I couldn’t be more proud to become the 11th president of Russell Sage College, especially at this time in our history.

In the last year, Russell Sage has added a dozen new academic programs, services, and partnerships all tied to the college’s strengths in nursing, the health sciences, education, and criminal justice. 

We’re upgrading key facilities thanks to generous donor support, and as I start my tenure as president in July 2024, we’re preparing to welcome the largest incoming classes of undergraduate and graduate students in many years. 

At a time when many colleges and universities are cutting programs or closing, we’re flourishing. 

It’s because we don’t do things like everyone else.

That is what excites me about leading Russell Sage into its next chapter – the willingness of our community to dare to dream of how things could be, not how they are. That was the spirit of our founder, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, in 1916 when she started Russell Sage to provide educational opportunities to the underserved – at that time women. 

It’s the same spirit we operate with today – a spirit that led to a general education curriculum with purpose, a supportive undergraduate experience, and programs that were the first of their kind. It’s the force behind Be. Know. Do.

And like our founder, we still care deeply about access to all of those opportunities, which is why U.S. News & World Report has ranked Russell Sage 15th for Social Mobility and 35th for Best Value among national universities. 

Our role is to model bold thinking for our students and prepare them to reach their goals so the next generation can dream big, too. I am grateful for your support of the incredible work we do at Russell Sage College each day, and I look forward to our partnership.

Sincerely,

Matt

Dr. Matthew Shaftel

President

Russell Sage College