Upon the recommendation of State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras, the SUNY Board of Trustees today appointed Alberto J.F. Cardelle as president of SUNY Oneonta. The appointment was announced by the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Malatras, and is effective on September 6, 2021.
“From our first meeting with Dr. Cardelle, I was impressed, and the entire search committee was unanimous that he would be the ideal candidate for SUNY Oneonta,” said SUNY Board Vice Chairman Cesar Perales. “His abilities go beyond his resume, which is extraordinary, as he shares a passion for creating a more equitable system in which students can thrive. As a first-generation American, Dr. Cardelle knows what it means to make one’s own way, striving to better oneself as our students do every day. Having pioneered programs like the Deans’ Anti-Racism Fund at FSU and the Hispanic Male Mentoring program, we are excited to see what Dr. Cardelle brings to SUNY Oneonta in a time when equity and inclusion needs to be at the forefront of our decision making.”
“Dr. Cardelle is an exceptional leader and we are lucky to have him join the SUNY community. Dr. Cardelle is a staunch advocate for students who has a distinguished record of not only providing more access and opportunities for students, but making sure students thrive academically,” said Chancellor Malatras. “He joins SUNY Oneonta at a pivotal moment, and I have no doubt that he will bring the campus to new heights. Thanks to College Council President Patrick Brown for leading the search process and a special thanks to Acting President Dennis Craig for leading the campus through this leadership transition.”
SUNY Oneonta College Council Chair Patrick Brown said, “I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Alberto Cardelle as SUNY Oneonta’s ninth president. Over the course of his 20-year career in higher education administration, Dr. Cardelle has demonstrated leadership and strategic vision in establishing collaborative, innovative programs that have led to growth in enrollment and a greater focus on student success. I am confident that Dr. Cardelle’s commitment to accessible higher education and strong record of promoting academic excellence will serve SUNY Oneonta well.”
President Cardelle said, “Higher education provides us with the knowledge to succeed, and just as important a sense of community that is a vehicle for providing students with equity of opportunity. Accessible higher education is transformational for the individual and society as whole. That is at the forefront of what drives me in my career, and I look forward to working with SUNY Oneonta’s faculty and staff to that end. My family and I will soon make Oneonta our home, and I can’t wait to meet our new neighbors throughout the city and the surrounding area. My thanks to the SUNY Board of Trustees, Chancellor Malatras, and the College Council of SUNY Oneonta for this opportunity.”
About Alberto J.F. Cardelle, Ph.D., MPH
As Fitchburg State University’s (FSU) provost and vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Alberto Cardelle, provides vision, leadership and strategic direction to the faculty and staff in academic affairs, which includes the schools of Arts & Sciences, Health & Natural Sciences, Business, Education, and Online, Graduate & Continuing Education. He also oversees admissions, student success services, international education, the library and the registrar. Previously, Cardelle spent 15 years at East Stroudsburg University (ESU), where he began his academic career as an assistant professor of public health in 1999, became department chair in 2001, and served as vice-provost, dean of the Graduate College and dean of the College of Health Sciences.
During his tenure at both institutions, Cardelle has championed academic excellence. As provost, he led the development and implementation of the university’s new outcome-based general education curriculum. The new core curriculum includes a First Year Experience course for all incoming first-time students and a requirement that all students complete a high-impact practice course involving internships, undergraduate research, international education or civic engagement. At both FSU and ESU, he has worked with faculty to develop more than 20 new degree programs, including certificates, minors, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and a doctoral degree in the health sciences, criminal justice, education, business, computer science and the humanities.
A Commitment to Accessible Higher Education
With a strong commitment to accessible higher education, Cardelle has focused on developing student-centered programs across academic units that encourage innovative approaches to student learning and teaching. In addition to the First Year Experience course, he has worked with deans and departments to establish residential-learning communities, peer mentoring and intrusive advising using predictive analytics. He also established the Faculty Academy for Inclusive Pedagogy, a three-year, cohort-based faculty training in the “Pedagogy of Real Talk.”
A staunch champion of the core values of diversity, equity and inclusion, he worked with colleagues at FSU to create the Leading for Change Initiative, which focused on establishing a broad array of institution-wide initiatives aimed at attaining inclusion and diversity with the long-term goal of student success and equity. The projects spawned by the initiative include a bi-annual campus climate survey, a Deans’ Anti-Racism fund, an expansion of summer-bridge programs for students requiring additional support before beginning their college career and the Hispanic Male Mentoring program. Most recently, with a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, he created the Heritage Language Program, aimed at providing high-achieving bilingual students with both English support services and celebrating their linguistic asset of being bilingual.
Focus on Economic and Community Development
An advocate for the role of anchor institutions, he has worked with other senior leadership at both institutions to establish a meaningful link between the academic enterprise and the university’s community development initiatives. This has included the creation of a community co-working space to encourage economic development, seed funds to start student community businesses, a business incubator, a training institute for community leadership, and workforce development programs in business leadership and entrepreneurship.
Scholarly Work
As a faculty member, Cardelle has been the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, chapters and conference presentations, He and a colleague established ESU’s first faculty-led consulting group, The Center for Public Health Research and Innovation, with more than $2.5 million of funding.
Public Health Background
Prior to his career in higher education, Cardelle spent a decade working on health care issues with the World Health Organization, the American Medical Student Association, UNICEF and Oxfam America.
Education and Family
A first-generation American citizen from Miami, Fla., Cardelle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and Latin American studies from Tulane University in 1986, a Master of Public Health degree from Boston University in 1989 and a doctoral degree in international studies from the University of Miami in 1999.
He and his wife, Rachel Frick Cardelle, have three grown daughters.
Acceptance Remarks
During the SUNY Board of Trustees meeting, Dr. Cardelle spoke of his excitement about joining the campus and greater Oneonta community.
Watch a Video of Dr. Cardelle's Remarks