The Steering Committee of the Research Alliance for New York City Schools provides guidance about our goals and research agenda and feedback on our work, offering a range of vital perspectives on the City’s education system.
Mark Dunetz, Chair- President, New Visions for Public Schools
Jennifer Jones Austin- Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, FPWA
Melissa Aviles-Ramos- Chancellor, New York City Public Schools
Georgina Dopico- Provost, New York University
Frances Lucerna- Co-Founder and Executive Director, El Puente
Christine Mangino- President, Queensborough Community College
James Merriman- Chief Executive Officer, New York City Charter School Center
Michael Mulgrew- President, United Federation of Teachers
Felix Matos Rodriguez- Chancellor, The City University of New York
Henry Rubio- President, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators
Michelle Yanche- Executive Director, Good Shepherd Services
Jennifer Jones Austin
Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, FPWA
Jennifer Jones Austin is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the FPWA, a prominent NYC anti-poverty policy and advocacy organization comprising 200 member human services agencies. Prior to joining FPWA, Ms. Jones Austin served as Senior Vice President of United Way of New York City.
Ms. Jones Austin was appointed as the City’s first Family Services Coordinator by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She has also served as Deputy Commissioner for the Administration for Children’s Services, Civil Rights Deputy Bureau Chief for Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, and Vice President for LearnNow/Edison Schools Inc.
Ms. Jones Austin has chaired several influential boards and commissions, including serving as Co-Chair of Mayor Bill de Blasio's transition team, leader of his Universal Pre-K Design Workgroup and the Jobs for New Yorkers Task Force, Chair of the City of New York Procurement Policy Board, and Co-Chair of the New York State Supermarket Commission.
Ms. Jones Austin is a board member and spokesperson for The National Marrow Donor Program and a board member of the NYC Board of Correction, Citizens’ Committee for Children, the Adelaide Sanford Institute, and the New York Blood Center.
Melissa Aviles-Ramos
Chancellor, New York City Public Schools
Melissa Aviles-Ramos is Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, the largest school system in the nation. Aviles-Ramos is a native New Yorker, a Latina, and a proud NYCPS parent. Aviles-Ramos began her career as an English teacher and NYC Teaching Fellow at Harry S. Truman High School in the Bronx. She later served as principal of Schuylerville Prep and acted as superintendent for Bronx High School Districts 8, 10, and 11, before becoming the Deputy Chancellor of Family and Community Engagement and External Affairs, as well as the Chief of Staff, to the former Chancellor, David C. Banks. In these roles, she spearheaded innovative family engagement initiatives such as NYC Literacy Hubs, the Family Literacy Ambassadors program, and Project Open Arms.
As Chancellor, Aviles-Ramos is committed to the effective implementation of key initiatives like NYC Reads and NYC Solves, ensuring every student receives a strong foundation in reading and math while preparing them for successful careers. She additionally looks to prioritize the physical safety and emotional wellness of students, enhance professional development for educators, and deepen family and community engagement.
Aviles-Ramos holds a Bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, a Master of Arts in English Education from the City College of New York, and Advanced Certificates in school and district leadership from the College of Saint Rose.
Georgina Dopico
Provost, New York University
Georgina Dopico was named Provost of NYU in June of 2024 after serving as Interim Provost beginning in August of 2022. She joined the NYU faculty in 2000. As NYU’s Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and for the Humanities since 2018, Dr. Dopico worked closely with senior leadership on graduate and undergraduate curricula, research, and academic policies and priorities, both in New York and throughout the global network, as well as on cross-school and University-wide initiatives. She led the Undergraduate Program Committee, the Graduate Program Committee, and the Academic Affairs Committee, and served as an ex-officio member of the Senate Academic Affairs Committee on behalf of the Provost.
Dr. Dopico has served as FAS Dean for Humanities, as Director of global curriculum for CAS, as Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and as Director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies. She is Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature. As Dean, with oversight responsibility for nearly 30 departments and programs and some 400 full-time faculty, she launched a number of initiatives, including NYU’s Bennett-Polonsky Humanities Labs, the First Book Colloquium in the Humanities, the introduction of the Community College Transfer Opportunity Program to FAS, the development of Urban Humanities, and faculty mentoring structures.
