Golisano Institute Names National Business Education Innovator Dr. Scott H. Baker as Chief Academic Officer and Vice President of Academic Affairs

January 17, 2023

The Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship has named visionary national higher education leader Dr. Scott H. Baker as Chief Academic Offer and Vice President of Academic Affairs. In his new role, Dr. Baker is responsible for building and leading the Golisano Institute’s business program and faculty.

An impassioned leader with nearly 25 years of experience, Dr. Baker is known for developing and maintaining impactful student-centered career-focused education programs. He believes deeply in strengths-based frameworks in education for strategic thinking and cultivating innovative programming and teaching through generative collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and local and national partners.

“I believe postsecondary education is in the incredibly vital business of empowering students’ lives, so am deeply honored to serve as the inaugural Chief Academic Officer and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship.” Baker said. “I have seen firsthand the impact of career-relevant education and experience for students, and its ability to transform their lives by developing the skills and knowledge needed for identifying and developing opportunities for creating their own success, which benefits the organizations in which they work and the communities in which they live.”

Dr. Baker comes to the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship from Champlain College (Burlington, VT) where he served in a variety of roles in his 17 years there, from adjunct professor to Dean of the Stiller School of Business. He has presented nationally and internationally on opportunities and challenges in higher education, strengths-based approaches to postsecondary education and student success and developing student-centered international experiential programs.

“Our brand of business education is predicated on mentorship, along with applied academic excellence,” said Golisano Institute President Ian Mortimer. “Dr. Baker is a well-respected expert on many areas of business that will be important to our local economy, including global markets, strengths-based management, and sustainable enterprises. However, his towering strength is his ability to inspire students to think and act entrepreneurially. Our community will benefit from Scott’s commitment of caring about every student and their growth. We are thrilled to have Scott be a part of the Golisano Institute.”

Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Baker researched the relationship between business development and social conflict, managed corporate retirement plans for Northern Trust Bank and MetLife, and is currently developing a business in the pet accessories market. Dr. Baker holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Vermont, a M.S. in International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.A. in International Relations from Carleton College. He also holds certificates in Appreciative Inquiry from the Cooperrider Center, StrengthScope, and Conflict Mediation from Woodbury Institute.

About Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship

The Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship provides students with a high-quality, accelerated, and cost-effective business education that is linked with networks of employers for career entry, provides coaching to rising entrepreneurs, and provides pathways to additional degrees and credentials via college and university partners. Our two-year certificate program provides an intensive immersion in business-related coursework and an experiential learning environment. Our purpose is to efficiently turn out highly trained entrepreneurs in the greater Rochester region.

Opening in the fall of 2023, the institute will be the first of its kind in the United States and will proudly serve learners that are seeking to build economic strength with the guidance of faculty and staff that care deeply about their success.