President’s Cabinet
The President’s Cabinet is composed of the senior leadership of the College, including the provost, vice presidents, deans, the chair of the faculty senate, and senior members of the president’s office staff. The Cabinet meets weekly to address issues that affect the entire College. It is charged with framing policy and procedures, making recommendations to the president, and effectively implementing all decisions.
The Cabinet is also responsible for aligning the College’s strategic plans and available resources to ensure that the College fulfills its mission. Review minutes from past meetings.
S. David Wu
President
S. David Wu, PhD, was appointed Baruch College’s eighth president on February 3, 2020, becoming the first Asian American to lead a CUNY college. From 2014 until his appointment at Baruch, Dr. Wu served as provost and executive vice president of George Mason University. Under his leadership, Virginia’s largest public research university emerged as a top-tier national research institution-the youngest university to earn Carnegie research-one (R1) designation. Prior to Mason, Dr. Wu was dean and Iacocca Professor of the Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University where he had been a member of the faculty since 1987. He has served on numerous boards including Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering, the National Science Foundation, the Science Foundation of Ireland, the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong, and the Science & Engineering Research Council of Singapore. Dr. Wu is an accomplished scholar in systems engineering and operations research and has published extensively in areas such as game theory, optimization, and econometrics.
Linda Essig
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Linda Essig, MFA, PhD, was appointed Baruch College’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs on July 1, 2021. She previously served as dean of the College of Arts & Letters at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) where she was responsible for nine academic departments, four centers, and the Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery. Prior to Cal State LA, Dr. Essig was director of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programs for the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University (ASU) and founding director of its School of Theatre and Film. She also served as chair of the Department of Theatre & Drama and director of University Theatre at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Essig has authored four books and numerous articles and book chapters on both arts entrepreneurship and theatrical lighting design.
Olga Dais
Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel and Labor Designee
Olga Dais joined Baruch College in January 2015 as Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel and Labor Designee. In that role she interprets and advises on College governance documents, Board of Trustees bylaws, and policies, regulations and rules affecting the staff of the College. Additionally, she administers and interprets employee collective bargaining agreements, and is responsible for assuring compliance with laws governing employment and contract interpretation. Previously she was Executive Director of Legal Affairs/Compliance Programs and served as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at CUNY’s York College for 15 years. Prior to that, she was the Corporation Counsel/Chief Legal Counsel for the City of Mt. Vernon, NY, and General Counsel/Chief Legal Counsel for New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. Ms. Dais earned her BS from Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations and her JD from Hofstra University School of Law.
Elliott Dawes
Executive Chief Diversity Officer
Elliott Dawes was appointed Executive Chief Diversity Officer in August 2021. From 2016 to 2021, he was the CDO for Institutional Equity and Inclusion at SUNY Empire State College. Prior to that, Dawes served as the university director of The City University of New York Black Male Initiative (CUNY BMI) and assistant dean for Multicultural Affairs at the Hofstra University School of Law. He has experience as a lawyer and educator, including as a trial attorney, Educational Opportunities Litigation Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice and an associate professor, African American Studies, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY.
Dawes holds an LLM from Columbia Law School, a BA in Government and Africana Studies from Cornell University, and a JD from the New York University School of Law.
Alaina Gilligo
Vice President for Operations and Administration
Alaina Gilligo has 19 years of public sector executive, operational, and policy experience in New York. She joined Gilbane Building Company in January 2022 as Head of Strategic Partnerships. In this role, Alaina ensured environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principals were incorporated into client projects, led engagement with government policymakers, nonprofit, and civic leaders, and drove operational goals for signature capital projects. She was also an appointed member of the Mayor’s Capital Process Reform Taskforce.
Alaina previously served as First Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York where she oversaw: the first strategic plan to address climate risk in the $260 billion NYC Retirement Systems portfolio, doubling of climate solutions investments, the largest municipal public pension divestment from fossil fuels; the appointment of the City’s first Chief Diversity Officer; and a more than doubling of Office purchasing with minority and women-owned businesses. She also previously worked as Chief of Staff for the Office of the Manhattan Borough President as well as Director of Policy and Communications in the New York State Assembly. Alaina is a member of the Board of Directors for Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a nonprofit Partner for Greater NY and previously on the Board of New York City Economic Development Corporation and the New York Hall of Science.
Alaina holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and a master’s degree in public administration from New York University, where she received the 2009 Robert F. Wagner Award for Public Service.
