Trailblazers
The 2025 Trailblazers in Higher Education
New York college and university leaders shaping the next generation.
City & State presents Trailblazers in Higher Education 2025. Vaughn College; Carlo de Jesus; Romone Phoenix Jr.
Higher education isn’t just about earning a degree or getting a credential – it’s about changing lives. Continuing one’s studies beyond high school offers an array of opportunities, whether it’s gaining a broader worldview or mastering skills that pave the way for a more rewarding career. City & State’s annual Trailblazers in Higher Education features many notable leaders at colleges and universities in New York who are giving students a leg up and getting them to broaden their horizons. This distinguished list recognizes high-performing presidents, deans, vice presidents and other school officials, as well as academics, advocates, labor leaders, philanthropists, researchers and others who make New York a hub for higher learning.
Victor Alicea
Founded by Puerto Rican New Yorkers, Boricua College serves Puerto Rican and Latino students from its campuses on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and the Bronx. Victor Alicea, the college’s longtime president, founded the school to provide educational opportunities to the community, including daytime and evening classes. The curriculum is styled after that of the University of Oxford, with discussion-based classes and faculty consulting with students about their academic progress one-on-one.
K.L. Allen
At Western Governors University, K.L. Allen is the regional vice president for the Northeast, leading WGU’s operations in 12 states from Maine to Virginia, including the District of Columbia. Prior to assuming this role last year, Allen served as chancellor of WGU Ohio. While leading WGU Ohio, he oversaw enrollment increase by 60%. An Army National Guard veteran, Allen has worked in business development and veterans affairs. While in Ohio, he was an active civic leader in the Buckeye State.
Robert Amler
At New York Medical College, Robert Amler is vice president for government affairs and dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice. Amler launched online public health degree and interprofessional education programs at the school. He has convened county health commissioners in the Hudson Valley to discuss public health and co-founded the Center for Disaster Medicine, a biotechnology incubator and the Children’s Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley and its seven center statewide network. He previously worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Plinio Ayala
The nonprofit Per Scholas was launched in the South Bronx three decades ago with the goal of preparing local students for science and technology careers by refurbishing old computer equipment, and now it’s an acclaimed workforce development organization with locations all over the country. At the helm is Plinio Ayala, a South Bronx native who has led the organization since 2003 and positioned thousands of graduates for professional success. Ayala is also a board member of the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp., or SoBro.
Heather Barry
Starting as a history professor at St. Joseph’s University, Heather Barry has risen through the ranks to become provost and vice president for academic affairs. Barry’s research focuses on religious groups in colonial America. She published a 2023 article “The Real Housewives of the Seventeenth Century Atlantic World: Elizabeth Hooton, Katherine Marbury Scott, Mary Dyer and Cassandra Southwick.” The school, which has campuses in Brooklyn, on Long Island and online, has a student population of nearly 4,000, including undergraduate and graduate students.
David Belsky
A veteran of SUNY’s integrated marketing and communications shop, David Belsky implemented a new brand for the sprawling state university system and helped position SUNY as a national thought leader on higher education over the course of nearly a decade. He has since formed Good Rebellion, a communications firm. Good Rebellion’s clients include the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Business-Higher Education Forum and the Association of College and University Educators. Belsky is the chief communication adviser for the National Association of Higher Education Systems.
Norka Blackman-Richards
At Queens College, Norka Blackman-Richards is focused on making sure that low-income, first-generation college students are successful, stay in college and graduate within four years. Among her accomplishments is achieving retention of over 80% of first-year students in the Percy E. Sutton Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge Program (known as “SEEK”) to their second year of college. Over the past six years, Blackman-Richards and her team saved the state over $1.5 million in Tuition Assistance Program aid with students graduating in four years. She also co-founded the Chisholm Leadership Fellowship, which has placed over 40 Queens College students as paid interns in legislative offices.
Lola Brabham
New York’s private colleges and universities have a strong advocate in Albany in Lola Brabham. As the president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York, Brabham is telling state lawmakers that the state’s private higher education sector is deeply worried about new federal policies under the Trump administration, which could put their federal funding at risk. A former president of the state Civil Service Commission, Brabham expressed concern over last year’s decision to cut state aid to private universities with endowments over $750 million.
Adam Brown
A psychology professor at The New School in Manhattan, Adam Brown is addressing mental health by building capacity for community-based mental health programs. As director of The New School’s Center for Global Mental Health, Brown is partnering with the World Health Organization and others on initiatives to reach New Yorkers citywide. The center launched the Skate Mind Project to provide youth mental training at skate shops and skate parks, trained over 1,000 people in New York City last year in psychological first aid and teamed up with New York City agencies on adolescent mental health.
Joyce Brown
Move over Anna Wintour, Joyce Brown is just as transformational a leader in New York fashion. Brown, the longtime president of the Fashion Institute of Technology, recently expanded the campus for the first time in 40 years with a new academic building that includes the country’s largest knitting lab. She created DTech Lab, an on-campus innovation think tank that collaborates with fashion industry leaders, and launched the Center for Innovation at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. A former New York City deputy mayor, Brown will retire at the end of June.
Joshua Brumberg
Prior to becoming president of CUNY Graduate Center last year, Joshua Brumberg had served as its dean of the sciences and interim president. In the interim post, Brumberg played an active role in securing nearly $90 million in funding, including a $75 million grant from the Simons Foundation to add computational sciences programs and $10 million from the Leon Levy Foundation to create the Leon Levy Center for Biography. The computational sciences program grant will allow for a new master’s degree program, new faculty and workforce opportunities for students.
Susan Burns
Since arriving in the Bronx from Clarke University in Iowa, Susan Burns has been focused on expanding access to higher education. Burns led the University of Mount Saint Vincent in achieving university status from the state Board of Regents in 2024, while also presiding over an almost 50% increase in enrollment since 2021, going against national trends of decreasing enrollment numbers. She also founded Seton College, an associate degree program that helps low-income and first-generation students receive a degree debt-free, with plans to expand.
DeAnna Burt-Nanna
The Rochester area is experiencing growth in the technology sector, with the city being part of a new, federally designated Tech Hub encompassing Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse. DeAnna Burt-Nanna, the leader of the Rochester community college, has been a leader in the development of the region’s education and economy to make the federal designation possible. She has been appointed to the Tech Hub’s advisory board. In April, she took over as the new co-chair of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
Nancy Cantor
Nancy Cantor may be new to the presidency of Hunter College in Manhattan, but she is not new to the college C-suite. Cantor previously served as chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark, as president and chancellor of Syracuse University and as chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Cantor, also a former provost of the University of Michigan, is a national leader in higher education. She currently co-chairs the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a national group of college presidents focused on the impact of immigration policies and practices on students and campuses.
Michael Cassidy
Michael Cassidy knows how New York’s state government runs, and he brings that in-depth knowledge to his clients at Brown & Weinraub. Prior to joining the Albany lobbying powerhouse, he was assistant director of state operations during former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration, where he was also key in handling public finance matters. He is a member of the Maria College board of trustees, the Rockefeller College Advisory Board and a commissioner of the Albany Civil Service Commission. He’s also a trustee of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York.
Maria Sachiko Cecire
Maria Sachiko Cecire is a woman that many New York college students want to impress. Cecire is the District 3 secretary for The Rhodes Trust, serving as a gatekeeper for the Rhodes Scholarship in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley as far north as Ulster County. Cecire handles the administration of the Rhodes Scholar competition for the region, including overseeing applications and the selection committee interview process. A former Rhodes Scholar herself, Cecire is also a program officer for higher learning at the Mellon Foundation.
Cass Conrad
Cass Conrad leads The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, a higher education and workforce development funding organization focused on college and career opportunities for low-income residents of New York. Conrad, who’s also co-chair of the New York City Workforce Funders group, has led the Petrie Foundation in launching the Bold Solutions to Re-Engage initiative, which focused on young adults who opted out of higher education at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding trust in higher education institutions among this group. The foundation has also supported mentoring programs and youth-led peer programs.
Anthony Crowell
Anthony Crowell isn’t just the leader of New York Law School – he’s a key civic leader in New York City. In his current role, he has created new academic centers, championed the evening program for part-time students and kept a focus on social mobility. He’s also faculty director of the school’s Center for New York City and State Law. A counselor in the Bloomberg administration, Crowell is now a commissioner on the New York City Planning Commission and chairs the state Independent Review Committee for nominations to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government.
Bettina Damiani
A onetime staffer in the New York City Public Advocate’s Office, Bettina Damiani is dedicated to the labor movement and to fighting for the faculty and staff at CUNY. As the legislative director of CUNY’s Professional Staff Congress, she rallied members to help in the fight against New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ proposed $95 million cuts to community colleges, winning back funding and seeing the hiring of new full-time faculty. She has also developed key relationships with state lawmakers and led the campaign for the New Deal for CUNY.
