Lily McNair, former psychology professor at New Paltz will be the next provost and vice president for academic affairs at Wagner College, Staten Island, N.Y. She is the first woman in the school’s 119-year history to attain that position.
Professor Nancy Schniedewind (Educational Studies), coordinator of the humanistic/multicultural education program, recalled that “while Lily was a psychologist, she was also well versed in women’s studies and contributed much to this interdisciplinary field, both through publication of this book and through her teaching the course, Psychology of Women. Lily genuinely cared about her students and colleagues and was a creative, intelligent and warm person to work with.”
Wagner College President Richard Guarasci, said of McNair, “Here at Wagner, we are delighted that Lily will be joining us as our next provost. She has a strong track record of working collaboratively with colleagues across academic departments to help them develop research opportunities and initiatives. Her superb leadership will continue Wagner’s strong focus on student learning, civic engagement and global education.”
A clinical psychologist by training, McNair’s research focuses on the development and evaluation of community-based interventions targeting substance use and early sexual behavior in African-American youth. Her work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Preliminary findings of these longitudinal studies are demonstrating the significant impact of positive parenting practices on children’s outcomes across a variety of domains. McNair also co-edited, “Women: Images and Realities, A Multicultural Anthology (4th ed.),” an introductory women’s studies textbook that is used across the United States.
“I look forward to the opportunities my new role will offer. These are challenging times for higher education, but such times can serve as fertile ground for the emergence of creative, innovative and immensely promising ideas,” said McNair. “I am happy to have this opportunity to contribute.”
Contributed by Colin Vallee ’11
Communication & Marketing Intern