Newswise — An entrepreneur and a Turkish educational partner will each receive an honorary doctorate at Binghamton University’s Commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 15-16 in the Events Center on the campus.
Honorary doctorates will be awarded to Steven H. Bloom and to Ahmet Acar, rector (president) of Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. Bloom will receive the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and speak at the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences morning ceremony to be held at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, April 16. Acar will receive the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and speak at the Harpur afternoon ceremony to be held at 3:30 p.m.
Steven H. Bloom Hedge fund investor and entrepreneur Steven H. Bloom earned his bachelor of arts in biological sciences from Binghamton University in 1978 and a master of public health degree from the University of Michigan in 1981. Bloom began his career working in public health for the Natural Resources Defense Council, but left the public health field in 1983 for the world of finance and has since risen to success as an investment manager.
A chartered financial analyst, Bloom has more than two dozen years of experience with capital management firms. In 1983, he joined with four fellow Binghamton alumni to found Susquehanna Partners, a multi-strategy, international proprietary trading firm. For the next 10 years, he was responsible for the overall operational and strategic management of the firm, as well as its equity and foreign exchange derivatives trading businesses.Bloom then operated his own investment venture, Bedford Falls Company, until 1999, and then worked at Sagamore Hill Capital Management LP and subsequently at Silver Creek Capital Management LLC. Since 2008, he has consulted within the financial services industry and been an active volunteer and supporter of a variety of organizations, including Binghamton University.
Bloom and his wife, Susan Rosen Bloom ’80, established the Bloom Family Scholarship in 1996. He served on the Believe in Binghamton Campaign Steering Committee that oversaw the University’s first comprehensive gifts campaign, and he and his wife have hosted numerous alumni and fundraising events.
Bloom serves as chair of the Binghamton University Foundation Board of Director’s Investment Committee. He also serves as vice chair of the board of trustees of The New School for Management and Urban Policy and formerly chair of the board for its Milano School. He has returned to Binghamton to speak to students in classes in the School of Management and with the Finance Society and Alpha Kappa Psi.
Ahmet AcarAhmet Acar, rector (president) of Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, is an inaugural member of the planning teams that established the award winning, dual-diploma programs between the State University of New York and several Turkish universities.
Recognized as co-creator of the vision for these unique, innovative, alternating-year programs, Acar has been the prime architect for the financial models that allow these programs to be sustainable in Turkey. His ability to work with the many agencies and ministries in Turkey to establish a functional and fiscal framework enables these programs to continue under the many rules and regulations that govern Turkey. Without his able guidance and deep knowledge of Turkey’s systems, it is doubtful the dual-diploma programs would have been as successful, or have won the Andrew Heiskell Award from the Institute of International Education in 2007.
Acar received his bachelor of arts from METU, and his master of science and doctoral degrees from the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
His teaching and research have focused on management science, strategic management and entrepreneurship-SME management.
Prior to being appointed rector at METU in 2008, Acar served in a number of key positions there, including department chair, dean of the faculty of economics and administrative sciences, vice president and founding president of METU’s Northern Cyprus campus.
Acar has also exhibited extraordinary leadership during times of rapid and sweeping changes in higher education in Turkey. A testament to his abilities came with his election as rector of METU, a university known for its strength in engineering programs, though he lacks credentials in engineering. Acar won election by the METU faculty, recommendation by the Turkish Higher Education Council and via Turkish presidential appointment.
For schedules and Commencement information, visit commencement.binghamton.edu
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