Steven H. Kaplan

Dr. Steven H. Kaplan is a professor of English and former chancellor who has served as president of the University of New Haven since 2004.

Steven Kaplan is the sixth president of the University of New Haven and was inaugurated on September 30, 2005. His staff consists of a chief of staff and University secretary, assistant and executive secretary.

Before his tenure at UNH, Kaplan was chancellor and professor of English at the University of Virginia's College at Wise.

He began his career in education in 1982 at the University of Maryland, European Division. He served as lecturer in American studies at Eberhard-Karls Universität in Germany from 1985-1989 and, after completing his doctoral studies there, returned to the United States to teach at the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University at Pueblo). He later held roles both as English department chair and director of the Center for International Studies. His academic leadership roles continued as dean of Arts and Humanities at SUNY Buffalo State College and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University.

In 2011, he was awarded the William M. Burke Presidential Award for Experiential Education by the National Society for Experiential Education.

Personal life

Dr. Kaplan and his wife Anemone Schweizer-Kaplan have three daughters and one son and reside in Branford, Connecticut.

He grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and the arts surrounded him has a child. His stepfather, Irving Glovin, was associate producer of Schindler's List and close friends with Oskar Schindler. Dr. Kaplan and Glovin both serve on the board of the Oskar Schindler Humanitarian Foundation.

Since becoming president in 2004, Kaplan has led the University's 42% enrollment growth as well as their span of recruitment - 35 states and 45 countries.

Dr. Kaplan led the University through over $110 million in construction and has launched 17 new academic programs.