Kent Syverud

{{short description|American academic and University Administrator}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kent D. Syverud

| image = Kent Syverud in 2014.jpg

| caption = Syverud in 2014

| birth_place = Irondequoit, New York, U.S.

| spouse = Ruth Chen

| website = [https://chancellor.syr.edu/ Syracuse University's Chancellor and President]

| awards =

| title1 = Chancellor and President of Syracuse University

| order1 = 12th

| predecessor1 = Nancy Cantor

| term_start1 = January 13, 2014

| term_end1 =

| office2 = Dean of Washington University School of Law

| term_start2 = 2005

| term_end2 = 2013

| office3 = Dean of Vanderbilt University Law School

| term_start3 = 1997

| term_end3 = 2005

| term_start4 =

| term_end4 =

| education = Georgetown University (BA)
University of Michigan (JD, MA)

}}

Kent D. Syverud is the 12th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University. He began his term of office on January 13, 2014. He was previously the dean at Washington University School of Law and Vanderbilt University Law School.

Education and early career

Syverud earned a bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1977, a Juris Doctor 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.{{cite web|url=http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/5163.html|title=Syverud named dean of the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis|date=22 April 2005|access-date=1 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512033755/http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/5163.html|archive-date=12 May 2008|url-status=live}}

At Michigan, he was awarded the Henry M. Bates Memorial Scholarship, the Abram W. Sempliner Memorial Award, the Joel D. and Shelby Tauber Scholarship Award, and the Clifton M. Kolb Law Scholarship, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.{{cite journal |title=Alumnus serves as Supreme Court clerk |journal=Law Quadrangle Notes |date=Winter 1985 |volume=29 |issue=2 |page=14 |url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/55599 |access-date=10 June 2020 |publisher=University of Michigan Law School |location=Ann Arbor, MI |hdl=2027.42/55599 |language=en |format=pdf |issn=0458-8665}}

After graduating from law school, Syverud clerked for U.S. District Judge Louis F. Oberdorfer. Syverud counts among his closest mentors retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, for whom he clerked shortly after she became the first woman named to the Supreme Court bench.{{cite web|url=http://lawreview.stanford.edu/content/vol58/issue6/syverud.pdf|title=Stanford Law Review|access-date=1 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629194216/http://lawreview.stanford.edu/content/vol58/issue6/syverud.pdf|archive-date=29 June 2007|url-status=live}}

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. Under Syverud, the law school underwent a $24 million facility expansion that more than doubled its size and the number of faculty grew from 33 to 47 members.{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Vanderbilt University Law School |url=http://law.vanderbilt.edu/about-the-school/history/index.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823030327/http://law.vanderbilt.edu/about-the-school/history/index.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 August 2007 |access-date=10 June 2020 |date=23 August 2007}}

Syverud served as dean of the Washington University School of Law from 2005 to 2013, where he was also the Ethan A. H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor in 2005.{{Cite web |url=http://law.wustl.edu/Faculty/index.asp?id=1665 |title=Washington University School of Law Faculty Profile |access-date=2007-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818034230/http://law.wustl.edu/Faculty/index.asp?id=1665 |archive-date=2007-08-18 |url-status=live }}

Syracuse University Chancellor and President

On September 12, 2013, Syverud was named the 12th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University, succeeding Nancy Cantor.{{cite magazine |last1=Boll |first1=Carol |title=Thoughtful Presence |magazine=Syracuse University Magazine |date=1 January 2014 |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=22–29 |url=https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol31/iss1/6/ |access-date=6 March 2024 |quote=Chancellor Kent Syverud is Known and Admired for a Leadership Style that Reflects His Personable Nature, Sharp Intellect, Passion for Listening, and Commitment to Helping Others Achieve Success}} He formally took office as Chancellor on January 13, 2014, and was inaugurated on April 11, 2014.{{Cite web|url=http://inauguration.syr.edu|title=Chancellor Kent Syverud Inauguration {{!}} Syracuse University|website=inauguration.syr.edu|access-date=2017-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519034201/http://inauguration.syr.edu/|archive-date=2017-05-19|url-status=live}}

During Syverud's term, high-profile schools and programs at Syracuse retained their top rankings. Additionally, he successfully stabilized SU's finances, oversaw the renovation of the Carrier Dome, transformed a campus street into a pedestrian walkway, oversaw the construction of new buildings such as the National Veterans Resource Center, and played a critical role in luring the Micron Technology's $100 billion chip factory project to the area.{{cite news |last1=Linhorst |first1=Stan |title=Kent Syverud on leadership: Aim high, ask questions, share credit, take blame |url=https://www.syracuse.com/news/2023/04/kent-syverud-on-leadership-aim-high-ask-questions-share-credit-take-blame.html |access-date=11 April 2023 |work=Syracuse Post-Standard |date=11 April 2023 |language=en}}

