Inaugural Forum

Chairperson of the Economic Department at NJCU

Dr. Andrew Bossie is an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Economics Department at New Jersey City University. His research studies the effect of fiscal and monetary policy with focus on the effects of the fiscal/monetary policy shock of WWII on the US economy. He has presented research on income and WWII contract spending, tax changes and financial channels, and rethinking the World War II Economy.

As a faculty member, Dr. Bossie teaches a variety of classes at NJCU, specializing in Macroeconomics, US Economic History and Econometrics. He has also been awarded the Graduate Teaching Fellowship from the City University of New York. Dr. Bossie holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the City University of New York Graduate Center, and a B.A. Economics from Brooklyn College.

Secretary of Higher Education, the State of New Jersey

Dr. Brian Bridges currently serves as Secretary of Higher Education for the state of New Jersey, a role he began on November 16, 2020, as part of Governor Phil Murphy’s administration. Dr. Bridges previously served as Vice President of Research and Member Engagement at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in Washington, DC where he led UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) and the Institute for Capacity Building (ICB). He served as the organization’s chief research officer, principal editor, and contributor to FDPRI’s publications, as well as the manager of internal and external projects involving capacity building, evaluation, and assessment.

Prior to joining UNCF, Dr. Bridges served in various leadership roles both on- and off-campus, including Vice Provost for Diversity, Access, and Equity at Ohio University; Associate Director of the Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity at the American Council on Education; and Associate Director at the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). He is a former Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration at George Washington University. Dr. Bridges earned his Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University–Bloomington, a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina–Charlotte, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in English Language and Literature from Francis Marion University.

William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics at Harvard University and Director of Opportunity Insights

Raj Chetty is the William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics at Harvard University. He is also the Director of Opportunity Insights, which uses “big data” to understand how we can give children from disadvantaged backgrounds better chances of succeeding. Chetty’s research combines empirical evidence and economic theory to help design more effective government policies. His work on topics ranging from tax policy and unemployment insurance to education and affordable housing has been widely cited in academia, media outlets, and Congressional testimony. In addition to his pioneering work on the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, Chetty has presented a crucial study on economic mobility to the Obama administration, and worked on a study analyzing which American colleges help children climb the social ladder.

Chetty received his Ph.D. from Harvard University at the age of 23 and later became one of the youngest tenured professors in Harvard’s history. Before joining the faculty at Harvard, he was a professor at UC-Berkeley and Stanford University. A winner of the John Bates Clark Medal for best American economist under 40, Chetty has also received a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. He is also an advisory editor of the Journal of Public Economics. In 2020, he was awarded the Infosys Prize in Economics, the highest monetary award recognizing achievements in science and research, in India.

Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives at NJCU

Tamara Cunningham has been a leader in higher education for 20 years and has held instrumental roles in both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. She is currently the Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives at New Jersey City University (NJCU) where she oversees the institution’s strategic internationalization plan. Ms. Cunningham is a champion of everything global and has journeyed abroad to establish strategic partnerships, cultivate donors, recruit international students, and secure study abroad opportunities for NJCU’s domestic students.

During Ms. Cunningham’s tenure as the new Senior International Officer, the University has seen an increase in international students and faculty-led study abroad trips, and the campus has transformed into a more internationally diverse and culturally rich community. Ms. Cunningham serves with several professional international organizations, and she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at St. Peter’s University. She holds a master’s degree in Communications and Information Studies from Rutgers the State University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from NJCU.

President of Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU)

Dr. Antonio R. Flores has served as president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) for over twenty years. Prior to his position at HACU, he served as director of programs and services for the Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority and the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority. With extensive professional experience in teaching, research and service, Flores has received numerous recognitions and honors for his contributions to higher education, including the Top Influential Leaders in the U.S. and Latino Community and the Top 25 Latino Leaders in Education. Other honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Educational Policy Institute, the Education Award from the Hispanic Organization for Public Employees in San Antonio, Texas, a Lifetime Achievement Award by Hispanic Business Magazine, and the Ana G. Méndez University System in Puerto Rico Presidential Medal Award.

Flores holds a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; a master’s in counseling and personnel from Western Michigan University; and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and elementary education from Universidad de Guadalajara and Centro Normal Regional, Mexico, respectively. He is the recipient of the 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award and has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (2017) from Western Michigan University and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from New Jersey City University (2016), among other distinctions.

Executive Director of Guarini Institute for International Education and Economic Mobility

Adrián Franco is a performance-driven and entrepreneurial executive with more than 15 years of experience providing strategic and operational leadership on education and economic development initiatives. In February 2021, NJCU named Franco as the inaugural executive director of the Guarini Institute and manager of a $5 million gift to the university to launch the institute. Prior to his current role, Franco was an officer and director at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where he supervised a portfolio of education and community development programs and oversaw advisory boards for the bank’s president. Franco engaged business schools to address culture reform in the financial sector, implemented programs to foster the institution’s diversity goals and led interventions to attract capital to low-income areas and regions affected by natural disasters. He also authored resources to underscore the importance of community engagement for socially responsible investments.

