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Dr. Melinda Treadwell, �鶹��Ƶ’s 11^th and first alumna president, announced on Tuesday that she is stepping down later next month. The announcement comes shortly after the State University of New York Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name her the 14th president of SUNY Geneseo, New York’s public liberal arts institution and national public honors college.

Treadwell becomes the 14^th president of Geneseo. Her appointment is effective October 27, 2025.

Treadwell has a long and diverse history at Keene State: Student-athlete, alumna, faculty member, and academic administrator before becoming president.

In announcing Treadwell’s appointment, SUNY Chancellor John B. King noted Treadwell’s multi-faceted and successful career in higher education and her research work in the public and private sectors before then.

“Dr. Treadwell’s credentials are impeccable,” King said. “Melinda is a champion for higher education and appreciates the value of a solid liberal arts education to pursue one’s dreams. We are pleased to welcome her to SUNY.”

Treadwell earned her PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Dartmouth Medical School and worked as a toxicologist and public health policy adviser. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a book on ethical decision-making in environmental and occupational health.

Treadwell expressed mixed emotions about leaving. She communicated her decision in messages and calls to constituent groups on Tuesday.

“I have cherished the experience of leading my alma mater and capping a quarter century of service to Keene State and the University System of New Hampshire,” Treadwell said. “I have strived to serve with integrity, trustworthiness, and transparency. I am proud of our many successes during a time of great challenges. … I am proud of my legacy of responsiveness and success, and I am confident that �鶹��Ƶ is well-positioned to continue to be a critical asset to the state and to the surrounding regions.”

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive higher education system in the United States, with 64 colleges and universities serving 1.4 million students. The system oversees nearly a quarter of all academic research in New York.

Geneseo, in the Finger Lakes region and part of the Rochester Metropolitan Area, had a fall 2024 enrollment was 3,966 students.

Treadwell replaces Dr. Denise Battles, who served as Geneseo’s president for 10 years.

The state’s public liberal arts college, Keene State is part of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH), which includes the University of New Hampshire and Plymouth State University.

USNH Chancellor Catherine Provencher said, “The University System wishes Dr. Treadwell much success in her new presidency at SUNY Geneseo and is deeply grateful for her years of dedicated service to the Keene State community and USNH. Melinda has consistently led with integrity and grace, always with our students’ success top of mind.”

Provencher said the USNH Board will announce transition plans in the coming weeks.

Throughout her career, Treadwell has valued ethical decision-making and science-informed policy advocacy and leadership at the regional and national levels. She has served at an executive level on numerous national bodies, including most recently the Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges; NCAA (Division III Management Council and Presidents' Advisory Group); New England Commission of Higher Education; and the New Hampshire College and University Council.

She is a leader who sees her role in higher education as one of service and who values collegiality, innovation, and student-centered approaches.

The Keene State community has been “family,” she said. “It has always been my goal to put the college first and to be a participant in the process. I hope that came across.”

Treadwell champions academic accessibility and affordability, preparing and promoting workforce-ready graduates, and growing an ever-expanding collective impact in the greater region by nurturing and growing partnerships, emphasizing lifelong education, and inspiring volunteerism.

“Holding our distinctive identity is a mantra Melinda often uses and centers her thinking and decision-making around,” said MB Lufkin, Keene State’s vice president for enrollment and student engagement. “As a person who was the first in her family to attend college, she also believes – truly – in the transformative power of education. I respect her authenticity, and our campus will miss her tremendously.”

Treadwell served for eight years as Keene State’s president, a position she was appointed to after serving as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, and as dean of Professional & Graduate Studies. She joined the college as a faculty member in 2000 in the Safety and Occupational Health Applied Sciences department. She served as a principal investigator on many federal projects and developed research and teaching opportunities for Keene State students. 

Previously, she served as vice president for academic affairs at Antioch University New England, and later as chief executive officer and provost of Antioch. She left to return to her alma mater to become interim president in 2017 and was inaugurated in 2019.

Treadwell called Geneseo a strong next fit for her for several reasons, including its commitment to serving as a national exemplar of equity-centered access and excellence. “I am honored that Geneseo and the SUNY System recognize my leadership contributions to the exceptional work that was accomplished together at Keene State.”

Treadwell said she is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Keene State community, and a big piece of her heart will always be red and white in color.

“I am deeply confident in the strength and resilience of the Keene State community. The college is proud, lean, community-centered, and strategically positioned for success.

“I have been blessed to serve; I will always be grateful.”