Joanne Passaro

President, Metropolitan College of New York 
New York, NY

Joanne Passaro, President of Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY), is a cultural anthropologist who holds B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Duke University. Her academic research focused on social inequality and ideologies of oppression. Over the past twenty years, Passaro served in leadership positions at a number of colleges and universities.

Passaro returned home in 2018 to serve as President of MCNY; the college’s vision and goals align closely with her own. MCNY was founded in 1964 to bridge the gap between inequality and opportunity for adult students; it now ranks among the colleges with the highest percentage of adults in the nation. Its unique curriculum, Purpose-Centered Education, closely integrates classroom studies with work experience; graduates are activists and leaders trained to create positive change in their organizations and communities. Dr. Passaro is honored to participate in the work of expanding educational opportunity and social equity throughout the New York region.