Mary C. Toale (Image provided)
Mary C. Toale, Ed.D., has been selected to serve as SUNY Geneseo’s new provost and vice president for academic affairs. She assumes the role on March 28.
"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Toale to SUNY Geneseo's leadership team and community," President Denise A. Battles said. "Her proven track record and unwavering commitment to academic excellence give me great confidence in her ability to be a dynamic and visionary leader for Geneseo. As our new chief academic officer, Dr. Toale brings a wealth of experience to one of the nation's premier public liberal arts colleges. With her leadership, we aim to achieve the objectives outlined in our strategic plan, build upon our collective successes, and fully realize Geneseo's highest goals.”
Toale was a first-generation student, Pell recipient, and college student-athlete. She comes to Geneseo with more than 25 years of teaching, service, and leadership in higher education. She is currently deputy to the president for strategy and planning at SUNY Oswego, where she was officer-in-charge from January 2021 through August 2023, after serving the university in various leadership roles since her arrival in 2014. She has been a tenured member of the Communication Studies faculty and was integral to the founding of, as well as securing funding for, the James A. Triandiflou Institute for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Transformative Practice.
“I am honored to join SUNY Geneseo as the next Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs,” Toale said. “The outstanding reputation of Geneseo’s faculty, staff, and students and shared commitment to excellence, equity, and student success is inspirational. I look forward to working together to become the first public liberal arts equity-centered college in the nation as we transform students’ lives through the power of higher education.”
Toale has published scholarly work and presented scholarly and pedagogical topics at state, regional, and national conferences. She’s served on editorial review boards for peer-reviewed scholarly journals, and is currently serving on committees focused on the region’s preparation for Micron’s investment in Central New York. Toale earned her doctoral degree in instructional communication and master’s degree in communication theory and research from West Virginia University, and a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in secondary mathematics education from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Toale’s recruitment was undertaken in consultation with a campus search committee chaired by Paul Schacht, professor of English. Toale will succeed interim provost Daniel Blankenship, who has served in the role since August 2023.