Daniel Paul Larson

Daniel Paul Larson, D.M.A., has served as the seventh president of Cayuga Community College since August 1, 2007. His appointment followed a nationwide search to replace former president Dennis Golladay, who in December 2006 became Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges with the State University of New York.

The appointment of Dr. Larson by the College Board of Trustees was confirmed by the State University of New York Board of Trustees on October 26, 2007. His formal inauguration was held on April 25, 2008.

Dr. Larson brings to Cayuga a diverse background in higher education leadership, with experience in two-year and four-year institutions and a career spanning both faculty and administrative roles.

From 2003 to 2007, he was vice president for instruction at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica and Rome, New York. As chief academic officer, he provided executive leadership for all academic programs, developed new instructional programs and partnerships based on regional needs, and provided leadership for outcomes assessment and institutional effectiveness activities. Dr. Larson's role encompassed academic liaison with the community, government, State University of New York system, and area school districts. Guiding grant funding efforts for MVCC, he realized more than $5 million in grant revenues in a single year.

His work in the SUNY system was preceded by a vice presidency for academic affairs at St. Charles Community College in Missouri. Highlights of his tenure there included strengthening of student learning assessment, updating of general education programming, and several major construction projects.

Earlier, he was dean of arts and sciences at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Dr. Larson began his higher education career at Avila College (now Avila University) in Kansas City, Missouri, as a professor of music. At Avila, he became founding chair of the Humanities Department and executive director of the Goppert Theatre.

Dr. Larson has served as an evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the regional accrediting association for Cayuga Community College. He has also conducted evaluations for the North Central Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting organization for higher education institutions in the Midwest.

A southern California native who grew up in southwestern New York State, Dr. Larson completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice performance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He holds a Master of Music degree in voice performance and literature and a Bachelor of Music degree in applied music-voice from the University of Rochester (New York). Trained as a classical singer and conductor, he has worked with academic, professional, government, community, and musical organizations throughout his career and has been actively involved in a wide array of arts, community, and educational organizations.

Fall 2008 College Update

View the Fall 2008 College Update presentation (526 kb) by President Daniel Larson

Dr. Larson's Commencement Address - May 18, 2008

View the May 2008 Commencement address by President Daniel Larson

Fall 2007 State of the College Presentation - September 28, 2007

View State of the College 2007 (489 kb), Dr. Larson's presentation to College staff and faculty at the 2007 Convocation. (You will need Acrobat Reader to view the PDF file.)