New CUNY Chancellor Names His Queens College Successor

QUEENS, NY — New CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez began his tenure Wednesday by naming a successor to lead Queens College.

William Tramontano will become interim president of Queens College starting June 1, Matos Rodríguez announced on his first day as chancellor. Matos Rodríguez was president of Queens College, part of the City University of New York system, since 2014.

Tramontano works at Hunter College as the senior advisor to the president for student success and strategic initiatives. He helps the college raise its retention and graduation rates and boost student engagement, according to CUNY.

Tramontano has served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Brooklyn College and acting provost at Lehman College. He previously taught biology at Manhattan College, where he got his bachelor's degree.

Matos Rodríguez became the first Latino to lead CUNY on May 1 when he began his term as the university's eighth chancellor.

As Queens College president, Matos Rodríguez developed an accelerated B.A./M.A. program and spurred the college's first systematic review of all graduate programs. He also pushed to increase diversity — about half of new faculty came from underrepresented groups.

CUNY's board of trustees voted unanimously in February to appoint Matos Rodríguez as the university's next chancellor.