Mary Gorman
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Strategic Academic Initiatives
Mary Gorman currently serves as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Strategic Academic Initiatives. Before that, she served as Chief of Staff to four Baruch College presidents since her arrival in 2001. Ms. Gorman chaired the College’s Auxiliary Enterprise Corporation Board of Directors for eight years, managed the process that produced Baruch’s current strategic plan, and participated in CUNY’s Executive Leadership Development Program. Prior to joining Baruch College, she worked at New York University in a variety of roles including executive associate to the dean of the College of Arts and Science; director of orientation and freshman programs; academic advisor; director of an undergraduate honors program; and special events manager. Before beginning her career in higher education administration, Gorman worked as a researcher for the New York City Board of Correction and a writer for NYC Mayor Ed Koch. She holds a BA in Sociology and Religious Studies from New York University, where she also pursued graduate studies in Medieval History; she is currently working towards a degree in higher education administration.
Andreas Grein
Chair, Faculty Senate
Andreas (Andy) Grein, PhD, is a professor of marketing and international business at Baruch College. He has worked briefly in personnel recruitment and the pharmaceutical industry as well as extensively in the delivery of graduate programs in the Zicklin School of Business, and has taught overseas in Austria, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. His research interests encompass marketing strategies in the automobile industry, international advertising, the changing patterns of national competitiveness, and ethics in international marketing. Dr. Grein has published in numerous journals, including the Journal of International Business Studies, the Journal of International Marketing, the Journal of Macromarketing, and the Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising. He earned his MIB (Master of International Business) from the University of South Carolina and his PhD from New York University. Grein was the recipient of the Baruch College Presidential Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2008 and has also received teaching awards from the Zicklin School of Business and NYU.
Art King
Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students
Art serves as chief student affairs administrator at Baruch College. Before joining the College in 2014, he was Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at San José State University (SJSU). Prior to SJSU, he served as the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Diversity and adjunct faculty member in the College of Education at Towson University, and before that, he held progressively responsible higher education leadership positions and adjunct faculty roles at George Mason University (GMU) and Georgia Southern University (GSU).
A staunch advocate for student-centered learning and engagement, Art is the recipient of several awards for enhancing the student experience and promoting inclusive excellence. He underwent specialized management training in leading transformation and change through the Management & Leadership in Education (MLE) Institute at Harvard University. Art completed PhD coursework in Conflict Analysis & Resolution at GMU, earned a MEd in Higher Education Student Development and BS in Communication Arts from GSU, and received an AAS in Mass Communication from the Barbados Community College.
Jessica Lang
Dean, Weissman School of Arts and Sciences
Jessica Lang was appointed interim dean-designate of the George and Mildred Weissman School of Arts and Sciences in July 2020, and named dean in November 2021; her tenure began on January 1, 2022. Dr. Lang brings a wealth of academic, scholarly, and administrative experience to this position, and is advancing a number of critical initiatives, including flexible course delivery, on-track graduation, and supporting faculty research.
Formerly chair and professor in the Department of English, Dr. Lang joined Baruch in 2004 as an assistant professor of English. Her areas of specialization span early American fiction and Jewish American and Holocaust literature. Her numerous publications include Textual Silence: Unreadability and the Holocaust and Off the Derech: Leaving Orthodox Judaism. Dr. Lang is the founding Newman Director of Baruch’s Sandra Kahn Wasserman Jewish Studies Center.
As department chair, Dr. Lang created a peer mentoring program for pre-tenure faculty members as part of a larger effort to support and recognize faculty accomplishments. To expand students’ horizons, she developed a “micro-study abroad” program for January Intersession. Her Baruch accolades include the 2017 Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching. She holds a BA from Cornell University, an MA from Washington University in St. Louis, and a PhD from Brandeis University. She served as a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University before joining the Baruch faculty.
Kenya N. Lee
Chief of Staff
Kenya Nyota Lee has served the Office of the President at Baruch College since 2004 and has more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration. Dr. Lee plays an integral role in the execution of the College President’s vision, overseeing strategic initiatives and projects. She is chair of the Auxiliary Enterprise Board, co-chair of College Senior Staff, co-founder of the Baruch Women’s Leadership Initiative and co-chair of the Baruch Employee Engagement Taskforce. In her multiple capacities she helps promote a campus culture of appreciation, leadership development, diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Lee’s professional experience also includes the magazine publishing and banking industries. Dr. Lee holds a BA in English from Queens College/CUNY and an MSED in Higher Education from Baruch College and is the Baruch College Institutional Representative for the ACE New York State Women’s Network. She earned her EdD from Northeastern University.
Mike Richichi
Interim Vice President of Information Services and CIO
Mike Richichi is responsible for leading the Baruch Computing and Technology Center (BCTC), including the Helpdesk, networking, A/V services, academic computing support, desktop management, administrative systems, and working with the CUNY Central Information Services department to provide University-wide technology services. Before being appointed to his current role, he served since 2016 as Assistant Vice President of Information Technology and Deputy CIO at Baruch.