Fernando Delgado
Fernando Delgado has become a leader in addressing New York’s nursing shortage. The Lehman College president last year opened a $95 million Nursing Education, Research and Practice Center on campus to bolster nursing education in the state, including programs to train nurses for home care. Separately, he accepted an $8.4 million federal grant to expand the college’s teacher education program. Delgado has become a national higher education leader, joining then-President Joe Biden in the Oval Office to celebrate an executive order supporting Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education.
Juan de Pablo
An internationally recognized materials scientist, Juan de Pablo joined New York University last year as executive dean of the Tandon School of Engineering and as the university’s inaugural executive vice president for global science and technology. The appointment is part of NYU’s major new initiative to deepen its science and technology research capabilities. Prior to NYU, de Pablo was executive vice president for science, innovation, national laboratories and global initiatives at The University of Chicago. He has authored over 700 publications and a textbook and holds 25 patents.
Sharon DeVivo
Leading an East Elmhurst, Queens, aviation and technology college, Sharon DeVivo has made Vaughn College a top institution nationally in upward mobility. Vaughn College is an 80% minority institution with many first-generation college students. DeVivo has led three strategic planning efforts and transformed the college from a training institution to offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. She is a member of the Civil Air Patrol board of governors and has chaired the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Kavita Dhanwada
The founding dean of the School of Health Sciences at Iona University, Kavita Dhanwada is no stranger to building and growing health programs. Prior to joining Iona University in 2022, Dhanwada had served as the founding dean of the Borra College of Health Sciences at Dominican University. At Iona, she has launched new master’s degree programs in nursing and a bachelor’s degree program in health and wellness. She has also collaborated with other Iona programs to create a new interdisciplinary master’s program in health care leadership and innovation.
Jeff Doggett
Jeff Doggett became the 21st president of Wagner College last summer, after more than a decade serving as a senior executive at Merrimack College in New Hampshire. Since arriving at the Staten Island institution, Doggett has worked to make it easier for students and their families to navigate the college bureaucracy with the creation of the Network Ensuring Seahawks Thrive (appropriately referred to as “NEST”), a one-stop shop bringing all student services together. He has also overseen a 20% increase in first-year applications year-over-year and the opening of a pop-up campus pub.
Bonita Durand
Bonita Durand was happily retired from Buffalo State University for five years when she got the call in 2023 to return for a three-year term as interim president of the institution near the northern edge of Buffalo’s Elmwood Village. Since then, she has created a new long-term fiscal plan and strategy – which includes creating teacher education pipelines, fostering new arts and culture programs, reviving a doctoral pipeline with the University at Buffalo, creating a doctorate in creative studies and promoting STEM education. Durand’s efforts have been praised by SUNY Chancellor John King.
Roberta Elins
Roberta Elins sits at the intersection of fashion, higher education and the labor movement. A media relations professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Elins is the longtime leader of FIT’s faculty union as well as one for higher education members of New York State United Teachers, where she serves on the board and as chair of the Higher Education Policy Council. Last year, Elins took her work for faculty members national with an appointment by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten to co-chair the AFT Higher Education Program and Policy Council.
Henry Foley
Henry Foley will be stepping down at the end of June after eight years as president of the New York Institute of Technology. While at NYIT, Foley implemented financial policies that led to almost doubling of the school’s endowment, increased Black and Hispanic enrollment, and invested in the school’s facilities. On the academic front, Foley launched NYIT’s first doctoral programs and launched a Biomedical Research, Imaging and Innovation Center on the Long Island campus. Foley is a former interim chancellor of the University of Missouri.
Dan Fuller
Dan Fuller knows higher education and he brings his knowledge to his clients at the lobbying powerhouse Ostroff Associates. A former deputy secretary of education for Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Fuller was instrumental in shaping state policies related to college affordability, expanding student support programs and growing workforce development training. Fuller has teamed up with public higher education institutions to obtain state funding, helped private colleges and universities seek state funding, and championed capital projects for New York colleges and universities.
Charles Gibbs
Charles Gibbs became the president of Metropolitan College of New York last year after spending a quarter century in higher education, including serving in key roles at colleges in Georgia, Alabama and the District of Columbia. Prior to leading MCNY, Gibbs was the CEO of 100 Black Men of America and the president of the Propel Center HBCU Consortium, a tech and innovation hub supported by Apple that partners with historically Black colleges and universities. Gibbs previously worked at Clark Atlanta University, Miles College and Howard University.