In 2024, Syverud received the TIAA Institute's Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence.{{cite press release |title=TIAA Institute Honors Syracuse University's Kent Syverud with Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education |url=https://www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pages/Syverud-2024-Hesburgh-Award.aspx |access-date=4 March 2024 |work=American Council on Education |date=4 March 2024}}

Public service

In addition to his higher education leadership, Syverud previously 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.{{cite news|title=Chancellor Syverud Appointed Co-Chair of Regional Economic Development Council|url=http://news.syr.edu/chancellor-syverud-appointed-co-chair-of-regional-economic-development-council-14801/|publisher=Syracuse University|date=May 2, 2014|access-date=July 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914190245/http://news.syr.edu/chancellor-syverud-appointed-co-chair-of-regional-economic-development-council-14801/|archive-date=September 14, 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud to co-chair regional economic council|url=http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/05/syracuse_university_chancellor_kent_syverud_to_co-chair_regional_economic_counci.html|publisher=Syracuse.com|date=May 1, 2014|access-date=July 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916231908/http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/05/syracuse_university_chancellor_kent_syverud_to_co-chair_regional_economic_counci.html|archive-date=September 16, 2016|url-status=live}} Under his leadership, plan submitted by central New York council was selected for an Upstate Revitalization Initiative grant of $500 million.{{Cite news|url=http://www.syracuse.com/business-news/index.ssf/2015/10/central_new_york_makes_its_case_for_500_million_in_state_economic_aid_1.html|title=Central New York makes its case for $500 million in state economic aid|work=syracuse.com|access-date=2017-05-18|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705153540/http://www.syracuse.com/business-news/index.ssf/2015/10/central_new_york_makes_its_case_for_500_million_in_state_economic_aid_1.html|archive-date=2017-07-05|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/CNYREDC_URI_FinalPlan.pdf|title=CNY RISING FROM THE GROUND UP|website=ny.gov|access-date=May 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629035116/https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/CNYREDC_URI_FinalPlan.pdf|archive-date=June 29, 2017|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.syracuse.com/business-news/index.ssf/2015/12/central_new_york_a_winner_in_cuomos_15_billion_upstate_revival_initiative.html|title=Central New York a winner in Cuomo's $1.5 billion Upstate revival initiative|work=syracuse.com|access-date=2017-05-18|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303090023/http://www.syracuse.com/business-news/index.ssf/2015/12/central_new_york_a_winner_in_cuomos_15_billion_upstate_revival_initiative.html|archive-date=2017-03-03|url-status=live}}

He also previously served as one of two independent trustees of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust., a $20 billion fund to pay claims arising from the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.{{cite press release |author= |title=BP Froms Gulf of Mexico oil spill escrow trust |url= https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/press-releases/bp-forms-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-escrow-trust.html |location=Houston, London |publisher=BP Press Office|date=9 August 2010 |access-date=2020-05-29}}{{cite news|url=http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21000.aspx|title=WUSTL law dean to oversee $20 billion BP Gulf fund - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis|date=9 August 2010|access-date=1 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110122310/https://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21000.aspx|archive-date=10 January 2016|url-status=live}} In 2016 he completed six years of service as one of the two trustees of the $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust.

He has previously served as a Commissioner for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education {{Cite web|url=https://news.syr.edu/blog/2019/01/22/chancellor-appointed-to-2019-middle-states-commission-on-higher-education-executive-committee/|title=Chancellor Appointed to 2019 Middle States Commission on Higher Education Executive Committee|date=22 January 2019 }} and as Chair of the Law School Admissions Council.{{Cite web|url=https://michigan.law.umich.edu/quick-links/about-michigan-law/michigan-law-history|title=Michigan Law History | University of Michigan Law School|website=michigan.law.umich.edu}}

Syverud currently serves as the chair of the Atlantic Coast Conference Board of Directors.{{cite news |title=ACC Council of Presidents Announces Constitution and By-Law Changes |url=https://news.syr.edu/blog/2020/06/23/acc-council-of-presidents-announces-constitution-and-by-law-changes/ |access-date=4 July 2020 |work=SU News |date=June 23, 2020}} He serves on the boards of The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ex-officio), Crouse Hospital and Boy Scouts of America Longhouse Council.