Dean and Leadership

November 2025

Dear NYU SPS Community,

November is one of my favorite months—starting with the iconic New York City Marathon and capped off by Thanksgiving and family—a month for connection. And at SPS, we celebrate our own community connections throughout November with events ranging from our Hall of Fame dinner and our Lunch with Leaders series to our newest tradition—SPS Bingo Night!

That same spirit of connection has been a part of so many important moments at SPS this fall. Last month’s Alumni and Family Weekend brought together generations of SPS students, alumni, and families for a weekend of storytelling and fun. It was a vivid reminder of the strength of our community, past, present, and future.

Celebrating Alumni

We continued to celebrate our community at our NYU SPS Alumni Brunch and our second annual NYU SPS Hall of Fame Ceremony, where we inducted eight remarkable honorees. The evening featured remarks from Jonathan M. Tisch, Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels & Co. and Director Emeritus of Loews Corporation, and was hosted by Ashley Russo, CEO & Founder of ASR Media and CEO of Magnaplate.

I also loved having the opportunity to see our current students at the NBA headquarters interacting with alumnus Sabrina Ellis (MS ’08, BS ’06, AAS ’01), Chief People Officer for the NBA, during our Lunch with Leaders series. 

Leveraging the Power of Networking with Peers

Opportunities to build networks and exchange ideas continued this month with the NYU SPS Wasserman Center's Power of Connections event. This signature program brought together industry professionals, alumni, faculty, and students for an afternoon of career conversations and networking. Carly Chase, Vice President and General Manager at U.S. News & World Report and NYU SPS Executive in Residence, delivered the keynote.

I also encourage you to join us for one of the remaining NYU in Dialogue events this semester. From volunteering with the Afya Foundation and supporting global communities to thought-provoking conversations with filmmakers Ken Burns and Doug Pray that explore storytelling, leadership, and social change, these gatherings are designed to spark thoughtful conversation and foster meaningful connections.

New Ways to Create Community

This commitment to meaningful connection extends to the classroom as well, where our faculty continue to shape the future of learning through innovation and collaboration.

I’d like to extend congratulations to Annelise Finegan and Kristine Rodriguez Kerr at the NYU SPS Center for Publishing, Writing, and Media for being awarded a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) Seed Grant from the NYU Center for Teaching and Learning. The grant, part of the NYU How We Teach initiative, is designed to support the creation of structured faculty communities that explore and share teaching and learning practices contributing to student success. Annelise and Kristine’s proposal was one of only 14 faculty learning communities supported by NYU this academic year.

As we move through the semester, let’s continue to build bridges between our classrooms, our industries, and one another. Like any long race, our collective progress comes from shared encouragement and steady commitment. At SPS, learning doesn’t just prepare us for the real world—it is the real world.

Warmly,

Angie Kamath
Harvey J. Stedman Dean of the NYU School of Professional Studies