Alana Hans-Cohen
A self-described “cannabis nerd,” Alana Hans-Cohen is passing on her knowledge of the intricacies of cannabis policy and regulation to the next generation. Hans-Cohen is an adjunct professor at Central Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College, where she teaches classes in the cannabis business and the operations of retail dispensaries. As an associate counsel with the state Office of Cannabis Management, Hans-Cohen is also helping to craft cannabis policies as the legal market takes shape in New York while ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
William Herbert
A former deputy chair of the state Public Employment Relations Board, William Herbert has spent his career focused on public sector labor law and employment issues. Now the leader of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions at Hunter College, Herbert oversees research on labor-management relations. In recent years, he has co-authored studies on unionization efforts and collective bargaining in higher education nationwide, along with co-authoring a book chapter on the history of contingent faculty unionization.
Vanessa Herman
Vanessa Herman aims to revitalize how New York licenses professional engineers. The government relations chief at Rochester Institute of Technology, Herman is leading an effort in Albany to allow engineering technology graduates to take the state licensing exam after graduation instead of waiting two years. Last year, Herman represented RIT at a Japanese conference launched by Micron and Tokyo Electron to bring together American and Japanese universities to discuss semiconductor issues and education, as Micron is in the process of building a major new facility outside of Syracuse.
Warren Hilton
Not every college president welcomes the president of the United States to campus in their first year in office, but Warren Hilton did. Then-President Joe Biden visited the Onondaga Community College campus shortly after Hilton took office in 2022 to celebrate Micron, the semiconductor company making a major investment in Central New York. As part of Micron’s pending arrival, Hilton has built a clean room simulation lab at OCC to train future Micron technicians. Hilton’s other priorities are workforce development and enrollment.
Alicia Hyndman
While Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman is new to the chair’s seat on the Higher Education Committee, she is not new to higher education. A longtime education advocate and professional, Hyndman has worked at Brooklyn College and was minority affairs director at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the New York Institute of Technology. She also worked at the state Department of Education and is a former president of New York City Community Education Council 29. Hyndman has spoken out against proposed Trump administration education cuts.
Paul Iaccarino
Paul Iaccarino is focused on expanding apprenticeships in order to ensure a skilled and trained workforce in New York. At the Building Trades Education Benefit Fund, he has been creating and implementing programs to train new union workers in a variety of fields, including efforts to adapt to climate change and transition to a clean energy economy. Another initiative Iaccarino oversees is training military veterans in the apprenticeship program for post-military jobs. He has praised the U.S. military as one of the best apprenticeship programs around.
Marc Jerome
Last year, Marc Jerome led his institution’s transition into Monroe University, reflecting its growth and its shift from college to university status. With campuses in the Bronx, New Rochelle and St. Lucia, Jerome continues to pursue outreach in the Caribbean, completing deals with the Jamaican Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information to offer scholarships to 30 students from Jamaica annually and with Bay Gardens Resort in St. Lucia to allow resort staff to study for degrees in business management and hospitality management. Jerome is the longtime chair of the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District.
Fatima Rodriguez Johnson
Fatima Rodriguez Johnson is focused on developing a welcoming and inclusive campus at Canisius University, a Jesuit institution located on Main Street in Buffalo. A Buffalo native, Johnson left SUNY Geneseo to join Canisius in 2019 as the school’s first associate dean for diversity and inclusion. She has since implemented the school’s racial equity plan. She has also launched professional development programming, helped start employee resource groups and started Canisius Sankofa Day in conjunction with Juneteenth.
Larry Johnson Jr.
Only the second president of CUNY’s Guttman Community College, Larry Johnson Jr. has been focused on advancing the school on Manhattan’s West Side. He has led the community college in securing almost $5 million in grants from the private sector, the city and the federal government. He has also been focused on raising the visibility of Guttman Community College and the growth of academic programs. Prior to coming to New York, Johnson was president of Phoenix College in Arizona.
Alan Kadish
Despite a trend of shorter tenures for college presidents, Alan Kadish is 14 years into his job leading Touro University, a private, Jewish-sponsored institution based in New York with campuses across the country and overseas. Kadish credits his tenure for the growth of the college. He has been presiding over major developments for Touro, including opening a new medical school in Montana and a dental school in New Mexico. A cardiologist, Kadish has served on multiple grant review panels for the National Institutes of Heath.
Sean Kilachand
Sean Kilachand, a former financial analyst and journalist, is the leader of EduSynch, an educational technology and digital assessment firm that he founded nearly a decade ago. The company has partnered with dozens of colleges and universities as well as corporate and governmental entities, including the Rochester Institute of Technology, Boston College and PwC. Kilachand’s firm is behind the EduSynch CEFR Level Test and the EduSynch Placement Test. The New York-based firm has also delivered its products overseas in Europe and Asia.
