Syracuse University to inaugurate Chancellor Syverud April 11

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University (SU) will inaugurate Kent Syverud as its 12th chancellor and president on April 11 with an afternoon ceremony and other campus events.

The formal inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. inside Hendricks Chapel, with an academic procession beginning at 3:30 p.m., SU said in a news release. Tickets are required to attend, SU said, with more details coming in the next few weeks.

The procession will include SU student, faculty, and staff representatives; delegates from colleges and universities, both in the region and nationwide; and Ruth Chen, the chancellor’s spouse and a professor of practice in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science.

It will also include other chancellor guests, members of the board of trustees, deans, senior university leaders, and invited guests, SU said.

The university has also invited retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to participate. Syverud served as O’Connor’s law clerk in 1984, SU said.

The inauguration ceremony will include greetings from student, faculty, and alumni representatives; reflections from Justice O’Connor; and remarks by Chancellor Syverud.

Richard Thompson, chairman of the SU board of trustees, will provide the official charge of office and medal presentation.

The day’s activities will begin with a “1.2” mile inaugural run across campus, with students, faculty, and staff invited to participate beginning that morning at 7 a.m. The school will also hold an academic symposium prior to the inaugural ceremony.

The day will conclude with food, music, and entertainment in a tent on the Shaw Quad.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com