Ryan O鈥橤orman began his career in higher education in July 2004, joining Dominican College鈥攏ow Dominican University New York鈥攁s one of the Assistant Directors of Residence Life shortly after earning a B.S. in Psychology from 天涯海角社区. In December 2016, he graduated from Nyack College with a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, successfully defending his thesis, The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Academic Motivation.
During his tenure as an Assistant Director of Residence Life at Dominican, Ryan spearheaded impactful initiatives, launching the Alternative Spring Break Program in 2007, organizing Midnight Runs to New York City in 2006 to deliver food, clothing, and toiletries to Manhattan鈥檚 homeless, and leading the Rockland County Colleges Relay for Life from 2005 to 2011, which raised over $128,000 for the American Cancer Society. Notably, the Alternative Spring Break Program and Midnight Runs continue to thrive today.
In July 2010, Ryan was promoted to Director of Residence Life, overseeing a team of four full-time professional staff, two part-time staff, 26 Resident Assistants, and the residential student population. In July 2019, he assumed a new role as Director of Retention and Student Success at Dominican University New York, where he leads retention efforts and oversees the Student Success Program. Additionally, he serves as an adjunct instructor in the university鈥檚 M.S. in Organizational Leadership and Communication Program, teaching courses such as 鈥淥rganizational Culture and Teambuilding鈥� and 鈥淪trategic Planning and Leadership.鈥� Starting in the fall of 2024, Ryan began pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at Concordia University Chicago.
Ryan鈥檚 contributions extend beyond academia. In 2006, he was honored as a recipient of Rockland County鈥檚 Annual Forty Under 40 Program. He graduated from Leadership Rockland in 2009 and received The President鈥檚 Award from the Rotary Club of Pearl River in 2021. His community involvement is extensive, having served as a Big Brother mentor for three years, President Emeritus of the Rotary Club of Pearl River, and former Vice Chair of Leadership Rockland. He has also been an ambassador for People to People, a board member for Meals on Wheels Rockland, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County, and a leader in conducting Midnight Runs to NYC. In January 2023, he completed a Clean Water Project through the Rotary Club of Pearl River in Sol Naciente, El Salvador and in 2024, was the recipient of Leadership Rockland鈥檚 Leader of the Year.