William English Kirwan II

In 2002, William English Kirwan II became chancellor of one of the nation’s largest university systems, the University of Maryland. For the four years before this appointment, he served as president of The Ohio State University. Under his leadership, Ohio State completed a $1.23 billion capital campaign. Kirwan has a national reputation for raising academic standards, attracting outstanding faculty, and making diversity an institutional reality. He began his academic career in 1964 at the University of Maryland, where he held several key positions, including president from 1989–98. During his tenure, many of Maryland’s academic departments and colleges were ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, and the university’s honors program merited a three-star rating in the ARCO guide Ivy League Programs at State School Prices. He has chaired the boards of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and the American Council of Education, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.