Inez Cohen

Liz Cohen has had a 40-year career of transforming education, first in classrooms nationwide and ascending to leadership roles in school districts from California to Virginia. Her journey spans various positions, including department chair, principal and central office administrator.

After retiring in 2010, Cohen became a national turnaround school consultant, supporting failing schools in urban districts as well as clients, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. She has also facilitated higher education opportunities for 10,000 first-generation scholars through the College Partnership Program. A proud alumna, she serves on the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees. She is a member of FSU’s President’s Club, Westcott Legacy Society, and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Development Council, and she is a past regional director for the National Black Alumni at FSU.

Cohen received FSU’s Distinguished Alumni Award from the then College of Education in 2018 and the Grads Made Good Award from the Alumni Association in 2021. Cohen received her B.S. in English education from FSU and M.S. from Chapman University. The lasting impact and legacy of her philanthropic efforts at FSU include two endowed scholarships and a commitment toward the new and beautiful holistic green space on campus devoted to The Divine Nine at the National Panhellenic Council Park.