Marlene Leo

Marlene Leo, LMSW, is a higher education professional and social worker with extensive experience in academic advising, student success programming, and graduate admissions. A first-generation citizen and college graduate, she has held key leadership and student-support roles at the Columbia School of Social Work, the City College of New York, Stella & Charles Guttman Community College, the Columbia School of Social Work Achievement Initiative, and the Yale–Bridgeport GEAR UP Partnership. Throughout her career, she has developed and facilitated workshops on academic planning, time management, self-care, career exploration, and college access while mentoring students across diverse educational pathways.

Marlene earned a Master of Education (Ed.M.) in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, where she concentrated in Casework with a focus on Black Studies in Social Work Practice, and a Bachelor of Arts in Women's Studies with a minor in Sociology from the University of Connecticut.