Director
A native Long Islander who now resides in Wading River, Dr. Edward T. Bonahue is president of Suffolk County Community College, the largest community college in the State University of New York system, serving 22,000 students each year. He is a seasoned higher education executive with more than 20 years of experience in community college education, including service as a tenured faculty member and an academic and institutional leader.
Under Dr. Bonahue’ s leadership, Suffolk County Community College has recommitted itself to a mission of open access, academic excellence, equity, and workforce and economic development. In addition to offering comprehensive arts and sciences and preprofessional classes for students seeking transfer to upper-division baccalaureate programs, the college offers a wide array of career-facing certificates and degrees, including allied health professions, business, culinary and hospitality, cybersecurity, engineering, nursing, and many others, most of which include industry-recognized certifications.
President Bonahue participates actively on the REDC-Long Island Workforce Development and Education Committee and also currently serves as statewide secretary of the New York Community College Association of Presidents (NYCCAP). Prior to joining the College in 2021, Dr. Bonahue served as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL, where he was also a Fulbright Scholar. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in English literature from the University of North Carolina, and a B.A. in English literature from Wake Forest University