William Kirwan

American academic administrator

William English "Brit" Kirwan (born April 14, 1938) is an American university administrator and mathematician who is chancellor emeritus of the University System of Maryland (USM) and professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Most recently, Kirwan served as chancellor of USM from 2002 to 2015. Previously, Kirwan worked at the University of Maryland, College Park from the 1960s to 1990s as a professor, administrator, and eventually president and was president of the Ohio State University from 1998 to 2002. A native of Kentucky, Kirwan completed three degrees in mathematics, attending the University of Kentucky for his bachelor's degree and Rutgers University for his master's and doctorate degrees. Beginning in 1964, Kirwan was a mathematics professor at Maryland. After over 15 years on the faculty, including four years as head of the mathematics department, Kirwan joined Maryland's administration, beginning as chief academic officer in 1981. Kirwan had two stints as the interim president of the university in 1982 and 1988 before being formally elected by the board of regents as president in 1989, a position he would hold before leaving to become president of Ohio State University in 1998. Kirwan returned to Maryland in 2002 to serve as chancellor of the USM before retiring in 2015. Kirwan also chaired the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics from 2007 to 2016. During his presidency, the NCAA implemented a recommendation from the Knight Commission to create financial incentives for member schools to improve student athlete academic performance.

The son of former University of Kentucky football coach and president Albert D. Kirwan, Kirwan was born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Henry Clay High School in Lexington in 1956. After high school, Kirwan enrolled at the University of Kentucky on a football scholarship. He played one year on the freshman football team before leaving the sport to focus on his studies. Kirwan later completed two graduate degrees in mathematics at Rutgers University, an M. S. in 1962 and Ph. D. in 1964.

While completing his Ph. D., Kirwan was an assistant instructor in mathematics at Rutgers University. Kirwan started at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1964 as an assistant professor of mathematics. In the 1966–67 school year, Kirwan was a visiting lecturer at Royal Holloway College, University of London. As vice chancellor, Kirwan instituted stronger admissions standards, expanded undergraduate merit scholarships and graduate fellowships, and started a process for academic planning.

After serving as acting president since August 1, 1988, Kirwan became president of the University of Maryland, College Park, on February 1, 1989, by a unanimous vote from the board of regents. As president, Kirwan restructured the university's academic organization from one of divisions to schools and colleges. Kirwan officially became president July 1 that year. At Ohio State, Kirwan focused his attention on improving the academic standings during his tenure. He left Ohio State on June 30, 2002 to become chancellor of the University System of Maryland.

Returning to Maryland, Kirwan accepted an offer on March 25, 2002, to become chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM). Kirwan began as chancellor on August 1, 2002. In 2009, he received the Carnegie Corporation Leadership Award, which included a $500,000 grant for academic programs. The following year, Kirwan won the 2010 TIAA CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence. On May 13, 2014, Kirwan announced publicly that he would step down as USM chancellor after twelve years of service. As a tenured member of the Mathematics faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, he will serve as the Regents Professor of Mathematics. Kirwan retired effective June 30, 2015, and was succeeded by Robert Caret. In October 2015, University of Maryland, College Park named its mathematics building William E. Kirwan Hall in Kirwan's honor.

Kirwan served on educational advisory boards to U. S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. President Clinton appointed Kirwan to the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century. Appointed by Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Kirwan served on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) from 2010 to 2014. NACIQI advises the U. S. Secretary of Education on accreditation and certification for colleges and universities, and named chair of the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center Advisory Committee. In 2020, the Maryland General Assembly passed, and Governor Larry Hogan vetoed, a $4 billion proposal (once fully phased in) based on the commission's recommendations. The veto was overridden in February 2021.

From 2004 to 2008, Kirwan served on the board of trustees of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. In April 2007, Kirwan was appointed to the editorial board of the newly announced Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Kirwan is a past board chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and of the American Council on Education. He is also a member of the CuriosityStream Advisory Board.

Kirwan's nickname, "Brit," was a play on his middle name English. Kirwan married Patricia Harper in 1960. They have two children and three grandchildren.