A Message from President Towers: Welcoming Susan Sawyer, Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff to the President, and Special Counsel
I am pleased to share that Susan Sawyer will rejoin The New School as Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff, and Special Counsel. She will serve as a key member of my senior administration, managing daily operations, providing administrative oversight, overseeing institutional initiatives, and enhancing collaboration and communication with the leadership team and the broader university community. Susan will also assume the responsibilities of University Secretary, providing leadership for the administration of the Board of Trustees. Her start date is April 14th.
Many of you already know Susan from her nearly 20 years at The New School between 2001 and 2021, and for the deep relationships she developed with faculty and staff as a member of the Office of the General Counsel. During that time, Susan held increasingly responsible positions at The New School, including serving as Vice President, University Secretary, and Associate General Counsel between 2017 and 2021. Throughout her tenure, she advised and participated in the development of numerous global programs, including establishing Parsons Paris as a branch campus and launching programs in India and China; developing policies to protect and nurture our intellectual property; and advising the Board of Trustees and its committees. She returns to our campus with energy, excitement, and an unwavering commitment to renewing existing relationships and building new connections across our community.
Susan joins us from New York University where she was Senior Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary from 2021 – 2025. As a senior legal advisor to NYU’s executive officers, trustees, staff, and faculty, Susan provided expert counsel on a wide range of legal matters, including corporate governance, policy development, major gift awards, and compliance. She began her career as a litigation associate at Baer Marks & Upham LLP.
Susan received her BA from Lehigh University and her JD from Columbia Law School. Passionate about education, Susan has taught at Cardozo School of Law and is a guest lecturer on higher education and the law at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. In 2021, Susan also led a class on business regulation and practices at Parsons School of Design.
Threaded throughout Susan’s impressive career is her dedication and long history of working as a partner to faculty and staff in ways that advance and amplify innovative and inclusive research, scholarship, and creative practice. I look forward to working closely with Susan and hope you will join me in welcoming her back to The New School.