Stephen is President Emeritus and University Professor of Public Service at The George Washington University: he served as GW?s 15th president for 19 years, from 1988 to 2007. He came to GW from the University of Hartford, where he had been president for 11 years and also held positions as vice president for academic services and academic dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Boston University, and served as the special assistant to the U.S. Education Commissioner, Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Phi Beta Kappa and the Board of Directors of the Bankinter Foundation in Madrid and the Ditchley Foundation in England. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Bar Foundation. Steven has been chair of the Rhodes Scholarships Selection Committee for Maryland and the District of Columbia. He has served on numerous boards such as the DC Chamber of Commerce, which he chaired, the Board of Trade and the Federal City Council.