Steinhardt’s Pedro Noguera Named Inaugural Agnew Professor

By Eric Narburgh

      Pedro Noguera, a professor in the Departments of Teaching and Learning and Humanities and Social Sciences at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, has been named the inaugural Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education. A noted urban sociologist, Noguera has devoted his research to the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in urban environments. A widely published author, Noguera has served as an adviser and engaged in collaborative research with urban school districts throughout the United States.
      Noguera also serves as executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education and co-director of the Institute for the Study of Globalization and Education in Metropolitan Settings. In 2008, he was appointed by New York Governor David Paterson to serve on the State University of New York Board of Trustees. Noguera has also served as a member of the U.S. Public Health Service Centers for Disease Control Taskforce on Youth Violence, and chair of the Committee on Ethics in Research and Human Rights for the American Educational Research Association.
      “We are delighted Pedro Noguera will be the first Agnew Professor, as he has dedicated his life to improving access to and the quality of education—just as Peter Agnew did at NYU for so many years,” said Mary Brabeck, dean of the Steinhardt School.
      For more than 35 years, Agnew was a distinguished faculty member and administrator at NYU. He is credited for influencing the study of business education through his teaching and extensive writings. Also an NYU alumnus (Steinhardt ’28, ’40), Agnew began his career as a professor and was later promoted to leadership roles at Steinhardt—then the School of Education—and the University.
      In addition to the latest grant to endow the Agnew professorship, the Agnew Foundation, which has generously supported NYU for over 25 years, has also contributed to a business education fund, scholarships, and a memorial lecture, all in Agnew’s name.
      “A professorship is the ultimate honor you can give anyone at NYU,” says Arthur Rubin (Steinhardt ’50, ’51), a former student and colleague of Agnew and a trustee of the foundation. “If Pete Agnew knew there was a professorship in his name—it would have been beyond his wildest dreams.”