Joseph P. Viteritti Joins Hunter's Department of Urban Affairs as Endowed Chair

Date: November 1, 2004
Contact: Meredith Halpern (meredith.halpern@hunter.cuny.edu)
Phone: (212) 772-4068

Joseph P. Viteritti, an expert in education policy and state and local governance, was appointed professor in the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning at Hunter College and was named the first recipient of the Blanche D. Blank Endowed Chair in Public Policy. It is particularly fitting that Viteritti was named the first Blanche Blank Professor since Blank was Viteritti's mentor at Hunter. Viteritti comes to Hunter from Princeton University where he was a visiting professor in the politics department.

He previously served as a research professor of public policy at New York University, where he was Director of the Program on Education and Civil Society, and an adjunct professor at NYU School of Law. Viteritti also has taught at Harvard and the State University of New York, Albany.

"It's great to be back at Hunter. I've got tremendous affection for Hunter students. They are the most interesting students I've ever encountered anywhere," said Viteritti. "I'm also honored to occupy the chair named for my former professor and dear friend."

A frequent commentator on education, New York City government and politics, Viteritti has an extensive record of public service. He served as special assistant to the Chancellor of the New York City public schools from 1978-1981 and as a principal advisor to the superintendents of schools in Boston and San Francisco. He was a member of State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's Advisory Panel on Nonpublic Schools and advised the mayoral transition teams of Edward Koch, David Dinkins, Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg.

Viteritti is a prolific author on education policy, state and local governance, public law and criminal justice. His essays have appeared in social science journals, law reviews and other popular publications. Among his more widely cited books are Choosing Equality: School Choice, the Constitution, and Civil Society (Brookings Institution Press); Across the River: Politics and Education in the City (Holmes & Meier); and Making Good Citizens (Yale University Press), which he edited.

Viteritti earned his master's degree from Hunter in 1973 and a Ph.D. in political science from the CUNY Graduate Center in 1978.

-HC-

About Hunter
With a highly diverse student population of more than 20,000, Hunter is the largest college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the first choice among all CUNY applicants. Founded in 1870, the College offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate programs. Hunter is noted for its professional schools in education, health sciences, nursing and social work, as well as its excellence in the liberal arts. Heralded as the "Crown Jewel of CUNY" by The Princeton Review, Hunter College has a distinguished reputation for nurturing talented minority scientists and meeting the challenge of providing high-quality science education in the 21st century. The College also oversees the Hunter College Campus Schools serving gifted and talented students, preschool through grade 12. For more information about Hunter College, please visit our Web site at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu.

Back to Top