SUNY Old Westbury: A Legacy of Inclusion provides an opportunity to discuss the impact of SUNY Old Westbury and its historic commitment to inclusion, equity and social justice against the backdrop of recent decisions rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court on issues related to affirmative action and more.
Dr. John B. King, Chancellor, State University of New York
John B. King, Jr. is the 15th Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States.
Prior to his appointment as Chancellor, King served as president of The Education Trust, a national civil rights nonprofit which seeks to identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps for students from preschool through college.
Chancellor King served in President Barack Obama's cabinet as the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. Upon tapping him to lead the U.S. Department of Education, President Obama called King "an exceptionally talented educator," citing his commitment to “preparing every child for success,” and his lifelong dedication to public education as a teacher, principal, and leader of schools and school systems. Before his appointment as Secretary of Education, Chancellor King fulfilled the duties of Deputy Secretary of Education, overseeing all policies and programs related to P-12 education, English learners, special education, and innovation.
His service in Washington, D.C. followed King's tenure as New York State's first African American and first Puerto Rican Education Commissioner, a role in which he oversaw all elementary and secondary schools, as well as public, independent, and proprietary colleges and universities, professional licensure, libraries, museums, and numerous other educational institutions.
A lifelong leader in public education, equity, and opportunity for all students, Chancellor King began his career in education as a high school social studies teacher in Puerto Rico and Boston, Massachusetts, as well as a middle school principal.
Honorable Kimberly Jean-Pierre, New York State Assemblywoman
Kimberly Jean-Pierre has been the duly elected representative for New York's 11th Assembly District since 2014. The daughter of parents who migrated from Haiti to the United States, she attended Brooklyn College, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in 2005, and Stony Brook University, earning her Master of Science in Public Policy in 2007.
Assemblywoman Jean-Pierre has a long record of public service in the Long Island region, working as an aide to Suffolk County Legislator DuWayne Gregory and former Congressman Steve Israel, as well as becoming Vice President of Properties at the Town of Babylon Industrial Development Agency. Prior to being elected to the State Assembly, she was the Director of the Town of Babylon’s Wyandanch Resource Center.
In the Assembly, Jean-Pierre has made it her mission to be a strong advocate for working families. She is a proud member of the Assembly’s Children and Families Committee and has consistently fought for funding increases for childcare and prekindergarten programs in the New York State Budget. As the mother of two young children, she recognizes firsthand how essential affordable childcare is to growing our local economies, as well as the need to expand early childhood education programs to better ensure positive educational outcomes. In addition to her efforts on behalf of children and families, Assemblywoman Jean-Pierre has also worked to deliver more resources to her district to address localized flooding and the opioid epidemic and increase public school funding.
Among her legislative accomplishments, she spearheaded efforts in 2019 to lower the age requirement for annual mammogram screenings and passed the most comprehensive boating safety legislation in New York State history. She also introduced and helped pass legislation in the 2020-21 state budget to establish New York’s first-ever prescription insulin price cap. Assemblywoman Jean-Pierre has also made it her mission to fight against racial discrimination within the real estate industry; perhaps her most significant legislative work came to fruition in 2021 when she passed several bills that were enacted into law which target real estate discrimination, including legislation establishing New York’s first-ever ‘Anti-Discrimination in Housing Fund’ which uses revenues from increased penalties on those who discriminate to fund fair housing and paired testing efforts to continue rooting out race-based housing discrimination in the real estate industry.
Kapil Longani, Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, State University of New York
Kapil Longani is the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel for the State University of New York.
Longani has had a distinguished career in public service, which he attributes to his immigrant parents who instilled in him a strong belief in the power of government to improve lives. His deep commitment to justice, fairness, and equity has taken him around the globe, from implementing South Africa's post-Apartheid Constitution, to serving as the minority staff's lead investigator for the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the U.S. House of Representatives’ most high profile and significant investigations, including the Flint water crisis, to serving 8.6 million New Yorkers as Chief Counsel to the Mayor of New York City.
In addition to serving as the solutions czar and top lawyer to the Mayor of New York City, Longani has worked as Senior Counsel to Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings. Prior to his work in Congress, Longan served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, where he prosecuted cases involving sexual assault, homicide, robbery, narcotics, and illegal firearms. He previously worked as a litigator in New York City at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Roger L. Gregory of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Honorable Judge Richard Smoak of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Longani has also taught as an adjunct professor of law at Brooklyn Law School and served as a Policing Project Fellow at NYU Law School.
