NYU Steinhardt Dean Jack H. Knott convened a board of accomplished alumni leaders to serve as the School's inaugural Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board. The group of twelve alumni brings a range of experiences, including CEOs, entrepreneurs, and innovators from broadcasting, art, education, social justice, and more.
The Board will use their expertise across industries and disciplines to offer informed feedback on a range of topics, from academic programming to entrepreneurship. Together, they will serve as a diverse think tank to better the Steinhardt student experience.
“The Board will offer guidance and input to help fulfill our vision of being the leading school in the world devoted to a holistic understanding of and commitment to human development across the lifespan,” says Dean Knott. “We see each member as an ambassador for Steinhardt who can connect us more broadly with our global alumni community and with networks that can help to support our academic ambitions.”
“The NYU Steinhardt Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board is a group of alumni advocates who seek to promote and enhance the five strategic goals of the School: values-driven leadership, academic and artistic excellence, innovation, social impact, and global engagement,” notes the Board’s mission statement. “Under the leadership of the Dean, they will undertake this mission by serving as a sounding board and incubator for initiatives that will help drive achievement of those goals, while seeking to involve its global alumni community in support of those concepts.”
Chosen by invitation with an eye toward diversity and broad impact, the initial twelve members of the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board are:
- Gunjan Banerji (BS ’11); reporter for The Wall Street Journal, CNBC contributor
- Tarika Barrett (PhD ’10); CEO, Girls Who Code
- Talia Bender (BS ’14); President, The Female Quotient
- Danielle Butin (BS ’85); founder and CEO, The Afya Foundation
- Shoba Gayathri (MA ’06); art dealer and educator, UK lead volunteer
- Michelle Van-Ess Grant (MA ’03); Dean of Students, Hofstra University
- Xavier Jernigan (MA ’06); Spotify in-house talent and podcaster, Kennedy Center ambassador
- Sergio Pedro Lopez (MA ’17); director, Percent for Art, NYC Department for Culture
- Parker Lynch (MA ’13); founder and CEO, Hedgehog Health
- Mickela Mallozzi (BMus ’05); host and executive producer of television's Bare Feet
- Chris Mosier (MA ’11); transgender advocate and triathlete
- Caity Moseman Wadler (MS ’16); executive director, Heritage Radio
The Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board convened virtually for the first time on June 14, 2022, and will assemble several times throughout the year. They hope to come together in person with the entire Steinhardt community at this year’s NYU Alumni and Parents Weekend, slated for October 20–22, 2022.
Learn more about the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board and its inaugural members.