KCC Welcomes Interim President Dr. Suri Duitch

Brooklyn, NY — CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez announces the appointment of Dr. Suri Duitch as interim president of Kingsborough Community College. She replaces Dr. Claudia V. Schrader, who stepped down to become the interim president of York College.

Duitch is a two-time CUNY alumna with a distinguished career that spans over 12 years in the CUNY Office of Academic Affairs and the School of Professional Studies. Most recently, she served as the dean and vice president for academic innovation at Tulane University School of Professional Advancement, where she led a major transformation of the institution. During her tenure, she collaborated with faculty, staff, and students to envision academic excellence and responsiveness, resulting in a comprehensive overhaul of the school's programs, student services, and operations. These changes included revising the school's mission and constitution, introducing new degree programs that facilitated an increase in the number of full-time faculty, enhancing online and hybrid courses, and implementing initiatives to support underrepresented populations.

Before her time at Tulane, Duitch worked at CUNY's Office of Academic Affairs for a decade, including roles as the university dean for education and workforce development and deputy to the senior university dean for academic affairs. In these positions, she oversaw programs with an annual enrollment of 50,000 students and significantly improved employment outcomes for students and graduates. Her notable achievements include the launch of the CUNY Service Corps, a paid experiential learning program addressing the needs of city communities after Superstorm Sandy, and securing substantial grants from leading private foundations like JPMorgan Chase and the Ford Foundation.

During her tenure at CUNY's School of Professional Studies, she served as the director of program development and was part of the school's inaugural team. In this capacity, she oversaw the planning, conceptualizing, and implementing of both degree and non-credit programs, as well as contributing to the school's academic governance and strategic planning.

Duitch holds a B.A. from Columbia University, an MSW from the Hunter College School of Social Work, and a Ph.D. in Urban Education from the CUNY Graduate Center. She is a member of the New Orleans Workforce Development Board and Tulane's Downtown Capital Planning and Academic Integration Committee. In recognition of her contributions, she was named a 2019 Woman of the Year by the New Orleans CityBusiness newspaper.

She will begin work at Kingsborough on Monday, Jan. 29. The appointment is pending approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees. A national search for Kingsborough Community College's next permanent leader will be initiated in accordance with the CUNY's Guidelines for Presidential Searches and the bylaws of the Board of Trustees.