Kent Syverud

Last updated

Ruth Chi-Fen Chen
​
(m. 1982)​
[1]
Kent Syverud
Kent Syverud in 2014.jpg
Syverud in 2014
12th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 13, 2014
Education Georgetown University (BS)
University of Michigan (JD, MA)
Signature Signature of Kent Syverud.png

Kent Douglas Syverud (SIV-er-rood; born October 23, 1956) is an American legal scholar who has been serving as the 12th chancellor and president of Syracuse University since January 2014. He will step down as Syracuse chancellor in June 2026 and assume the role of the incoming 16th president of the University of Michigan on July 1, 2026. [2]

Contents

He respectively served as law school deans at Washington University in St. Louis in Missouri from 2005 to 2013 and at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee from 1997 to 2005. He served as associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Michigan Law School from 1995 to 1997.

Education

Syverud graduated from the public Irondequoit High School in Rochester, New York, in June 1974. [3]

Syverud received a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1977, as well as a Juris Doctor in 1981 and a Master of Arts in economics in 1983 from the University of Michigan. [4] A student at Michigan, he was a member of the Order of the Coif. [5]

Syverud passed the bar examination of Washington, D.C. in 1982. [6]

Career

Court clerkship

After graduating from law school, Syverud clerked for United States District Judge Louis F. Oberdorfer of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Syverud's closest mentors include retired United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, for whom he worked as a clerk soon after she became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court. [5] [7]

Teaching career and deanship

From 1987 to 1997, Syverud taught complex litigation, insurance law, and civil procedure at law schools at Vanderbilt University and at the University of Michigan. At the University of Michigan Law School, he received tenure in 1992 and served as the law school's associate dean for academic affairs from 1995 to 1997.[ citation needed ]

Syverud served as law school dean of Vanderbilt University from 1997 to 2005, where he was the Garner Anthony Professor of Law. Under Syverud, the law school underwent a US$24 million facility expansion that more than doubled its size and the number of faculty grew from 33 to 47 members. [8]

Syverud served as law school dean of Washington University in St. Louis from 2005 to 2013, where he was also appointed the Ethan A. H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor in 2005. [9]

Syracuse University

On September 12, 2013, Syverud was named the 12th chancellor and president of Syracuse University, succeeding Nancy Cantor. [1] He took office as chancellor on January 13, 2014, and was inaugurated on April 11, 2014. [10]

Syverud stabilized finances by erasing US$440 million inherited debt, completing a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign and doubling the endowment to above $2 billion. [11] [12] [13] He oversaw the $120 million renovation of the Carrier Dome, transformed the campus with a $500 million growth spurt with addition of three new dormitories on campus and converting apartment buildings and hotels into dorms. [14] [15] Prior to his tenure, only one new dorm had been built on campus in the previous 50 years. [11] Syverud oversaw the growth of Institute for Veterans and Military Families, located in the National Veterans Resource Center, which enrolls about 24,000 military members and their families in non-degree programs. [11] [16] He played a critical role in luring the Micron Technology's $100 billion chip factory project to the area, by growing its engineering school by investing $100 million over the five years, which included $20 million to develop a Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing. [11] In 2024, Syverud received the TIAA Institute's Hesburgh Award for leadership excellence. [17]

On August 26, 2025, Syverud announced that he would step down from the chancellorship and presidency after his twelve-year service, effective June 2026. [18] [19] [20]

University of Michigan

On January 12, 2026, the Regents of the University of Michigan named Syverud the incoming 16th president of the University of Michigan, succeeding interim president Domenico Grasso, effective July 1, 2026. [21] His five-year contract included an annual base salary of US$2 million and eligibility for a performance bonus of up to 30% of his salary each year. [22]

Social engagement

Syverud was listed twice among donors who contributed between US$5,000 and US$9,999 to the University of Michigan, in June 2008 [23] and again in September 2015. [24]

Syverud formerly served[ when? ] 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. [25] [26] Under his leadership, plan submitted by central New York council was selected for an Upstate Revitalization Initiative grant of $500 million. [27] [28] [29]

He formerly served[ when? ] 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. [30] [31] In 2016, he completed six years of service as one of the two trustees of the $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust. Syverud currently[ when? ] serves as the chair of the Atlantic Coast Conference Board of Directors. [32]

Personal life

Syverud married Ruth Chi-Fen Chen in 1982, and they have three children. [33] [1]

