Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed 20 faculty and staff members from the City University of New York (CUNY) to serve on his transition committees. These appointments are part of a group of over 400 New Yorkers selected to provide guidance on personnel and policy for the incoming administration. The committees will focus on major issues facing New York City, such as housing affordability, childcare costs, transportation access, economic development, and emergency preparedness.
Dean Fuleihan, senior fellow for operations at the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance, has been named first deputy mayor by Mayor-elect Mamdani. CUNY appointees have been placed across several committees, reflecting the university’s expertise in public service and community engagement. They will advise on agency appointments and support policy development related to the administration’s agenda on affordability.
“CUNY faculty and staff bring unmatched knowledge to the issues that shape daily life in the city,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, who will serve on the Committee on Youth and Education. “Their service demonstrates how essential the University is to creating a more equitable and affordable New York, and we look forward to contributing insight and experience at this important moment for the city’s future. We also congratulate Dean Fuleihan on his appointment as first deputy mayor, a well-deserved recognition of his impressive record of service to our city and state.”
Hector Batista, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at CUNY, will join the Committee on Government Operations along with Marc Shaw from the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance. Michael Jacobson from the CUNY Graduate Center was appointed to the Committee on the Criminal Legal System. James Davis from Brooklyn College—also president of Professional Staff Congress (PSC), which represents 30,000 CUNY faculty and staff—will serve alongside Chancellor Matos Rodríguez on Youth and Education.
The full list of CUNY appointees covers areas including community organizing; safety; criminal legal system; economic development; emergency response; government operations; health; housing; legal affairs; transportation/climate/infrastructure; worker justice; youth/education.
CUNY is recognized as one of America’s largest urban public universities with institutions throughout all five boroughs of New York City. The university serves nearly 240,000 students each year across its various colleges https://www.cuny.edu. Most graduates remain in New York after completing their studies.
