Administration, Leadership & Governance

Dr. Annie Lennox OBE‌

Former Chancellor at Glasgow Caledonian

Royal Academician, singer-songwriter, highly-respected social activist and philanthropist, Dr Annie Lennox OBE was formally installed as Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University on the 2nd of July 2018. Dr Lennox was inspired to launch the SING Campaign to raise funds to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS after taking part in the inaugural concert of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 HIV Foundation in 2003, and visiting Uganda with Comic Relief and Malawi with Oxfam. An Ambassador for UNAIDS, Oxfam, Amnesty International and the British Red Cross, Dr Lennox received the Nobel Woman of Peace Award at the 10th Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in 2011 for her work on HIV/AIDS prevention and control, especially for women and children. In 2011 she received an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours for her humanitarian work.

Muhammad Yunus

Chancellor Emeritus at Glasgow Caledonian

International anti-poverty campaigner and Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus was installed as Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University in October 2012. As Chancellor, he provides leadership, advice and support to the University and has pledged his inspirational stewardship in support of GCU’s undertaking to harness its intellectual, social and emotional capital and collaborate with others to find solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges.

Professor Mike Mannion

President, Glasgow Caledonian New York College

Interim Vice-Principal for Global Engagement, Glasgow Caledonian University

Professor Mike Mannion is the Interim Vice-Principal for Global Engagement and President of GCNYC, and former Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment. He is also a Professor in the Department of Computing.

He gained his first degree in Computer Science from Brunel University and went on to graduate with an MBA from the Open University and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Bristol. After several years working as a software developer, Mike took up the roles of Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University from 1992 to 2000.

He joined Glasgow Caledonian University in 2000 as Head of the Department of Computing and subsequently became Dean of the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences in 2002 and then Dean of School of Engineering and Computing 2007-2008.

From 2008-2016 he was a University Vice-Principal, covering three different portfolios: International (2008-2010), Learning and Teaching (2010-2012) and Research (2012-2016). In 2016 he stepped down from this role to focus on his principal research and teaching interests in Computing. He has successfully supervised more than 10 PhD students across a range of topics in software engineering, network management and artificial intelligence.

Jacqueline LeBlanc, Ph.D.

Vice President and Provost, Glasgow Caledonian New York College

Jacqueline LeBlanc, Ph.D. is an experienced leader in higher education with expertise in academic affairs administration, accreditation, assessment, and strategic planning. Dr. LeBlanc’s broad experience and expertise in higher education has developed through her substantial work with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the New York State Education Department, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, and the American Council on Education.

John F. Albanese

Dean of Enrollment

John F. Albanese is an experienced leader in admissions, enrollment, and student affairs. He is student-centered and data-driven, with expertise in recruitment and enrollment strategy and curating the student experience. John closely follows the data and trends in the prospective student marketplace and has led enrollment growth at several universities. He is inspired by the transformative experience students achieve with the right direction and support and has focused on integrating key functional areas to optimize student success. John’s most recent roles prior to joining GCNYC include leading recruitment, enrollment, and student services for MBA and MS programs at Baruch College-City University of New York and the University of San Francisco.

Jessica Chang-Russell

Director of Operations, Title IX Coordinator‌

Jessica Chang-Russell is GCNYC’s Director of Operations and Title IX Coordinator.

She leads College operations and planning to deliver an effective and efficient working and learning environment. As a member of the leadership team, she supports strategic and operational planning, policies, procedures and change management. Jessica also leads on GCNYC campus safety, development of inclusion and diveristy intitiatives and serves as the College’s Title IX Coordinator. Jessica has over 10 years of events and project management experience and holds an MS in International Fashion Marketing from Glasgow Caledonian New York College.

Gastón de los Reyes, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Faculty Chair

Gastón de los Reyes is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Social Impact & Innovation. A scholar specializing in CSR and social entrepreneurship as well as business ethics, policy, and strategy, Gastón has presented widely on these topics and has published numerous articles in academic journals including Business Ethics Quarterly, California Management Review, and Journal of Cleaner Production. Gastón earned a Ph.D. in Ethics and Legal Studies from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law. His first appointment was with the George Washington University School of Business’s Department of Strategic Management and Public Policy, teaching business ethics and social entrepreneurship. Before his doctoral studies, Gastón practiced law, studied philosophy, and worked in finance.

Dominique Studer‌

Director of Recruitment and Admissions

Dominique Studer works as the Director of Recruitment & Admissions at Glasgow Caledonian New York College (GCNYC). She is responsible for outreach, recruitment, and admissions processes, ranging from the development and establishment of practices to the direct recruitment of students to our master’s programs. Dominique also serves as the PDSO (Principal Designated School Official) and point of contact for all international students.

Rebekah Chow

Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Online Learning

In her role as Director of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness, Rebekah leads the accreditation programs and assessment activities of GCNYC and ensures compliance with external reporting requirements. She provides all areas with accurate data and useful interpretations to inform decision making. Rebekah is responsible for reporting to Federal and NYS agencies and working with appropriate faculty and College staff to ensure that student educational outcomes are being effectively measured and informs decisions that lead to continuous improvement. Rebekah is currently a doctoral student at the University of North Dakota, where she is studying Educational Leadership and Practice. She began her professional career in luxury retail at Saks Fifth Avenue before transitioning into academia, and held previous appointments at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, The Art Institute of New York City, and Long Island University. Ms. Chow earned her bachelor’s degree from Widener University and her M.A. in Higher Education Administration from SUNY Stony Brook, where she also received the “Far Beyond” award by the Higher Education Administration Association.

Michael Cohen, Ph.D.

Director of Counseling, Disability Services Coordinator

Michael Cohen, PhD is Director of Student Counseling & Disability Services at Glasgow Caledonian New York College (GCNYC); and President of the Michael Cohen Group, LLC (MCG), an internationally renowned applied research and consulting firm. Dr. Cohen is a psychologist, clinician, researcher and educator with forty years’ experience in the areas of mental health and post-secondary, adult & life-span learning & education. Dr. Cohen is widely published, a member of the American Psychological & Counseling Associations (APA & ACA), and received his PhD in Developmental Psychology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Michelle Gabriel

Director of Career Services & Strategic Partnerships

Michelle Gabriel serves as the Director of Career Services & Strategic Partnerships as well as a faculty member, teaching Sustainable Fashion Strategy at GCNYC. In her roles at Glasgow Caledonian New York College, she brings her years of industry experience in social business strategy, design, branding, product development, supply chain, and operations for impact and sustainability-focused fashion brands such as Mara Hoffman, Old Navy, and Li & Fung. Michelle holds an MS in International Fashion Marketing from Glasgow Caledonian New York College and her BS in Design from the University of Cincinnati.

Stephen Lopez

Registrar

Stephen has over 25 years of experience in Higher Education administration, in a broad career that has included local faculty academic administration, to planning and implementing large scale organizational change. As well as Registrar at GCNYC, Stephen is Academic Registrar at Glasgow Caledonian University with a wide ranging portfolio from academic technical support to responsibility for academic regulations, administration and Graduations. Stephen has a particular interesting the advancement of sector engagements and sharing of good practice and has chaired various UK and Scottish academic administration related fora.

Sandra MacDonald

Office & Events Manager

Sandra MacDonald is the Office and Events Manager at Glasgow Caledonian New York College (GCNYC). In her role, she is responsible for planning, organizing, and managing events and communications for the college; as well as oversees duties in the organization to ensure the office operates smoothly and effectively. She offers 17 years of combined experience in HE administration. Sandra is a Glasgow Caledonian University alumna, with a B.A. in Business & Management and her M.S. in International Fashion Marketing.