Updates on Academic and Administrative Leadership

Dear Cooper Union,

I hope the tempo of the fall semester, now in full swing, has you feeling energized and also settled in to schedules and routines that were new just five short weeks ago. That is certainly the case for me. I’ve loved experiencing your energy and your passion for learning. I’m also getting to meet so many of you – I’m seeing more and more familiar faces each day. 

Speaking of familiar faces, I wanted to provide an update for you on our academic and administrative leadership team.

Deans

  • The Dean Search Committee of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture is in the midst of hosting the final three candidates for campus visits and in-person lectures. Ana Miljački presented her lecture on Sept. 24. Michael Meredith’s lecture will take place on Oct. 9. Michael Young’s lecture is scheduled on Oct. 16. All lectures are open to the entire community and are held in the Rose Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. These are important opportunities for us to engage directly with each of these highly qualified candidates. It was great to see so many of you at the first presentation, and I look forward to being part of the next two with you, as well.
     
  • Once a final candidate is selected, we will aim to have the new dean on board as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are grateful to Acting Dean Benjamin Aranda and Acting Associate Dean Mersiha Veledar for their leadership.
     
  • Barry Shoop, dean of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering, announced in his September issue of Shoop’s Stoop that this academic year will be his last after more than seven years at Cooper. Dean Shoop has been a transformative leader for the School of Engineering, bringing meaningful change to areas like student success, cross-disciplinary teaching and learning models, faculty composition (women now comprise 42% of tenured and tenure-track faculty vs. 6.3% in 2013), and introducing the first new academic program for the school – computer science – in more than 100 years!

    A Dean Search Committee has been formed and is led by Professor Melody Baglione. The goal will be to have the new dean in place for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Office of the President

As previously shared, Natalie Brooks, vice president of administration, is in the process of bringing her time at Cooper to a close and is aiming to do so by the end of November. Natalie has overseen various departments, including human resources, labor relations, the facilities staff, security, the AACE Lab, and building rentals. As part of this transition, we have restructured Natalie’s role going forward, creating two new positions: 1) a vice president, chief of staff reporting to me and 2) a director of facilities and capital projects who will report to John Ruth. Christine Sarkissian who is responsible for building rentals now reports to Isaac Thweatt, vice president, alumni affairs and development.

While we are in the process of interviewing candidates for the director of facilities and capital projects, I am pleased to share that I have hired Jessica Haber as our new vice president and chief of staff. Jessica’s first day with Cooper Union will be Monday, Oct. 20.

Jessica has extensive experience and qualifications for this position. She previously worked for Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she was the chief of staff, vice president for strategy, and board secretary. She has served in leadership positions since 2010. An attorney, Jessica brings more than 15 years of experience in strategy and organizational transformation; financial stewardship and operational excellence; talent, culture, and labor relations; governance and accreditation; and student outcomes and academic innovation. She earned her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and her bachelor of science in social policy from Northwestern University. 

In her new role, Jessica will be responsible for overseeing human resources and labor relations, and serve as board secretary. Kiana Miller will move to the Office of the President and will report to Jessica. Luisa Cruz will continue to report to me. 

As you know, Michelle Marsh joined Cooper Union as an interim chief of staff to support Interim President Malcolm King last year. Michelle has been a huge support to my office, our Board of Trustees, and to the Cabinet. She will be instrumental to Jessica’s transition and will remain with us through the end of this semester. On behalf of the entire Cooper community, I want to extend my deepest thanks to Michelle for her dedication and contributions during her tenure with us! 

I’ll be sure to keep you posted with any additional developments in these areas. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the week, everyone!

Steve McLaughlin 

  • 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.