Chancellor Greenstein's Bio
Photo: Amanda Berg
Dr. Daniel Greenstein became the fifth chancellor of Pennsylvania's State System of
Higher Education on September 4, 2018. In that role, he serves as chief executive
officer of the state's system of public universities, serving more than 80,000 degree-seeking
students and thousands more enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs.
Chancellor Greenstein is leading a system-wide redesign effort focused on increasing
opportunities for students—including those in underserved populations—while enhancing
the financial sustainability of the universities.
Greenstein previously led the Postsecondary Success strategy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he worked with
other higher education leaders across the country on initiatives designed to raise
educational-attainment levels and to promote economic mobility, especially among low-income
and minority students. He developed and implemented a national strategy for increasing
the number of degrees awarded and for reducing the attainment gaps among majority
and non-majority students at U.S. colleges and universities.
Before joining the foundation, Greenstein was Vice Provost for Academic Planning and
Programs for the University of California (UC) system. In that role, he oversaw system-wide
academic planning and programs, including the University of California Press; the
California Digital Library; the UC system's Education Abroad Program; internship programs
in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento; and UC Online Education. Greenstein has created
and led several internet-based academic information services in the United States
and the United Kingdom, and served on boards and acted in strategic consulting roles
for educational, cultural heritage, and information organizations.
He began his academic career as a senior lecturer in Modern History at Glasgow University
in Scotland. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of
Pennsylvania and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford. An enthusiastic cyclist,
Dan and his wife, Melissa, have two children.