Welcome to Forum
Science Division Welcomes a New Dean.
Dr. Susan L. Perkins, a microbiologist with expertise on protozoan parasites that cause malaria, is the new Martin and Michele Cohen Dean of Science at The City College of New York. Her appointment is effective Jan. 6, 2020.
Perkins joins City College from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in Manhattan where she served as Curator and Professor of microbial genomics for the past 15 years.
She brings to CCNY’s Division of Science a wealth of experience as a researcher on malaria parasites and other haemosporidian parasites that use non-human hosts.
Her particular interests are the malaria parasites infecting creatures such as lizards, bats, and birds and over the past 20 years, she has conducted field work around the world to better understand their diversity, evolution, and systematics. At AMNH, her lab also investigated other parasites of wildlife and the interaction of host microbiomes with parasites.
In addition to her scientific research, Perkins is active in promoting a better understanding of microbiology via public exhibits, books, blogs and games.
She is the co-author of the book “Welcome to the Microbiome: Getting to Know the Trillions of Bacteria and Other Microbes In, On, and Around You” (Yale University Press, 2015), and in 2013 co-edited “Malaria Parasites: Comparative Genomics, Evolution and Molecular Biology” (Horizon Press).
Perkins has served as president of the American Society of Parasitologists and was a Program Officer at the National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology (2010-2011).
She earned her PhD in biology from the University of Vermont and her bachelor’s of arts from SUNY Potsdam.
Dr. Perkins can be found on twitter @NYCuratrix
Science Division at CCNY

The Division of Science at City College has a proud legacy and a proud future. Ten Nobel Laureates studied science and mathematics at CCNY. World-renowned physicists like Myriam Sarachik, who serves on the governing council of the National Academy of Sciences, and well-known author Michio Kaku teach our students, and distinguished professors conduct cutting edge research on everything from climate change to structural biology to sustainable energy, and everything in between. City College students, even as undergraduates, have an unprecedented opportunity to work in these labs. In the past 8 years the Division has produced two Rhodes Scholars and several Goldwater and Truman scholars, as well as graduates who have gone on to the most prestigious graduate schools, supported by grants from the National Science Foundation to pursue their research.
Science students at City College have a wide array of degree choices. They enroll in Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in the fields and programs listed below. The PHD is offered jointly by the City University of New York and City College in the laboratory-based sciences: biology, biochemistry, chemistry and physics.
Division of Science Diversity Statement
For over 150 years, The City College of New York has provided access to excellence in the scientific disciplines for the diverse population of New York City, molding sharp minds from all backgrounds into a potent STEM workforce to meet national needs. Today, the Division of Science aspires to ensure a diverse and engaging environment, knowing that the creative energy and innovative insights that result from diversity are vital for the intellectual rigor and social fabric of the College, and are requisite for a highly effective scientific workforce of the future. As a scholarly community, the Division welcomes people of all racial, ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, national and international backgrounds, without regard to religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.