John King
A former U.S. education secretary and state education commissioner, John King brings plenty of high-level experience to his role as SUNY chancellor. He has overseen the addition of artificial intelligence to SUNY’s general education requirements to ensure ethical AI use. King has backed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal for free community college for students in high-demand fields and capital investments at SUNY facilities. He has expressed concern about a potential decline in international students after a SUNY Potsdam student’s visa was revoked. He is now overseeing searches for presidents for seven SUNY campuses, including Binghamton University.
Frederick Kowal
As the longtime leader of United University Professions, Frederick Kowal has represented 38,000 members across the SUNY system. Kowal was a key player in halting plans to close SUNY Downstate University Hospital in Brooklyn and was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul to an advisory board to develop long-term plans for the institution. Kowal remains an outspoken advocate for SUNY funding. Kowal is speaking out against Trump administration proposals to cut federal research funding in higher education. He has also rallied against funding cuts at SUNY Fredonia and SUNY Potsdam.
Marvin Krislov
From working at the White House to leading the defense of groundbreaking admissions policies as general counsel at the University of Michigan and now leading his second college, Marvin Krislov has a track record of trailblazing moments. As president of Pace University, Krislov has led the renovation of the university’s New York City campus, including a major project at 1 Pace Plaza East with new arts spaces. He has put more focus on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in the curriculum. Krislov also opened Pace’s seventh college, the Sands College of Performing Arts. Prior to heading to Pace, he was president of Oberlin College for 10 years.
Linda LeMura
The first laywoman to serve as president of a Jesuit college or university in the United States, Linda LeMura leads Le Moyne College in the Syracuse area. With Central New York abuzz with the arrival of Micron and its major investment in a new plant outside Syracuse, LeMura is poised to play a role in the region’s economic growth. LeMura also serves as the co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council. She delivered the commencement address at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts on May 23.
Yan Leyfman
Dr. Yan Leyfman, a researcher focused on oncology and medical education, is aiming to end cancer. Leyfman’s nationally recognized research has been centered on the interplay between cancer and COVID-19, along with a focus on immunotherapy and cell therapies. He is the co-founder and executive director of MedNews Week, a global initiative to end medical disinformation. He is a co-author of a paper that focused on an artificial intelligence platform developed by Mount Sinai and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to predict patient response to immune checkpoint indicators.
Guillermo Linares
In his 50th year in public service, Guillermo Linares is expanding college access for New Yorkers. He has advocated for the expansion of the Tuition Assistance Program for part-time students and for students taking nondegree classes on top of raising the maximum income threshold for TAP participation, allowing 90,000 more students to be eligible. Linares has modernized financial aid systems and supported Gov. Kathy Hochul’s scholarship program for health care workers. He previously served as a city and state lawmaker as well as New York City’s immigrant affairs commissioner.
Michael Lindsey
A national expert in child and adolescent mental health, Michael Lindsey is elevating the curriculum of the Silver School of Social Work at New York University to better address mental health. Under his leadership, the school is developing artificial intelligence applications and using virtual reality simulations of practice settings for researchers to detect mental health needs. He has established partnerships with the New York City public schools for the School Social Work Training Academy, allowing NYU graduate students to receive specialized training. Lindsey is a member of the New York City Board of Health.
Serena Longley
Serena Longley brings deep experience in New York City and state government to her new role as vice president and general counsel at Barnard College. Previously, in the state Attorney General’s Office, she was deputy general counsel, providing strategic advice and aiding investigations into former elected officials. Longley was also a deputy general counsel for the New York City Council, where she provided advice on budget, legislative and ethics issues. She is a member of the Charter Revision Commission created by the New York City Council.
Amanda Lowe
The co-leader of the Higher Education Industry Team at Phillips Lytle, Amanda Lowe works closely with colleges and universities as a chief legal adviser. This includes working on a number of key legal issues, including board governance, compliance, employment, internal investigations, students affairs, housing and risk management. Outside of her professional work, Lowe is a higher education leader herself as a member of the board of trustees of SUNY Erie Community College.
Gerald Maitre
Gerald Maitre is a man on a mission. He wants to use workforce development to end the school-to-prison pipeline and instead help students go from school into gainful employment and long-term careers. As the leader of SUNY’s Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center, Maitre is providing workforce development training for students, which is improving graduation rates and job placement rates across industries. Maitre has also seen a growth in the college placements for the program’s alums, making it a leader in SUNY’s University Center for Academic and Workforce Development system.
