Felipe Henao joined New York Tech as dean of students for the New York City and Long Island campuses in March 2021 after serving as assistant dean of students at Mercy College and as adjunct faculty in its School of Liberal Arts. He holds a B.A./M.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an M.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership & Innovation from New York University.
For more than 12 years, he has been a student-centered student affairs professional with a demonstrated history of building relationships and collaborating in the higher education field. He has experience in various functional areas including student activities, orientation programs, residential life education, leadership development, counseling, health services and accessibility support services. Instrumental in bridging the gap between commuter and residential students at Mercy College, he also instilled a holistic approach to student success. He secured various grants including an AmeriCorp Vista to help implement campus-wide food pantries to address food insecurity. He also co-chaired the Committee on Student Success, which drives policies and programs for LatinX students, adult learners, and second-year students.
Additionally, he chaired the Mav Friendly Market serving over 800 Mercy community members monthly. He serves on the Region II Advisory Board for the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASPA). Currently, he is mid-manager co-chair for NASPA Region II and is an advisory board chair for the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) Food Security Initiatives Network, a collection of institutions across New York State working together to share strategies, best practices, and resources related to HEI responses to food insecurity. He was recently accepted as a content expert for Complete College America with a focus on addressing student basic needs, and is now working on a project to address student success primarily for adult learners at Historically Black Colleges. He also was recently honored with the Long Island Business News (LIBN) Class of 2021 40 under 40 award.
He is a visionary learner/educator passionate about student development, student success for students of color, and college persistence.
Recent Projects and Research
- Dissertation topic: Documenting Students' Lived Experience with Food Insecurity at a Hispanic-Serving Institution: An Innovation Study
Professional Honors and Awards
- LIBN Class of 2021 40 under 40