MARCY, N.Y. — SUNY Polytechnic Institute has announced Andrew Russell as the university’s new provost, a role he has held in an interim capacity since January.
“Given Dr. Russell’s reputation and the skill with which he steered our institutionthrough multiple transitions, I have complete confidence that he is the best person to lead SUNY Poly into the next phase of our academic evolution,” SUNY Poly PresidentWinston Soboyejo said in a news release. “My experience with Dr. Russell over the last seven months has shown that he is a thoughtful consensus-builder who is well-respected on our campus, within the SUNY system, in the global academic community, and with our partners in the Mohawk Valley.”
Soboyejo noted that Russell has been instrumental in many conversations with players in the semiconductor industry, Mohawk Valley EDGE and other stakeholders; in implementing the university’s seed grant and research center development efforts; and in working with Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Jennifer Adams, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Timothy Busch, and Griffiss Institute President/CEO and SUNY Poly Foundation board member Heather Hage on strategic planning efforts.
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“His leadership in various capacities over the past year and a half has set SUNY Poly on a very strong path,” he said. “Furthermore, Dr. Russell will remain a driving force in elevating the impact of SUNY Poly’s education, research, and innovation as we take our place as the state and nation’s premier public polytechnic.”
Russell joined SUNY Poly from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2016 as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In December 2022, he was asked to serve as the university’s officer-in-charge when acting president Dr. Tod A. Laursen left. In that role, Russell also worked with the campus community as well as peers at the University at Albany and the SUNY system to navigate the transfer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering back to Albany.
He also assisted Soboyejo with his transition last October as SUNY Poly’s seventh president and participated in several key initiatives as deputy to the president for strategy and planning from October to December 2023 before serving as interim provost.
“I’m excited to serve as SUNY Poly’s provost and work with my peers on the university’s leadership team to build on the positive momentum we’ve seen in the last year and a half,” Russell said. “Moreover, I look forward to supporting and engaging our tremendous faculty, working collaboratively to grow our academic offerings to continue meeting the needs of current and prospective students, as well as those of industry partners. Our growth in research and education could not be more timely, given the momentous growth of the Mohawk Valley region and New York state have been seeing in several sectors such as health care, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing.”
Russell is an accomplished scholar and author with research focusing primarily on historical and contemporary aspects of computing, infrastructure, and technology. He is the co-author of three books, has published more than two dozen peer-reviewed papers, and has engaged audiences through numerous media interviews and essays.
Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Vassar College, a master of artsdegree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a doctorate in the history of science, medicine, and technology from Johns Hopkins University.
