Bayport's Lee Named Fellow of SUNY Black Leadership Institute

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced on March 5, 2024 the launch of the SUNY Black Leadership Institute (BLI), and a resident of Bayport, New York, will play a prominent role.

BLI’s inaugural class of seven fellows includes Bayport's Danielle Lee, Ph.D., associate dean of academic institutes and programs for the SUNY Old Westbury School of Arts and Sciences and assistant professor of English. Dr. Lee also directs the University’s Social and Environmental Justice Institute.

The BLI is designed for faculty and administrative professionals on a leadership trajectory at their respective institutions serving in mid- to senior-level roles. Fellows are guided through leadership assessments, interactive online and in-person workshops, and professional mentoring sessions designed to advance leadership skills.

Along with SUNY’s Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI), BLI is designed to ensure that “emerging leaders across our system benefit from rigorous support and training to expand their career at SUNY,” King said. “Programs like BLI and HLI are critical to our work to ensure excellent leaders across SUNY’s campuses.”

Dr. Lee is a 2010 graduate of SUNY Old Westbury, having attended through its Educational Opportunity Program. She earned a B.A. in English, with a specialization in Multicultural Literature. She received her Doctorate in English from St. John’s University in Queens, New York. Aside from her dean and director duties, Lee also teaches Early Modern British Literature, Shakespeare, and Topics in African American literature. Dr. Lee’s research is rooted in Premodern Critical Race Studies, examining precolonial African agency in the construction of the Atlantic Trade System.

In addition to Dr. Lee, SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy E. Sams has been appointed as an advisor to the 10-person BLI steering committee.

“As one of the largest educational systems in the world, SUNY is uniquely positioned to be the leader in developing and retaining diverse, world-class talent that impacts future leaders, New York State, and the entirety of our nation,” said President Sams. “Equally important, with culture wars and more threatening the progress of our nation, SUNY's leadership in this work ensures our systems' future as place that guarantees access, is inclusive, provides outstanding educational value and meets today’s national and global challenges.”

About SUNY Old Westbury
SUNY Old Westbury is a university where students with a passion for learning are empowered through excellence to thrive in, and help build, a more just, sustainable world. As Long Island’s only public liberal arts institution, SUNY Old Westbury challenges its students to own their futures through an environment that demands academic excellence and fosters intercultural understanding. As members of the most diverse student body in the SUNY system, the University' more than 4,400 students study in nearly 50 undergraduate degree opportunities in Old Westbury’s liberal arts and professional programs and 16 graduate programs in business, data science, education, liberal studies and mental health counseling. For more information on SUNY Old Westbury, visit www.oldwestbury.edu.