Faculty Stories

    Cultivating Leaders: Bobby Derival’s Impact at the Colin Powell School Bobby Derival, Executive Director of the MPA Program at the Colin Powell School, is passionate about creating positive social change through education and mentorship.  Derival’s background as a public health practitioner and entrepreneur brings a unique perspective to the MPA Program, emphasizing the importance of leadership development and challenging the status quo for a more equitable society.     What strategies do you employ for student recruitment… Read More »


  Bruce Cronin: “The Diversity of This Community Reflects the Diversity of N.Y. Itself” Influenced by his parents' activism as opponents of the war in Vietnam and supporters of civil rights, Political Science professor Bruce Cronin developed a passion for international politics, particularly human rights. After earning a degree in Political Science and Urban Studies at SUNY Albany, he pursued a career as a community organizer and later earned a PhD from Columbia University. Cronin’s scholarly work delves into human rights and international law, with a… Read More »


  Economics Professor Marta Bengoa: “The Students Are the Heart and Soul of the Institution” Professor of Economics Marta Bengoa is the first woman to achieve full professor status in Economics at CCNY,  and as such values her role as a mentor, particularly for women in Economics and Business.  Please share something about your personal and professional background, and what brought you to CCNY and the Colin Powell School. I am a Professor of Economics; my field is international economics with international trade specialization. I am the… Read More »


Professor Diana Greenwald’s academic journey was profoundly influenced by the post-9/11 era and the subsequent Middle East conflicts. Her academic focus revolves around the examination of local Palestinian politics in the West Bank, carried out under the backdrop of Israeli occupation. Her research encompasses data collection and analysis, including interviews with local politicians, shedding light on the intricate dynamics at play. Her work underscores the complexity of Palestinian lives under occupation and the resilience of individuals navigating these… Read More »


Professor Steven Tuber has been with City College for almost 40 years, and has been a full professor in the psychology department for more than 30 years. In a recent interview, Tuber described his passion for teaching, the nature of his work with children, his family’s background, and more. Tuber acknowledged the Colin Powell School’s mandate to provide a platform for diverse future leaders as being intertwined with the doctoral program’s mandate to provide the highest quality care to persons who are often ignored or mistreated by the mental health system.… Read More »


Norma Mayorga Fuentes, director of the Latin American and Latino Studies program, spoke to us about her experience at the Colin Powell School and what makes it special.  Please share something about your personal and professional background, and what brought you to CCNY and the Colin Powell School. I am an immigration scholar, a qualitative sociologist/ethnographer by training and a philosopher by default. When I was invited to give a job talk at City College, late spring of 2014, coincidentally scheduled within the newly renovated premises of the… Read More »


  A Coup and its Impact: Professor Omnia Khalil’s Journey from Architect to Scholar   Please share something about your personal and professional background, and what brought you to CCNY and the Colin Powell School. I was an architect, who was highly interested in community action planning to upgrade the urbanely deteriorated neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt. I then studied anthropology to fulfill a professional engagement with communities by learning to be an ethnographer and an engaged scholar, which was a journey I spent with my professors at… Read More »


  Dean Rich in conversation with President Boudreau on the 10 Year Anniversary of the Colin Powell School   Dean Rich This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Colin Powell School, and I want to invite you to take a step back and reflect on the founding of the School. Take us back if you will: Colin Powell graduated in 1958; what got him reengaged at the College?   President Boudreau I had been the director of the Colin Powell Center for only a few months and was told that the way to change the profile of the Colin Powell Center was… Read More »


  The core of what makes us human: Psychology Professor Laura Brandt’s commitment to researching substance use disorders Please share something about your personal and professional background, and what brought you to CCNY and the Colin Powell School. I am from Germany and lived in Austria for about 13 years before coming to New York, and my journey here was and is a winding road with many bumps and curves. While I knew that I wanted to become a researcher relatively early on during my graduate studies and my interest in addiction developed soon after, I… Read More »


  Visiting Fulbright Scholar Margo Groenewoud brings new Caribbean insights to CUNY DSI Originally from the Netherlands, Margo Groenewoud has lived in the Dutch Caribbean for more than 15 years. There she obtained her PhD, developed herself as a teacher, and discovered the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program, which ultimately brought her to CCNY. In this position, Groenewoud focuses on research, guest lecturing and digital humanities, bringing her expertise on the Dutch Caribbean in the context of trans-Caribbean history and Caribbean Studies. Groenewoud aims to raise… Read More »


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Last Updated: 02/01/2020 00:41