https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/ en https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/ccnys-colin-powell-school-announces-2025-social-mobility-lab-research-grantees The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership’s Social Mobility Lab at The City College of New York has announced the 2025 recipients of its Social Mobility Lab research grants. These grants support interdisciplinary scholarship aimed at advancing understanding of, and strategies for promoting, social mobility in the United States. Launched last year, the Social Mobility Lab’s mission is to discover new ways to accelerate and expand opportunity for students and the communities they represent. Its approach is to learn more about what is driving social mobility, translate that knowledge into programs and practices to help students move up in life, and to engage the people and communities who can most benefit from this work. This year’s cohort includes six innovative research projects led by 11 scholars from institutions across the country.   The projects explore questions that reflect the lived experience of those the Lab seeks to help in their journey to a better life, such as: how gentrification affects access to public education; what shapes intergenerational mobility; exploring racial differences in where families start, where they end up, and why; whether children of overeducated parents have different attitudes on postsecondary education than students of parents with strong education-to-job match; which career services and related supports are most effective and how do they influence student outcomes during and after college. Others will explore questions that look beyond traditional metrics related to social mobility, asking: how do experiences outside the classroom, such as extracurricular clubs, part-time jobs, and family responsibilities, shape future plans; and how do educational experiences support and shape students’ aspirations for meaningful work, connecting their wider life purposes with one’s gift and society’s needs. Each project was selected for its potential to generate actionable insights and inform policies that foster a deeper understanding of social mobility and make it more accessible. The 2025 Social Mobility Lab Research grant recipients are: Mohamed Hassan Awad, Assistant Professor, California State University, Los Angeles; Andre Avramchuk, Professor, California State University, Los Angeles; Mabel Sanchez, Assistant Professor, California State University, Los Angeles; Seongwon Choi, Assistant Professor, California State University, Los Angeles; Teresa Booker, Associate Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY; Janeria Easley, Assistant Professor, Emory University; Regina S. Baker, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Emily Dore, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Andrew S. Hanks, Associate Professor, The Ohio State University; Julie Gressley, Ph.D. candidate, The Ohio State University; Joyce Kim, Ph.D. candidate, University of Pennsylvania; and Elizabeth Rivera, Associate Professor, Montclair State University. These scholars join the Social Mobility Lab’s growing network of researchers committed to deepening understanding of economic and social mobility, advancing policy-relevant research, and making complex ideas more accessible to broader audiences. The new cohort was announced at the Social Mobility’s inaugural end-of-year summit on April 28. Over the course of the summit, the Lab showcased research from the inaugural cohort of grantees addressing the many dimensions of social mobility; prominently featured the voices of students sharing their own stories of social mobility; and highlighted the unique roles that CCNY and CUNY play as engines of upward mobility. “When we started the Lab, we said the only reason to study social mobility was to create more of it. Based on the initial findings shared by our first cohort of grantees within CUNY at our Summit, we are optimistic that they will do just that,” said Bob McKinnon, director of the Social Mobility Lab. “We are equally hopeful that our new cohort of grantees, from colleges and Universities across the country, will similarly produce important knowledge to help others move up in life. We are so grateful for the opportunity to support their critical work.” In addition to their research projects, grant recipients will be invited to participate in discussions and activities aimed at enhancing the translational impact of their research. In Spring 2026, the grantees will share their findings with students, faculty, administrators, and staff in the second annual Social Mobility Lab Summit, which will consider their potential applications to improving student mobility. About the Social Mobility Lab The Social Mobility Lab at the Colin Powell School at the City College of New York aims to discover new ways to accelerate and expand opportunity for our students, their families and the communities they represent. The Lab supports research, teaching, public discussions, and experimentation — all geared to promote a better understanding of social mobility and the role