Murat Yaşar was recently appointed SUNY Oswego’s new deputy to the president for strategy, planning and special projects, university President Peter O. Nwosu announced in February.
“A distinguished scholar and leader in higher education, Dr. Yaşar brings to the role a wealth of experience, a visionary approach, and a strong commitment to student success and academic excellence,” President Nwosu said. “His long-standing dedication to SUNY Oswego, along with his significant contributions to the campus community, makes him an ideal choice for this key position.”
Yaşar succeeds Mary Toale, who served in this role before joining SUNY Geneseo as provost last spring.
“In this new role, my top priority is to lead the implementation of our new strategic plan and, in doing so, operationalize Vision 4040, which will benefit every member of our institution, Oswego County and our broader region,” Yaşar said. “The strategic plan resulted from a collaborative campus process involving year-long efforts, including committee meetings, town halls, and brainstorming sessions by the members of SUNY Oswego’s faculty, staff, and administration.”
Yaşar joined SUNY Oswego in 2013 as a history faculty member. He has since excelled in a variety of academic and administrative roles, most recently as associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). As associate dean, he supported the success of nearly 3,000 students annually and oversaw the reporting and faculty-support needs of more than 45 programs. He also served for two years as interim chairman of the human development department.
Yaşar is known as a respected scholar of Ottoman and Eurasian history, with research published in peer-reviewed journals and books, including a recent bestseller “The North Caucasus Borderland Between Muscovy and the Ottoman Empire, 1555-1605.” His numerous accolades range from the Peterson Literary Fund Grand Prix for Excellence in Translation to serving as an Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador.
Yaşar earned his Ph.D. in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations from the University of Toronto and advanced degrees in international relations and history from Bilkent University and Middle East Technical University.
