Dr. Gladys Palma de Schrynemakers, who joins SLU as its first Senior Associate Dean heading up Academic Affairs, comes from a diverse background, beginning in the New York City Department of Education as a teacher and proud UFT member. She also serves as SLU’s Chief Diversity Officer. Her teaching position was extended to include an administrative post as the Associate Director of Mathematics in Community School District 32. Her career in higher education began at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus, where in partnership with community organizations she helped establish LIU/BC first extension programs for women in Bushwick, East New York, and Williamsburg. During her tenure at Brooklyn, she rose to the position of Associate Provost, overseeing critical aspects of university business, including chairing three Middle States Reviews, core curriculum revision, and STEP and C-STEP campus participation.
Dr. Schrynemakers joined Medgar Evers College (MEC) in November 2015 as its new Assistant Vice President/Associate Provost, where she served on the Middle States decennial leadership team that helped ensure the campus was fully accredited with commendations on all 14 Standards. Additionally, she worked with faculty to develop the first CUNY-approved Honors program in affiliation with the National Honors Collegiate Council that is welcoming its third-class during fall 2019; she also helped create MEC’s first ever BFA and first-ever online BA in Global Economics.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint John’s University; three masters’ degrees from City College, Long Island University, and Teacher’s College Columbia University; and a doctorate from Teachers College Columbia University. Dr. Schrynemakers has taught in the Anthropology/Sociology Departments both at LIU/BC and MEC, secured over 21 million dollars in grants, and published frequently in peer-reviewed venues on theory and practice of constructivist theory, urban education, teaching with technology, and assessment. She has served on several 20 Accreditation Teams for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and as a Reviewer for the Commission and likewise served on Accreditation Teams for the New York State Department of Education.
