NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Executive, scholar, educator and diplomat are all titles that describe Marc Ostfield, the new 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.
Ostfield spent more than two decades in government service, including serving as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay from 2022 to 2025. As the chief diplomatic representative of the U.S. government to this South American ally, 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.
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; 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.
“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 a doctorate in communication, a master’s degree in human sexuality education, and a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies, all from the University of Pennsylvania. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and French.
CONTACT:
Syd Steinhardt
212-650-7875
[email protected]
SOURCE City College of New York, Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications
