SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced on March 5, 2024, the launch of the SUNY Black Leadership Institute (BLI), and two SUNY Old Westbury representatives will play prominent roles.
Along with SUNY’s Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI), BLI is designed to ensure that “emerging leaders across our system benefit from rigorous support and training to expand their career at SUNY,” King said. “Programs like BLI and HLI are critical to our work to ensure excellent leaders across SUNY’s campuses.”
BLI’s inaugural class of seven fellows includes Danielle Lee, Ph.D., associate dean of academic institutes and programs for the campus’ School of Arts and Sciences and assistant professor of English. Dr. Lee also directs the University’s Social and Environmental Justice Institute.
Additionally, President Timothy E. Sams has been appointed as an advisor to the 10-person BLI steering committee. Tamara Frazier, the deputy chief operating officer for SUNY, serves as the BLI’s executive director, with guidance from the steering committee.
“As one of the largest educational systems in the world, SUNY is uniquely positioned to be the leader in developing and retaining diverse, world-class talent that impacts future leaders, New York State, and the entirety of our nation,” said President Sams. “Equally important, with culture wars and more threatening the progress of our nation, SUNY's leadership in this work ensures our systems' future as place that guarantees access, is inclusive, provides outstanding educational value and meets today’s national and global challenges.”
The BLI is designed for faculty and administrative professionals on a leadership trajectory at their respective institutions serving in mid- to senior-level roles. Fellows are guided through leadership assessments, interactive online and in-person workshops, and professional mentoring sessions designed to advance leadership skills.
Dr. Lee is Old Westbury EOP Alumna (2010) where she received her B.A. in English, with a specialization in Multicultural Literature. She received her Doctorate in English from St. John’s University in Queens, NY. Aside from her dean and director duties, Professor Lee also teaches Early Modern British Literature, Shakespeare, and Topics in African American literature. Dr. Lee’s research is rooted in Premodern Critical Race Studies, examining precolonial African agency in the construction of the Atlantic Trade System.
Dr. Sams has spent the last 30 years driven by the principles of access, excellence, success, and impact. His trail of accomplishments attests to his commitment to delivering on higher education’s promise of using excellence to achieve student transformation and social progress. Dr. Sams' career has taken him to an array of selective institutions around the country and around the world. As he moved from learning the fundamentals of building student success programs to innovating new ones as a senior leader, Dr. Sams' commitment to educational justice by inclusive excellence, praxis, and purpose-driven education has come to characterize his work of elevating the student experience and transforming liberal arts education.