Robinson’s leadership strengthened Rochester’s national prominence in academics, clinical care, and research.
Peter Robinson, the vice president for government and community relations and an institutional leader at the University of Rochester for more than 35 years, has announced his plans to retire, effective at the end of March.
“I have been grateful for Peter’s insight and experience as a member of my senior leadership team, and I’m equally thankful for his genuine enthusiasm and support for the continued success of the University of Rochester,” says President Sarah Mangelsdorf. “We have all benefited from his work to champion Rochester as an academic, clinical, and economic leader across our state and at the national level. The incredible engagement of leaders like Peter has helped establish the University’s stature as one of the nation’s leading educational institutions, home to a world-class academic medical center and innovative research enterprise. This trajectory will only continue as we move forward.”
A search for Robinson’s successor will soon be underway.
Robinson joined the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in 1988 as the director of strategic planning and marketing, a role that emphasized establishing a sustainable operational structure for the organization and that built upon his experience in health care management. In 1991, he was appointed associate vice president for health affairs and collaborated with other URMC leaders to re-establish the University’s School of Medicine and Dentistry and hospitals as nationally recognized leaders in biomedical research and federal funding. He helped implement a successful strategy that included building extensive research labs and facilities, and revamping the medical school curriculum.
Robinson was named vice president and chief operating officer of URMC in 1997, and the next year these responsibilities broadened to encompass the entire Strong Health system, which today is UR Medicine, the University’s extensive patient care network that includes health care affiliates throughout Upstate New York.
In 2003, he led the University’s affiliation with NextCorps, the region’s only state and federally designated business incubator focused on advancing next-generation optics, photonics, and imaging-enabled companies. Robinson was named NextCorps board chair, a role he continues in today. The University’s role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem continued to expand as Robinson became founder and board chair of Excell Partners, the University’s affiliated venture fund, which now has more than $75 million under management. Robinson was a catalyst for the creation of Empire Discovery Institute (EDI), a drug discovery and development company owned jointly by the University, Roswell Cancer Institute, and the University of Buffalo. He has also represented the University as the immediate past chair of NewYorkBIO, the leading advocate representing hundreds of bioscience companies, universities, research institutions, and others dedicated to advancing life science research and commercializing treatments and cures for patients.
By 2014, Robinson was named vice president of the first institution-wide Office of Government and Community Relations, which manages federal, state, and community relations on behalf of the University and works to build coalitions to support issues of importance to education and research institutions across the country. As vice president, Robinson has led the University’s legislative efforts locally, in Albany, and in Washington, DC, developing strong relationships with elected officials, special-interest groups, and community leaders. He strongly advocates for the state, federal, and agency funding that helps further the University’s research, health care, and education missions. This advocacy work includes helping deliver support to the University’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics in the form of sustained federal funding for its nation-critical fusion, high-energy-density science, and advanced high-intensity laser and optics work. In 2018, when the LLE was threatened with closure due to drastic proposed cuts in federal funding, Robinson led the way in restoring a then-record $80 million fiscal year 2019 appropriation.
Robinson has secured several hundreds of millions of dollars in capital grants for the Medical Center and the University, including $50 million for the Saunders Research Building; $50 million for the Emergency and Inpatient Tower project currently under construction; funding for the Eastman School of Music expansion, for Wegmans Hall and the Goergen Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, for the Kornberg and Del Monte Biomedical Research buildings; and many other projects.
“Since joining our team in 1988, Peter has been instrumental at helping the Medical Center maintain relationships with public officials and community leaders that help us to support our staff and serve our patients,” says Kathy Parrinello, president and CEO of Strong Memorial and Highland hospitals. “When we’ve needed to respond to a public health crisis like the COVID pandemic, advocate for legislation to support hospitals, or seek funding to support essential capital projects, Medical Center leaders are able to work in partnership with public officials who know us well, thanks to the relationships Peter and his team have helped us build over the years.”
In June 2024, Robinson was recognized for his leadership at the downtown event announcing $40 million in federal funding to advance the semiconductor industry in Upstate New York. The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub, of which the University is a lead partner, engages more than 100 partners in industry, academia, labor, nonprofit, government, and the private sector.

He has also fostered positive relationships with area organizations and formed partnerships that benefit City of Rochester residents. He represented the University on the steering committee of the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI), a multisector community collaborative established in 2015 to improve the quality of life for Rochester residents by reducing poverty and increasing self-sufficiency. He was additionally a key contributor to the University-East High School Partnership (EPO) and the Medical Center’s systemwide partnership with the YMCA of Greater Rochester. Both initiatives extended the University’s expertise and reach in education reform and health care delivery, respectively, for the betterment of students and area residents. More recently, Robinson coordinated with City of Rochester leaders on the expansion of the University Home Ownership Incentive Program. In 2024, the program’s home purchasing grant increased from $9,000 to $20,000, and now applies to all neighborhoods within the City of Rochester.
“I am grateful to the University presidents and Medical Center leaders who have given me the opportunity to serve,” says Robinson. “The University is a national leader in research, education, and health care and equally committed to the well-being of our community. Spending my career here at Rochester has been a wonderful gift.”
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York and master’s degrees from the New School for Social Research and the Columbia University School of Public Health. For 30 years, he served as an officer in the New York Army National Guard and retired in 2002 holding the rank of colonel. Robinson has been a champion of the University’s Veterans Alliance, launched in 2013 as a University Resource Group for active military and veteran members of the University community and their families. Robinson each year participates in the Veterans Day pinning ceremony, recognizing members of the University community and their families from all branches of the US Armed Forces.
Robinson has served on the boards of the Center for Governmental Research (CGR), Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester, United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, the Rochester Health Commission, Elder Abuse Consortium of Lifespan, the Community Advisory Board of the Junior League of Rochester Inc., and the Al Sigl Center. He is a member of the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC), which has a broad array of advisory and decision-making responsibilities with respect to New York State’s public health and health care delivery system. He will continue to serve in this role post-retirement.