higher education plays in advancing it. The Lab is unique among organizations focused on social mobility, because it is community-based and geared toward implementation of solutions: as we learn, we will translate that knowledge into programs and practices to help our students move up in life and will engage the people and communities who can most benefit from what we are doing at every stage of our work. About the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership Established in 2013, the Colin Powell School is home to the social science departments at CCNY as well as the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. With almost 4,000 students, and graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School mission is to transform the nation’s most diverse student body into tomorrow’s global leaders. Half of our students are immigrants; more than seventy percent are first-generation college students. Eighty percent are people of color. Most come from lower income backgrounds. The Colin Powell School and City College remain among the most effective engines of economic and social mobility in the United States. The School is led by a faculty dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations. Read more about the Colin Powell School. Mon, 19 May 2025 21:45:09 -0400 /news/ccnys-colin-powell-school-announces-2025-social-mobility-lab-research-grantees https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/noted-alum-researcher-allen-taylor-launches-ccny-mentorship-program With limited funds and an overwhelming desire to pursue a college education, Allen Taylor had few options outside The City College of New York with its free but highly competitive admission policy. Decades later, the Class of 1967 alumnus and Professor Emeritus of Nutrition, Ophthalmology, and Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology at Tufts University, is giving back to his alma mater in a big way. He’s funding CCNY’s new Allen Taylor Academic Promise Awards for Undergraduates and Ph.D.-student-Mentors of undergraduates in Chemistry & Biochemistry in the Division of Science. The Allen Taylor Awards, colloquially, will be awarded to promising undergraduates with financial need to encourage academic excellence in chemistry and biochemistry. The yearly award program, scheduled to select its first recipients in Fall 2025, will pair each undergraduate with a Ph.D.-level mentor and co-awardee. These partners will meet at two-week intervals to discuss academic issues that could range from coursework challenges to career preparation, summarizing their experiences in brief reports at the conclusion of each semester.   "The City College of New York is extremely grateful to Dr. Taylor for this support to our students, which will be so critical as they continue along their educational path and focus on post-graduate career pathways,” said Barbara Evans, associate executive director, Office of Institutional Advancement, Communications and External Relations (OIACER)/Foundation for City College. “Having one-to-one mentoring from the beginning, with PhD students who have taken the same path, will be a boon to these mentees' future success."  This award program continues Taylor’s long-time support for scholarship and mentorship programs at CCNY. Taylor, who earned a B.S. in chemistry, has a good reason for his philanthropy.  “Gratitude,” he said. “I was grateful for the opportunities that I've had in my life. I got a free, wonderful education at City College. And from City College I went to Rutgers, from Rutgers to Berkeley where I had a fabulous six years and then a brief stop at Williams College for a few years, and then to Harvard and Tufts. “And so it's been a wonderful career and I think all the opportunities that came along with it wouldn’t have ever been possible had I not gone to college and City College was the only school I could go to. I didn’t have the money to go anywhere else.” Taylor went on to a distinguished career in science, that included directing the Vision Research Labs in Tufts University’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) for 40 years. His research focused on the pathophysiology of- and ways to ameliorate or delay progress of - age-related eye diseases, specifically age-related macular degeneration and cataract.  In addition, Taylor, with his wife Kim Kronenberg, is co-Director of STEP (Science Training Encouraging Peace), which pairs Israeli and Palestinian science students for the length of a graduate school program.  He received CCNY’s Townsend Harris Medal in 2022 for outstanding postgraduate achievement in his field. Click here to read more about Taylor. Mon, 19 May 2025 21:44:51 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/noted-alum-researcher-allen-taylor-launches-ccny-mentorship-program https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/accountability-ceo-sunil-misser-joins-colin-powell-school-board-visitors AccountAbility Chief Executive Officer Sunil A. (Sunny) Misser is the newest member of the Board of Visitors of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York, joining 24 other distinguished Board members.  