SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher has announced that will recommend Virginia Schaefer Horvath to serve as the next president of SUNY Fredonia.
The appointment will be considered by the SUNY Board of Trustees at the next meeting March 28, 2012.
“We are so fortunate to have found such a perfect fit for leadership at SUNY Fredonia,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “Dr. Horvath’s proven commitment to improving academics and bringing education into the Western New York community will serve her well in her new role as president. She has an impressive legacy to build upon and I know she will exceed the expectations of students, faculty, staff, and alumni alike.”
Dr. Horvath currently serves as the vice president for academic affairs at SUNY Fredonia. She has held the position since 2005.
Horvath was selected and endorsed out of a pool of more than 50 candidates and five finalists by a 15-member search committee before being recommended by Chancellor Zimpher.
If appointed by the Board of Trustees, she would take office on July 1, becoming the first female president in the Fredonia campus’ 186-year history. Her selection concludes a national search aided by R. H. Perry & Associates, which began in September 2011 and drew candidates from across the U.S.
Horvath is a native of Western New York and was born and raised in Amherst, N.Y. She is a SUNY graduate and earned a bachelor of arts in English from the University at Buffalo. Horvath received her master's and Ph.D in English at Kent State.