Dr. Muriel A. Howard has served as the president of Buffalo State College since 1996. Dr. Howard’s professional and scholarly interests include support of education, educational leadership, and a long-standing personal commitment to public service.
Under her leadership, the college has increased and enhanced academic programs and services. A new general education program, Intellectual Foundations, was instituted in 2006 that requires all freshmen to enroll in courses that develop the skills and habits of the mind required for a life of intellectual curiosity and civic engagement.
In addition to teacher preparation, the college has become known for its leadership in arts and culture, inaugurating the new $30 million Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College in November of 2008. Including the new art center, the college is investing over $350 million in new capital construction projects. This summer, a new science and math complex and a new 503-bed apartment-style residence hall will be under construction. The main academic quad will be completely renovated and a project is under way to provide access to Internet 2. The School of the Professions, one of the fastest-growing schools on campus, will begin construction on a new technology building in the fall of 2010.
Dr. Howard is involved in the leadership development of students through course instruction and seminars. In addition, Dr. Howard mentors new college presidents and trains those aspiring to become college presidents through her affiliation with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) New Presidents' Academy and Millennium Leadership Initiative.
President Howard is a past chair of the AASCU board of directors, which is one of many national board positions she holds. She also serves on the Air University Board of Visitors, a post appointed by the secretary of defense. President Howard devotes time and professional service to numerous local and regional boards and organizations, as well as to the State University of New York (SUNY) through participation in committees and advisory councils.
She has received awards for her contributions to public higher education, service to the community, and her commitment to diversity.
A graduate of the City University of New York’s Richmond College, President Howard holds a master’s degree in education and a doctor of philosophy in educational organization, administration, and policy from the University at Buffalo. She earned a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.
Prior to coming to Buffalo State, Dr. Howard was the vice president for public service and urban affairs at the University at Buffalo, where she served in various leadership capacities over a 23-year period.
She is the seventh president of Buffalo State and the college’s first female president.
