Biography

Dr. Katherine Zatz
Chairperson, Board of Trustees

Dr. Katherine Houghton Zatz has spent most of her life in the service of education, from being elected, by her peers, to her local school board at the age of 16 to her current position as Vice President for Student Development at SUNY Rockland in Suffern, New York. Her career has centered around empowering her staff and students to solve problems and improve processes, from student tutoring to enrollment management. In 2004, Dr. Zatz was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Public University System.

Dr. Zatz’s career began as a student tour guide at the University of Wisconsin - Marathon County Center in 1978. She has been a residence advisor, activities director, director of student development, and dean for student affairs and enrollment management, and has served as a senior student affairs officer for sixteen years. 

At Hudson County Community College, Dr. Zatz achieved a 60% increase in enrollment over seven years, without substantial budget increases. She also helped to raise retention by 26 points and lower the student loan default rate by 17 points in three years.

Early in her career, Dr. Zatz was the Director of Campus Activities at Mundelien College in Chicago and the Director of Student Development at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. While a graduate student at Columbia, Dr. Zatz was the Director of the Student Christian House.

As the Dean of Students at the College of Aeronautics, she worked to raise student retention by 17 points, substantially increasing enrollment. She also instituted a housing program with full occupancy; a peer-based tutoring program which raised participants' grades by an average of 1 point; and a bridge program for 450 high school students, 80% of whom entered the College. Her initiatives also resulted in an increase in the number of women enrolled from 50 to over 150 over the course of three years.

Dr. Zatz has served as the President of the New Jersey Dean's Association for Community Colleges. She also has been a member of the Legislative Committee for the Council of County Colleges and a Middle States Association peer evaluator.

Dr. Zatz was a co-founder and coordinator of a soup kitchen at 114th Street and Broadway in Manhattan.  During the past twenty-five years, it has evolved into Broadway Community Incorporated, a non-profit organization serving over 5,000 meals a year. The program now incorporates drug, alcohol, HIV, and health education, and a shelter for homeless women. Dr. Zatz still serves on Broadway Community’s Advisory Board.

Dr. Zatz earned a B.A. degree in Political Science, History, and Social Science (cum laude) from Macalester College, MN, an M.A. degree in Student Personnel from Teachers College-Columbia University, an M.Ed. degree in Higher Education Administration from Teachers College-Columbia University, and an Ed.D. degree in Higher and Adult Education from the Teachers College-Columbia University. Dr. Zatz also earned certificates from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University and Higher Education Resource Services at Wellesley College.