President's Cabinet

The President's Cabinet is composed of the senior leadership of the college, including deans, associate deans, vice presidents and members of the president's senior staff. The cabinet meets regularly to address issues that impact Cooper Union. The meetings afford the Cabinet opportunities to discuss areas for collaboration, make recommendations to the President, discuss strategic plans and assist in the implementation of Cooper Union's overall mission. The members of the Cabinet include:

Benjamin Aranda, acting dean, The Irwin Chanin School of Architecture

Nada Ayad, acting dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Troy Cogburn, vice president for enrollment

Jessica Haber, vice president, chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Trustees

Grace Kendall, vice president for student affairs and dean of students 

Adriana Farmiga, dean of the School of Art

Mindy Lang, creative director

Yuri Masnyj, associate dean of the School of Art

Kim Newman, media relations manager

John Ruth, chief financial officer

Ruben Savizky, associate dean, Albert Nerken School of Engineering

Barry Shoop, dean of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering  

Isaac Thweatt, vice president, development and alumni affairs

Antoinette Torres, vice president, institutional effectiveness

Mersiha Veledar, acting associate dean, The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.