Higher ed veteran to lead SUNY Brockport

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The State University of New York Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Dawn Meza Soufleris as the eighth president of SUNY Brockport. 

She is a veteran higher education leader with deep ties to the SUNY system and a career-long focus on student success, enrollment growth and institutional advancement. 

Meza Soufleris, who currently serves as vice president for student development and campus life at Montclair State University, will assume the role on July 20. She succeeds President Heidi Macpherson, who has led the university since 2015. 

In accepting the appointment, Meza Soufleris said she is eager to build on the university’s momentum and continue creating opportunities for student success. 

“I have a deeply personal commitment to ensuring that all students have the support they need to thrive, which is why I am beyond excited and grateful to be appointed as the eighth president of SUNY Brockport,” she said. “I am excited to return to the Rochester area and the greater SUNY Brockport community and look forward to hitting the ground running.”

Meza Soufleris called the new role a homecoming of sorts, having worked at Rochester Institute of Technology for 25 years, serving in a series of increasingly senior leadership roles spanning residential life, student development and student affairs. 

She and her husband, both Buffalo Bills fans, are excited to move back to the area where Meza Soufleris will spend the first 100 days on the job getting to know the Brockport community, as well as the Rochester community-at-large. 

She is taking the helm at a time when colleges and universities nationwide continue to navigate enrollment challenges, workforce development demands and evolving student needs. 

Brockport has been able to buck the national trend of declining enrollment, citing a 23 percent growth in enrollment over the past three years. That upward trend must be sustained, Meza Soufleris noted, adding that highlighting Brockport’s strengths, from academic programs to experiential learning and athletics, are also key.

“People often say that Brockport is a hidden gem, but we don’t want it to be hidden,” she said. “We want the gem to be clearly articulated.”

A three-time SUNY graduate, Meza Soufleris earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in teaching from SUNY Binghamton, as well as a doctorate in sociology from the University at Buffalo. As a first-generation college student, she has built her career around expanding access to higher education and improving student outcomes. 

“SUNY was the only way I could go to college, and it was a transformational experience for me,” she said.

Her appointment was praised by Scott Turner, chair of the SUNY Brockport University Council and presidential search committee, who cited her extensive leadership experience, classroom engagement and firsthand understanding of the SUNY experience. 

At Montclair State University, Meza Soufleris oversees a broad portfolio of student-centered services across the institution’s Montclair and Bloomfield campuses.  

The division encompasses programs and departments focused on student engagement, development and campus life, while supporting the university’s broader goals related to retention and student achievement. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the university’s higher education master’s program. 

Her experience extends beyond student affairs. Prior to joining Montclair State, she served as vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at La Salle University, where she led a comprehensive reorganization of enrollment operations and helped implement strategies that increased graduate, adult and transfer student enrollment.

Under her leadership, the university also achieved gains in first-year student retention through the use of predictive analytics and success coaching initiatives. 

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said Meza Soufleris’ demonstrated commitment to student achievement and campus engagement will help strengthen Brockport’s position as a driver of opportunity and upward mobility. 

“I am proud to welcome Dr. Dawn Meza Soufleris as SUNY Brockport’s next president,” King said. “Her dedication to student success will further solidify SUNY Brockport’s position as an essential institution of higher education and upward mobility.” 

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