When the City University of New York ended a two-year search and appointed Dr. Christine Mangino as the sixth president of Queensborough Community College, the board of trustees voted unanimously for a woman who “is driven by a deeply held belief in the importance of community colleges,” according to Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said.
Growing up in North Merrick, Long Island, Mangino would become the first in her family to go to college.
“When I was in high school I had no clue about going away to a four-year college, so I applied to Nassau Community College,” Mangino said. “It was within those walls that I learned the love of learning which I did not know in high school. It was there that I knew what I wanted to do for a living.”
After earning an associate’s degree at Nassau Community College, Mangino moved on to Hofstra University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degrees in education. Later, she received a doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University in Jamaica.
“My first job was at the Early Childhood Center in Jamaica teaching 2-year-olds,” Mangino said. “And then I went on to be an elementary teacher in Brooklyn and later as an adjunct professor at St. John’s.”
For the past 16 years, Mangino has flourished at Hostos Community College in the Bronx, where she currently serves as the provost and vice president for academic affairs. That experience, she believes, made her better prepared for Queensborough Community College, one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, which comprises nearly equal populations of Black Americans, Asians, Caucasians and Latinos, where the students have roots in 127 countries and speak 78 languages.
“At Hostos, 99 percent are students of color. We all talk about diversity, but they really live it,” Mangino said.
Under her leadership, Hostos doubled its three-year graduation rates, expanded the college’s online course offerings, and increased the number of students participating in service-learning, where class assignments take students into the community, encouraging civic engagement.
She also increased Hostos’ faculty diversity and female representation and collaborated with colleagues to incorporate cultural competencies within the curriculum. Mangino was attracted to the “Queensborough Academics Model for Student Success,” a nationally recognized student support initiative that serves all full-time students from the moment they enter to graduation and beyond.
“One of the most important factors in engendering student success is keeping everyone — teachers, students, parents and the community — connected and invested in the learning process,” Mangino said.
She will succeed Interim President Timothy G. Lynch, who has led Queensborough since 2018, following the retirement of President Diane B. Call.
“Queensborough Community College is honored to have Dr. Mangino at the helm,” Lynch said. “She is a masterful educator, and unwavering in her commitment to providing diverse student populations with access to transformational educational opportunities. Her depth and breadth of experience is invaluable, and I look forward to working with her.”
In a message to the students, faculty and staff at Queensbough’s Bayside campus, Mangino said she is looking forward to joining the community on Aug. 17.
“Transitions can be stressful and so much more so during these times, but working together we will emerge even stronger, more resilient and equipped to add to and celebrate your achievements, our students’ success and Queenborough’s excellence,” she wrote.
Mangino is looking forward to working with the faculty and staff at the school.
“They have an amazing reputation for focusing on student success and, having watched both of my kids go through college, I know how important it is for every student to have that connection where they feel supported by the faculty and staff,” Mangino said. “I know the experience these students are going through prior to entering our doors.”
