The State University of New York (SUNY) brought on a new chancellor for the start of the academic year. Dr. Kristina M. Johnson was announced as the new chancellor by the SUNY Board of Trustees in April 2017 and officially took office on Sept. 5. Johnson is the 13th chancellor of the 64-school system.
Johnson studied at Stanford University for her undergraduate degree and stayed at the institution through her doctorate in electrical engineering. Johnson’s appointment as Chancellor is bolstered by her previous roles as the Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering and senior vice president and provost at Johns Hopkins.
Additionally, Johnson has experience in the fields of clean energy and environmental issues. Johnson was the CEO and co-founder of Cube Hydro Partners, LLC and helped to grow the company’s one hydropower plant into 19. She has also served as Under Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, managing a $10.5 billion Energy and Environment portfolio and $37 billion of investments in the same fields, according to her bio on the SUNY website.
Taking office in a turbulent political climate, Johnson has hopped into action, addressing multiple hot-button issues from the Charlottesville riots to the repeal of DACA.
“I feel strongly that my first responsibility as your chancellor is to address hatred clearly and unequivocally,” she said in her welcome address to SUNY campuses. “Bigotry has no part in our culture and we must oppose it at every turn.”