Neil Hernandez, Ph.D.
Brief Vita
Academic Experience
Assistant Professor of Public & Nonprofit Management, CUNY Baruch College Marxe School of Public & International Affairs, 2019-Present
Distinguished Lecturer, CUNY Hostos Community College, 2010-2013
College & Professional Service
Site Visitor, Commission on Peer Review & Accreditation, Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs & Administration, 2022-Present
Member, Asylum Liaison Committee, New York Chapter, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2020-Present
Delegate (of the Baruch College Chapter), Delegate Assembly, Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, 2020-Present
Education
PhD, Political Science Program, CUNY Graduate Center, 2015
Areas of Specialization:
Public Policy, Public Administration, and American Politics
MPA, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, 1998
JD, Hofstra University School of Law, 1995
Governmental Experience
Asylum Officer, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 2017-2019
Commissioner, NYC Department of Juvenile Justice, 2002-2010
(A member of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s cabinet; led a department with an overall budget of more than $100 million, up to 1,000 staff (including contracted employees), and over 15 detention facilities and group homes. The agency's mission was to care for approximately 5,000 juveniles, annually, who were arrested by the police or ordered to be confined by the courts.)
Grants & Fellowships
Distinguished CUNY Scholar, Advanced Research Collaborative, CUNY Graduate Center, 2023-2024
Professional Staff Congress-City University of New York Research Award ($3,500), 2023-2024
Dean's Research Award, Baruch College Marxe School of Public & International Affairs ($4,999), 2023-2024
Faculty Fellowship Publication Program, City University of New York, 2021-2022
Presentations & Papers
Co-Presentation (with Gabriella Tucciarone), "The Asylum Interview: Telling your Story," at a Meeting of the African Cultural Alliance of North America, Webinar, 2024
Moderator, “How the Civil Rights Movement Influenced U.S. Immigration Policy,” sponsored by the Baruch College Robert C. Weaver Black Alumni Association, Webinar, 2023
Presentation, “Representation of Applicants in the Asylum Office: (Some) Basic Considerations for Law Students,” at a Meeting of the Elon University School of Law Immigration Course, Webinar, 2023
Co-Presentation (with Minji Ham), “Asylum Processing: Telling Your Story,” at a Meeting of the African Cultural Alliance of North America, Webinar, 2022
Recognitions
Hispanic Star, Intersection Hispanic Stars LinkNYC Campaign, 2020
Special Act Award, USCIS Newark Asylum Office, 2018
Bright Idea Peer Award, USCIS Refugee, Asylum, & International Operations Directorate, 2018
Affiliations
Member, American Society for Public Administration, Society for History in the Federal Government, and the Centro Civico Ecuatoriano New York
Skills
Fluent in Spanish
Bar Admission
NYS Supreme Court's Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department, 1996