SUNY appoints Purchase College's first Hispanic president

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Trustees of the nation’s largest university system on Friday appointed the first Hispanic, female president to lead one of its top-rated colleges.

The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name Milagros “Milly” Peña as the new president of Purchase College after a nationwide search.

Peña is currently a dean at the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the University of California, Riverside and a sociologist. She was also the first in her family to attend college and receive a high school diploma.

“I was drawn to Purchase for its distinctive strength in the liberal arts and the arts and the diverse and inclusive community that values individuality and fully embraces the motto ‘think wide open,’” Peña said in a release Friday.

Her appointment makes her the sixth president of Purchase College and the first of Hispanic heritage. Peña grew up in Manhattan as the daughter of Dominican immigrants.

“One our highest priorities is to equip our campuses with strong, proven leaders, with exemplary track records who possess the deepest commitment to education necessary to deliver the world-class education our students deserve and expect,” said SUNY Chairman Merryl H. Tisch.