Rebecca Rosenthal Sale, EdD, MPH

Rebecca Rosenthal Sale has spent over two decades working in higher education as an administrator, educator, and program innovator. She serves as the Managing Director of Academics & Innovation in the Department of Health Policy & Management (HPM) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she provides academic and operational leadership across the department’s graduate degree programs and executive education initiatives. In this role, she oversees academic planning, enrollment, and student-facing programs, and partners closely with faculty to support curricular development, innovation, and program quality.

Rebecca is also an instructor in HPM, where she teaches Pivot: Strategic Professional Communications, a course focused on leadership development, communication strategy, and professional growth. Her work bridges academic administration and teaching, with a focus on helping students and faculty navigate complex institutional environments while advancing meaningful educational experiences. She is actively involved in innovation and entrepreneurship efforts across the Mailman School of Public Health and in collaboration with The Campbell Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University.

Rebecca currently serves as Board Chair of Fresh Youth Initiatives (FYI), a nonprofit organization working with more than 1,300 immigrant and first-generation children and youth in Northern Manhattan. FYI supports young people on their journeys toward secure futures, healthy lives, and strong academic achievement, providing integrated academic, social-emotional, and community-based programming. In her role as Board Chair, Rebecca works closely with organizational leadership as FYI expands its impact, including the implementation of El Centro, an Article 31 mental health center designed to increase access to culturally responsive mental health services for children, youth, and families.