While many colleges across the country are facing uncertainty when it comes to enrollment, alumni employment and campus unrest, Touro University’s Lander College for Women (LCW) continues to grow. The school offers students a safe environment, personal and academic growth, and practical pathways towards meaningful careers. LCW is led by Dean Marian Stoltz-Loike, an innovative leader who takes a personal approach with students, guiding them through their academic years and keeping in touch as they enter the workplace.

I had a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Stoltz-Loike about her 19 years with Touro University and her vision for the future of LCW. I heard how the school adapts to changing market conditions and learned how her unique blend of experience and academic insights have laid the foundation for the growth and success of the college.

The Appeal of Touro

“Before coming to Touro,” said Stoltz-Loike, “I worked as a corporate consultant in environments where I had to build bridges across departments, diverse teams and international cultures. I learned that each individual brings something unique and valuable to the table. This skill set helped position me for leadership at Lander College for Women, where we have students from 26 states and many countries including Russia, Chile, Panama and Argentina. We encourage students to dream about their futures and then help them create the practical stepping stones they need to achieve their goals.”

Founded in 1971 by Dr. Bernard Lander as a Jewish-run college open to all, Touro has since grown into a global university with 36 campuses across six states and four countries, including dental, medical, pharmacy and law schools. The Lander Colleges carry his name, with a campus for both men and women in Brooklyn (offering separate gender classes), a men’s campus in Kew Gardens Hills and the women’s campus in Manhattan, within a short walk of Columbus Circle and Lincoln Center. The latter also carries the names of Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten, who were close friends of Lander and longtime supporters of Touro’s mission.

Stoltz-Loike is proud of the growth at Lander College for Women. “We are thriving today and it’s no accident,” she said. “We live in the same world as our students and support their values. We also offer a strong ROI [return on investment] and prepare students for a wide range of futures, not just academically but socially and personally. Students intern and receive offers from top firms such as Google, JPMorgan Chase, PwC and many startups. They become doctors, lawyers, educators, computer scientists, accountants and more. They recognize that they can lead an observant Jewish life while enjoying meaningful professional careers and then show other students what’s possible.”

The Safe Campus

“With the unrest on other college campuses since October 7, the number of students calling about transferring to LCW has grown, and this includes students from the Ivy Leagues. They’ve gone to secular universities and, looking at us, they like what they see,” said Stoltz-Loike. She heard from students not only about the feeling of hostility resulting from anti-Israel faculty, students and campus protests at other universities, but also about an environment where only certain views were accepted in class. In contrast, Touro encourages critical thinking that does not shut down dialogue.

“We provide a safe space for students and celebrate different perspectives. Students can talk about Israel, the Jewish community, and books of all types. Classes are truly thought-provoking. On other campuses, there’s an expectation as to how students should view the world. We want to promote deep, strategic thinking, which will set our graduates apart in any career that they choose,” said Stoltz-Loike

Online and Flexible Education

In addition to her role as dean of Touro’s Lander College for Women, Stoltz-Loike also serves as the vice president of online education at Touro University. Virtual classes boomed during the height of the COVID pandemic. Stoltz-Loike’s forward-thinking approach and advance preparation enabled classes across Touro to continue without missing a beat when the college went remote. When faculty returned to the classroom, they had built skills that Stoltz-Loike realized would be valuable. Post-pandemic, students in just about every Touro program wanted more flexibility in their academic schedules, and faculty skilled in remote education are helping provide that for them. Stoltz-Loike makes sure that online classes are both flexible to fit students’ schedules and rigorous enough to train them for their chosen professions.

While students enjoy the camaraderie of academic life at LCW, Stoltz-Loike noted that some students no longer want to be in class every day. Students can choose to attend class two, three or four days a week, managing their schedules at the pace and intensity that works for them. Despite this schedule flexibility, most students will receive their bachelor’s degrees in two to two-and-a-half years.

“Remote courses can introduce additional opportunities, enabling our students to attend class, and still have time for hands-on experiences, internships or work. We’ve provided tremendous flexibility.”

