Robert Ivany

Robert Ivany
Military Aide to President Reagan in 1986
Personal details
Born	(1947-02-04) February 4, 1947 (age 69)
Alma mater	United States Military Academy University of Wisconsin–Madison

Dr. Robert Rudolph Ivany (born February 4, 1947) is the eighth president of the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

Ivany attended college at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In addition to earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, he received a Ph.D in History from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Serving as the commandant (president) of the War College capped Ivany’s 34-year career in the Army. During his various commands as an armored cavalry officer, he led soldiers in the United States, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Federal Republic of Germany and Vietnam where he was wounded in action and decorated for valor.

When not assigned to troop units, he assisted several nations in the transformation of their armed forces, including stints in Hungary, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Ivany also served in several unique positions, including serving as the Army Aide to the President of the United States from 1984 to 1986.

Ivany also served as an assistant professor of history and as a football coach at the Military Academy at West Point. As the Commanding General of the Military District of Washington, he directed a diverse organization of 5500 civilian and military employees based on seven installations in three states and the District of Columbia.

Prior to his retirement from the Army with the rank of Major General, Ivany had presided over one of the nation's most respected institutions for the education of strategic leaders: the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. There for three years, he instituted programs to develop the next generation of military and civilian leaders from the United States and 42 foreign countries to meet the challenges of cultural change, organizational transformation and a drastically altered national security environment.

After completing his Army service in October 2003, he joined the faculty of the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University as an adjunct professor in Executive Education. He worked with senior executives in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States in leader development, strategic planning and cultural change.

On July 1, 2004, Dr. Robert Ivany became the eighth president of the University of St. Thomas. He was formally installed into office in January 2005 at a reception which featured the presence of former United States President George Bush. He resides in Houston with his wife, Marianne, and his children.