2025 Power Players in Education

Dr. Christine Mangino is the sixth president of Queensborough Community College, CUNY. Previously, Dr. Mangino served as department chair, dean, and provost at Hostos Community College. At Queensborough, she led the first five-year strategic plan and established centers for racial healing, men’s resources, and LGBTQ+ support. She is a Middle States peer evaluator, serves on national research commissions, and is an Aspen Presidential Fellow committed to advancing equity and student success in community colleges.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
Higher education is increasingly focused on demonstrating value by aligning degrees more closely with career pathways. We’re also becoming more flexible, leveraging technology to meet diverse learning needs and expand access. I hope that we continue to innovate while strengthening these connections, so students see the relevance of their education and are well-prepared for both the workforce and engaged citizenship.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
What I enjoy most is supporting students as they discover their strengths and realize their potential. I love seeing them grow in confidence, build connections, and take meaningful steps toward their goals. Being part of their journey by helping them find both belonging and the courage to stretch beyond their comfort zone is what makes working in education so rewarding.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
By 2026, I hope to help more students achieve their goal of earning a college degree while fostering a strong sense of belonging on campus. I aim to create an environment where students feel both supported and challenged, finding comfort in community, yet encouraged to take risks, grow, and reach their full potential.

As executive director of Education Reform Now New York and Democrats for Education Reform New York, Jacquelyn Martell is a political strategist advancing progressive education policy and Democratic leadership statewide. Since 2022, she has raised over $12 million for the organizations and their affiliate entities, including their PAC and Independent Expenditure committee, to strengthen pro-education coalitions and elect leaders committed to equity, innovation, and accountability. A native New Yorker, she previously led advocacy at Achievement First and organized with 32BJ SEIU.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
New York invests more in education than any other state, yet too often outcomes don’t reflect that. Education must be central – not an afterthought – when we choose who represents us. When it’s not, students from marginalized communities are most affected. My hope is that we align our investments with evidence-based strategies that give every student, regardless of zip code, access to an excellent and equitable education.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
Our work at Education Reform Now New York and Democrats for Education Reform New York is centered on expanding equity and opportunity. We fight to ensure all students – especially those historically underserved – have access to great teachers, effective programs, and schools that fit their needs. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing policy translate into real progress for students and families across New York.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
In 2026, I aim to deepen our Democratic coalition around education reform – bringing together lawmakers, advocates, and community voices to advance innovation, transparency, accountability, and expanded access to high-quality public-school options. We’ll continue identifying and supporting Democratic leaders who prioritize student outcomes, expand proven programs like high-impact tutoring and dual enrollment, and strengthen career-pathway opportunities that connect learning to good jobs – ensuring every New York student is prepared to succeed in college, career, and civic life.

Karol V. Mason, president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, is a student success and criminal justice reform leader, raising over $42 million and substantially increasing graduation rates. She also served as US assistant attorney general, partner at Alston & Bird and as the first African American woman to chair a major firm’s management committee. Mason earned a B.A.from the University of North Carolina and a J.D. from the University of Michigan.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
People question the value of higher education, although evidence shows college propels mobility. CUNY’s mission is clear: “to provide affordable higher education to all New Yorkers, particularly those from working-class backgrounds who lack access to higher learning due to their economic status.” As John Jay’s president, working to honor CUNY’s mission, I am hopeful because a CUNY/John Jay degree moves people, their families and communities into the middle class. That goal should never change.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
Talking with our students lifts my spirits. Hearing their excitement about studying at John Jay and knowing that we are playing a key role in making their educational and professional dreams a reality fuels me. Having them advocate for things, demand more from their college or question policymakers about their expectations of justice inspires me. We need to keep striving to be better.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
My goal is to stay laser focused on raising permanent funding to institutionalize and improve student success programming and metrics: graduation rates, experiential learning opportunities, career success and the ability to be prepared for an ever-changing world. I am determined to ensure that our students have the opportunities they deserve to succeed. We all benefit by investing in their brilliance.

