Dr. Fred Naider and his wife Anita of 44 years celebrate at the 2010 CSI Celestial Ball.

The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York (CUNY) has named Distinguished Professor Dr. Fred Naider as Interim Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College of Staten Island (CSI), effective August 15, 2012. 

Dr. Naider holds a BChE and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from the Polytechnic Institute. After a two-year postdoctoral experience at the Weizmann Institute of Science, he began a long and distinguished career at CSI when he joined the faculty of the Chemistry Department of Richmond College in 1973. Today, Dr. Naider’s laboratory continues to be an active research site with undergraduates, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows working side by side. 

Dr. Naider quickly established an international reputation in the area of cell-cell communication, applying the tools of organic chemical synthesis, biophysical chemistry, and molecular biology in a highly complementary and synergistic fashion. His experiments have yielded fundamental insight into the transport of peptides through cell membranes and practical guidance in the design of antifungal drugs for human medicine. During his career, Dr. Naider has interacted with both academic and industrial scientists. One of these interactions resulted in a patented class of molecules that was used to make an antiviral agent more effective. 

Dr. Naider has received many grants in support of his research, and his grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been continually supported for more than 35 years, placing him in the top five percent of productive investigators nationwide.  

During his time at CSI, he has served as chair of the Chemistry Department, Acting Dean of Science and Technology, and on numerous College and University committees including the Chemistry Department Personal and Budget Committee, as well as the Appointments Committee, Promotions Committee, the Commencement Committee, and CUNY Distinguished Professor Review Committees. He also was co-chair of the Chemistry Department Safety Committee and chairs the CSI Pre-Medical Advisory Committee. He has been involved in many search committees for faculty and administrators at CSI and co-chaired the College’s Resource Budget Allocation Committee in the spring of 2012.  

He is a committed teacher and was named the Leonard and Esther Kurtz Term Professor, awarded the Dolphin Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Member of the Faculty, and was presented with the President’s Medal at the College’s annual scholarship fundraiser, the Celestial Ball, in 2010. 

“Dr. Naider’s research and teaching are truly world-class,” commented CSI President Dr. Tomás D. Morales, “and his dedication, passion, and knowledge have further galvanized the College’s excellent international reputation in polymer chemistry.” 

Dr. Naider is a member of the University Faculty Advisory Committee to the Faculty Senate, the Finance Committee of the Research Foundation, and the Board of the Research Foundation of CUNY. In addition, he chaired the 2009 CUNY Nobel Science Challenge Essay Competition in Physiology and Medicine. He is a member of the Doctoral Faculty at The Graduate Center, CUNY. 

On a national level, he has served on the Board of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and chaired its Breakthroughs in Biosciences Committee, which wrote articles on biomedical research for laypeople. He has also been a counselor of the American Peptide Society and served on grant review committees for the National Science Foundation, the NIH, and the United States-Israel Binational Grant Foundation. 

Dr. Naider has published approximately 250 peer-reviewed articles in national and international journals. He has been invited to speak at universities and symposia on a national and international level and has given invited lectures throughout the United States and in Czechoslovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Israel, and Italy. 

Dr. Naider has lived on Staten Island since 1973, and has been married to the former Anita Joy Serle for 44 years. Together they are the proud parents of four children and 16 grandchildren.