Ryan O’Gorman
Director of Retention and Student Success and MSOLC Adjunct InstuctorB.S. Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College
M.S. in Organizational Leadership, Nyack College
Ryan began his career in higher education when he joined Dominican College, now Dominican University New York, in July of 2004 as one of the Assistant Directors of Residence Life after just graduating from St. Thomas Aquinas College with a B. S. in Psychology. In December of 2016, Ryan graduated from Nyack College with an M.S in Organizational Leadership successfully defending his thesis titled, “The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Academic Motivation.” Over the course of his time at Dominican as an Assistant Director of Residence Life, Ryan held several part-time positions which included Assistant Director of Evening and Special Sessions, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, and a Freshman Seminar Instructor. In addition, he began the Alternative Spring Break Program in 2007, Midnight Runs to NYC in 2006 to bring food, clothing, and toiletries to the homeless of Manhattan, and the Rockland County Colleges Relay for Life from 2005 – 2011 raising over $128,000 for the American Cancer Society. Both the Alternative Spring Break program and Midnight Runs continue to this day.
In July of 2010, Ryan was appointed to Director of Residence Life and was responsible for the oversight of four full-time professional staff, two part-time staff, 26 Resident Assistants, and the resident population.
In July of 2019, Ryan was appointed to a new position at Dominican University New York, Director of Retention and Student Success, where he oversees the University’s Retention efforts as well as the Student Success Program. He is an adjunct instuctor in the M.S. in Organizational Leadership and Communication Program at Dominican, teaching, “Organizational Culture and Teambuilding” and “Strategic Planning and Leadership.” Ryan is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at Concordia University Chicago.
In 2006, Ryan was a recipient of Rockland County’s Annual Forty Under 40 Program, a 2009 graduate of Leadership Rockland, the 2021 Recipient of The President’s Award and 2024 recipient of the Club Designated Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Club of Pearl River, and the 2024 Leader of the Year for Leadership Rockland. Ryan was a Big Brother mentor for 3 years, immediate Past President of The Rotary Club of Pearl River, former Vice Chair of Leadership Rockland, a former Ambassador for People to People, a Board Member for Meals on Wheels Rockland, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County, conducts Midnight Runs to NYC giving food and clothing to the homeless in Manhattan and completed a Clean Water Project through the Rotary Club of Pearl River in the village of Sol Naciente, El Salvador in January of 2023.