Chancellor Matos Rodríguez is the eighth leader of The City University of New York, serving nearly 240,000 students across 26 New York City colleges. His seven-year tenure has been focused on advancing career opportunities through industry partnerships, eliminating barriers in the transfer process and reducing costs to improve retention and graduation rates for students. Matos Rodríguez is driven by his belief in the interconnected role the University plays in lifting New York.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
Universities’ role today extends beyond graduation into career outcomes. We have launched a new approach that integrates career connections into every aspect of a student journey. And we have also expanded partnerships to provide internships, apprenticeships and skills training that prepare students for the job market. My greatest hope is seeing more employers offering paid work opportunities to CUNY students. These experiences have proven to put students on the right career path even before graduation.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
I came to CUNY because in every student I see my parents, who were able to provide for our family because of a public university – the University of Puerto Rico, which welcomed my dad and grandmother. The access provided by education, and particularly public higher education, is what has allowed CUNY to serve as New York’s engine of upward socioeconomic mobility for more than 175 years.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
With enrollment steadily increasing, we are building on CUNY’s longstanding commitment to providing an accessible higher education to New Yorkers. We will continue to pursue ambitious projects like the recent expansion of Hostos Community College into the former Bronx General Post Office Building, making the admission process for public high school seniors seamless and pursuing all avenues to ensure that graduating students can quickly launch careers of their choosing with competitive salaries.

Shelley Mayer is a recognized leader in the NYS Legislature as a lifelong champion for children and families. After serving as an assembly member representing Yonkers, Shelley was elected to represent New York’s 37th State Senate District in Westchester in April 2018 and has been re-elected since then. In 2019,  Shelley was appointed chair of the Senate Education Committee, where she helped lead the fight for the full funding of Foundation Aid for New York’s public schools.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
The COVID pandemic caused enormous disruption for our schools and students, families and school communities are still recovering from it. But the pandemic reminded us of the essential role public schools play in our communities as they took on responsibilities to help students and families. We need to make schools the center of communities by keeping them open nights and weekends, supporting their missions, and helping families see public schools as a path to success.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
I appreciate the diversity of viewpoints in education –  including students, teachers, school staff, administrators, parents and PTAs, Boards of Education, the State Education Department and my colleagues – as well as community members who support our school systems. I appreciate the uniqueness of our school communities, from urban to rural to suburban. I value and admire the passion of students I meet across the state who are motivated to learn and improve the world.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
To confront the educational challenges posed by the Trump administration and the Congressional Majority, which threaten funding and undermine our national commitment to public education, and to support early learning and the needs of English language learners, and protect our immigrant families and their children.

Steven W. McLaughlin is the 14th president of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. He joined Cooper in July 2025 after nearly 30 years at Georgia Tech as both a faculty member and administrator. He was most recently Georgia Tech’s chief academic officer. An electrical engineer, McLaughlin has led research, published, and holds U.S. patents in information theory, wireless communication technology, data storage and security.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
I think many people feel that higher education has broken its social compact of being accessible and affordable to students and their families. All of us in higher education have a responsibility to change that for the better. One of the things that drew me to The Cooper Union is our commitment to leading in that area by restoring full-tuition scholarships for undergraduates, and we are making meaningful progress toward that goal.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
The students! I have been an educator for 30 years, and I always say that my top three priorities are students, students, students. This is work where you see directly the transformative impact that an academic journey can have on students’ lives, on the lives of their family members, and on their communities. Peter Cooper believed that, too, when he founded The Cooper Union 167 years ago as a free center of learning for all.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
For Cooper Union, we will continue to pursue our return to full-tuition scholarships alongside an unparalleled academic experience. For higher education overall, I think in a world that feels increasingly polarized, we all must redouble our efforts to ensure that colleges and universities are places where students from all backgrounds feel welcome, respected and heard and can pursue their dreams as part of communities where free expression and academic freedom are valued and protected.

