Chancellor William E. Kirwan

University of Maryland University College is pleased to announce that Chancellor William E. Kirwan will address the Class of 2007.

On August 1, 2002, William English Kirwan became the third chancellor of the University System of Maryland. A widely respected academic leader, Dr. Kirwan served as president of Ohio State University for four years (1998-2002), and as president of the University of Maryland, College Park for 10 years (1988-1998). Prior to his presidency, he was a member of the University of Maryland faculty for 34 years.

Dr. Kirwan is also a nationally recognized authority on critical issues shaping the higher education landscape. He is a sought after speaker on a wide range of topics, including diversity, access and affordability, cost containment, accountability, economic impact, gender equity, financial aid, partnerships, and innovation. Along with his national and international presentations on key issues, Dr. Kirwan has authored several pieces and has been profiled as a national education leader in academic and mainstream publications.

In May 2006, Dr. Kirwan was appointed to serve on the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and is a member of the Business-Higher Education Forum. He is past Chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges' (NASULGC) Board of Directors and of the American Council on Education's Board. He is the current Chair of NASULGC's Committee on Student Learning and Accountability. He was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a member of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century and chaired the National Research Council's Commission on the Mathematical Sciences in the Year 2000, which produced the report titled Moving Beyond Myths: Revitalizing Undergraduate Mathematics, National Academy Press (1991). President Bush appointed Dr. Kirwan to the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore.

Dr. Kirwan received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Kentucky and his master's and doctoral degrees in mathematics from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 1962 and 1964 respectively. He is a member of several honorary and professional societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, the American Mathematical Society, and the Mathematical Association of America. A prolific scholar, he is co-editor of the book Advances in Complex Analysis and has published many articles on mathematical research.

The recipient of many honors, Dr. Kirwan has been elected to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni at both the University of Kentucky and Rutgers University. He also was selected to receive the Rutgers University award for Career Achievement on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of that university's graduate school. Dr. Kirwan received the 2004 National Innovators Award, the highest honor awarded by Minority Access, Inc., recognizing his commitment to diversity and to improving the recruitment and retention of minorities. In 2002, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In addition, Dr. Kirwan received the Maryland Senate's First Citizen of Maryland Award in 1998.

Dr. Kirwan is married to Patricia Harper Kirwan, also a graduate of the University of Kentucky and a classmate since seventh grade. They have two children, both University of Maryland alumni: William E. Kirwan III and Ann Kirwan Horton; and three grandchildren, Daly Elizabeth, Kyle, and Andrew.

Last updated: 13 March 2007