Presidential Medal Recipient

DR. HERMAN A. BERLINER

Dr. Herman A. Berliner, Hofstra University’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, is one of the longest-serving provosts in the United States. He first became provost in 1989 and served in that position for over 25 years, until July 2015. He then returned to the provost position effective January 1, 2019. The provost and senior vice president for academic affairs is second in command to the president at the University. In this role, Dr. Berliner is responsible for all the colleges, schools, and academic programs of the University, as well as the Libraries, Hofstra University Museum of Art, and Saltzman Community Services Center. Over the years as provost, Dr. Berliner played a prominent role in establishing The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, Hofstra University Honors College, Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Health Professions and Human Services, and Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. Dr. Berliner also played a pivotal role in establishing a dual-degree program with Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in Dalian, China, where students earn both a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra and a Bachelor of Economics from Dongbei.

Dr. Berliner has held other key administrative positions, including serving three times as dean of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business. He was previously associate provost and associate dean of faculties, acting dean of the School of Education, and associate dean of University Advisement.

Dr. Berliner, the Lawrence Herbert Distinguished Professor, joined Hofstra University in 1970 as an assistant professor of economics, after having earned a PhD in economics from the City University of New York Graduate School. He was awarded tenure in 1975, promoted to associate professor in 1978, and to professor in 1985. As a faculty member, Dr. Berliner taught economics courses on both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and served on a number of doctoral dissertation committees for the School of Education.

Dr. Berliner’s area of specialty, as an economist, is the economics of higher education. He has served as a reviewer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the American Bar Association, AACSB, and EFMD/EQUIS. He serves as a TIAA Institute Fellow and as a board member of New 42. He is a former trustee and president of the North Shore Schools Board of Education. He was inducted into the 2020 Long Island Business News Hall of Fame for his longstanding commitment to excellence. His latest publication (October 2020) is a commentary on higher education as part of the TIAA Institute’s Voices of Expertise and Experience series.

Dr. Berliner and his spouse, Annette Schrader, live in Glen Head, New York, with their two daughters, Isabel and Julia, and the family dogs, Lio and Mele. In addition to his family, Dr. Berliner’s passions are dark chocolate, Broadway musicals, and swimming.