Office of the President

Read more about Milly Peña here.

Dr. Milagros (Milly) Peña is the sixth president of Purchase College, SUNY and the first Latina president in the SUNY System.

The daughter of Dominican immigrants, who was the first in her family to graduate from college, Peña has a deep and personal understanding of the power and importance of education. An accomplished scholar who has published widely in her field, she received her doctorate and master’s degree in Sociology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Peña also earned an MDiv degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York and a BA from Iona College.

Prior to joining Purchase College, Peña served as Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the University of California Riverside. Before joining UC Riverside, Peña spent 16 years at the University of Florida, ultimately serving as the Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

As a testament to her dedication to sustainability and social justice, Dr. Peña has chosen Purchase College and the Sustainable Future: People, Place, and Purpose as the theme of her inauguration week. The week will highlight programs, events, lectures, and hands on opportunities for community engagement related to the theme and Dr. Peña’s vision of Purchase’s future.