The Institute was established in collaboration with NYC labor unions in 1984 at Queens College. It was created to meet the higher education needs of working adults. We started with 52 students. In 2005, the Institute became part of the School of Professional Studies, expanding to serve students university-wide. Today, more than 1,500 adult and traditional-aged students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs at our mid-town Manhattan site and at CUNY schools in all five boroughs of New York. The Institute was named for Joseph S. Murphy , a former University Chancellor and tireless advocate for working people and the labor movement.

Murphy Institute programs in Labor Studies and Urban Studies are offered at our mid-town facility. These include CUNY's only MA degree in Labor Studies, the Certificate and Advanced Certificate in Labor Relations, the Certificate and Advanced Certificate in Public Administration and Public policy, the Certificate and Advanced Certificate in Health Care Policy and Administration and Union Semester, a full-time academic internship program for college undergraduates and graduates. The Institute's Workforce Development programs are offered in collaboration with CUNY colleges throughout the City and provide workers with opportunities to learn new skills, broaden their base of knowledge, and obtain job-related credentials in a range of occupational fields.

At the Murphy Institute you will find a faculty that includes some of the most prominent scholars and practitioners in their fields, as well as a staff of dedicated counselors, advisors, and student services professionals.

In addition to providing academic programs, Murphy's Labor Center is dedicated to research, public programming, and serving the needs of labor and the broader community. The Center conducts research, organizes monthly forums and conferences, develops educational material, and publishes the national journal New Labor Forum.

Whether it's advancing careers, preparing new labor and community leaders, or nurturing and debating new ideas, the Murphy Institute is an exciting place to be. Browse our website; give us a call; drop us an email; or pay us a visit to explore your interests.

Director
Greg Mantsios:

Aronowitz, Stanley
Distinguished Professor of Sociology, CUNY Graduate School
Email: 

Attoh, Kafui
Assistant Professor of Urban Studies
Phone (Office): 212.642.2033
Email: 

Baron, Eve
Academic Program Manager, Urban Studies
Phone (Office): 212.642.2073
Email: 

Battle, Juan
Professor of Sociology, Public Health, and Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate School
Email: 

Benavides, Nelly
Assistant to the Associate Director for Worker Education
Phone (Office): 212.642.2086
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Benson, Dorothy
Associate Director for Administration
Phone (Office): 212.642.2016
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: <

Brier, Stephen
Historian, Professor, Ph.D. Program in Urban Education and Coordinator, Interactive Technology and Pedagogy Certificate Program, CUNY Graduate Center
Email: 

Contreras, Fernando
Librarian
Phone (Office): 212.642.2014
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Cumberbatch, June
Senior Counselor
Phone (Office): 212.642.2015
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Ellington, Suzette
Business Coordinator, Institute Central Operations
Phone (Office): 212.642.2019
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Esfarayeni, Maryam
Manager of Workforce Development
Phone (Office): 212.642.2026
Email: 

Finn, Paula
Editor, New Labor Forum Journal and Associate Director for Labor Center
Phone (Office): 212.642.2025
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Fortner, Michael
Academic Director, M.A. in Urban Studies and Online B.A. in Urban and Community Studies
Phone (Office): 212.642.2026
Email: 

Fox Piven, Frances
Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Sociology, CUNY Graduate School
Email: 

Greene, Zenzile
Receptionist/CUNY Office Assistant
Phone (Office): 212.827.0200
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Hughes, Sarah
Union Semester Program Coordinator
Phone (Office): 212.642.2075
Email: 

Laguer-Morales, Eloiza
CUNY Office Assistant, Labor Center
Phone (Office): 212.642.2029
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

LaMar, Maureen
Academic Program Manager/Labor Studies
Phone (Office): 212.642.2056
Email: 

Mantsios, Gregory
Director, Joseph S. Murphy Institute
Phone (Office): 212.827.0200
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Milkman, Ruth
Professor, Labor Studies
Phone (Office): 212.642.2042
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Mutizwa, Kadzi
Managing Editor of New Labor Forum Journal, Labor Center
Phone (Office): 212.642.2074
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

O'Donoghue, Padraig
Recruitment Counselor
Phone (Office): 212.642.2068
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: padraig.o'

Sean, Sweeney
Director of Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute
Email: 

Shahidi, Samina
Academic Counselor
Phone (Office): 212.642.2021
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Sifuentes, Lucas
Manager of Enrollment Development
Phone (Office): 212.642.2028
Email: 

Simmons, Kevin
Recruitment/Admissions Counselor
Phone (Office): 212.642.2082
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Tricoche, Ralph
Technical Support
Phone (Office): 212.642.2079
Fax: 212.827.5955
Email: 

Unger, David
Coordinator of Labor Relations Certificate Programs
Phone (Office): 212.642.2011
Email: 

Vargas, Dianne
Administrative Executive Assistant to Gregory Mantsios, Director
Phone (Office): 212.642.2067
Email: