Background
Dr. Howard Cohen is Chancellor Emeritus at Purdue University Calumet, where he served as Chancellor for 10 years. He began his academic career in the Philosophy Department at the University of Massachusetts-Boston in 1970 where he served as Department Chair, Director of the Law and Justice Program, Associate Dean and Associate Provost. In 1991, he joined the University of Wisconsin-Parkside as Dean of Liberal Arts, and also served as Interim Provost. He was Provost at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for six years before joining Purdue University Calumet.
Dr. Cohen's board and community service has included: Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, Northwest Indiana Forum, Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana, Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana, Legacy Foundation, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, and Fifth Third Bank Community Advisory Board. He has served AASCU as the Chair of the Professional Development Committee, a member of the Council of State Representatives and a member of the Policy and Purposes Committee.
He has been named Honorary Professor at Central South University, Changsha, China and at North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China; recognized as Lakeshore Chamber Businessperson of the Year; Experiential Education Higher Education Leader of the Year by the National Society of Experiential Education; Distinguished Hoosier, by Governor Mitch Daniels; and Innovation Fellow by the Society of Innovators.
Cohen and his wife Patti live in Hammond Indiana. His children and grandchildren reside on the East Coast.
His areas of consulting are: Academic Leadership Development (Provosts, Deans, Chairs); Academic Planning, Program Development, and Operational Planning (in the context of strategic positioning); Executive Coaching; Organizational Review and Transformation; and Developing and Sustaining University-Community Relations.
Dr. Cohen earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Minnesota, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and his master’s and doctorate degrees in philosophy from Harvard University. His philosophical interests have focused on ethics and social philosophy, particularly on questions related to the obligations of persons in positions of authority.