Timothy Edward Sams

Currently serving as the sixth President in the history of SUNY Old Westbury, Timothy E. Sams has spent the last 30 years driven by the principles of access, excellence, success, and impact. His trail of accomplishments attests to his unwavering commitment to delivering on higher education’s promise of using excellence to achieve student transformation and social progress. Sams’ impressive career has taken him to an array of selective institutions around the country and around the world. As he moved from learning the fundamentals of building student success programs to innovating new ones as a senior leader, Sams' commitment to educational justice by inclusive excellence, praxis, and purpose-driven education, has come to characterize his work of elevating the student experience and transforming liberal arts education.

Sams never lost sight of his opportunity program roots as an Upward Bound and Educational Opportunity Program student. As a Higher Educational Opportunity Program Counselor early in his career, Sams held fast to the belief that “to whom much is given, much is required.” Prior to Old Westbury, he served as Vice President of Student Affairs for Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas. His work there was built on past experiences at respected institutions across the country, which include Morehouse College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Raised by his paternal grandparents, Sams grew up on the south side of Syracuse, New York, where he was an avid Boy Scout, basketball player, and student activist. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Sociology from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and his Master of Arts degree in Africana Studies from the State University of New York at Albany. He earned his Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University.