Queensborough Community College Appoints Dr. Phyllis Curtis-Tweed Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
BAYSIDE, NY – Queensborough Community College President Dr. Christine Mangino announced the appointment of Dr. Phyllis Curtis-Tweed as Provost and Vice President of the Office of Academic Affairs. She takes over the role from Dr. Sandra Palmer who is retiring this summer after serving as both Dean of Faculty, a role she has held since 2015, and Interim Provost and Vice President.
Dr Curtis-Tweed, currently Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Bermuda College, will join Queensborough on August 1.
Dr. Curtis-Tweed earned her Ph.D. at Emory University in Educational Studies with a focus on educational leadership and issues in psychology, specifically agency development, and moral development. She pursued postdoctoral training in psychology in the Clinical Research Training Program in Social Psychiatry at Harvard University where she was also an instructor for five years and taught at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Simmons College, and at the Harvard affiliated Hospitals. She previously served as college-wide Dean at Oakland Community College in Michigan and worked in various capacities at Medgar Evers College, CUNY including Assistant Provost for Student Success and Assessment and then interim Associate Provost.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Curtis-Tweed to Queensborough Community College and our team,” said Dr. President Mangino. “Her experience and knowledge will help us achieve our student success goals and continue to develop a culture of care across campus.
In her new role, Dr Curtis-Tweed will serve as the chief academic officer, responsible for leading and directing the development of the curriculum and academic programs, directing recruitment, retention and professional development of a distinguished and diverse faculty and academic staff, advancing teaching practices, regularly reviewing and analyzing student learning, experiences, data, and assessment, partnering with Student Affairs to develop student success and retention strategies. Responsible for several College divisions and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, as the provost, she will incorporate innovative practices into operational plans and strategies— including those that demonstrate commitment to diversity, equity, belongingness, and inclusion throughout all levels of the College.
“I am thrilled to join President Mangino and the Queensborough Community College as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, and to return to CUNY, where our very prescient mission remains to provide high quality public education for all students, said Dr Curtis-Tweed. “I look forward to serving the Queens community, and beyond, as we, at Queensborough Community College, continue to transform the landscape for student success by promoting access, equity, and excellence.”
At Bermuda College Dr. Phyllis Curtis-Tweed developed a new Division of Nursing and Allied Health, formerly the Division of Nursing, and added multiple programs including pre-health and pre-medicine. She has developed strong relations with community and industry leaders in re/insurance leading to the development of numerous internships and scholarships opportunities for Bermuda College graduates.
She has also led the strategic planning and implementation initiative, collaborated with college task forces to improve campus culture, and develop a shared governance model. She also served as co-editor of Bermuda College’s Voices in Education journal and has been working with community partners to support the pipeline for higher education by improving reading literacy outcomes for children in elementary education.
Dr Curtis-Tweed is an Executive Board Member and Treasurer for the Association for Moral Education and is the co-chair for the Association’s Special Interest Group on Race and Social Justice. She is a co-researcher on a project designed to improve the experience of education for teachers and students by addressing issues of race and contexts of racial meaning in education and concomitant intersections with religion and culture via authentic dialogue in response to selected films. She has published and presented at national and international conferences on issues in psychology and education.
Dr. Curtis-Tweed has also served as an invited external evaluator for accrediting agencies including the Southern Association of Colleges and School (SACS) and the Western Association of Schools and College (WASC) and was a 2023 Commissioner-Elect for the New England Commission for Higher Education (NECHE).
Queensborough Community College is the highest-ranked community college in New York State and is among the best community colleges in the country, according to a 2022 report released by WalletHub.com. It is the fifth year in a row Queensborough has been listed as a top institution of higher education by WalletHub for its education outcomes, career outcomes, and affordability. They, along with equity, access, and opportunities, are hallmarks of Queensborough Community College. And they are essential to the upward and inter-generational social mobility of Queensborough’s students.
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Contact:
Alice Doyle