Student-Focused Education

Stoltz-Loike believes in a student-centered approach to education and takes time to chat with students in small and large gatherings about their coursework, the news of the day and whatever is on their minds. She and her husband serve as scholars-in-residence in the dorm at least once a semester, to enable her to get to know students better. Over Shabbos they learn, schmooze and compete in ping-pong.

Stoltz-Loike also works on getting to know current and prospective students abroad. She recently returned from a visit to Israel, presenting shiurim at seminaries where many young women study during their gap year between high school and college. In fact, about 90-95% of students at LCW spend a year or more in Israel prior to matriculating in New York and typically receive a full year of credit for their studies in Israel.

When she travels, Stoltz-Loike looks forward to meeting with alumnae and learning about their successes. She spoke of one student who returned to New York after seminary in Israel to work for Ernst & Young and then transitioned to the EY Israel office after making aliyah. She also spoke about another student who works in AI technology for people with dyslexia. “Our students are not just studying here and in Israel,” Stoltz-Loike said, “but are also becoming integrated into professional society and working in global firms with a presence in Israel.”

Innovative Programs

Stoltz-Loike is always looking for ways to broaden opportunities for LCW students. “I launched the honors program a number of years ago to enable qualified students to explore complex material and build confidence in their own creativity and innovation,” she said. Honors program scholars write a senior honors thesis, and the topics they choose are fascinating: apps for managing stress in inflammatory bowel disease, building financial literacy in children; travel to the moon; research on obesity, and much more. It’s an exciting and challenging opportunity for our students,” she said.

“Our students learn inside and outside the classroom. We bring speakers on campus in a variety of fields—rabbis and scholars, food scientists, artists, writers, composers, and we also hold panels of professionals to provide information to students about academic fields of interest. As part of the honors program, we work to expand their horizons in so many areas. Students take trips to art museums, to Juilliard to hear musicians perform, and to Central Park to learn about conservation.”

Pathways to Professional School

“The Touro university system has respected graduate and professional schools in so many fields,“ said Stoltz-Loike. “And many of our students want to continue their education in these schools because we support their values as Orthodox Jewish young women. Lander has established a number of pathways programs that enable students to apply from high school or college to high-demand programs, like medical or dental school.”

The Medical and Dental Honors Pathway programs enable qualified students to apply from high school or Israel and, if accepted and they meet requisite benchmarks at LCW, they will have a place in Touro’s New York Medical College or Touro College of Dental Medicine.

“The Pathways programs give students the security of knowing they are on the path to their future careers even before they begin college,” said Stoltz-Loike. “But even if they don’t choose to apply to these Pathways programs, our qualified students will get preferential review at the Touro professional schools, which helps ease their way to grad school.

“I have a close relationship with all of our grad and professional school deans. We often talk about academic issues,” Stoltz-Loike continued. “As part of her senior honors thesis, one student did a project on making dental offices more friendly for students on the autism spectrum. I later learned from the dean of the dental school that they had a grant to focus on accessibility issues in dental offices. I got the student in touch with the dental school dean and it was a great shidduch.”

Jewish Advocacy

Whether a Jewish student lives in America or in Israel, Touro University is ideal for developing experience and skills in Jewish communal leadership and advocacy.

“We have the Vera Greenblatt fellowship enabling students to work in Jewish organizations. As part of the fellowship, a computer science major did an internship at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs last year,” said Stoltz-Loike.

This year, the school selected 25 students for its Israel Advocacy Fellowship, funded in part by the Vera Greenblatt award, which trains students on becoming effective advocates for causes that matter to them. They receive guidance on developing skills in strategic communication, leadership and influencing policy.

Lander College for Women also hosts notable speakers. Outspoken Jewish advocate Shabbos Kestenbaum recently visited campus to speak to the Israel Advocacy Fellows and share his experience with antisemitism at Harvard and what he is now doing to combat antisemitism on college campuses across America.

Allen Fagin, a member of the college’s board and former executive vice president of the OU, also recently spoke to the Israel Advocacy Fellows, sharing his professional experience and insights. Fagin built his career as an attorney in a firm with a global presence and used his leadership experience as the executive vice president of the Orthodox Union.

“It’s not always about arguing or winning a debate, but knowing when silence or stepping back can speak louder than words. At times, our actions and words should reflect our values and the strength of our beliefs,” advocacy fellow Talia Baruch wrote in her summary of Fagin’s campus presentation.

“We’ve had an author speak on campus about antisemitism and are planning an advocacy trip with elected officials,” Stoltz-Loike said. “Our students need to know how to frame issues relating to Israel.”

Like Fagin, the dean also has roles in prominent Jewish organizations that advocate for Israel and combat antisemitism.

“I’m a former member of the board of governors of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Diplomacy, working with diplomats and elected officials. It was a lay leadership position in which I interacted routinely with ambassadors and consuls general,” said Stoltz-Loike.

She spoke of inviting diplomats from the United Kingdom and Lithuania to her Jamaica Estates home for Shabbos, which had an impact. “The U.K. consul had never been to Israel, but after our many discussions, he traveled to Israel with the AJC.

“It’s up to each of us to do what we can to make a difference both in our personal and professional lives. I believe in giving back and have always been involved in Jewish communal roles, as a lay leader when I worked with Fortune 500 companies and more directly now.”

Stoltz-Loike’s other leadership positions include roles at the Orthodox Union, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and as a founding member of the OU Women’s Initiative.

Prior Experience

Stoltz-Loike was raised in Brooklyn, earning her undergraduate degree at Harvard, “when it was a different place,” and a PhD at New York University. She then worked as a global corporate consultant for many years before entering the world of academia.

She often utilizes her management consulting skills on campus. “Our students deal with unexpected turns—COVID, the Gaza war, the technology explosion. We teach students to manage chaos and instability. It’s not just important to learn psychology or English but also how to respond to changes and use setbacks as springboards for growth,” said Stoltz-Loike.

Throughout her career, she has stayed true to her Orthodox Jewish values and is a role model who is passionate about mentoring young women integrating careers with their Jewish lives. Her students pay it forward to the next generation.

“I had a political science major who wanted to become a judge advocate general (JAG) at Georgetown University. She now does NATO operations in Europe while covering her hair and expecting a child. One student I met in Israel stopped in her tracks when she heard this alum’s story and I put the two of them in touch,” said Stoltz-Loike.

The success of a college comes in part from its ability to connect alumnae to students with advice, internships, jobs and research grants. Lander College for Women coordinates annual events where alumnae in multiple fields come back to campus to share on-the-ground insights and tips with students interested in entering those same fields.

Contribute Meaningfully

Stoltz-Loike can certainly be considered a master builder. “I work with our students to develop careers and grow in every area of life, teaching them to contribute meaningfully to their communities, at the Shabbos table and in the boardroom.”

“Dean Stoltz-Loike has been an inspiring leader and a true advocate for students, deeply committed to understanding our passions and helping us achieve our goals. Touro’s dedication to its students is unmatched—they provide invaluable internship opportunities, networking events, and personalized guidance that set us up for success. The Dean’s unwavering support, combined with Touro’s commitment to each student’s journey, has not only helped to shape my future but also given me the confidence and skills to pursue my dreams,” said Sheila Reiff, computer science major.

She’s working to build careers, families and ultimately, Jewish futures. “It’s never been enough for me just to do my job. Our students’ success really defines our success. I love speaking to students and alums and listening to each person’s unique story describing how their education at LCW has contributed to their roles as women, professionals, community members and leaders, wives, and mothers,” said Stoltz-Loike

“Our students come to us with a dream and it’s our obligation to build the pathway for that dream to succeed,” she added.

Despite the unrest on campuses across the U.S., the future looks bright for the nearly 600 students enrolled at Touro’s Lander College for Women.