Dr. Alejandro Rivera ‘05, Principal, George A. Jackson Elementary School
Alejandro Rivera credits his experience at SUNY Old Westbury for truly preparing him to be the educator he is today. He is currently the principal of George A. Jackson Elementary, a "blue ribbon" school within the Jericho (N.Y.) School District. Prior to this role, he served as a principal in both the Valley Stream United School District and for Uniondale Schools. His career also includes teaching positions and roles as a data specialist and testing coordinator within the New York City Department of Education.
He earned his B.S. in Childhood Education from SUNY Old Westbury in 2005. He followed that with both a master's degree and advanced certificate from Stony Brook University and completed his Ed.D. at Hofstra University. In pursuit of his terminal degree, his research examined the perceptions of suburban school districts toward the inclusion of immigrant families.
As a teacher and presenter, Dr. Rivera has presented at more than a dozen local and national conferences addressing issues including educating English language learners, instructional technology, and character education.
Dr. Rivera is also an active member of the Advisory Board of the SUNY Old Westbury School of Education.
Javier Henriquez, Student, SUNY Old Westbury
Javier Henriquez enrolled in Fall 2023 as a first-year student at SUNY Old Westbury. Having moved to Long Island from El Salvador while in high school, he is the first in his family to attend college. While he adjusts to college life and studies, he receives guidance and mentorship via Crear Futuros, a peer-mentor based initiative designed to improve Latinx student success at SUNY Old Westbury. A commuter student from Great Neck, Henriquez works in the Great Neck community while also pursuing his studies. .
Elijah Milien, Student, SUNY Old Westbury
A native of Queens, New York, Elijah Milien is a senior majoring in marketing with a minor in African American Studies. Having originally enrolled at SUNY Old Westbury after completing high school, Milien stopped out after one year to, in his words, “get myself right.” After approximately 18 months, he returned to classes, serves as a residence assistant for the Office of Residential Life, and is on track to graduate in May 2024. “Old Westbury has helped show me the importance of building and maintaining a community. Old Westbury has also helped fuel the concept within me to never be content with myself and to always fight for what you believe in.”
Amrushaa Muralidhar, Student, SUNY Old Westbury
Born in Chennai, India, Amrushaa "AJ" Muralidhar moved to California in 2011 and, after completing high school, earned an associate’s degree in Biology with honors from Los Angeles (Calif.) Pierce College. With she and her family relocating to New York, Muralidhar sought out an institution to complete her undergraduate studies. Her requirements: A campus with a strong Biology program and a diverse student body where she could feel welcomed. She found it at SUNY Old Westbury. Now this senior is director of clubs and organizations for the Student Government Association, a mentor for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), and an admissions Tour Guide Ambassador. After completing her B.S. in Biological Sciences in May, Muralidhar is considering attending medical school.
Moderator
Dr. Timothy E. Sams, President, SUNY Old Westbury
Dr. Timothy E. Sams was appointed by the State University of New York Board of Trustees as the sixth President in the history of SUNY Old Westbury and began his tenure at Long Island’s only public, liberal arts university in January 2021.
In his short time at SUNY Old Westbury, he has led the campus to tremendous progress and earned ample accolades. Earlier this year, the campus became a University, rather than a college, following a review and approval by state leaders. His leadership has led to the renewal of the campus’ accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the accreditation from the Association to Advance Quality in Educator Preparation for its School of Education, and, just this summer for its School of Business, accreditation from AACSB International, the most prestigious of its kind.
His tenure has also witnessed the initiation of the “OWN Model,” a strategic approach to improve retention and graduation rates by building on and incorporating best practices to provide in the classroom and through experiential learning a multi-dimensional student experience and that provides better preparation for the future. Since his arrival, the University has earned more than $6 million in funding to support initiatives related to STEM-career enhancement for students from underrepresented backgrounds, the creation of a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, the re-establishment of childcare services on campus, and supports for the basic needs challenges faced by students from all walks of life.
His service as SUNY Old Westbury president is the latest step in a more than 30-year career driven by the principles of access, excellence, success, and impact.