She received a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese from Yale University and an A.B. in History and Literature from Harvard University.
Mark Dunetz
President, New Visions for Public Schools
Mark Dunetz is the President of New Visions. He first joined the organization in 2013 as leader of the school support and operations team.
Dr. Dunetz began his career in the New York City public schools in 1998. He has taught high school social studies and English as a Second Language, and worked as a program evaluator for the National Science Foundation, an educational consultant, and a professor (of research methods at the City College of New York and of educational administration at Baruch College's School of Public Affairs). Immediately prior to joining New Visions, he was the founding principal of the Academy for Careers in Television & Film, a small career and technical education-focused high school in Long Island City, Queens.
Dr. Dunetz earned a B.A. in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz; an M.A. in Teaching Speakers of Other Languages from New York University; and a Ph.D. in urban education with a concentration in education policy from the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Frances Lucerna
Co-Founder and Executive Director, El Puente
Frances Lucerna is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of El Puente, an organization dedicated to fostering holistic leadership for peace and social justice.
Prior to this role, Ms. Lucerna used her background as a professional dancer to develop the Williamsburg Arts & Culture Council for Youth, the first performing and visual arts program for Latinx and African American youth in Williamsburg. She served as Artistic Director of El Puente for a decade, creating it’s nationally recognized and Brooklyn’s most comprehensive Latino Arts and Culture Center. In 1993 she became the Founding Principal of the El Puente Academy for Peace & Justice, a New Visions public high school that was the first in the nation dedicated to human rights and nationally recognized for it’s groundbreaking “community school” model.
Ms. Lucerna has received numerous awards, including “Celebrating Success” from the Children’s Defense Fund, the Hienz Award for the Human Condition, Brooklyn Arts Council’s Arts Advocate Award, and Comite Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad award. She serves on several boards, including the Mayor’s Advisory Board for Community Schools, the DOE’s School Diversity Advisory Committee, and the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance.
In 2018, Ms. Lucerna was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from her alma mater, Bank Street College.
Christine Mangino
President, Queensborough Community College
Dr. Christine Mangino, the sixth president of Queensborough Community College, formerly served as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York.
Prior to Hostos, Dr. Mangino taught in both an early childhood center, as an elementary school teacher, and later on as an adjunct professor at St. John's University. She served on nine doctoral dissertation committees, chairing four of them. Dr. Mangino began her education earning an Associate's degree from Nassau Community College, a Bachelor's and Master's degree in education from Hofstra University and a doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership from St. John's University.
Dr. Mangino presents at national and international conferences on topics such as differentiated instruction, learning styles, and leadership. She was an invited keynote speaker for faculty at Oregon State University, the 21st Century Principals Forum in Beijing and Shanghai, China and for an international Learning Styles conference in Denmark. Dr. Mangino has served her community as the co-president of the North Merrick Special Education Parent Teacher Association, a Girl Scout leader, and a volunteer counselor for a suicide hotline.
James Merriman
Chief Executive Officer, New York City Charter School Center
James Merriman is the Chief Executive Officer of the New York City Charter School Center, which focuses on starting, supporting and building support for high-quality charter schools. Mr. Merriman is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost experts on charter school policy.
Prior to working at the New York City Charter School Center, Mr. Merriman worked at the Walton Family Foundation, where he helped to develop and implement the foundation’s grant making process in the charter sector. He spent seven years at State University of New York’s Charter Schools Institute (SUNY-CSI), five of which he served as the organization’s executive director. During his career, Mr. Merriman has worked to create and design systems aimed at promoting the growth of a high-quality charter sector.
In 2012, Mr. Merriman was named a Pahara-Aspen Educational Fellow. He has served on the board of the National Charter Schools Institute and is currently a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, where he has also served as a member of its advisory board.
