President's Office

Directory
President's Office

What We Do

Office of the President of Utica University, Dr. Laura M. Casamento.

Phone

(315) 792-3222

president@utica.edu

Department Type

Administrative

Office Location

200 DePerno Hall

President's Inaugural

A Welcome Message from Dr. Laura Casamento
Ninth President of Utica University

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in Utica University, and on behalf of the entire Utica community, welcome. I invite you to explore our Web site so that you can get a closer look at all we have to offer.

Utica University combines many of the advantages of a large university - such as innovative programs, world-renowned faculty, advanced research facilities, and real-world learning opportunities - with the personal attention and close-knit culture of a small, private institution. We offer a unique blend of liberal and professional studies that provides our students with the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to build successful lives and achieve their dreams.

Though we are a relatively young university, we have a proud history. Utica was founded in 1946 to serve veterans returning from World War II. Over the decades that followed, we have seen remarkable growth, earning a national reputation for excellence and innovation. Still, the core of our mission has remained the same - that of making the dream of a quality, private education more attainable for the families and communities we serve.

While our programs, facilities, and learning technologies are of exceptional quality, what truly sets Utica University apart is its people.

I am particularly proud of the passion that is shared by everyone associated with this institution, from students and faculty to our more than 20,000 alumni worldwide. You can hear directly from them via video interviews posted on our admissions and alumni pages, as well as on individual program pages. You can also learn a lot about Utica by visiting our Athletics department site and listening to the voices of our more than 600 dedicated student athletes.

Of course, the best way to experience Utica University is to pay us a visit. When you come to campus for an admissions event or arrange a private visit, you will discover an extraordinarily welcoming community of students, faculty, and staff; a campus that celebrates diversity in all of its forms; a place that feels like home from the moment you arrive. While our programs, facilities, and learning technologies are of exceptional quality, what truly sets Utica apart is its people, and I hope you will take the opportunity to meet them in person and share their stories.

I look forward to seeing you on campus in the near future.

Best regards,

Laura Casamento, Ed.D.

Dr. Winton Tolles
Dean of Utica University
1946 - 1947

Ralph F. Strebel
Dean of Utica University
1947 - 1959

Dr. James W. Harrison
Dean of Utica University
1959 – 1962

Dr. J. Kenneth Donahue
President of Utica University
1963-1970

Ambrose J. deFlumere
President of Utica University
1970 – 1976

Dr. Harold J. Rankin
Acting President of Utica University
1976 – 1977

Dr. Thomas D. Sheldon
President of Utica University
1977 – 1982

Dr. Lansing G. Baker
President of Utica University
1982 - 1987

Dr. Michael Simpson
President of Utica University
1988 – 1997

Dr. Thomas G. Brown
Interim President of Utica University
January - July 1998

Dr. Todd S. Hutton
President Emeritus of Utica University
1998 - 2016

Dr. Laura M. Casamento
President of Utica University
2016 - Present

Biography of Dr. Laura Casamento

Ninth President of Utica University

Laura Casamento became the ninth president and fourteenth chief executive officer of Utica University on August 1, 2016. She is the second president selected by the independent Board of Trustees, and the first woman to serve as president in the 75-year history of the University.

She earned an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

A first-generation college graduate, Laura is a passionate and learned supporter of college accessibility and affordability. She was a principal architect of Utica’s tuition reset, which has garnered national attention from federal and state law and policy makers, media, and, most important, students and families.

During the first six years of her presidency, the University has reduced average student debt by 30 percent and raised the six year graduation rates by nearly 40 percent. Admissions yield has increased by five percentage points, while the University has increased the academic caliber of incoming students each year.

Under her leadership, the University has invested $21 million in capital improvements without incurring institutional debt. These expansion projects have included a new Construction Management building, a $4 million renovation to the Dining Commons, a new Intercultural and Student Organization Center, Outdoor Track and Field Complex, Career Readiness Center, Student Residential Village, Science Center, and the eSports Arena, to name but a few.

Laura has also implemented policies that have brought about major improvements in the University’s financial profile over the course of her tenure. Since she assumed the presidency, the University has developed and adopted a new 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, has achieved cash operating surpluses in excess of $5 million and increased total fundraising to more than $6 million.

During her tenure, she formed the University’s Emergency Management Department to aid in the increased safety and security of the University Campus as well as overseeing the emergency response to the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Laura has more than twenty-five years of senior executive experience in the private sector and higher education. Prior to joining Utica University in 2004 as vice president for institutional advancement and, later, executive vice president and chief advancement officer, she was president and chief operating officer of Herkimer County Trust, an independently owned, state chartered bank located in central New York. She served as president from April 1998 until December 2002, when the bank was sold to The Savings Bank of Utica (now part of M&T). The bank had assets of $350 million and 12 retail locations. She oversaw a 65 percent increase in net income during her tenure as president, resulting in the bank being sold at nearly 2.5 times book value.

She currently serves on the boards of directors for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, the Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises (EDGE), and the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, and is a member of the Empire 8 President’s Council. She is the co-chair of the Utica Downtown Revitalization Initiative. She has previously served on the boards of Excellus – Utica Region, Patriot Federal Bank, and the Kelberman Center for Autism Services, was a member of the Strategy Team for MV500, and was campaign chairperson for the United Way of the Greater Utica Area.

Laura is married to Filippo Casamento, and together they have five children and six grandchildren.