Christine Mangino
The sixth president of Queensborough Community College, Christine Mangino has been focused on the creation of a number of trailblazing initiatives. This has included the creation of the Men’s Resource Center, the Truth, Transformation and Racial Healing Center, the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center and an equity dashboard. She has opened a dialogue with the Association of Indians in America on cultural exchange. Under her leadership, Queensborough was one of 10 community colleges nationwide selected by the MacKenzie Scott-backed Achieving the Dream initiative to invest in economic and social mobility.
Karol Mason
A former assistant attorney general in the Obama administration, Karol Mason now leads New York City’s criminal justice-focused college. At John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Mason has raised over $42 million, increased graduation rates and implemented trailblazing initiatives. She has partnered with the Obama Foundation to support men of color in college, and she created the Future of Public Safety Initiative to work with communities on shaping the public safety system of the future. The school, a top-ranked institution for criminal justice, is marking its 60th anniversary this year.
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
After leading CUNY’s Queens College and Hostos Community College, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez became CUNY chancellor in 2019. He has led CUNY to its second consecutive year of enrollment growth and the spinoff of CUNY School of Medicine as a standalone college in Harlem. In the last year, he has received two of the largest gifts in the history of CUNY and oversaw the completion of 73 capital projects. He is rolling out an initiative to let students transfer from a CUNY community college to a four-year college without losing credit. In October 2024, he became chair of the American Council on Education.
Ann Marie Mauro
Nurses are among the hardest-working members of the medical profession, and Ann Marie Mauro is training more nurses to join the profession. As dean of the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing at Hunter College, Mauro has spearheaded the Evelyn Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, aiming to increase the development of diverse nurse practitioners and train them to focus on community-based care. She has brought in over $4 million in outside funding and provided leadership for over $3.3 million in federal funds.
Linda Mills
A longtime administrator at New York University, Linda Mills became the university’s 17th president in 2023. Since then, Mills has seen NYU rank first in the state and 12th nationally for National Science Foundation research funding with $1.5 billion and saw a record-breaking 120,000 admissions applications. Mills has launched an initiative to charge zero tuition for students whose families earn less than $100,000 a year; opened a new study away site in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with another planned for Mumbai; and launched a major science and technology initiative.
Basilio Monteiro
Basilio Monteiro doesn’t just oversee the mass communication department at St. John’s University, he is also a diplomat. Monteiro is a mission expert for the Holy See’s United Nations Mission, serving on the Disarmament and International Security Committee. Monteiro specializes in international communication and the social anthropology of communication, researching human rights, social justice, social media in conflict zones, media and sustainable development goals and education in the globalized economy. Monteiro is also a senior fellow at the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s.
Anthony Munroe
In over four years at the helm of Borough of Manhattan Community College, Anthony Munroe has been focused on building up the school and forming new strategic partnerships. He created the Race, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee to address systemic barriers to student success. He also launched the President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation. Munroe has forged partnerships with Morehouse College, Columbia University School of General Studies and the Council on International Educational Exchange, among other groups, to increase opportunities for BMCC students.
Mike O’Leary
A former parliamentarian and deputy counsel for state Senate Democrats and former assistant state comptroller, Mike O’Leary uses his in-depth knowledge of Albany and state government to assist his clients in developing complex legislative solutions to a number of issues. O’Leary advised the Empire AI Consortium on implementation of an outreach plan, updating state lawmakers on consortium accomplishments and advocating for expansion. He has also worked with the University at Albany and Farmingdale State College to secure state capital funds to facilitate the development of new programs.
Susan Parish
Since joining Mercy University as its 13th president in 2023, Susan Parish has led the institution through the transition from being a college to a university and the opening of the School of Nursing. Among her priorities are creating an inclusive and respectful workspace, improving the student experience and increasing on-time graduation rates. Prior to joining Mercy, she was health sciences dean at both Virginia Commonwealth University and Northeastern University. She is an active leader in Westchester County, serving on the boards of the Business Council of Westchester and the Westchester County Association.
Heather Perfetti
Heather Perfetti is a veteran college accreditor, leading the Middle States Commission on Higher Education while also serving as chair of the Council on Regional Accrediting Commissions, which represents seven organizations handling the accreditation of some 3,000 colleges and universities. Perfetti pushed back on a new order from U.S. Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon that could withdraw federal approval of accreditation bodies engaged in diversity issues, saying McMahon’s order mischaracterizes accreditation bodies, but said she is open to working with McMahon on finding a resolution.
