve its students. Due to the growth of its programs, UGC is currently
building a brand-new, state-of-the-art campus in downtown Schenectady. The
college is currently located on the campus of Union College. For more
information, visit: www.uniongraduatecollege.edu.
