About the Provost
Jorge Silva-Puras, the Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success at Lehman College, previously served as Interim Dean at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies (SPS) and as Provost of the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has taught at CUNY’s Hostos Community College, NYU, Sagrado, and SPS and is a strong advocate for increasing access to a high-quality and affordable education for a diverse student population. His passionate student-centric focus and innovative teaching strategies has garnered the respect of colleagues and students alike.
Before joining Academia, Jorge was appointed by President Obama to serve as the US Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator for Region II, covering NY, NJ, PR & USVI. Before the SBA, he served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Puerto Rico, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company and as Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Economic Development & Commerce. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Puerto Rico Commerce and Trade Company, Puerto Rico Science and Technology Trust, among several other boards. He also served as member of the Board of Directors of the Government Development Bank and the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico.
Before his government roles, Jorge worked for The Procter & Gamble Company, Citigroup, and the O’Neill & Borges law firm. He received his BA degree from Yale University, JD from the University of Puerto Rico, and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. He is married and has four children.
