Pace’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mark Besca, announced Marvin Krislov as the president-elect of Pace University by unanimous vote on Feb. 14.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I am pleased to welcome Marvin Krislov as the next president of Pace,” said Besca in a press release. “Pace plays an essential role in the realization of individual dreams of achievement. Our mission is voiced in the motto, Opportunitas, and Marvin embodies it. He is the ideal person to lead Pace into a new era of growth and build on the renewal and revitalization that Pace has experienced under Steve Friedman. Marvin has demonstrated throughout his career the strong, effective, enlightened, and passionate leadership to propel Pace to a new level of impact and stature.”

Krislov has been the acting president of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, since 2007 where he has overseen the expansion and renovation of Oberlin that includes environmentally friendly power resources and the addition of several new structures including a stadium and cinema studies “complex,” according to an Ohio newspaper, The Plain Dealer.

However, Krislov plans to first evaluate Pace based on student and faculty feedback before implementing any major changes to the campus or student life.

“I want to understand a little bit more about [student life on campus] before I get into any ideas,” said Krislov. “What I did hear from some of the students when I met with them was a desire for more interaction between the various campuses.”

Krislov said that this could include more events that integrate the Pleasantville and New York City campuses.

“I think it is important to do what we can to create a sense of community and many times I have found that the best ideas are the ones that the students come up with,” Krislov said.

The president-elect says that one of this main focuses is on increasing fundraising by reaching out to alumni and the surrounding community. During his presidency at Oberlin, Krislov helped raise $318 million in fundraising for the school.

“People are most generous when they feel engaged and connected,” said Krislov. “So I must figure out how to engage alumni and friends with students and faculty and get to know them. If you can match potential donors to what is happening on campus that is usually the recipe for the most success.”

Krislov would also like to target student success by increasing the graduation rate and student satisfaction.

“I want to look at the reasons behind why students may not be graduating from Pace and what else we can be doing to support them,” Krislov said.

Krislov will take office on August 1.