Meet Provost Daniel Grassian

In July, Daniel Grassian, Ph.D., joined New York Institute of Technology as provost.

He most recently had served as senior vice provost for academic affairs at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). At New York Tech, he is responsible for overseeing academic operations, long-range planning, research support, and implementing programs that advance the university’s mission, all with a keen focus on student success. He also will contribute to increasing partnerships to expand and grow students’ experiential education opportunities.

New York Tech News recently interviewed Grassian, the author of five books, including, most recently, An Insider’s Guide to University Administration, to learn more about his role, strategic vision, and goals, as well as to gain insight into some of his personal interests, which include reading, writing, and running.

Why did you want to come to New York Institute of Technology?

I feel very privileged and fortunate to have been selected for the role of provost and executive vice president at New York Tech. I believe strongly in the university’s focus on career and experientially informed professional education as well as its commitment to educate the next generation of leaders. New York Tech empowers graduates to make real and meaningful change while helping them work toward shaping (and even reinventing) the future.

To me, there is nowhere better to advance these outstanding goals than in the greater New York City area and on Long Island. I am thrilled to be a part of an institution where students can study and live in the country’s most vibrant city as well as a nearby suburban campus. That is truly the best of both worlds.

I also believe that the best universities, and those that speak most to me, serve a diverse student body and help advance social mobility. New York Tech shines in this area. It is one of the rare doctoral granting universities to have earned the Carnegie classification of Opportunity Colleges and Universities-Higher Access, Higher Earnings. Essentially, this means that New York Tech does a terrific job of enrolling historically underserved student populations and propels those students to strong careers, and by doing so, drives economic and social mobility. That is exactly the kind of institution I believe in and want to serve.

What are your short- and long-term goals at the university?

It is critical to me as a leader to help make faculty, staff, and students feel included and as partners, not only because I believe it takes a village to build and maintain an excellent university, but also because I know there are a lot of great initiatives and ideas out there. I am looking forward to meeting members of the campus community so I can have a deeper sense of what is going well and what might be updated in the future. I want to make sure that I listen to and take in diverse perspectives from a wide variety of stakeholders, including but not limited to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members. This will help me to develop what I hope will be even stronger long-term goals.

I know it will take time, but I will work hard toward earning the trust and confidence of the campus community. More specifically, I would like to work with the campus stakeholders on increasing New York Tech’s retention and graduation rates. I would also like to explore ways that we can offer more experiential learning opportunities, like internships and co-ops for our students, thereby taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities that New York City, Long Island, and the surrounding areas offer. I would also like to work on developing and implementing a strong campus-wide AI strategy, while exploring community and market responsive areas for programmatic growth.

What are you looking forward to most in your new role?

Continuing to meet people, learning about their New York Tech experiences and ideas, and having dialogues. Also, to exploring additional ways we can distinguish ourselves from other universities both at the institutional as well as at the programmatic levels. Finally, I would like to identify and operationalize ways to make the faculty, staff, and student experiences be as meaningful and fulfilling as possible.

Can you tell us about your interests or hobbies outside of work?

Reading and writing have been my main interests and hobbies for as long as I can remember. I also love listening to and learning about all forms of music. In addition, I have been a long-distance runner since high school. While my days of running marathons may be behind me, I still run most early mornings. It’s a great way to keep me balanced, and I am a strong believer in the connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind. I am also looking forward to a new hobby/interest—exploring as many of the diverse and distinct communities of New York City and Long Island as I can, while learning about their cultures.

This interview has been edited and condensed.