The CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) is proud to announce two recent faculty leadership appointments. Dr. Alexandra Plavskin, a nurse leader, educator, and clinician (pictured left above), has joined the School as a Clinical Professor and Interim Academic Director of the Nursing programs, and Dr. Nicole Nathan, a cultural anthropologist and educator (pictured right above), now serves as Academic Director for the School’s General Education and Liberal Studies program.
Both faculty members bring a wide range of expertise to their new leadership roles at CUNY SPS.
With nearly two decades of experience in nursing practice and academic administration, Dr. Plavskin has worked as both a nurse, focusing on cardiovascular care and women’s health, and as an academic leader in nursing education. Prior to SPS, Dr. Plavskin served as Director of Undergraduate Clinical Affairs and Assistant Dean at the Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing, where she oversaw curriculum development, faculty mentorship, and strategic initiatives to improve nursing education and clinical integration.
Dr. Nathan taught in the anthropology departments at Queens College CUNY and Temple University, where she also earned her MA and PhD in anthropology. While at Temple, Dr. Nathan served as the faculty director of the School’s Bachelor of General Studies program. In that role, she focused on making education more accessible and equitable through adaptive pedagogy and expansive curricular development.
In separate interviews, both Dr. Plavskin and Dr. Nathan shared their excitement in joining CUNY SPS and reflected on what they hope to accomplish within their programs.
For Dr. Plavskin, this new role is an opportunity to be a part of a “high-quality nursing program that [she] is proud to support.” As interim academic director, she will be “supporting curriculum development, ensuring academic excellence, and keeping everything in alignment with accreditation standards.”
She also intends to “pursue opportunities for strategic growth” by raising awareness of the nursing program at CUNY SPS locally and nationwide. As Dr. Plavskin explained, “My goal is to ensure that we preserve the strong student support systems and close-knit academic community that define the program’s excellence and make it an outstanding environment for learning.”
As she works toward achieving this, Dr. Plavskin has a message for nursing students at CUNY SPS: “Keep moving forward, keep learning. Nursing is a constantly evolving field, and the best nurses never stop growing. Embrace every opportunity to try new skills, explore new ideas, and challenge yourself. …Remember—progress happens outside your comfort zone, so stay curious, stay resilient, and keep pushing yourself you will be so proud of where you end up!”
Similarly, Dr. Nathan is delighted to come aboard, noting that “I was drawn to CUNY SPS because as an innovative, public university system serving diverse populations, CUNY is at the forefront of social change.” Furthermore, she is “very committed to the General Education and Liberal Studies program,” because “they form the backbone of higher education by adding a breadth of knowledge across a diversity of areas and focusing on developing key academic competencies, like critical thinking and communication, that are transferrable to any career path.”
With a mission to “best serve SPS students and faculty, particularly ensuring an equitable experience in which both students and faculty find success,” Dr. Nathan is planning to work with different school offices to improve student learning outcomes and collaborate with faculty to innovate learning. As part of this, she plans to expand the General Education catalog, including adding existing courses that align with the General Education pathways, so that students may receive credit while progressing toward their own degree.
In a separate initiative, Dr. Nathan is also exploring something very timely: how the General Education and Liberal Studies program may advance learning and implementation of artificial intelligence “while at the same time fortifying the foundational human skills developed through general education and liberal studies,” as she explained. “The goal is to ensure that students can utilize the value of their degrees and skillset in an evolving world. I want to carry that on that mission, while also best preparing students for whatever they may do after they graduate.”
About the CUNY School of Professional Studies
As New York's leading online school since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor's and master's degree options at the City University of New York, and serves as the University's first undergraduate all-transfer college. With 26 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor's degree, progress from an associate's degree, earn a master's degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its online offerings, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School's renowned and affordable online programs ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.
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