Touro Confers Jay Sexter With Doctor of Humane Letters
University Honors Provost and CEO at 41st Annual Commencement in Lincoln Center
New York, N.Y. – The Touro College and University System conferred an honorary doctorate to Dr. Jay Sexter, the provost, CEO and vice president for academic affairs for the Harlem and Middletown, New York campuses of the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM), at the 41st annual commencement exercises of the Lander Colleges at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. Dr. Sexter, who is retiring at the end of the 2015 academic year, led the effort to create Touro’s four schools of osteopathic medicine, which distinguished the institution as a national leader in physician education.
“Over the past 15 years Dr. Sexter’s contribution to Touro has been immeasurable,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, president and CEO of Touro College. “No other individual in the country can claim to have played such a vital role in the creation of four successful medical schools.”
Dr. Sexter came to Touro in 2000 to expand the osteopathic medical school at Touro’s Vallejo, California campus. During that time, he created six additional programs in health education in Vallejo. From there, he went to Henderson, Nevada where he designed and supervised the construction of a new Touro campus and obtained approval for the Touro University Nevada School of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as the Schools of Nursing, Education, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant and Occupational Therapy. After launching the schools in Nevada, Dr. Sexter moved New York to initiate TouroCOM-Harlem, the state’s first new school of medicine in 29 years, and later organized the Middletown campus.
Originally from Coney Island, Dr. Sexter said that he never planned to specialize in medical programs. Shortly after he retired as the president of Mercy College in 1999, he received a call from Touro’s founder and first president, Dr. Bernard Lander, ZT”L, who asked him for help in the creation of a medical school in California.
“It’s been the most exciting jobs I ever had,” said Dr. Sexter. “I was allowed to be creative and take chances and it worked out well for me personally, and for Touro.”
After retiring, Dr. Sexter will maintain some ties with Touro as a consultant for the osteopathic schools in New York, Vallejo and Henderson. He will also consult for a major international hedge fund that is interested in opening several medical schools throughout the world.
“I’m the type of person that has to be busy, but I won’t have the same level of stress,” he said, then laughed, “I’m 79 years old and I want some time to myself!”
Prior to joining Touro, Dr. Sexter was the provost and academic vice president of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He also served in a variety of roles at Fordham University, including as dean, assistant vice president and associate vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Sexter was the youngest school district superintendent in New York state where he also served as a principal, guidance counselor and teacher.
A graduate of the City College of New York, Dr. Sexter has a Ph.D. from Fordham in educational psychology; a masters in social studies education from Hunter College; and a second masters from the University of Southern California in counseling psychology. Dr. Sexter lives in Woodland Park, New Jersey with his wife, Eva Spinelli, vice president and executive administrative dean of Touro’s New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS). He has two children and five grandchildren.
About the Touro College and University System
Touro is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education. Touro College was chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 19,000 students are currently enrolled in its various schools and divisions. Touro College has branch campuses, locations and instructional sites in the New York area, as well as branch campuses and programs in Berlin, Jerusalem, Moscow, Paris and Florida. New York Medical College, Touro University California and its Nevada branch campus, as well as Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division are separately accredited institutions within the Touro College and University System.