Ruth Chen graduated from the University of Michigan with a Doctor of Philosophy in toxicology in 1984 [34] and a Master of Public Health, as well as receiving a Master of Science in biomedical sciences from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. [35] Her doctoral dissertation was in environmental toxicology, titled In Vitro Metabolism of 1,1-Dichloroethylene by Rat Hepatic Mitochondria and Microsomes (Cytochrome P-450, Chlorinated Hydrocarbon, Hepatotoxicity). [34] Her doctoral mentor was Rory Clement Bards Conolly. [34] [36]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Boll, Carol (January 1, 2014). "Thoughtful Presence". Syracuse University Magazine . Vol. 31, no. 1. pp. 22–29. Retrieved March 6, 2024. 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
  2. ↑ "Kent Syverud elected next University of Michigan president | The University Record". record.umich.edu. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  3. ↑ "1974 Commencement, Irondequoit High School" (PDF). Monroe County GenWeb. June 25, 1974. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Syverud named dean of the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis". April 22, 2005. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Alumnus serves as Supreme Court clerk" (pdf). Law Quadrangle Notes. 29 (2). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Law School: 14. Winter 1985. hdl:2027.42/55599. ISSN   0458-8665 . Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Candidate Who Passed D.C. Bar Examination Listed". The Washington Post. November 24, 1982. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Stanford Law Review" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ "A Brief History of Vanderbilt University Law School". August 23, 2007. Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Washington University School of Law Faculty Profile". Archived from the original on August 18, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Chancellor Kent Syverud Inauguration | Syracuse University". inauguration.syr.edu. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Weiner, Mark (August 28, 2025). "Kent Syverud's humble focus led Syracuse University through a perilous time, colleagues say". Syracuse Post-Standard . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  12. ↑ Linhorst, Stan (April 11, 2023). "Kent Syverud on leadership: Aim high, ask questions, share credit, take blame". Syracuse Post-Standard . Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  13. ↑ Coin, Glenn (March 7, 2013). "Syracuse University's debt more than doubled under Chancellor Nancy Cantor's watch". Syracuse Post-Standard . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Syracuse University eyes $500 million in bonds to build 3 new dorms". Spectrum News 1 Central New York . March 26, 2025. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  15. ↑ Cazentre, Don (April 25, 2024). "Syracuse University has spent $143 million scooping up nearby properties. What's the plan?". Syracuse Post-Standard . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  16. ↑ Weiner, Mark (April 15, 2023). "Can America sustain a volunteer military? Syracuse summit to look for answers". Syracuse Post-Standard . Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  17. ↑ "TIAA Institute Honors Syracuse University's Kent Syverud with Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education". American Council on Education (Press release). March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud is stepping down". WRVO Public Media. August 26, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Syracuse University Chancellor to Step Down After 2025-26 Academic Year". Finger Lakes Daily News. August 26, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  20. ↑ "SU chancellor Syverud to step down at school year's end". Spectrum Local News. August 26, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud named University of Michigan president - CBS Detroit". www.cbsnews.com. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  22. ↑ "New University of Michigan President Kent Syverud inherits a host of challenges". AP News. January 14, 2026. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  23. ↑ "ITEM FOR INFORMATION – May 31, 2008 – REPORT ON VOLUNTARY SUPPORT – Received by the Regents June 19, 2008" (PDF). regents.umich.edu. p. 32. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  24. ↑ "ITEM FOR INFORMATION – July 31, 2015 – REPORT ON VOLUNTARY SUPPORT – Received by the Regents September 17, 2015" (PDF). regents.umich.edu. p. 31. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Chancellor Syverud Appointed Co-Chair of Regional Economic Development Council". Syracuse University. May 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud to co-chair regional economic council". Syracuse.com. May 1, 2014. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Central New York makes its case for $500 million in state economic aid". syracuse.com. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  28. ↑ "CNY RISING FROM THE GROUND UP" (PDF). ny.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Central New York a winner in Cuomo's $1.5 billion Upstate revival initiative". syracuse.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  30. ↑ "BP Froms Gulf of Mexico oil spill escrow trust" (Press release). Houston, London: BP Press Office. August 9, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  31. ↑ "WUSTL law dean to oversee $20 billion BP Gulf fund - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis". August 9, 2010. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  32. ↑ "ACC Council of Presidents Announces Constitution and By-Law Changes". SU News. June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  33. ↑ Duenke, Ken (April 28, 2005). "Syverud is named School of Law dean". Washington University in St. Louis. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  34. 1 2 3 "In Vitro Metabolism of 1,1-Dichloroethylene by Rat Hepatic Mitochondria and Microsomes (Cytochrome P-450, Chlorinated Hydrocarbon, Hepatotoxicity)". ProQuest. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Professor of Practice Dr. Ruth Chen - Chancellor – Syracuse University". chancellor.syr.edu. Archived from the original on January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Acute hepatotoxicity of plastics monomers: studies of ethylene and of some halogenated ethylenes in rats pretreated with polychlorinated biphenyl". ProQuest. Retrieved January 12, 2026.


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