The board of trustees of Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, has selected Steve K. Stoute as the educational institution’s 25th president. He will take office on July 1.
Canisius College, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, enrolls nearly 2,000 undergraduate students and more than 800 graduate students, according to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 9 percent of the undergraduate student body.
“I believe in the transformative power of Catholic higher education because that is my life story,” Stoute said. “At this moment in our history, Canisius College is being called to transform our city, region, country, and world by educating the next generation of leaders — individuals who are equity-minded, justice-oriented, and values-centered. I am excited to engage all our constituents and collaborators in Western New York and beyond, to answer that call, with the knowledge that our Jesuit, Catholic mission and values will be our guide on the journey.”
Stoute currently serves as vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.
Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Stoute immigrated to the United States in 2000 to attend Seton Hall University in New Jersey. At Seton Hall, Stoute competed on the men’s soccer team and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He holds a master’s degree in exercise and sport science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a juris doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
As an alum of Canisius, I am very excited to hear about his presidential appointment. Go Griffs!