Brian A. Peterson is the interim senior vice president of finance and administration and the dean for academic initiatives and strategic innovation at The Graduate Center.
As interim senior vice president, Peterson is responsible for overseeing and managing the finances and support services of The Graduate Center. As dean for both academic initiatives and strategic innovation and the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies (CUNY BA), his priorities include leading new academic programming opportunities, such as certificates, hybrid and online courses, and non-degree offerings; advancing and strengthening global partnerships; raising the profile of CUNY BA; and supporting The Graduate Center’s strategic planning and implementation.
Before joining The Graduate Center in 2018, Peterson was associate dean of student and community affairs at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. He led the teams that established the CUNY School of Professional Studies in 2003 and launched CUNY’s first online degree program in 2006. During his tenure at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, he supportedfacultydevelopment of new academic programs, collaborated in developing responsive workforce development initiatives, raised scholarship funds for students, and collaborated with faculty and staff to support and promote student success.
Peterson has more than 25 years of experience in planning, leading, and administering higher education programs and initiatives. He has spearheaded large-scale workforce development programs for CUNY, and before that, for Jobs for Youth, Inc. and the National Community AIDS Partnership. A Minnesota native, he earned his B.S. in communications from St. Cloud State University and his MPA from Baruch College.