Linda G. Mills, JD, LCSW, Ph.D., is NYU’s 17th president and the Lisa Ellen Goldberg professor of social work, public policy, and law. Her NSF- and NIJ-funded research has reshaped the treatment of domestic violence and is being adopted in several jurisdictions. Her writings have been published by Harvard Law Review, Cornell Law Review, Princeton University Press, University of Michigan Press, and her award-winning documentaries have debuted at Tribeca Film Festival and been screened worldwide.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
The educational landscape is constantly changing. Today’s tectonic shifts range from new technologies to evolving national priorities. What hasn’t changed is that higher education continues to prepare our students to be productive and engaged citizens – the next generation of leaders: resilient, able to build bridges and work with others, welcoming multiple points of view. This undergirds our commitment to our faculty’s quest for knowledge, defining new frontiers of discovery and the search for truth.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
Meeting students who are excited by the ideas introduced in their classes and watching how their hard work in turn shapes their thinking, let alone how they – as students – help develop entire fields of study. Learning about the sometimes extraordinary successes of our faculty – both in their teaching innovation and research discoveries. The contribution that universities make to the production of knowledge is singular in its impact and truly exhilarating to behold. 

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
To build out NYU’s blueprint for responding to the enormous changes we are all witnessing in higher education, from managing technology’s influence and ensuring the ongoing success of science, technology and research on our way of life, to reducing polarization and hate. It is crucial that we break down intellectual silos in order to make way for the next generation of innovation and new ideas.

Tia Morris has dedicated nearly 30 years to improving young people’s educational opportunities. She began her teaching career in New York through Teach For America in 1998 and returned in 2020 as executive director. Tia previously served as executive director for Teach For America New Jersey, helped found a network of schools, and held chief-level central office positions in multiple school systems. Tia gives back through nonprofit board service and is completing her doctoral studies. 

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
Connection. Computers. Compassion. While social media continues to shape the ways students communicate and define themselves, we’ve seen a precipitous uptick in the use of AI and tech solutions in education and everyday life. Simultaneously, we’re still dealing with ongoing student mental health challenges. All of this highlights why human connection is more important now than ever. I hope the future brings increased compassion, structured support for wellness, and a fuller approach to student achievement.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
What I love most about being an educator are the ways in which we are like gardeners. When gardeners plant seeds, it’s an act of faith that life will sprout and a deep belief that, though you can’t see what’s happening underground, seedlings will eventually blossom. Similarly, educators have an unshakeable belief in their students and so trust that seeds planted in student hearts and minds will ignite sparks that will shape our collective futures.

Greg Morrisett is the Jack and Rilla Neafsey dean and vice provost of Cornell Tech, Cornell University’s New York City campus that develops leaders and technologies for the AI era through foundational and applied research, graduate education, and new ventures. Since 2019, he has been responsible for the academic quality and direction of its degree programs as well as for efforts to recruit faculty, researchers, and students from around the world.

How has the educational landscape changed in recent years and what are your hopes for its future?
The rise of generative AI is dramatically changing education. I hope we can move past the hype of the technology and get to the real, substantive questions around how, in the age of AI, students can best learn to become critical thinkers and informed citizens with the agency to build the future in which they want to live.

What do you most enjoy about working in education?
I love the arrival of a new class of students on campus. The students’ energy and eagerness are always revitalizing. The new ideas, the new questions, and the new capabilities propel all of us forward. I can’t imagine working anywhere that didn’t have that annual jolt of excitement and inspiration.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
My key goal is to continue growing Cornell Tech to ensure we are the leading campus for AI transformation – hiring top faculty from around the world, advancing emerging technologies, and addressing the societal impact of AI. We’ll continue to educate and develop leaders across health care, finance, retail, and transportation, while deepening our engagement with New York City to ensure responsible tech adoption in the AI era.

Michael Mulgrew is the president of the United Federation of Teachers, which represents more than 200,000 public school educators, nurses, and other public service titles and organizations. Mulgrew has consistently used the power of the union and its membership to advocate for the needs of students and their school communities. This has included intensive lobbying to preserve schools’ status as safe spaces for all students, protect schools from devastating funding cuts, and help pass historic class size legislation that was decades in the making. A Staten Island native, Mulgrew taught for 12 years at William E. Grady HS in Brooklyn, where he also served as chapter leader. He was reelected to his sixth term as UFT president in the spring of 2025.