Prior to joining AccountAbility, a global consulting and standards firm, Misser served as the global managing partner for the Sustainability Advisory Business at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led the firm's sustainability and corporate governance efforts worldwide. Earlier, he held the role of global strategy leader for PwC’s Assurance and Business Advisory Services, which encompassed the firm’s accounting, risk management, and consulting operations. He also led the New York Metro Governance, Risk, and Compliance practice. “It is a distinguished honor to join the Board of Visitors of the Colin Powell School, an institution that exemplifies excellence, integrity, and leadership,” said Misser. “As someone who believes deeply in the transformative power of education, I am inspired by the School’s mission, its faculty and by the remarkable students who bring it to life. I am extremely grateful to now serve on the Board of Visitors and contribute more directly to advancing this important mission.” Earlier this year, AccountAbility launched a partnership with the Colin Powell School through the AccountAbility Sustainability ‘S’ Lab, “a collaboration grounded in our shared commitment to developing ethical, capable, and resilient leaders,” he said. Launching in Fall 2025, the initiative will equip students with the knowledge, tools, and experiences to excel as the next generation of sustainability and business leaders. “We are grateful to Sunny and to AccountAbility for their vision and partnership in  supporting our students to become leaders in ESG and sustainability, and we know that he will bring deep and valuable leadership to our Board,” said Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean Andrew Rich of the Colin Powell School.  “Through the development of the S Lab, we recognized Sunny’s affinity for the Powell School’s mission and his passionate commitment to our students’ success,” said Board of Visitors Co-Chair Linda Powell. “We are thrilled to welcome him as the newest member of the Board.” “I have known Sunny for many years, and I know that he will greatly enhance our efforts to set Colin Powell School students on a firm path to success as they endeavor to make a positive impact on our society,” said Board of Visitors Co-Chair Marco Antonio Achón. Misser earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from M.S. University and his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University’s College of Engineering and Applied Science (now the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science). He has served on the P.C. Rossin College Dean’s Advisory Council since 2020, and was a member of P.C. Rossin College’s Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Council. In 2017, Lehigh presented Misser with its ISE Distinguished Alumni Award for Excellence in Industry. Misser also earned a master’s degree in management from the Sloan Fellows Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, with concentrations in international business and technology. He serves on the advisory board of E-Business @ MIT and on Sloan’s advisory board for Innovation and Corporate Responsibility. Read the announcement from AccountAbility here. About the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership Established in 2013, the Colin Powell School is home to the social science departments at CCNY as well as the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. With 4,000 students, and graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School mission is to transform the nation’s most diverse student body into tomorrow’s global leaders. Half of our students are immigrants; more than seventy percent are first-generation college students. Eighty percent are people of color. Most come from lower income backgrounds. The Colin Powell School and City College remain among the most effective engines of economic and social mobility in the United States. The School is led by a faculty dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations. Read more about the Colin Powell School. Fri, 16 May 2025 14:23:18 -0400 /news/accountability-ceo-sunil-misser-joins-colin-powell-school-board-visitors https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/ccnys-new-digital-game-development-degree-starts-fall The Bachelor of Science in Digital Game Development, at The City College of New York’s Division of Science, will admit its first cohort of students this fall. The new degree program, originally called Gaming Pathways, is a collaboration between the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Urban Arts, and CCNY and Science Arts Engagement New York’s Harlem Gallery of Science. Students enrolled in the four-year program will take courses in programming, game design, animation, graphic design, and more advanced techniques as they progress. Introductory courses are for beginners providing students with the skills and software needed to develop digital games from scratch. “The Digital Game Development major provides students with a foundation in the three main disciplines in game development: game design, programming, and digital art production,” said Nicholas