LaGuardia Community College Hires Dr. Harry Mars as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (November 13, 2024) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY has hired Dr. Harry Mars as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Dr. Mars who will officially begin his role on November 18, has effectively guided, mentored, and inspired students to help them remain empowered and motivated as they progress towards accomplishing their academic, career, and life goals.
In his new role, Dr. Mars is responsible for the leadership and oversight of the Black Male Empowerment Cooperative; Campus Life; Community Standards and Student Conduct; Health Services; the Office of Accessibility Services; Veteran’s Services; and the Women’s Center and LGBTQ+ Hub. He will also collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and coordinate programs and services, with a specific focus on initiatives and activities that provide student leadership development, highlight diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and increase mental health awareness.
“I am pleased that Dr. Mars has agreed to join the Division of Student Affairs at LaGuardia,” said Dr. Alexis McLean, Vice President for Student Affairs. “He brings a wealth of experience in student advocacy, leadership and development, and given the depth and breadth of his work at CUNY, I am excited about partnering with him to create an optimal co-curricular experience for our students.”
“I’m so happy to be coming to LaGuardia Community College, to help our students to succeed by supporting the staff and faculty who provide teaching, service and opportunities to our students,” said Dr. Mars. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Prior to joining LaGuardia, Dr. Mars served as Director of Student Activities and Leadership at Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY, where he supervised the team in the Office of Student Activities and oversaw a variety of student engagement initiatives, including student leadership and service programs, student organizations and student events, and the BMCC Co-Curricular Transcript. In addition, Dr. Mars managed and assessed programs in the BMCC Academy of Leadership and Service.
Dr. Mars’ experience also includes serving as Assistant Director of Co-Curricular Life at City College of New York/CUNY, as Office Manager of the City College Student Services Corporation, and as an assistant coordinator at Adelphi University.
Dr. Mars earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration and Supervision (Ed.D.), from St. John’s University, where his dissertation was titled, “The Impact of Participation in Co-curricular Activities on Academic Performance and Retention Utilizing Data Collected for the Co-Curricular Transcript.” Dr. Mars also earned a Master of Science Degree in Higher Education Administration (MS Ed.) from Bernard M. Baruch College/CUNY, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Science (B.A.) from City College of New York/CUNY.
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
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