Darrell Wheeler Appointed President of SUNY New Paltz

Darrell P. Wheeler (PhD ’92) was appointed president of the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz effective July 18, 2022. Wheeler boasts an extensive career in academic leadership and more than 30 years of research and community partnership experience in health disparities research.

Prior to joining SUNY New Paltz, Wheeler served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Iona College. He also served as dean of the School of Social Welfare and vice president for public engagement at the University at Albany and dean of the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, and he has held academic positions at Hunter College, the City University of New York, Columbia University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Wheeler’s extensive scholarly work focuses on communities of Black men who have sex with men. He has been the principal investigator on numerous federally funded research projects and currently serves on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Wheeler also is a member of the executive management committee of the HIV Prevention Trials Network, cochair of the HIV Prevention Trials Network Scholars Program, and a member of the Pitt Alumni Association board of directors.

Wheeler uses research, teaching, and community engagement strategies to apply data and evidence-based practices to address health disparities among marginalized and oppressed groups. He also has worked to promote the scholarship and success of underrepresented minorities in higher education through his mentorship and advocacy.

Wheeler received his PhD in social work and MPH in health administration from the University of Pittsburgh, his MSW in health and mental health from Howard University, and his BA in sociology from Cornell College. He served in the U.S. Air Force and as an intern officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.