Honored to lead: Anne D’Alleva inaugurated as eighth president of Binghamton University

Eighty years of growth have propelled Binghamton University from humble beginnings to state-of-the-art facilities and the distinction of being named a Top Ten Public Ivy. 

What hasn’t changed, however, is a belief in higher education’s power to provide a successful future. During an Oct. 2 inauguration ceremony as Binghamton University’s eighth president, Anne D’Alleva pledged to use that belief to fuel the University’s continued growth as a leader in higher education and as one of the world’s top academic institutions.

“Higher education truly represents the best of what America, of what humanity, aspires to be,” D’Alleva told a packed Anderson Center Osterhout Theater during a formal inauguration ceremony that served as the centerpiece of eight events dedicated to the University’s 80^th birthday. 

D'Alleva encouraged Binghamton's students to ask bold questions and seek out opinions different from their own. She encouraged Binghamton's faculty to bring their most ambitious ideas forward and advance discovery by sharing their creative work with the world. She encouraged Binghamton staff to help build a University where every member of this community can thrive. She encouraged Binghamton's alumni to remain connected and share their experiences by mentoring students. And, she encouraged Binghamton's community partners to imagine more boldly what these valuable relationships can achieve.

“Together, let's make Binghamton a beacon of possibility, a University that shows what higher education can achieve, and whose light can reach far beyond our campus,” D'Alleva said. "Our students, faculty, and staff are doing great things today, and they also follow in the footsteps of those who came before them. It is an honor to be able to lead such a vibrant and ambitious university.”

The inauguration ceremony brought together State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr.,  SUNY Board Chair Merryl Tisch, SUNY trustees, senior University leadership, including Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald E. Hall, as well as deans and elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Josh Riley, New York state Sen. Lea Webb ’04, and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ’83. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries '92 and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer also gave video addresses.

“Binghamton has long stood as a pillar of higher education in our great state," Jeffries said. Under President D'Alleva's leadership, I have no doubt that our University will continue to flourish and rise to even greater heights.”

“Time and time again, you've proven yourself an effective leader, educator, and administrator, positively impacting countless student lives,” Schumer told D'Alleva in his message. “You, President D'Alleva, are just the right fit for a University that is advancing, for a University that is attracting among the best students in the world, for a University that is growing and finding new ways to provide good education for their kids with great futures, and also to provide jobs and and economic growth. Go Bearcats!”

At the ceremony's start, the Broome County Pipe and Drum Band drew cheers from the crowd as they led a processional in tribute to Robert Harpur, an eminent 18th-century New Yorker of Irish and Scottish heritage, whose name is linked with the University’s historic roots. The ceremony included musical performances by the Binghamton University Brass Quintet and University Chamber Singers, who sang the National Anthem. An invocation by Tadadoho Sid Hill of the Onondaga Nation, delivered in his native language, set the tone for an event recognizing D'Alleva's capabilities as a proven “servant leader.”

“President D’Alleva, we are thrilled to officially welcome you into the Binghamton family,” said Chinemerem Emenogu, president of the Student Association. “You’ll quickly find that our students thrive here both academically and personally, leaving fully prepared for whatever adventures await them next. We cannot wait to see what we will accomplish together.”

Jordan Traut-Jellad, vice president of the Graduate Student Organization, praised D’Alleva’s ability to carry the same spark that drives the kind of curiosity and ambition to be found in Binghamton’s graduate student population.

“You have already made graduate education a strategic priority, recognizing us as the future experts and innovators shaping our fields,” Traut-Jellad said of D’Alleva. “Under your leadership, graduate students will turn that investment into impact: here at the University, in our respective fields, and in those global communities we are already so closely woven into.”

The inauguration comes nearly a year after D’Alleva assumed the role in November 2025. Almost immediately, she began developing what became Forward Together: The Vision for Binghamton University, a five-year strategic plan that reflects the collective aspirations of the campus community.

Launched in August, the strategic plan focuses on expanding the University’s impact, deepening partnerships, and growing its leadership role in areas such as undergraduate research, graduate education, research partnerships and creative collaborations, and building bridges to combine resources throughout the region and around the world. 

Before coming to Binghamton, D’Alleva spent three years as the University of Connecticut’s provost (she was the first woman to serve as provost at the university) and executive vice president for academic affairs. D’Alleva, an art historian, also served for seven years as the dean of the School of Fine Arts at UConn.

As the president of Binghamton University, D’Alleva said she believes in the transformative power of education more than ever. Her own academic and career path was influenced by the examples set by her mother, a South Bronx native who earned her degree at the College of New Rochelle at a time when only 8% of women had done so, as well as each of her grandparents. 

Karen Jones, Binghamton University’s vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion, echoed D’Alleva’s sentiments that this inauguration ceremony is a celebration the entire campus community can share.

“We are committed to providing students with access to a life-changing education,” Jones said. “We strive to give faculty and staff the opportunity to engage in meaningful work. And Binghamton exists to fill the world with knowledge that improves our lives.”

King, who formally inaugurated D’Alleva as president during the ceremony, described helping Binghamton University fulfill its promise as a top-tier higher-education institution and an integral partner in the region as both a privilege and a great responsibility.

“We are confident that under your leadership, this institution, pursuing the highest traditions of teaching, scholarship, and public service, will continue its dedication to this region, to the state, the nation, and the world,” King told D’Alleva during the ceremony.

D’Alleva's closing remarks centered on how everything that Binghamton represented in its infancy and what it represents today continues to inspire her. The quest for learning and to bring others along on that journey, she said, is a noble aspiration. It was true at Binghamton's beginning, and it is true after 80 years.

Under her leadership, D'Alleva promised, Binghamton will make sure that’s still true tomorrow.