"SUNY Morrisville is a place where learning works—where knowledge becomes experience, experience creates opportunity and opportunity transforms lives."
- Dr. Michelle A. Coach
Dr. Michelle Coach serves as the ninth president of SUNY Morrisville, bringing more than two decades of experience in higher education as a faculty member, academic leader and senior administrator.
Throughout her career, Dr. Coach has focused on creating opportunities for students while strengthening the institutions and communities they call home. Her leadership experience spans academic affairs, workforce development, enrollment and student success, institutional transformation, strategic planning, fiscal stewardship and community and industry partnerships.
Prior to joining SUNY Morrisville, Dr. Coach served in senior leadership roles at CT State Community College and, most recently, as the School Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. She previously led CT State Asnuntuck and Asnuntuck Community College as Campus Chief Executive Officer, guiding the campus through a period of significant institutional change while maintaining a strong focus on students, employees and community partnerships.
A scientist and educator by training, Dr. Coach began her higher education career in the classroom as a biology instructor and adjunct. That experience has shaped her leadership philosophy and belief that students must remain at the center of institutional decision-making.
Dr. Coach has been a strong advocate for applied education and workforce development throughout her career. Her work has included expanding advanced manufacturing education, strengthening partnerships with employers and community organizations, advancing opportunities for adult learners, supporting dual-enrollment pathways and overseeing educational programming for justice-involved students. She has also led initiatives focused on student retention, belonging and completion.
At SUNY Morrisville, Dr. Coach is committed to building upon the college's distinctive legacy of experiential and applied learning while positioning the institution for its next era of growth. Her priorities include strengthening enrollment and student success, ensuring long-term financial sustainability, investing in programs that respond to the evolving needs of New York State, expanding community and business partnerships and creating an environment where students and employees feel a strong sense of belonging and pride in Morrisville.
Her leadership philosophy is grounded in transparency, collaboration and trust. She believes that strong institutions are built by listening to their communities, making thoughtful and sometimes difficult decisions and creating a shared vision that allows people to see themselves in the institution's future.
Dr. Coach’s academic background spans science, business and leadership. She earned a Doctor of Education in Leadership in Higher Education and a Master of Business Administration, building upon earlier Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology.
Above all, she believes in the transformative power of education and in SUNY Morrisville's ability to provide students with something increasingly valuable: an education that connects knowledge with experience, purpose and opportunity.