July 14, 2025
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FROM ALFRED UNIVERSITY:
The Alfred University Board of Trustees announced Wednesday, July 9, that it had unanimously approved the reappointment of Mark Zupan as university president. The new five-year term began on July 1.
“Throughout (Zupan’s) service to our university, Alfred has witnessed significant progress along multiple dimensions,” Steve Heine ’81, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in making the announcement. “Uniting each of these is an understanding of the centrality of our students and the quality of their experience, the community of faculty and staff that fosters that experience, and how that experience prepares graduates to lead purposeful lives.”
Zupan was first appointed Alfred University’s 14th president in 2016. Before his recent reappointment, the Board of Trustees approved three-year terms in 2019 and 2022.
Heine noted that under Zupan’s guidance, “Alfred’s extraordinary academic breadth and depth has been supplemented by new degree programs, each of which responds to marketplace demands. Importantly, the ability to integrate diverse disciplines is now supported through the enhanced ease with which our students can pursue double majors.”
Opportunities for learning have been strengthened by significant investments in the university’s facilities, including major improvements to residence halls (inclusive of first-year living-learning communities); a foundry that enables hands-on learning particularly by engineering and art and design students, set to open in 2026; and the Saxon Hill Sports Complex, a new athletics and recreation facility atop Jericho Hill in the town of Alfred, scheduled to open next spring.
“Saxon Hill will enhance our ability to attract and retain student-athletes while providing expanded intramural and recreational opportunities for our entire campus community,” Heine noted. “These accomplishments have been amplified through their integration into a university-wide strategic plan and extraordinary philanthropic investment from Alfred’s supporters.”
Heine pointed out that the university’s success came at a time when the university was facing significant challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges to the financial aid systems (FAFSA) that help families prepare for college, and significant recent changes in federal policy with respect to higher education.
“Throughout his tenure at Alfred University, Mark has demonstrated an extraordinary combination of visionary leadership together with an ability to navigate the challenges of the moment,” Heine said.
”Mark has proven himself to be a trusted and impactful leader of Alfred University,” remarked Carolyn Clark ’90, Chair Emeritus of Alfred’s Board of Trustees. “It has been a privilege to partner with him, and I look forward to continued collaboration in furtherance of Alfred’s growth and success.”
