Kilsys Payamps-Roure, the founding Executive Director of Braven New York and a visionary leader in economic mobility and education, is the 2026 Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholar at The City College of New York. Her lecture, “Opportunity by Design: How CCNY and Braven Strengthen the College-to-Career Pipeline," takes the form of a conversation with CCNY President Vincent G. Boudreau. It starts at 4:30 p.m. on March 2 in the College’s Shepard Hall Room 350.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Click here to RSVP.
Payamps-Roure is hailed for her innovative approach and commitment to expanding opportunity and increasing access to economic mobility for students from all backgrounds. As the founding Executive Director of Braven–New York, a non-profit, she leads initiatives that equip college students with the skills, networks, confidence and experience needed to secure strong first opportunities that lead to economic mobility.
Since launching Braven at Lehman College in 2020, Payamps-Roure has led the region’s growth and lasting impact. Braven has supported 2,922 students across Lehman and The City College. She oversees all aspects of Braven-New York’s strategy, including Fellow outcomes, employer and university partnerships, and revenue and brand development. Most recently, she spearheaded Braven-New York’s expansion through a new partnership with the University of Mount Saint Vincent, which will serve 1,475 students over the next five years.
At CCNY, 84% of the 147 Braven Fellows who graduated in 2024 are already employed or enrolled in graduate school. Furthermore, the Fellows were 21 percentage points more likely than the national average to have completed at least one internship. In the 2024–2025 academic year, Fellows also reported a 30% increase in networking self-efficacy and an 8% rise in job search self-efficacy—two non-cognitive skills strongly linked to long-term outcomes.
Under President Boudreau, a noted scholar-activist, CCNY has emerged as an engine for social mobility, placing highly on many rankings. In addition, it has been ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles.
In addition, education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers, and society.
About the Samuel Rudin Lecture
The Samuel Rudin Visiting Scholars Lecture provides an opportunity for members of the college community to interact with outstanding scholars, business leaders, and government officials, enriching the education experience on campus. The program is also intended to foster communication within the academic community of New York City. Samuel Rudin, a civic and philanthropic leader in New York City, was a member of the Class of 1918 at The City College and went on to a prominent real estate career. The Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program is supported by a grant from the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc.
Previous Rudin Scholars have included: former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite; former Congresswoman Patricia S. Schroeder; author Walter Mosley, ’91MA; former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw; filmmaker Ric Burns; Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Nobel Prize-winning author Mo Yan.
For more information, email:
events@ccny.cuny.edu
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About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers, and society. At City College, more than 16,500 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity, and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together,” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College's mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic, and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e:
jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu