Living by Our Mission

Francesca Fiore, Ed.D., is deeply appreciative of the value of higher education—and deeply dedicated to supporting students in their academic journeys.

“Both of my parents were teachers. Education allowed them to get to where they are, and it allowed me to get to where I am,” says Fiore, the associate provost of Academic Affairs. “Education can be so powerful in terms of helping people live happy and fulfilled lives, and for me to have the opportunity to support students every day at New York Tech is an honor.”

Fiore works to bring together deans, faculty, and staff on projects designed to improve the student experience at the university. Last year, she led an initiative to expand the university’s ability to serve low-income students. Under her leadership, New York Tech is one of just seven institutions in the country to receive a Postsecondary Student Success Grant from the U.S. Department of Education; the nearly $2.8 million in funding will support student retention, persistence, and graduation over four years.

New York Tech was also awarded a U.S. Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant of $2.25 million over five years. Now as program director, Fiore will focus on using the funding to increase undergraduate student retention and improve graduation rates.

The grant, she says, is part of a bigger picture of New York Tech’s “student-first” culture, which she fosters as co-chair of the university’s overall strategic plan, called Innovation in Action.

“The plan is focused on being innovative and responsive to students’ needs and what the labor market wants. It’s high impact so students can find jobs and be resilient and successful in their careers,” Fiore says. “In my role, I help make sure the strategic plan is integrated into other initiatives on campus, such as our work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Nothing is siloed.”

Those innovative ideas include developing partnerships with other schools. For example, with the help of faculty in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Fiore recently facilitated an agreement with Howard University to create a pathway for New York Tech students to transition into Howard’s Doctor of Pharmacy program, for which students can begin enrolling in fall 2025. 

Fiore also helped implement the Big Bold Challenge, which encourages faculty and staff to pitch ideas to the New York Tech community for projects that will benefit student success and support employees. Three winning projects were recently selected, and a new round of competition will begin in the fall. “My colleagues are amazingly supportive and wonderful to work with,” says Fiore, who joined New York Tech in 2022 after serving as vice dean of strategy and administration for the Schools of Public Engagement at The New School in New York City. Before that, she worked at LaGuardia Community College, giving her a broad range of experience in higher education settings. “New York Tech is the home of makers, doers, inventors, and innovators, and that mission infuses into the work we do in Academic Affairs. We’re providing opportunities for people to work together and collaborate in ways that are different than they might otherwise do. We’re living by our mission.”

By Ashley Festa