ANNOUNCING PRATT’S VP FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS

July 13, 2021

Dear Members of the Pratt Community, 

I am delighted to announce that we have selected Delmy M. Lendof as our next vice president for student affairs. Delmy is a higher education professional with more than 25 years of experience in student affairs collaborating with diverse faculty, staff, and community members to create inclusive communities for students. She will be responsible for managing a vibrant student life program and providing dynamic and purposeful leadership steeped in a commitment to art, culture, social justice, and shared governance. Delmy will be joining us on August 23, 2021, as we prepare to welcome new and returning students to campus next month.

Delmy has an excellent supervisory and management record. She is a dedicated partner and strong advocate who reaches across campus to improve the student experience, foster access and inclusion, develop wellness initiatives, and champion student success. In her role at Pratt, Delmy will provide leadership and direction in the areas of Career and Professional Development; Counseling Services; Health Services; Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation; Interfaith Campus Ministry Council; International Student Affairs; Learning/Access Center; Parent and Family Programs; Residential Life and Housing; Resilience, Wellness and Well-Being Project; Student Advocacy and Care Coordination; Student Conduct; and Student Involvement and Orientation. 

Before joining Pratt, Delmy served in several key student affairs positions at New York University (NYU) Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. As associate dean for student affairs, Delmy was the school’s senior student affairs officer, including oversight of student advisement; registration services; crisis response, counseling and wellness; and student engagement and leadership. She also served as a Title IX adjudicator for a significant period of time during her tenure at NYU. As assistant to the senior vice president for student affairs, she worked on resolution of complex student concerns and guiding student behavior. She was critical to crisis response and compliance with protocols for crisis intervention. While serving as director for residential staff programs, she was responsible for all residential life functions of a system serving approximately 11,800 undergraduate and graduate students in 23 NYU facilities. She oversaw 60 professional staff members and more than 350 student staff members, the annual department funding allocation of staff recruitment, training, and residence hall programming and renovations. Delmy is also an adjunct assistant professor at NYU Steinhardt and Teachers College, Columbia University, and has been an invited speaker at other universities throughout her impressive career in higher education. 

In addition to her service at NYU, Delmy held important student affairs positions at Rutgers University; Teachers College, Columbia University; and State University of New York College at Old Westbury. As an active voice supporting student diversity, inclusion, and social justice, she has published and co-authored several pieces on the topic, ranging from Addressing Diversity: A Multi-Pronged Approach Is Necessary to Meet the Needs of a Changing Student Body and the Staff Who Serve Them (ACUHO-I Talking Stick) to Connecting Conduct and Social Justice (In Hudson, J., Acosta, A., & Holmes, R. C. (Eds.)). In recognition of her many accomplishments, she is the recipient of several awards for her leadership, strong student-focused philosophy, and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Delmy is highly involved in regional and national organizations and has presented at a number of conferences. She currently serves as a co-chair for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community (LKC). She will be serving as an expert-in-residence at the joint Northeast Association of College and University Housing Officers (NEACUHO) and Mid-Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers (MACUHO) regional conference in October 2021.

Delmy, who was born in the Dominican Republic and lived there until she moved to the Bronx at the age of 13, is a proud first-generation college student. She received a doctor of education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has a master of science in college student development from Long Island University and earned her bachelor of arts in politics, economics and society from the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. 

I welcome Delmy to the Pratt community with great enthusiasm. She brings with her a deep connection to student life and a great passion for our creative community. Getting to know Delmy during the search process was both intellectually inspiring and incredibly warm. I would like to thank the chair of the search, Donna Heiland, and the committee for their dedication, time, and energy throughout the various stages of the search. It is also with deep appreciation that I thank Rhonda Schaller and Chris Kasik for their guidance and supervision of Student Affairs during the transition.

Please join me in congratulating Delmy as she shares her talents with our students, faculty, staff, parents, donors, campus, and community partners. She will be a great addition to Pratt’s senior leadership team. Welcome, Delmy!

Sincerely,


Frances Bronet
President