Muriel A. Howard was named president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in April 2009. She is the first African-American to lead one of the six presidentially-based higher education associations in Washington, D.C. She is also AASCU’s first female president. In her new role, Howard is an advocate for public higher education at the national level, working to influence federal policy and regulations on behalf of member colleges and universities and serving as a resource to presidents and chancellors as they address state policy and emerging campus issues. Formerly the president of Buffalo State College, State University of New York, from 1996 to 2009, Howard led a campus of more than 11,000 students, approximately 1,700 faculty and staff, and a financial operation of more than $214 million. Prior to joining Buffalo State, she was the vice president for public service and urban affairs at the University at Buffalo, where she served in various leadership capacities over a 23-year period. A graduate of the City University of New York’s Richmond College, Howard holds a master’s degree in education and a doctor of philosophy in educational organization, administration, and policy from the University at Buffalo. She earned a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.
Muriel A. Howard, Ph.D.