OSWEGO, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego inaugurated Peter Nwosu as the school’s 11th president in a ceremony held Sept. 27.
The event attracted observers from the campus and Oswego community as well as “guests from around the world,” culminating a week of activities focusing on the institution and its future, SUNY Oswego said in its announcement.
The inauguration featured remarks from the president and other dignitaries as well as opportunities to showcase students and other campus community members in poetry and song.
“Today marks an extraordinary moment in our collective journey, and I am both humbled and thrilled to stand before you as the 11th president of the State University of New York at Oswego,” Nwosu said, per the announcement.
Nwosu related his experience coming to the U.S. from Nigeria as an immigrant student, and how he kept the pair of shoes he brought with him.
“Those shoes humble me, those shoes center me, and those shoes remind me of the journey that brought me here, highlighting the transformative power of education,” Nwosu said. “The students who come to us each year come in their own shoes, seeking opportunities to improve their lives and their communities. Those shoes serve as a powerful reminder of our shared purpose and the profound moral responsibility we have to ensure that every student who comes to us completes their education and goes on to serve our region, our nation and the world.”
To help serve students and the region, Nwosu reiterated the university’s commitment to a Vision 4040 plan to double the number of degrees and quality credentials provided by SUNY Oswego from 20,000 for the previous decade to 40,000 by the year 2040.
“Our Vision 4040 is a challenge, a powerful challenge and a call to action aimed at fostering a more educated region, enhancing upward mobility and developing the talent required for advancing our region’s economic growth,” he noted.
Those attending the ceremony included SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. He was joined by SUNY Trustee Eunice Lewin; SUNY Oswego College Council Chair Jim McMahon; and SUNY Oswego Faculty Assembly Chair Gwen Kay. They presented Nwosu with the ceremonial hood and presidential medallion to officially install him as Oswego’s 11th president.