MANSFIELD, PA — Mansfield University will welcome Dr. Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, as the keynote speaker for this spring’s commencement. The 154th ceremony will be held outdoors on May 4, 11:00 a.m., at Karl Van Norman Field.
Dr. Greenstein became the fifth chancellor of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education on September 4, 2018. In that role, he serves as chief executive officer of the State System, which operates Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities, serving more than 100,000 students. The chancellor works with the Board of Governors to recommend and develop overall policies for the System.
During a visit to the Mansfield campus in the fall, Chancellor Greenstein expressed his support for the future of the university, stating, “I came here to ensure that we are able to continue to offer high-quality, affordable education to the students who need it most.”
Greenstein previously led the Postsecondary Success strategy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he worked with other higher education leaders across the country on initiatives designed to raise educational-attainment levels and to promote economic mobility, especially among low-income and minority students. He developed and implemented a national strategy for increasing the number of degrees awarded and for reducing the attainment gaps among majority and non-majority students at U.S. colleges and universities.
Before joining the foundation, Greenstein was Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Programs for the University of California (UC) system. In that role, he oversaw system-wide academic planning and programs, including the University of California Press; the California Digital Library; the UC system’s Education Abroad Program; internship programs in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento; and UC Online Education.
He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford. An enthusiastic cyclist, Dan and his wife, Melissa, have two children.
For more information on the 154th Commencement, please visit https://www.mansfield.edu/commencement.