New York Institute of Technology Welcomes New Leader for Office of Student Life

by Elizabeth Sullivan

Old Westbury, NY (07/24/2019) — Tiffani L. Blake, M.S., Ed.M., has joined New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) as interim dean of students for the institution's two New York campuses.

In this role, reporting to Junius J. Gonzales, M.D., M.B.A., provost and vice president of academic affairs, Blake will be a key member of the Office of Academic Affairs leadership team. She will be responsible for championing New York Tech's goal to be a student-centered institution that fosters culture change, promotes inclusion and diversity, stimulates innovation and entrepreneurship, and cultivates personal and professional student growth and development. Additionally, she will work closely with faculty, department chairs, deans, and student affairs staff to enhance the student experience through shared programs, services, resources, and initiatives.

Blake comes from The College of New Rochelle (CNR), where she had been dean of students since January 2015. There, she supervised student activities, residence life, health and wellness initiatives, orientation, student leadership, judicial affairs, and commuter services across four schools and five campuses. She played a leadership role in coordinating new student success communities and focused on promoting an educational environment celebrating diversity, encouraging personal growth, and recognizing individual needs.

"Tiffani Blake has extensive experience in higher education in numerous roles, and possesses depth and breadth in many areas within Student Life and beyond - she truly cares about the student experience. Her knowledge, expertise, dedication, and high energy also extend beyond the workplace to serving the community at large, which makes her even more relevant to and an exceptional role model for our students," Gonzales said.

"I am honored to join an institution that is committed to the academic, personal, and professional development of its students into alumni who will assess and respond to global needs and challenges. I look forward to engaging with NYIT's students, faculty and staff to enhance and sustain a sense of belonging, vibrancy, and innovation on our New York campuses," Blake added.

An alumna of CNR, Blake joined the staff there full-time in 2005. She served as the associate director and director of student development, coordinating educational and social activities for resident and commuter students in the School of Arts & Sciences and School of Nursing & Healthcare Professions, overseeing orientation and advising the Student Government Association and other student organizations, among other responsibilities.

Prior to her appointment as dean of students, Blake was the special assistant to the CNR president for mission and board relations. She worked to inspire the community to embrace the college's heritage and mission of education and service, and served as liaison between the president and the board of trustees.

Actively involved in the Archdiocese of New York, she has been a commissioner of the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese since 2005. She is a member of the North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is a 2016 recipient of the Business Council of Westchester's "Rising Star" award, which recognizes individuals under the age of 40 who are excelling in their fields/leadership in the county.

Blake currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at The Ursuline School in New Rochelle and has organized and participated in several service trips in Mexico, Haiti, and the U.S.

She holds a master's degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Baruch College and a master's degree in higher and post-secondary education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She currently is pursuing a doctoral degree in organizational leadership at Northeastern University.

About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in more than 50 fields of study, including computer science, data, and cybersecurity; biology and biomedical studies; architecture and design; engineering; health professions and medicine; IT and digital technologies; management; communications and marketing; education and counseling; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education, NYIT welcomes more than 9,000 students worldwide. The university has campuses in New York City (Manhattan) and Long Island (Old Westbury), New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world.

NYIT embraces its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, give all qualified students access to opportunity, and support research and scholarship that benefit the larger world. More than 100,000 NYIT alumni comprise an engaged network of doers, makers, and innovators prepared to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future.

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