CUNY SPS Alum and PEWL Stakeholder Named on Top Local and Higher Ed Lists

For the second year in a row, two members of the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) community have been named on City & State New York’s The Brooklyn Power 100 and the Trailblazers in Higher Education lists.

CUNY SPS alum Phara Souffrant Forrest (BS Nursing '20) ranked #30 on the publication’s "The 2024 Brooklyn Power 100" for her work in the New York State Assembly as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Previously, she had been named on City & State New York’s 2023 list.

Terrance Stroud, deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS), was named for a second time running on the publication’s "Trailblazers in Higher Education" list. Stroud partners directly with the School’s Office of Professional Education and Workplace Learning (PEWL) on two programs.

“I’m incredibly proud that two members of the CUNY School of Professional Studies community made the City & State New York Brooklyn Power 100 and Trailblazers in Higher Education lists yet again,” said CUNY SPS Dean Dr. Lisa R. Braverman. “Our alumna Phara Souffrant Forrest is a leader in the borough as a State Assembly member and her work on tenant rights and expanding health care. Terrance’s impact expands beyond his role as an outstanding stakeholder in the PEWL unit as DSS deputy commissioner for training and workforce development and includes his appointment to a Presidential commission. They are both inspiring examples of professional excellence who deserve our recognition and praise.”

Souffrant Forrest, who was elected in 2020, represents the 57th Assembly District in Brooklyn, which includes Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and parts of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant. During her term, Souffrant Forrest has focused on tenant rights and expanded access to health care, including championing efforts to eliminate copays for insulin. She also chairs the Assembly Task Force on New Americans and has worked on legislation to reform prison and jail policies.

Stroud oversees the DSS Office of Training and Workforce Development, the nation’s largest municipal social services agency, and works with PEWL on the DSS Office of Policies, Procedures and Training Department of Homeless Services Staff Learning and Development Program and the Anti-Bias Trauma-Informed Training (ABTI).

In October 2022, Stroud received the Quality Agency Award for exceptional leadership and educational contributions to the field of health and human services for ABTI’s innovative work. The program provides the DSS staff, the Human Resources Administration (HRA), and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) with training to help recognize how individual and structural bias and trauma influence behavior and decision-making in the workplace. These three agencies employ 17,000 staff members, all of whom will receive this training.

Stroud was also the first Black recipient of the Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award at his alma mater, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he oversees the New York Externship Program. In addition, he served as the inaugural Global Leader in Residence at Indiana’s School of Global and International Studies, and was appointed to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.

About the Office of Professional Education and Workplace Learning (PEWL)

Established in 2006, PEWL's mission is to enhance organizational effectiveness and elevate individual careers through the design and implementation of transformative learning programs. The unit manages 14 programs in partnership with city, state and non-profit organizations with a budget of $34 million. In FY 2023, PEWL trained and served nearly 38,000 people.

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.

Press Contact
Prerna Dar
CUNY SPS Chief Marketing Officer
Prerna.dar@cuny.edu