William Behre

Slippery Rock University's council of trustees on Friday, June 9, recognized outgoing president William Behre for his five years of service.

Domenic Ionta, trustees chairman, presented a commendation of service on behalf of the trustees to Behre, whose last day is June 30.

“We appreciate Dr. Behre’s commitment to serving the students, faculty and staff, and protecting the interests of the university,” Ionta said. “He always recognized the university’s position of strength and provided tremendous leadership during the last five years. Dr. Behre’s foresight and guidance performed during his tenure will continue to benefit the University for years to come.”

Behre, who became SRU's 17th president on July 1, 2018, helped the university honor commitments to improve inclusivity, affordability and community-engaged service-learning while navigating SRU through the pandemic, according to the university.

Among the achievements that occurred during Behre’s tenure were the creation of the College of Health Professions; Butler SUCCEED, a community outreach center in downtown Butler; and the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Facility improvements included the completion of renovations to the Performing Arts Complex and new laboratories for SRU’s four engineering programs, which graduated their first students in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

Karen Riley, provost at Regis University in Colorado, will become SRU’s next president July 1.