Mr. Merriman earned a B.A. in national security policy studies from Columbia College and a J.D from New York University Law.
Michael Mulgrew
President, United Federation of Teachers
Michael Mulgrew is the president of the United Federation of Teachers, a union whose 200,000 members include New York City public school educators, family child-care providers, nurses, and others.
He is recognized as a national leader in promoting labor-community collaboration and for leading the union’s efforts to transform education in the City. For example, Mr. Mulgrew mobilized a diverse coalition of public- and private-sector organizations to create the Community Learning Schools Initiative, which aims to enhance children’s achievement and opportunities by connecting schools with partner agencies that can respond to the social, health, and educational needs of students’ families and communities. Mr. Mulgrew also worked with the NYC Department of Education to launch the landmark Progressive Redesign Opportunity Schools for Excellence (PROSE) Initiative, which empowers teachers and schools to redesign their school program to better meet students’ needs.
Mr. Mulgrew spent 12 years as a classroom teacher at William E. Grady High School in Brooklyn, where he served as UFT chapter leader. Before becoming president of the UFT, he served as the union’s Vice President for Career and Technical Education High Schools.
Félix Matos Rodriguez
Chancellor, The City University of New York
Félix V. Matos Rodriguez was appointed as the eighth Chancellor of The City University of New York in May 2019, becoming the first Latino educator to serve in this role. Previously, he was the president of Queens College. His career spans both academia and the public sector.
Matos Rodriguez spent five years as the president of Hostos Community College. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Puerto Rico’s cabinet secretary to the Department of Family Services. Matos Rodriguez has published extensively and taught in the fields of Women’s, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Latino, and Migration Studies. He is a former director of Hunter College’s nationally renowned Center for Puerto Rican Studies. Matos Rodriguez has received numerous awards and honors, including the Citizens Union Community Leadership Award and ASPIRA of New York Circle of Achievers Award. In 2012, he was the Grand Marshal of NYC’s Puerto Rican Day Parade.
He is married to Dr. Liliana M. Arabia, a dentist, and they have two sons: Lucas and Juan Carlos.
A native of Puerto Rico, he is a cum laude graduate in Latin American Studies from Yale University and received a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University.
Henry Rubio
President, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators
Henry Rubio became the President of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators on January 1, 2023, after having served as the union’s Executive Vice President and First Vice President. Prior to those leadership positions, he represented school leaders as the District Chair for Manhattan High Schools and was elected by his colleagues to serve on the CSA Executive Board. He started his career in 1997 as a Bilingual Social Studies teacher in Queens, New York.
Rubio has participated in Columbia University’s Cahn Fellows program, and served as a mentor and coach to school leaders across New York City through CSA’s Supervisory Support Program. He serves as president of the High School Principals Association, president of the Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators, and as a board member of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. He is currently also the president of the New York State Federation of School Administrators and a vice president of the American Federation of School Administrators. In recognition of his leadership and impact on student achievement, Henry has been the recipient of several community service and leadership awards including recent recognitions from Latino Trendsetter in 2010, UNAPEC University in 2011, and the Catholic Teachers Association in 2013.
Rubio came to the field of education with a background in business and an undergraduate economics degree from Fordham University at Lincoln Center. He later earned a graduate degree from Queens College and administrative certification from the College of Saint Rose.
Michelle Yanche
Executive Director, Good Shepherd Services
Michelle Yanche was appointed as Executive Director of Good Shepherd Services in December, 2019. She previously served for ten years as a member of the agency’s Executive Team, which is charged with overall financial, operational, and program management, and stewardship of the strategic plan. Yanche has 28+ years of not-for-profit management, government relations and fundraising experience in child welfare, youth development, and neighborhood-based family services. She has extensive knowledge of how public policies, funding streams, and procurements translate into programs on the ground and a history of successful advocacy for best practice in each of these areas with a lasting impact on New York City’s children, youth and family services systems.
Yanche earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University. She earned a Master of Public Administration from NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.