Legal Staff Profile
Versatile, Well Traveled and Respected: Robert S. Lapiner By Donna McGill Robert Lapiner, who is currently the dean of New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies, has raised the bar for career deans everywhere. He has traveled to places others can only dream of, including the Netherlands, Africa and France, not to mention the Republic of Congo. Keep reading for more information on this well-traveled college dean.
At the core of each of us, there are these internal drives that push us toward the great things we’re meant to do and become. If you’re Robert Lapiner, those drives and great things include international travel, playing a role at two of the nation’s most respected colleges and serving in the capacity of a U.S. career diplomat in cultural and educational affairs. He is a well spoken and highly revered man whose fellow faculty members and students rely on and who they respect. From 1976 through 1990, Lapiner worked in both Africa and Europe in several colleges and businesses. He was the deputy executive director for Europe of the Council on International Education Exchange where he developed and oversaw various training programs for more than 29,000 students. Immediately following this role, he accepted a position as a U.S. career diplomat in cultural and educational affairs for the Republic of Congo. Before finding his way to New York University, Lapiner served as the Continuing Education dean at the University of California at Los Angeles. While there, he coordinated the student body with employers in an effort to provide networking opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Lapiner attended and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is a distinguished
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Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a published author with articles printed in several countries, including Germany, South Korea, France and the U.S. He received both his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Since 2006, Lapiner has been the dean of NYU-SCPS, where he ensures the quality of undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs. His goal continues to be to provide ‘’a system of rational and practical education’’ that is ‘’open to all’’. He and his staff recently worked to overhaul the website in its entirety so that students, faculty and the community could easier navigate through the various programs and courses. With students from every state and 120 plus countries, it is an important part of the learning experience at NYU. The school offers a Paralegal Studies Diploma program that is considered one of the best in the country. As part of that program, many of New York State’s most brilliant lawyers and judges provide instruction for students. As Lapiner explains, ‘’Many of the faculty are actively practicing law, which lends to an awareness of the latest legal trends and issues with their students’’. The school also offers students career counseling and placement, as well as an extensive career resources network and library, which hosts job seminars, job hunting strategies for paralegals and career seminars. Graduates also enjoy lifetime access to this wealth of information that’s both current and relevant for the paralegal profession.
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