New York Tech president to step down in 2025 | Long Island Business News

Henry “Hank” Foley will be stepping down on June 30, 2025, as president of New York Institute of Technology, whose campuses include Old Westbury and Manhattan. The university’s Board of Trustees expressed “deep gratitude and appreciation” for Foley’s service.

Dr. Jerry Balentine, currently the university’s provost and executive vice president since 2022, was appointed New York Tech’s next president, effective July 1, 2025.

“As I prepare for this next chapter of my life, I do so with a sense of optimism and excitement for the bright future that lies ahead for New York Tech,” Foley said in a news release about the change in leadership. “I have no doubt that this institution, powered by the passion and potential of its community, and under Dr. Balentine’s leadership, will continue to thrive and reach new heights. The best is yet to come.”

Foley joined New York Tech as president in 2017 after serving as interim chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia. Initiatives at New York Tech include embracing innovation and becoming the next generation of “doers, makers, innovators, and healers ready to reinvent the future,” according to the university.

Collaborating closely with the board, Foley steered development and investment strategies that nearly doubled New York Tech’s endowment and capital reserves. Through his management and control of financial operations, including navigating COVID, the university said it is on strong financial footing.

Foley championed the integration of advanced technology across teaching, research and administrative platforms while overseeing investments in facilities. These platforms include new teaching and research labs as well as expanded social spaces for students at each campus. It was during this time that the university began its first Ph.D. programs, increasing the number each year. The university’s Hispanic and Black enrollment grew by 100% and 50%, respectively. In addition, the Biomedical Research Imaging and Innovation Center was created at the Old Westbury campus. Slated to open in 2025, the facility is designed to serve as a hub for interdisciplinary research, with a 3 Tesla fMRI and advanced imaging microscopes.

“Shortly into his presidency, Hank presented to the board a vision and strategic plan that would position New York Tech to create the best possible student experiences, empowering them to successfully meet the challenges and opportunities of today’s workforce,” Peter Romano, chair of the board, said in the news release.

“In doing so, the university increased its enrollment, improved its national rankings, strengthened its financial resiliency, enhanced its academic programs, and is on track to become an institute with high research activity,” Romano added. “Hank has reignited a sense of pride among New York Tech alumni – myself included – and has energized our community as we look toward an inspiring future. The board has given him the title of president emeritus in honor of his outstanding tenure with the university.”

Balentine has overseen all academic programs across New York Tech’s Long Island, New York City, Arkansas, and Vancouver campuses; organized the university’s first faculty-development day to explore effective strategies that benefit the teaching, research, and creative process; and launched the university’s first Honors College. He is currently seeking ways to introduce artificial intelligence into the curriculum, including developing a minor in AI.

Previously, Balentine was executive vice president and chief operating officer and led development of the university’s strategic plan project to improve student experiences and strengthen the university. Prior to that, he was vice president for medical affairs and global health, and dean of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). There, Balentine established a culture of wellness for medical students, received grant funding to study the effects of meditation and empathy on medical students, and was instrumental in the creation of NYITCOM’s Center for Sports Medicine and Center for Esports Medicine. He served as an adjunct faculty member at NYITCOM for more than 20 years, and holds tenure at New York Tech’s School of Health Professions.

Before joining New York Tech, Balentine served as chief medical officer and executive vice president at St. Barnabas Hospital and Healthcare System in the Bronx.