Kent Syverud

Kent D. Syverud
Chancellor and President of Syracuse University
Incumbent
Assumed office January 13, 2014
Preceded by	Nancy Cantor
Dean of Washington University School of Law
In office 2005–2014
Dean of Vanderbilt University Law School
In office 1997–2005
Personal details
Spouse(s)	Dr. Ruth Chen
Children	3
Alma mater	Georgetown University (B.A.) University of Michigan (J.D., M.A.)
Profession	Lawyer

Kent D. Syverud is the 12th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University, commencing his term of office on January 13, 2014. A legal scholar and academician, Syverud earned distinction as a strategic thinker and visionary leader who has put forward a bold strategic plan to position the Syracuse University for growth and recognition as a thriving global research university.^[1]

Chancellor Syverud is married to Dr. Ruth Chen, an accomplished environmental toxicologist and professor of practice at Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. They are the parents of three grown sons: Steven, Brian, and David; and one granddaughter.

Education and early career

Syverud earned a bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1977, a law degree magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981, and a master's degree in economics from the University of Michigan in 1983.^[2] After graduating from law school, Syverud clerked for U.S. District Judge Louis F. Oberdorfer, and then for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor during the October 1984 term,^[3] shortly after she became the first woman named to the Supreme Court bench. Later, in private practice, Syverud was an associate at the Washington, D.C., law firm of WilmerHale.

Professor of law

From 1987 to 1997, Syverud taught complex litigation, insurance law, and civil procedure at Vanderbilt University and at the University of Michigan Law School, where he earned tenure in 1992 and advanced to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in 1995.

Syverud served as Dean of the Vanderbilt University Law School from 1997 to 2005, where he was the Garner Anthony Professor of Law. He became dean of the Washington University School of Law and the Ethan A. H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor in 2005.^[4] Syverud has been a Visiting Professor at the Cornell Law School, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law and Politics.^[5]

He continues to teach at Syracuse University as a member of the College of Law and School of Education faculties.^[6]

Syverud's scholarly work focuses on legal education, complex litigation, insurance, and civil procedure. He is the author of numerous articles on these subjects and is a former editor of the Journal of Legal Education.

Syracuse University Chancellor and President

On September 12, 2013, Syverud was named the 12th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University, succeeding Nancy Cantor.

At Syracuse, he identified four key institutional priorities: (1) providing an outstanding undergraduate experience; (2) empowering research excellence; (3) fostering and supporting change and innovation; and (4) positioning Syracuse as the best university in the world for veterans. Syverud also launched a three-pronged initiative, Fast Forward Syracuse,^[7] to achieve these ambitious goals. Part of that initiative is an academic strategic planning process^[8] that builds on historic institutional strengths, positions Syracuse University to anticipate and quickly respond to emerging challenges and opportunities, and aligns the academic goals with a new framework^[9] for the physical transformation of the main campus.

A native of Irondequoit in Upstate New York, Chancellor Syverud came to Syracuse from Washington University in St. Louis, where he served as dean and the Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at the School of Law.

An elected member of the American Law Institute, Syverud’s scholarship has addressed negotiation, civil litigation, dispute resolution, and higher education.

Public service

In addition to his higher education leadership, Chancellor Syverud served as co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council, part of a statewide network created by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to help spur economic growth throughout the state.^[10][11]

He also serves as one of two independent trustees of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust.,^[12] a $20 billion fund to pay claims arising from the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

More recently, Syverud was appointed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Academic Advisory Council, where he, and other academic leaders, advises DHS on homeland security, career opportunities for graduates, campus resilience and academic research.

In January 2017, Syverud will begin a two-year term as Commissioner for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. In this new role, Chancellor Syverud will work with his colleagues to refine and implement accreditation standards and define the strategic direction and processes of the Commission.

References

Further reading

• Brief Discussion by Vanderbilt University About Their Former Deans