Marcia Y. Cantarella, Ph.D.

President of Cantarella Consulting, Marcia 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. 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, 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.

She is the author of I CAN Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle and Get Your Degree Guide (www.icanfinishcollege.com) which educators, parents and students say is a goldmine of information and strategies especially for first generation, low-income and students of color who struggle to complete college degrees.

Dr. Cantarella frequently provides workshops for college bound students for programs including Futures and Options, Prep for Prep, A Better Chance, KIPP (via Futures and Options) and Bergen Community College.

She is Co-Director of the Hunter College Black Male Initiative, Project writer for the to-be-released PBS Documentary All The Difference, and a consultant with the National Urban Coalition for Effective Education. She serves on the Board of the READ Alliance, chairs the Advisory Board of Eagle Academy Schools and serves on many other advisory boards including the Create Change Transform Foundation.

Having a doctorate in American Studies with a focus on American business she has also taught courses relating to working and consuming in America at Princeton, Hunter College and NYU.

Dr. Cantarella graduated with Honors from Bryn Mawr College and has her Masters and Doctoral degrees from New York University in American Studies. She is the daughter of Civil Rights Leader Whitney Young.