Franco was the inaugural executive director of Qualitas of Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization advancing financial inclusion that has served over 60,000 immigrants. In Mexico, where he was born, he was a member of President Elect Vicente Fox’s transition team and held senior roles in the public sector. Franco has been a member of the executive board of TruFund Financial Services since 2019 and the advisory boards of higher education institutions in New York and New Jersey. He is a frequent speaker at leading national and regional conferences and has published in multiple media outlets in the US and Mexico. Franco graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and holds a Master of International Affairs and a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

President of the Institute of International Education

Dr. Allan E. Goodman is the sixth President of the Institute of International Education, which marked its Centennial in 2019. Dr. Goodman is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a founding member of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), and serves on the selection committees for the Rhodes and Schwarzman Scholars and the WISE and Yidan Prizes. He also serves on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation International Quality Group Advisory Council and the Board of Trustees of the Education Above All Foundation. Before joining IIE, Dr Goodman was Executive Dean of the School of Foreign Service and Professor at Georgetown University. His books on international relations are published by Princeton, Harvard, and Yale University presses. He has served at the Department of State and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Dr. Goodman has a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard, an M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a B.S. from Northwestern University, and is the recipient of honorary degrees from Canadian, European, Japanese, UK, and US universities. He received decorations for his work in promoting educational exchange and scholar rescue from the governments of France, Germany, and Norway; he received the first Gilbert Medal from the University as 21 Organization.

Founder and CEO of Claira

Katie is Founder and CEO of Claira, a competency matching platform that connects people to work instantly, based only on what they can do. Katie spent eight years in global workforce development building competency models and helping companies and policy organizations prepare for the future of work. Having worked in many types of jobs – cleaning hotel rooms, making sandwiches, and assembling windows on a factory line, she believes valuable competencies are used in every role every day, everywhere. the problem isn’t people, it’s the hiring system

Katie regularly speaks and writes on a variety of topics including the future of work, inclusive digital economy, and AI/automation impact on the workforce. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, an MPA from the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and a BA in Political Science from Hope College.

President of New Jersey City University

Dr. Sue Henderson has served as the 12th president of New Jersey City University since August 2012 as the first female president in the institution’s more than 90-year history. She established the NJCU School of Business and relocated it to a state-of-the-art facility in Jersey City’s financial district along the Hudson Waterfront. Dr. Henderson is the past Vice-Chair of the influential NCAA Board of Governors and served as Chair of the NCAA Division III President’s Council in 2019-20 at the conclusion of a four-year term. She is currently part of the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and is a member of the executive board of HACU’s Commission on International Education as its secretary. Dr. Henderson is the chair of the One to World Board of Directors. She serves on the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and as the statewide chair of the Campus Compact Board. Dr. Henderson is a member of the Committee on International Education of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). In addition, she is Chair of the Academic Issues Committee for the New Jersey Presidents’ Council and serves on the Internationalization Commission of the American Council of Education. Her term as a Commissioner for The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) began on January 1, 2018, including a year as chair (2018-19).

Dr. Henderson has received numerous awards for her work as an educator and administrator. In February 2021, Dr. Henderson was named to the 2021 ROI Influencers Power List for Higher Education by ROI-NJ for the third straight year since 2019, and in March 2021, named to the 2021 ROI Influencers Women in Business Top 50 list. Dr. Henderson holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Georgia, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in math education from Georgia State University.

Founding Dean of the NJCU School of Business

Dr. Bernard McSherry has been serving as founding Dean of the NJCU School of Business since 2016. Dr. McSherry is a former governor of the New York Stock Exchange who has three decades of experience as a business leader and entrepreneur. He joined NJCU in 2011 as a faculty member in Finance, and became the interim dean of the NJCU School of Business in 2014. Dr. McSherry previously served in several leadership positions within the financial services industry and chaired several New York Stock Exchange committees, including the Equity Traders Advisory Committee. He was a member of the Market Performance Committee and served as a New York Stock Exchange Governor for six terms, on the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Investment Professionals and is a past president of the Alliance of Floor Brokers. Dr. McSherry has regularly appeared as a market commentator on CNBC, FOXBusiness, Bloomberg, and CBS and has offered periodic commentary on ABC, MSNBC, CNN, BBC, NPR, Reuters and AP. His market views have been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Bloomberg.

He holds a D.P.S. degree from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University, an M.B.A. from Stern School of Business at New York University, and a bachelor’s degree from Wagner College. His research interests include financial history, behavioral finance, and market microstructure.

Chief Business Development Officer, Choose New Jersey

Catherine Scangarella is the Chief Business Development Officer and sector lead for Life Sciences, Clean Energy and Advanced Manufacturing at Choose New Jersey, New Jersey’s leading nonprofit economic development organization. Catherine leads a business development team and oversees the organization’s national and international lead generation, prospect management and business development strategy for all key industry sectors. She also oversees the Choose New Jersey India and Europe offices.

Catherine is a veteran of State government, having served each of the last six administrations. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, outreach and business development, she has served as Director of State Marketing at the New Jersey Business Action Center, Director of Outreach Programs for Business Retention & Attraction at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and Vice President of Marketing & Communications for the New Jersey Commerce Commission. Catherine holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Former Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Women Veterans

Dr. Irene Trowell-Harris is the former Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Women Veterans, and the former Director of VA’s Office of Inspector General’s Healthcare Inspections Regional Office in Washington DC. Dr. Trowell-Harris served 38 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard (ANG), retiring as a Major General in September 2001. She was the first female and nurse to command a medical clinic and first African American female in the history of the National Guard to be promoted to general officer. She is also the first to have a mentoring award and a Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., Chapter named in her honor.

Dr. Trowell-Harris is the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the Air Force Distinguished Service and Legion of Merit awards; the Dr. James D. Weaver Society Award, named for the distinguished Pennsylvania Congressman and Air National Guard Flight Surgeon; the Eagle Award from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for her contributions to aviation; the Air Force Association’s National Aerospace Award for Department of Veterans Affairs Employee of the Year 2010, given for the most outstanding performance of duty as a VA employee and her consistent dedication to the well-being of our Veterans, the VA Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community Award; and numerous Outstanding Performance awards. Dr. Trowell-Harris is also a Distinguished Alumna of Yale University, Columbia University, NJCU and was inducted into the Columbia University Nursing Hall of Fame and the Yale University School of Medicine Honor Roll for her dedication to public service.