A historic inauguration ceremony on Friday, Sept. 27, will formally celebrate Peter O. Nwosu’s installation as the 11th president in the 163-year legacy of the institution now known as SUNY Oswego.

The official inauguration will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 27 in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall – named for the president immediately preceding Nwosu. For those unable to attend, the event will stream live on the university’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/sunyoswegovideo.

The inauguration will be the centerpiece for a week of activities that celebrate the strengths of the campus – including Founder’s Weekend, Green and Gold Day, the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, the Return to Oz Reunion of Color – as well as launching a new tradition in an annual Sheldon Lecture on Leadership and Service. Watch for more information on the week’s schedule.

Officially beginning his tenure on Aug. 15, 2023, Nwosu is both the first president of color and the first immigrant to take the helm of the institution founded by Edward Austin Sheldon in 1861, which became the vanguard of a revolutionary Oswego Method of interactive education. President Nwosu is keeping that innovative legacy going by launching Vision 4040, which will double the number of Oswego degrees by the year 2040 while meeting the needs of a transforming Central New York.

The inauguration ceremony will include special guest speaker and his educational mentor, Donald Taylor, an emeritus professor from California State University, Sacramento; student musical performances and readings; and more.

“The last time we inaugurated a new president was Deborah F. Stanley in September 1996, so we know this is going to be a very special occasion that will welcome our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni, many other institutions, and the family and friends of Dr. Nwosu,” said Mary Canale, vice president for University Advancement and inauguration committee co-chair. “President Nwosu has already greatly impressed us with his vision, his insight and his ability to connect with students, alumni and the great Laker community.”

“While celebrating Dr. Nwosu’s inauguration is the centerpiece, it’s a week when everything SUNY Oswego has to offer will truly shine,” said the other co-chair Rich Bush, associate professor and chair of the Technology Department. “Every day of the week has its own theme reflecting and celebrating the many outstanding features of SUNY Oswego, from our students to our alumni and from our academic excellence to our service to the community.”

While classes are not canceled for this event, faculty members are encouraged to bring their students to this historic event, organizers said.

About President Peter O. Nwosu

A passionate advocate for access to high-quality education for the nation’s increasingly diverse student body and a strong believer in the power of collaboration and shared governance, Nwosu announced a bold and inspiring vision for the university in September 2023, to increase upward mobility and support regional economic development. Titled Vision 4040: Expanding SUNY Oswego’s Promise, the plan aspires for a more educated region, leverages SUNY Oswego’s strengths and opportunities in Central New York, and commits to doubling the number of credentials from the university from 20,000 to 40,000 by the year 2040.

Coming to the U.S. from Nigeria, President Nwosu is an ardent advocate for student success and, in honor of his inauguration, the Transforming Lives Scholarship was created to provide resources to attract and retain more SUNY Oswego students to benefit from the transformative power of education. Alumni and other members of the campus community can support this initiative by donating at alumni.oswego.edu/transforminglives.

An American Council on Education fellow, Fulbright scholar, professor of communication studies, and author of more than 100 scholarly writings, including three books, President Nwosu joined SUNY Oswego from the City University of New York Herbert H. Lehman College in the Bronx, where he was provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and student success. 

Previously, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta; associate vice president for academic programs at California State University, Fullerton; and special assistant to the president and associate vice president for academic affairs, planning and assessment at Tennessee State University, Nashville.

A graduate of the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education, President Nwosu earned his Ph.D. in communication studies from Howard University, in Washington, D.C. President Nwosu serves on a number of local, regional and national organizations and boards, including as chair of the Oswego County Micron Strategy Steering Committee; a member of the board for CenterState CEO, Central New York’s premier business leadership and economic development organization; and as chair of the board of directors for the Institute for Higher Education Policy, based in Washington, D.C.

For more information about SUNY Oswego’s inauguration and week of activities, visit oswego.edu/inauguration.