Former Ambassador Marc Ostfield is the new Colin Powell School Dean

Executive, scholar, educator and diplomat are all titles that describe Marc Ostfield, who becomes the Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York on Jan. 26, 2026.

Identified through a search process that drew more than 100 applicants from across the country, Ostfield spent more than two decades in government service, including serving as the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay from January 2022 to January 2025. As the chief diplomatic representative of the U.S. government to this South American ally and one of only 12 countries to recognize Taiwan rather than China, he oversaw all bilateral relations and public engagement, a 230-person staff, six U.S. Government agencies, and a $20 million operating budget. Among his accomplishments were: advancing U.S. efforts to support Paraguayan institutions advocating for rule of law, and fighting corruption and impunity in their country; managing the completion of a new, $270 million embassy compound in Asunción, the capitol; and reaching an agreement for Paraguay, the world’s eighth largest beef exporter, to resume exporting its beef to the U.S. after a hiatus of many years.

“Ambassador Ostfield brings decades of experience in public service and education, leading organizations and programs that empower individuals to become agents of positive change—values that closely align with the Powell School's mission,” said Linda Powell, co-chair of the Colin Powell School Board of Visitors.

“Ambassador Ostfield’s deep understanding of how global forces shape local communities will be invaluable as we prepare students to engage with an increasingly interconnected world," said Board of Visitors co-chair Marco Antonio Achón.

Ostfield previously served in numerous leadership roles in the U.S. Department of State, including: ombudsman; acting director and deputy director of the Foreign Service Institute, responsible for the training of U.S. Government foreign affairs professionals in everything from diplomacy to languages to leadership; director of the Office of Policy and Global Issues in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; senior foreign affairs officer for the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation; and senior advisor on bioterrorism, biodefense, and health security in the Office of International Health and Biodefense.

From 1987 to 2002, Ostfield created and led large-scale donor-funded HIV/AIDS and global health programs in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Asia and worldwide for the United States Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control, and other agencies.

An accomplished researcher who has published and presented extensively on foreign policy, national security, and global health issues, Ostfield has also specialized in group dynamics, organizational behavior, negotiation, and leadership. Among his academic and professional honors, he received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for his longtime service as a volunteer firefighter.

“I believe in public service,” said Ostfield. “My career has always been about helping to make the world a healthier, safer, more just, and more equitable place. The Colin Powell School talks about lifting leaders, shifting power and transforming society. It's a mission that goes beyond how we prepare an individual student to take on their professional lives; it’s about helping students grow and become leaders that can change the world for the better. We also represent something important in terms of social mobility—the ability to change not just the lives of an individual, but those of their family and, potentially, their community through higher education.”

He succeeds Andrew O. Rich, under whose deanship the School experienced a 40 percent increase in enrollment, expanded its faculty, launched new academic programs, and built lasting partnerships across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Rich is now president of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn.

"Ambassador Ostfield brings a unique set of skills to the Colin Powell School deanship: he's a lifelong public servant who has worked both in government and education,” said CCNY President Vincent G. Boudreau. “His responsibility for training programs across the U.S. foreign service speaks to his particular facility at linking education to immediate public purposes, a facility entirely in line with the Colin Powell School's core mission. His eloquent representation of why he was attracted to this position, specifically at our school, at this precise moment in history, makes it clear that an extraordinary dean is joining our ranks."

Ostfield received three degrees from the University of Pennsylvania: a doctorate in communication from the Annenberg School for Communication; a master’s degree in human sexuality education from the Graduate School of Education; and a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and French.