Chancellor William E. Kirwan Biography

On August 1, 2002, William English Kirwan became the third chancellor of the University System of Maryland.

A widely respected academic leader, Dr. Kirwan served as president of Ohio State University for four years (1998-2002), and as president of the University of Maryland, College Park for 10 years (1988-1998). Prior to his presidency, he was a member of the University of Maryland faculty for 34 years.

Dr. Kirwan is also a nationally recognized authority on critical issues shaping the higher education landscape. He is a sought after speaker on a wide range of topics, including diversity, access and affordability, cost containment, accountability, economic impact, gender equity, financial aid, partnerships, and innovation. Along with his national and international presentations on key issues, Dr. Kirwan has authored several pieces and has been profiled as a national education leader in academic and mainstream publications.

In May 2006, Dr. Kirwan was appointed to serve on the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and became co-chair of the commission in May 2007. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; chairs the College Board's Commission on Access, Admissions, and Success in Higher Education; and is a member of the Business-Higher Education Forum.

He is past Chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges' (NASULGC) Board of Directors and of the American Council on Education's Board.  He is the current Chair of NASULGC's Committee on Student Learning and Accountability. He was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a member of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century and chaired the National Research Council's Commission on the Mathematical Sciences in the Year 2000, which produced the report titled Moving Beyond Myths: Revitalizing Undergraduate Mathematics, National Academy Press (1991). President Bush appointed Dr. Kirwan to the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 

Dr. Kirwan is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, and the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education. In April 2007, Dr. Kirwan was appointed to the editorial board of the newly announced Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, to be published quarterly by the American Psychological Association and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. In November 2007, he was appointed to the Council of Presidents of The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.

Dr. Kirwan received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Kentucky and his master's and doctoral degrees in mathematics from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 1962 and 1964 respectively. He is a member of several honorary and professional societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, the American Mathematical Society, and the Mathematical Association of America. In 2002, Dr. Kirwan was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A prolific scholar, he is co-editor of the book Advances in Complex Analysis and has published many articles on mathematical research. On February 15, 2007, during ceremonies in Annapolis, Dr. Kirwan became the 16th recipient of the Maryland House of Delegates Speaker's Medallion, which recognizes Maryland citizens who have demonstrated exemplary service to the House and to the State of Maryland.

Dr. Kirwan is married to Patricia Harper Kirwan, also a graduate of the University of Kentucky and a classmate since seventh grade. They have two children, both University of Maryland alumni: William E. Kirwan III and Ann Kirwan Horton; and three grandchildren, Daly Elizabeth, Kyle, and Andrew.