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Jeffrey Herbst assumed his duties as Colgate's 16th president on July 1, 2010.
"The university exemplifies the very best in a liberal arts university at a time when our society is searching for answers that only this type of learning experience can provide," he said.
Herbst has helped the university meet its $400 million Passion for the Climb campaign goal, and he has extended that goal in a transformational effort to build the university’s financial aid resources. He is highlighting the excellence of the faculty and — unlike many peer institutions — increasing the number of tenure-track positions in departments across campus.
Herbst, 48, came to Colgate after serving for five years as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Miami University. Before his move to Miami, Herbst was on the faculty at Princeton University, where he also held a number of administrative positions.
A political scientist, Herbst's extensive research and teaching expertise focuses on the politics of sub-Saharan Africa. He is the author of several books and articles, including States and Power in Africa (Princeton University Press, 2000), co-winner of the Gregory Luebbert Best Book Award from the Comparative Politics Section of the American Political Science Association.
Born in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., Herbst graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1983 and went on to earn M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in political science from Yale University. He and his wife, Sharon Polansky, a marketing executive, have three children.
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