Nick Ripplinger, a military veteran, has found a champion in Syracuse University's incoming chancellor, Mike Haynie. Ripplinger, who co-founded the multimillion-dollar company Battle Sight Technologies, attributes his success to Haynie's leadership and vision. Haynie, a professor of entrepreneurship and executive dean of the Whitman School of Management, has transformed Syracuse University's campus and its reputation around the nation. He has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars to build up the university's role as a school for veterans and led efforts to revitalize the business school. As he prepares to take the top campus job in July, Haynie brings a track record of transformation and a deep commitment to veterans. His Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, which began with a first class of 17 vets in 2007, has grown into a national institute housed in a gleaming new $63 million building on campus. The institute has become a pillar of the university, financially and academically, and one of the things Syracuse is known for nationally. Haynie's leadership and vision have made a profound impact on the lives of veterans like Ripplinger, and his commitment to service and innovation will continue to shape Syracuse University for years to come.
