Dear Tulane Community:
After more than seven years of transformative service, Suri Duitch has informed us that she is stepping down from her role as dean and vice president for academic innovation at the School of Professional Advancement (SoPA). Her last day at Tulane will be Jan. 24, after which she will assume the role of interim president at Kingsborough Community College, which is part of the City of New York (CUNY) system.
Suri joined Tulane in 2016. A year later, she overhauled the curriculum and refined the mission of what was then known as the School of Continuing Studies. With a new name and direction, SoPA focused more closely on career advancement for working adults and on applied and innovative programs that were relevant to an ever-changing workplace. Under Suri’s leadership, SoPA has enhanced its student support and academic advising and introduced multiple new programs, including Cybersecurity and IT Management and Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Education programs. SoPA also recently partnered with the School of Medicine to announce a new nursing program that will launch this fall.
Suri’s new position at CUNY is something of a homecoming for her. She joined Tulane following an extensive academic career at CUNY, the nation’s largest urban public university system. Prior to joining CUNY, Suri held policy and program oversight positions in New York City government agencies and worked with nonprofits and private foundations to conduct research in areas such as the arts and economic development, children’s health services and nonprofit advocacy.
We thank Suri for her role in helping to redefine professional education at Tulane. The university’s commitment to serving working adults goes back to 1884 and is among the oldest and most unique among all major research universities. This commitment remains stronger than ever today in a period of historic change in both the workplace and higher education.
We will embark on a national search for Suri’s replacement. In the meantime, please join us in acknowledging her service to Tulane and to the New Orleans community.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Fitts, President
Robin Forman, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
