Accomplished academic leader brings deep experience in higher education, public policy, and liberal arts advocacy
Melinda Treadwell, PhD, was appointed the 14th president of SUNY Geneseo by the (SUNY) Board of Trustees during its meeting on September 16. She will assume the role on October 27.
Treadwell currently serves as president of Keene State College in New Hampshire and brings to Geneseo more than two decades of leadership in higher education, scientific research, and public service.
She succeeds Denise A. Battles, PhD, who served as Geneseo’s president for ten years before stepping down this summer. Mary C. Toale, EdD, Geneseo’s provost, has served as officer-in-charge since August 25 during the leadership transition.
“Melinda Treadwell brings a long and successful record of service as an academic, administrator, and researcher in both public and private sectors,” said SUNY Chancellor Jr. “She is a steadfast advocate for public higher education and understands the vital role of a strong liberal arts foundation. We are pleased to welcome her to the SUNY system.”
Formally inaugurated in 2019, Treadwell has served as president of Keene State College since 2017. Before that, she held multiple leadership positions at Keene State, including interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, and dean of professional and graduate studies. She joined the college’s faculty in 2000 in the Department of Safety and Occupational Health Applied Sciences.
“I am honored to be appointed as the next president of SUNY Geneseo and to join a campus community so deeply rooted in academic excellence, public purpose, and a clear sense of mission,” said Treadwell. “Geneseo’s identity as New York’s public honors college is compelling and critically important to the future of the region and state.”
Treadwell’s academic and policy work spans higher education leadership, federally funded research, and science-informed public policy. She has served as principal investigator on several national projects and is a co-author of a book on ethical decision-making in environmental and occupational health. Her early career included roles in the private sector as a toxicologist and public health policy advisor, where she helped shape environmental health standards related to air quality, diesel exhaust, and particulate matter.
“I thank Chancellor King, Chair Merryl H. Tisch, the Board of Trustees, Search Chair Christian Valentino, and the Presidential Search Committee for their trust and confidence,” Treadwell said. “I look forward to working with Geneseo’s students, faculty, and staff to innovate, expand access, and deliver on the college’s mission, vision, and values.”
A first-generation college graduate, Treadwell earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial safety with a minor in chemistry from Keene State College. She holds a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology from Dartmouth Medical School, where her dissertation focused on vascular endothelial responses to mineral fibers.
“President Treadwell brings to SUNY Geneseo a profound understanding of public higher education and an unwavering commitment to student success,” said Toale. “Her appointment signals an exciting new chapter for the College, and I am confident that her leadership will be instrumental as we continue to advance our mission as a public liberal arts, equity-centered honors college. I look forward to the energy, vision, and strategic insight she will contribute to our campus community.”
A Rigorous, Inclusive Search
The SUNY Geneseo College Council guided the work of a 17-member Presidential Search Committee, which included faculty, students, staff, alums, a SUNY campus president, and a representative of the SUNY Geneseo Foundation, as well as non-voting liaisons from SUNY Geneseo and the SUNY Chancellor’s Office. The committee incorporated input from the campus community as it evaluated candidates and advanced recommendations to the College Council, which then submitted a final slate to Chancellor King and the Board of Trustees.
“Having had the opportunity to meet and converse with Dr. Melinda Treadwell on numerous occasions, I am confident that Dr. Treadwell is perfectly suited to lead SUNY Geneseo in advancing its mission and reinforcing its position as SUNY’s equity-centered public honors college,” said Valentino, chair of the Presidential Search Committee and member of the Geneseo College Council. “Dr. Treadwell is an exceptionally talented individual who shares our deep commitment to providing a high-impact liberal arts education. I earnestly encourage everyone to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Treadwell and to actively support her in her endeavors as the next president. As the chair of the search committee and a longstanding member of SUNY Geneseo’s College Council, I am sincerely excited about the future of SUNY Geneseo.”
Treadwell has also held leadership roles with national organizations, including the , the NCAA Division III Management Council and Presidents Advisory Group, the , and the New Hampshire College and University Council.
“SUNY Geneseo is a cornerstone of academic excellence within the SUNY system,” the Board of Trustees said in a statement. “Its reputation for high-achieving students and exceptional faculty is well earned. We thank the Presidential Search Committee for identifying an outstanding new leader in Melinda Treadwell.”