POTSDAM — SUNY Potsdam has named Dr. Suzanne Smith as the school’s next president.

School officials made the official announcement today, Feb. 7 via a press release on the school’s website.

Smith will assume the role effective April 17, 2023, officials say.

“Dr. Smith is a phenomenal leader who is well-known for her expertise in academic programming and strategic planning,” said SUNY Chancellor King.

“While at Georgia Southwestern University, Dr. Smith led the school’s Post-Pandemic Strategic Task Force, which helped guide the university back from the pandemic. She is well poised to build on Potsdam’s longstanding history of excellence.”

Smith has severed as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) in Americus, Ga., since July 1, 2018.

Smith is a tenured professor in GSW’s Department of Psychology and Sociology.

She has over 25 years of experience teaching sociology and human development at the university level. She has received multiple awards for excellence in teaching and has written numerous journal articles and books, including her latest co-authored textbook, Exploring Family Theories (5th Ed), published in 2021.