Eric Radezky
A veteran of New York City and state politics, Eric Radezky brings that experience to leading government affairs at Hostos Community College. He has developed and implemented an advocacy strategy on the city, state and federal levels, and he has helped secure millions of dollars of government funding. Radezky spent 14 years working for then-Assembly Codes Committee Chair Joseph Lentol, serving as the lawmaker’s point person in his Brooklyn district. Holding a doctorate in political science from Rutgers University, Radezky also teaches city politics at LaGuardia Community College.
Diane Recinos
While Diane Recinos has spent over 30 years in various roles at Berkeley College, she does not rest on her laurels. Instead, she’s continually innovating to better serve Berkeley’s students. Recinos has integrated artificial intelligence into the curriculum, along with faculty training and learning, to meet workforce needs. Recinos continues to push Berkeley into online education. Recognizing workforce development demands, Recinos regularly partners with industry leaders on curriculum development.
Havidán Rodríguez
With Micron coming to Central New York and the semiconductor industry growing upstate, Havidán Rodríguez is positioning the University at Albany as an economic leader. He brought the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering back to the university, resulting in the new College of Nanotechnology, Science and Engineering that was designated as a federal semiconductor research hub. He launched the AI Plus initiative that has students take at least one artificial intelligence course. He also oversaw the creation of classes in nursing, game design, cybersecurity and education and unveiled a new AI supercomputer.
Timothy Sams
Having headed up student affairs at two universities, Timothy Sams brought that experience with him as he moved to Long Island to be president of SUNY Old Westbury. Last year, he and the Old Westbury College Foundation hosted the school’s first Own Your Future Gala, which raised $244,000 for student scholarships and programs. At the gala, the school honored several prominent Long Island philanthropists along with SUNY Chancellor John King. In 2023, Sams presided over Old Westbury being elevated to university status.
Frank Sánchez
Frank Sánchez joined Manhattanville University in 2023 after almost six years as the president of Rhode Island College. Since becoming Manhattanville’s president, he has led a rebranding of Manhattanville as the school assumed university status. He has become an active member in the Westchester County community, joining the board of the Business Council of Westchester. And despite high college costs and a declining population in the Northeast, Sánchez has touted rising enrollment at Manhattanville.
Alison Schlesinger
Alison Schlesinger has brought her background in the business world and marketing to her role as vice president for new educational ventures at Sarah Lawrence College. She runs an office that serves as the school’s entrepreneurial hub, developing and implementing initiatives to expand educational opportunities for students. Her office created a degree program with NYU Langone Health focused on workforce development in genomics and personalized medicine, and developed a program for high school students to learn about artificial intelligence in film. Schlesinger is also working on new nondegree offerings.
Janet Silver
Janet Silver is a passionate advocate for higher education, helping clients at Hinman Straub achieve their goals. Silver is an expert on the state’s Tuition Assistance Program and has lobbied for changes to the program to help low-income and minority students. She secured regulatory approvals from the state to allow for New York’s first conversion of a for-profit college to a nonprofit institution. She also helps colleges and universities navigate the state Education Department’s regulatory approval process and is an expert in professional regulation in the state.
Donna Stelling Gurnett
Donna Stelling Gurnett is committed to increasing financial aid and reducing college debt for students in New York, particularly those attending proprietary colleges. As the leader of the 12-member Association of Private Colleges, she led efforts to expand the Tuition Assistance Program for part-time students attending proprietary colleges and increased the income threshold for those utilizing TAP. The new threshold made 48,000 students across the state eligible for TAP in the past year, and came amid major delays and bureaucratic snafus with the FAFSA application process.
Christopher Storm Jr.
Fourteen years after starting at Adelphi University as an assistant professor of mathematics, Christopher Storm Jr. assumed the role of provost and executive vice president in 2021, leading academic issues at the Long Island institution. Storm created the Scholars Pursuing Arts, Research and Knowledge Center (known as the SPARK Center), which focused on embedding research into the academic experience for all undergraduates at Adelphi. He has also brought new energy to the Adelphi Innovation Center, which facilitates cutting-edge research and new research opportunities for students.
Hernandez Stroud
An expert on prisons, Hernandez Stroud sits at the center of one of the most debated issues in the criminal justice system. At the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, Stroud is focused on researching the prison system, the federal government’s role in prison reform and the constitutional rights of those in prison. An adjunct professor at NYU and Columbia University Law School, he previously taught law at Boston College as well as Washington and Lee University. Stroud was acting policy director for then-New Haven Mayor Toni Harp in Connecticut.
