2-18-26: Welcome Matthew Branch as Director of Urban Male Student Success Programs

TO: All John Jay Campus Community
FROM: Dominic Stellini, AVP for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
DATE: February 18, 2026
RE:  Welcome Matthew Branch as Director of Urban Male Student Success Programs

I am pleased to announce that effective February 2, Matthew Branch has joined John Jay College as Director of Urban Male Student Success Programs.

Matt is an educator and cultural producer who helps students explore how programming can serve as a vehicle for personal development, community building, and social justice. He brings extensive experience designing inclusive, high-impact initiatives that foster student engagement and belonging.

Prior to coming to John Jay, Matt served as Manager of Events and Venue Operations at the Ford Foundation. Before that, he worked for eight years at Brown University as Associate Director of Student Activities, where he supported co-curricular learning through signature programs including Brown’s annual two-day music festival and Black Convocation. He also oversaw departmental Inclusion and Accessibility initiatives. Earlier in his career, Matt worked at the Brooklyn Museum in the Education and Public Programs departments, producing large-scale cultural events such as the museum’s monthly First Saturdays and leading educational programming for university audiences.

Matt holds an A.M. in Public Humanities from Brown University and a B.A. in Art History from Boston University.

Please join me in welcoming Matt to the John Jay community. He will be connecting with colleagues across campus in the coming weeks to build partnerships that support the success, development, and empowerment of our students.