Ehrenberg

Ronald G. Ehrenberg has been confirmed as a member of the State University of New York Board of Trustees by the New York State Senate. SUNY, the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educates nearly 465,000 students on 64 campuses. The 17 members of the SUNY's governing body serve without compensation.

Cornell's Irving M. Ives Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics, Ehrenberg will serve a term that ends in June 2013. Ehrenberg, a nationally known labor economist and expert on the economics of higher education, directs the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute (CHERI). He has served as a consultant to faculty and administrative groups and trustees at various universities on issues of tuition, financial aid policies, faculty compensation policies, faculty retirement policies, and budgetary and planning issues

"Ronald Ehrenberg's training and experience as an economist, his many years of service as a member of the Cornell faculty and administration, and his research on higher education will be an invaluable asset to SUNY," board chairman Carl T. Hayden said after Ehrenberg's confirmation. "I welcome Ron to the board and look forward to the benefit of his wise counsel."

Ehrenberg, nominated to the post by Gov. David A. Paterson in May 2009, said participating in SUNY's strategic planning process and on the search committee for its provost has helped prepare him for his trustee role.

Ehrenberg, his wife, his two sisters, three nieces and one of his sons were educated in the SUNY system. "I am delighted to help repay my debt to SUNY through my service on the SUNY board, Ehrenherg said.

Ehrenberg is a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell and an elected member of the Cornell Board of Trustees. From July 1, 1995, to June 30, 1998, he served as Cornell's vice president for academic programs, planning and budgeting.

Ehrenberg received a bachelors's degree from Harpur College, now the liberal arts college of Binghamton University. He received a master's degree and a Ph.D. in economics from Northwestern University. SUNY awarded him an honorary Ph.D. in 2008.

A member of the Cornell faculty for 35 years, he has authored or co-authored more than 120 papers and written or edited 21 books. Ehrenberg was the founding editor of "Research in Labor Economics" and served 10 years as co-editor of the "Journal of Human Resources."

Mary Catt is the ILR School's staff writer.