Terrance Stroud
Terrance Stroud knows that the best ways to uplift New Yorkers and transition individuals out of social services include employment and skills training. As the head of training and workforce development at the New York City Department of Social Services, Stroud develops and implements strategies surrounding employment and skills training. He is also the chair of the New York City Training Council and a member of the state Staff Development Advisory Council. He was appointed by then-President Joe Biden to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.
Tania Tetlow
Since taking the helm of Fordham University, Tania Tetlow has taken the Bronx and Manhattan institution to the next level. She announced a record $100 million gift will be used to create a state-of-the-art STEM facility on the Bronx campus. Tetlow led Fordham in recruiting the most diverse freshman class in university history this year, with 50% identifying as an underrepresented minority and 27% being first-generation college students. Tetlow is a trailblazer herself as the first woman and layperson to be president of Fordham, and of Loyola University New Orleans.
William Thompson Jr.
William Thompson Jr. has dedicated his career to public service and education. The former New York City comptroller and former president of the old city Board of Education now chairs the CUNY board. Thompson has teamed up with CUNY leaders and Gov. Kathy Hochul to combat antisemitism on its campuses. He recently presided over the board submitting a new eight-year master plan to state education officials. The plan includes goals to improve retention and four-year graduation rates and address issues impacting transfer students in the system.
Gozde Ustuner
Gozde Ustuner has secured her place in history. Before the age of 30, she became the youngest professor and acting chair in the history of Farmingdale State College. As an assistant professor in Farmingdale State College’s Mechanical Engineering Technology Department and a researcher in Brookhaven National Laboratory, Ustuner is focused on hydrogen fuel cell technology. Part of her research at Brookhaven is centered around how to advance sustainable energy solutions. Ustuner is involved in a number of professional groups to advance engineering.
Lisa Vollendorf
Since taking office in 2022 at Empire State University, Lisa Vollendorf has developed a new strategic plan and spurred rising enrollment at the institution. One of the fastest growing public universities in the state, Vollendorf has seen double-digit enrollment increases at Empire State. She has established the university as the only designated autism-supportive university in New York and positioned it to serve more military-affiliated students than any other SUNY school. She also launched the first Spanish-language online degree program in the SUNY system and has formed partnerships with corporations, labor unions and state agencies.
Kevin Weinman
A veteran college financial leader, Kevin Weinman became the fifth president of Marist University in 2021. He has launched a seven-year strategic plan, which will lead up to Marist’s 2029 centennial celebration. The plan’s focus areas include enhanced academic vibrancy, student centrality and an expansive community. Weinman has led Marist in widening academic programs, created new learning opportunities, hired new faculty and opened the Dyson Center, an innovation center on the school’s Poughkeepsie campus.
Elizabeth Wilson-Anstey
Elizabeth Wilson-Anstey brings vast experience supporting upward mobility as well as diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education to her work at the CUNY School of Medicine, an institution that took its current form nearly a decade ago. During a career spanning four decades, she has also focused on public health and health care disparities. Before joining the School of Medicine in 2022, she was assistant dean of diversity and student life at Weill Cornell Medicine. She’s also active with the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Committee on Student Diversity Affairs and Group on Student Affairs.
Aisha Wilson-Carter
The inaugural executive director for equity and inclusion at Hofstra University, Aisha Wilson-Carter oversees all DEI initiatives at the Long Island university. Her job involves stakeholder engagement and working with students, faculty, staff and external partners to develop and implement initiatives and partnerships to advance Hofstra. She is a thought leader on diversity issues, speaking at a number of events on Long Island and across the state on the current landscape and future of DEI. She is also the president of the Long Island Strong Schools Alliance.
S. David Wu
S. David Wu assumed the presidency of Baruch College in 2020 with an ambitious agenda to grow CUNY’s business college in Manhattan. Between Baruch’s Artificial Intelligence Think Tank and the development of a new AI Hub, Wu is working with researchers in ways to develop a curriculum that will bring deeper understanding of AI to the college’s students. He is partnering with business leaders in order to develop programs that address 21st century workforce needs. Wu has been working to expand Baruch’s physical footprint and upgrade college facilities as well.
Correction: This post has been updated with the correct address for 1 Pace Plaza East. This post has also corrected the amount that Norka Blackman-Richards and her team at Queens College saved the state in Tuition Assistance Program aid.
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