San Diego State University President Elliot Hirshman announced Wednesday he has accepted the presidency of Stevenson University in Maryland.
His last day at SDSU will be June 30. Hirshman has served as the president of SDSU since 2011.
“The last six years have been the most extraordinary period of my and Jeri’s professional lives,” Hirshman said. “The opportunity to work with the dedicated and talented students, faculty, staff, alumni and community supporters of San Diego State has inspired us, and it has been a privilege to contribute to the growth and development of this great university.”
During Hirshman’s time as SDSU’s eighth president, the university raised more than $785 million in private philanthropy and moved up 37 spots in the U.S. News & World Report’s influential ranking of America’s best educational institutions.
“Elliot has made an incredible impact on San Diego State University,” said California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White. “His focus on academic excellence and on life-changing educational opportunities for students from all backgrounds has contributed to SDSU’s emergence as a top public research university.”
White will visit the campus soon to discuss with the university community the skills and experiences desirable for an interim presidential appointment. The CSU plans to conduct a national search for Hirshman’s successor.
Prior to Hirshman’s appointment at SDSU, he served as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He also had been chief research officer at the George Washington University and chaired the Department of Psychology there and at the University of Colorado at Denver. He began his academic career, rising to the rank of full professor, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.