Steve Sartori Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw prepares to hand off his “big orange” hat to Nancy Cantor at a press conference announcing Cantor’s appointment as the University’s 11th Chancellor.

Chancellor-Elect's
              Message

From the very first, the Syracuse University community has made my family and me feel welcome and at home. Your warmth and enthusiasm have been so encouraging and inspiring, and we are delighted to join your family!

Syracuse University has a sure sense of its strengths and a clear vision of its future. First and foremost, it is a place with an unyielding commitment to students and learning, to creating a better world by contributing new knowledge and educating future leaders. It is a place that honors diversity and thrives on making connections—within the University community, among other scholars and institutions, and with its neighbors in the City of Syracuse. It is a place that demonstrates excellence in the arts, the sciences, and the professions, and celebrates the interdisciplinary work that brings them together.

I’m excited to join you in building on these successes. I’m eager to get to know you. I look forward to helping establish and maintain collaborations throughout New York State. I intend to work with all of you to create a vibrant scholarly community and a collaborative environment in which diverse communities are encouraged to share their perspectives, where it feels safe to take risks for positive change. And all the time, I’ll be working to keep human and financial resources flowing to ensure that Syracuse maintains its myriad voices in a vast array of national and international communities.

As alumni, you are one of the University’s most valuable links to the world. You represent a great pool of talent from which we can draw ideas and advice, as well as an intergenerational connection for students now on campus. You represent a set of possibilities for the future and a tie to the University’s traditions—its past, its culture, its life—and its evolution. You are superb ambassadors for the institution, as well as reminders for us of where to go and what’s out there.

I embrace these first weeks and months as a time for getting acquainted with you. I look forward to learning about your aspirations and understanding your challenges. You’ll see I am someone with strong convictions. I listen carefully and think things through. As Chancellor, I invite your ideas, participation, and support as we explore possibilities for changing lives and improving the world through discovery, innovation, and knowledge.Nancy Cantor
Chancellor-Elect