The 35th Annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Conference

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Dr. Marcia Cantarella

Daughter of Whitney M. Young, Jr.

Marcia Cantarella comes from a long family legacy of educators and change agents as the daughter of the late Civil Rights leader Whitney M. Young Jr. Dr Cantarella has been an Associate Dean at Hunter College, a Dean at Princeton University and part of the Dean’s staff at New York University’s College of Arts and Science. In these functions she has been responsible for academic advisement, career development, preparation for postgraduate fellowships, development of diversity programs, and strategies to generally enhance students’ academic experience and outcomes. In this capacity she has also engaged in oversight and collaboration with several STEM focused pre-doctoral programs including LSAMP, MARC/MBRS as well as McNair.

She has drawn on 15 years of corporate experience gained as a Director in Public Affairs and then in Marketing at Avon Products to apply those skills and background to communications challenges, as well as financial and strategic planning in a higher education environment. As Vice-President of Student Affairs at Metropolitan College of NY she was responsible for web development and rebranding of the College, as well as admissions and student services. In each of these roles she has also engaged in fundraising and philanthropic activities. With her doctorate in American Studies with a focus on American business, she has also taught courses relating to working and consuming in America at Princeton University, Hunter College and NYU.

Dr. Cantarella has served on many not-for-profit boards, advisory boards and committees including most recently, the Women’s Leadership Exchange, Trickle Up, The Children’s Storefront School, The World Education Corps, the 92nd St Y, which has given her a wide network of contacts across many sectors. She has spoken, written, consulted and done training on leadership, entrepreneurship, work and family issues and diversity issues including at corporations, Catalyst, and the Stern School of Business at NYU. She has been honored by an array of community organizations including the Harlem YMCA, the Links, Inc., and the Congress of Italian American Organizations. She has been listed in Who’s Who and been published in Vital Speeches.

Dr. Cantarella graduated with Honors from Bryn Mawr College and has her Masters and Doctoral degrees from New York University in American Studies.