Mike has a BA in physics from Drew University and an MA in educational technology leadership from The George Washington University. Before working at Baruch, he spent more than two decades at Drew University in various IT leadership roles. Mike was instrumental in Drew University’s ubiquitous computing program and for being recognized as an innovator in the use of technology in the liberal arts.
Mike is an active participant in EDUCAUSE, the organization for information technology in higher education. He was a 2006 attendee of the Frye Leadership Institute and has participated in various EDUCAUSE committees and initiatives, currently serving on the IT Issues Committee.
Sherry Ryan
Marxe Dean, Marxe School of Public and International Affairs
Sherry Ryan, PhD, was named dean of the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs in June 2022 and began her tenure on September 1, 2022. She previously served as the Director of the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University. While at San Diego State, Dr. Ryan oversaw the growth of a number of its programs. She was a faculty member both there and at the University of Iowa.
Dr. Ryan’s joint academic and practice careers have allowed her to develop a professional foundation of great breadth, part exploratory research–part nuts-and-bolts planning practice. She served as project manager for multiple local and regional bicycle and pedestrian master planning efforts, including the award-winning San Diego Regional Bike Plan, the City of San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan Update, and the City of Carlsbad Pedestrian Master Plan. She is a founding principal of Chen Ryan Associates (now CR Associates), a transportation planning and engineering firm dedicated to enhancing walking and cycling. Dr. Ryan holds a BA from Princeton University and MS and PhD degrees from the University of California, Irvine.
David Shanton
Vice President for College Advancement
David joined Baruch in 2005 as Executive Director of Development and served as Acting Vice President of College Advancement at Baruch from September 2008 to February 2009 before his appointment as Assistant Vice President in 2010. Previously, he was a senior consultant with Marts & Lundy for three years, assisting nearly 75 clients throughout the country with their diverse fund-raising needs. He began his development career at St. John’s University where he spent 13 years building leadership giving, stewardship and research operations. He was a member of the APRA Board of Directors from 2003-09. David holds a BA degree from Utica College, an MA degree from Rutgers University (Eagleton Institute of Politics), and an MLS degree from St. John’s University.
Lakisha Skrine
Executive Director of Human Resources
Lakisha Skrine was appointed Executive Director of Human Resources, Office of Human Resources at Baruch College in March 2023. Prior to joining Baruch, Lakisha was the Senior Director of Human Resources at the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), the largest public school system in the United States.
As the Executive Director of Human Resources, Lakisha brings a strong commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment that values the contributions of every employee. She is known for her exceptional interpersonal skills and her ability to build strong relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization. Her leadership style is characterized by empathy, integrity, and a genuine passion for helping others succeed.
Lakisha holds a bachelor’s degree from City College, City University of New York (CUNY) and a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.
Wendy Steinberg
Vice President for Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs
Wendy Steinberg was appointed Vice President for Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs at Baruch College in February 2023. Prior to joining Baruch, Wendy was Vice President of Communications at RiverSpring Living, one of the largest non-profit senior healthcare organizations in New York, most well-known for its Hebrew Home at Riverdale long-term care community. Wendy’s passion for developing compelling and engaging narratives has resulted in international media coverage that has helped tell brand stories and shape conversations about relevant issues. Wendy was recognized by Crain’s New York Business as Notable in Marketing and PR, and by Leading Age New York with the Carl S. Young Advocacy Award for her work in long-term care. Wendy earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Northwestern University, and is a volunteer with the Humane Society of the United States Animal Rescue Team.
Bruce W. Weber
Willem Kooyker Dean, Zicklin School of Business
Bruce W. Weber, PhD, is the new Willem Kooyker Dean of the Zicklin School of Business and a professor in the Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems and Statistics. Previously he was the dean of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware. He has an AB in applied mathematics from Harvard University and an MS and PhD in decision sciences from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Weber’s early career began at the Zicklin School of Business, where he left a lasting mark. He spent three years as an associate professor in the Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems and Statistics and was the founding Director of the Subotnick Financial Services Center, which today is one of the largest and most technologically advanced educational facilities of its kind and provides experiential learning for students.
Prior to Weber’s tenure at the University of Delaware, he was on the faculty at the London Business School, serving as the founding Chair of the Management Science and Operations subject area.
Dr. Weber brings more than 30 years of academic experience and scholarly research to his new position. As dean at Lerner, he launched the university’s first cross-college PhD program in Financial Services Analytics and raised the College’s research profile.