{{Short description|American attorney, academic and university administrator}} {{for|the Greek army officer|Nicholas Zeppos (army general)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder | name = Nicholas S. Zeppos | image = Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos.jpg | caption = Zeppos in 2008 | title = Chancellor of Vanderbilt University | order = 8th | term_start = August 1, 2007 | term_end = August 15, 2019 | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1955}} | birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | predecessor = Gordon Gee | successor = Daniel Diermeier | spouse = Lydia Howarth | children = 2 | education = University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA, JD) }} '''Nicholas S. Zeppos''' (born 1955) is an American attorney, academic and university administrator. He most recently served as the eighth chancellor of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 2007 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2019/04/02/zeppos_april_2019/|title=Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos to step down Aug. 15|last=Moran|first=Melanie|website=Vanderbilt University|language=en |access-date=April 2, 2019}}</ref>
==Early life== Nicholas Zeppos was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1955. He received his B.A. in history in 1976 and his J.D. in 1979 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.<ref name=vanderbiltbiolawschool>{{cite web|title=Nicholas S. Zeppos |url=http://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/nicholas-zeppos|website=Vanderbilt Law School |accessdate=December 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/archived-news/vanderbilt-view/articles/2008/03/10/answering-the-call.52118.html|title=Vanderbilt View : Answering the Call|website=News.vanderbilt.edu|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}</ref> In 1978 and 1979, he served as the editor-in-chief of the ''Wisconsin Law Review''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://issuu.com/wisclaw/docs/gargoyle_10_1|title=University of Wisconsin Law School Gargoyle Alumni Magazine|website=Issuu.com|date=September 23, 2011 |accessdate=October 1, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://wisconsinlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Mastheads_from_1920-1990.pdf |title=Wisconsin Law Review 1920 (Vol 1)|website=Wisconsinlawreview.org|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}</ref>
==Career== Zeppos started his career as a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C. He joined the faculty of the Vanderbilt Law School in 1987.<ref name=vanderbiltbiolawschool/> During his tenure at Vanderbilt, he has held a number of posts, including professor of law, associate dean of the law school, associate provost for academic affairs, vice chancellor for institutional planning and advancement, and, in 2001, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.<ref name="register">{{cite news |title=Zeppos named interim chancellor |work=The Vanderbilt Register |publisher = Vanderbilt University |date=July 13, 2007 |url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/register/articles?id=36123 |accessdate=July 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023063117/http://www.vanderbilt.edu/register/articles?id=36123 |archivedate=October 23, 2013}}</ref> In this last role, he oversaw academics, development, alumni relations, and residential and student life.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vanderbilt Provost Office |publisher=Vanderbilt University |url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/provost/ |year=2005 |accessdate=July 16, 2007}}</ref> After Gordon Gee's departure in 2007, he was named interim chancellor. He was named permanently as chancellor on March 1, 2008, by the university's Board of Trust. In 2009, he helped lead an expanded financial aid program called Opportunity Vanderbilt that replaced undergraduate need-based loans with grant and scholarship assistance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vanderbilt Chancellor Office |publisher=Vanderbilt University |url=https://www.vanderbilt.edu/chancellor/bio |year=2017 |accessdate=January 15, 2018}}</ref>
He has also written widely on legislation, administrative law, and professional responsibility. He has served as the chair of the Scholars Committee on the Federal Judiciary and as chair of the Rules Advisory Committee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.<ref name="register" />
Zeppos was appointed to the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board, a program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2005.<ref name=vanderbiltbiolawschool/> He serves as the Chair of the Association of American Universities<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2018/10/23/zeppos-elected-chair-of-association-of-american-universities-board-of-directors/|title=Zeppos elected chair of Association of American Universities board of directors|author=Vanderbilt Division of Communications |website=Vanderbilt University|language=en|access-date=April 17, 2019}}</ref> and on the Board of Directors of Fulbright Canada.<ref name=fulbrightcanada>{{cite web|title=Board of Directors |url=http://www.fulbright.ca/about-us/board-of-directors/current-board-members.html |website=Fulbright Canada|accessdate=December 9, 2015}}</ref>
==Personal life== Zeppos is married to Lydia Howarth, a writer, and has two sons.<ref name="register" /> His salary as chancellor was over $2.2 million.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121213070534/http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eddf45jemf/nicholas-zeppos/#1a47d8fb6242 Nicholas Zeppos, Vanderbilt University.] Forbes, downloaded February 9, 2018.</ref>
According to OpenSecrets, Zeppos has contributed nearly $70,000 to Democrats, including Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren, but has contributed also to Republicans including Bob Corker, Rick Perry, and Lamar Alexander.<ref name="centerzeppos">{{cite web |title=Zeppos, Nicholas |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=nicholas+zeppos |website=OpenSecrets |accessdate=February 22, 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-aca}} {{succession box | title = Chancellor of Vanderbilt University | before = E. Gordon Gee | years = March 1, 2008 – August 15, 2019 | after = Daniel Diermeier }} {{s-end}}
{{Vanderbilt chancellors}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeppos, Nicholas}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Greek descent Category:Lawyers from Milwaukee Category:Educators from Nashville, Tennessee Category:University of Wisconsin Law School alumni Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni Category:Lawyers from Washington, D.C. Category:Vanderbilt University faculty Category:Chancellors of Vanderbilt University Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American academics Category:20th-century American academics