Ryan, a nationally and internationally recognized figure in higher education who is widely consulted on issues concerning university organization and management, was appointed July 1 by a unanimous vote of the SUNY Board of Trustees. He was recommended to the board of trustees by the four SUNY university center presidents.

"Jack Ryan is recognized as one of the most successful and respected leaders in American higher education," noted Thomas F. Egan, chair of the SUNY Board of Trustees. "My colleagues and I on the board take great pride in naming him interim chancellor and look forward to working with him over the months ahead."

President of Indiana University from 1971 to 1987, Ryan also was the first chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Boston from 1965 to 1968. In addition, he has served as interim president at two other colleges: Florida Atlantic University in 1989 and the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1994.

"As interim president of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, he brought a sense of renewed vigor to that institution," Egan said. "We are delighted that Chancellor Ryan will be joining us at this important period in the life of the State University to provide the academic and administrative leadership necessary to move us to the front ranks of American higher education."

Egan added that Ryan's experience at Indiana University would help SUNY to lay the groundwork for major improvements in academic quality, student recruitment, campus life, external fund raising and overall management and accountability. "Dr. Ryan has our unanimous support to be a strong, creative and energetic leader, bringing a new sense of excitement and accomplishment to the State University," Egan said.

As interim chancellor, Ryan will assist the SUNY Board of Trustees in its search for a new chancellor. He also plans to develop a pool of potential candidates for campus presidents.

Ryan has indicated that as interim chancellor he will seek substantial progress on a number of initiatives, including giving campuses greater control over their financial and administrative affairs; reviewing the academic missions and standards of SUNY's 64 campuses; increasing SUNY's accountability to parents, students, taxpayers and other stakeholders by issuing a comprehensive campus-by-campus performance report; overhauling the existing Resource Allocation Method to allocate university revenues among campuses, placing more emphasis on performance and less on costs; and encouraging campuses to identify additional non-tax sources of revenue.

Ryan holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from Indiana University, and a B.A. from the University of Utah. He is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and other prestigious awards and recognitions.

He was the first chair of the Presidents Commissions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and later served as a consultant to the group. He also was chair of the National Advisory Board on International Education Programs, which advised the Secretary of Education on Title VI matters. In addition, Ryan holds leadership positions and is a member of numerous professional, civic and fraternal organizations.