Dr. Muriel A. Howard, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, will be speaker for spring commencement.
The graduation ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. May 15 in the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.Graduation practice is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Assembly Center.
Dr. Howard is the first African-American to lead one of the six presidentially based higher education associations in Washington. She is also AASCU’s first female president.As AASCU president, Dr. Howard is an advocate for public higher education at the national level, working to influence federal policy and regulations on behalf of colleges and universities. She serves as a resource to presidents and chancellors as they address state policy and emerging campus issues.
A graduate of the City University of New York’s Richmond College, Dr. Howard holds a master’s degree in education and a doctor of philosophy in educational organization, administration, and policy from the University at Buffalo.
Her professional and scholarly interests include support of education, educational leadership, and a long-standing personal commitment to public service.
Formerly the president of Buffalo State College in New York, Dr. Howard’s volunteer involvement with AASCU includes serving as chair of the board of directors (2006-2007) and committee and commission memberships that include the Voluntary System of Accountability Presidential Advisory Committee, the Millennium Leadership Initiative, the Commission on Public University Renewal, and the Alliance for Regional Stewardship. Dr. Howard also served as a faculty member for AASCU’s New Presidents Academy.
As president of Buffalo State College from 1996 to 2009, Dr. Howard led a campus of more than 11,000 students, approximately 1,700 faculty and staff, and a financial operation of more than $214 million.
Prior to joining Buffalo State, she was the vice president for public service and urban affairs at the University at Buffalo, where she served in various leadership capacities during a 23-year period.
She earned a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University. She has also received many awards for her contributions to public higher education, for service to the community, and for her commitment to diversity.