Fortugno, director of the Digital Game Development Program at CCNY and co-founder of Playmatics. “With that basis, students join teams to build game projects in studio classes, focusing on the specialization of their choice and learning critical teamwork and producing skills.” Classrooms are equipped with custom-built Alienware PCs with access to top-performing development tools — Unity Engine, Unreal Engine, Blender, Maya and Adobe Photoshop — just to name a few. There is also access to more than 50 critically-acclaimed AAA games. High school students in Urban Arts, a program that teaches digital game design as a pathway to college and career, can take approved courses through CCNY’s College Now earning them college credits toward this degree. CCNY also partnered with Hostos Community College so that students can transfer several credits from their two-year Associate of Applied Science in Game Design to the new degree. Students will have access to several industry-leading companies, such as Epic Games, through CCNY’s Career and Professional Development Institute and through the program’s Education Advisory Board, consisting of representative from AAA and independent digital game companies whose goal is to ensure graduates are job-ready. In addition to career development workshops, students will have the opportunity to engage in esport tournaments through CCNY’s Esports Club as well as playtesting sessions and networking events. Prospective students can apply to the program in mid-May through CCNY’s website. The application does not require a portfolio submission, or personal statement at this time. For more information, email gamingpathways@ccny.cuny.edu with any questions. Fri, 16 May 2025 12:36:38 -0400 Ashley Arocho /news/ccnys-new-digital-game-development-degree-starts-fall https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/student-startups-win-82k-ccnys-zahn-venture-competition Innovative pitches by student startups from The City College of New York and other CUNY and SUNY schools won big in CCNY’s 2025 Zahn Innovation Center Incubator Venture Competition. Eighty-two thousand dollars in prizes went to the budding inventor/entrepreneurs to develop their ideas. The startups competed for grand prizes of $15,000 each in four categories, with each second-place finisher receiving $5,000. In addition, one team in each category received a $500 demo day audience choice award.  Following are the categories and final pitch results (all CCNY unless indicated):  Zahn Software Grand prize winner ($15K): Chat With Menu Team (Baruch College) - helps restaurants offer clear, adaptable menu options that cater to dietary preferences, allergens, and individual tastes, leveraging technology to ensure a safe, efficient, and personalized dining experience for every guest. Team members: Felix Gonzalez, senior, computer information systems; Lia Emerson, junior, business management.  Second place ($5k): Banister Learning - personalized, gamified, interactive AI-powered learning. Team members: Pragyam Tiwari, sophomore, computer science & mathematics; Vishnu Vijayakrishnan, sophomore, physics.  Zahn Social Grand prize winner: WattSage - transforms ordinary windows into power-generating assets with solar harvesting curtains, blending energy efficiency and modern design for sustainable living. Team members: Hiba Ouadii, junior, electrical engineering; Ryan Ramnauth, senior, electrical engineering.  Second place: Amor For - an accessible communications agency and platform for community-driven folks and brands. Team members: Nichimyo Rich, masters of professional science (MPS) candidate in branding and integrated communications; Zaakirah Medan, MPS candidate, branding and integrated communications program on PR track.  Kaylie Hardware Grand prize winner: CardiaLink - a wireless EKG acquisition and EKG lead management system that reduces setup time by 50% and improves patient care through rapid diagnostics and enhanced portability. Team members: Abdelrahman Ahmed, graduate student, translational medicine; Hassan Ahmad (College of Staten Island), senior, engineering science; Shaedil Dider, junior, electrical engineering; and Yahia Abdalla, junior, biomedical engineering.   Second place: LOOM - enhance the experience of users during active recreational activities. Team members [all electrical engineering]: Anthony Rodionov, junior; Ashraf Alam, junior; Mohammed Islam, junior; and Tanveer Hassan Khan, freshman.  Standard Chartered Women+Tech Grand prize winner: CareerDay - AI-powered platform that guides students in selecting the right major, courses, and career path through personalized roadmaps, mentorship opportunities. Team members: Sheyla Perez (Queens College), junior, math and design; Giovanni Xique Moyotl (Queens College), senior, economics; Natalia Torres (Baruch College), sophomore, computer information systems; and Katherin Solis (Stony Brook University), graduate student, computer science & political science.   Second place: EvalRX - advancing AI in healthcare with inclusive data insights for equitable outcomes for all. Team members: Mohani Adem, senior, biomedical science; Nicole Rodriguez (Baruch College), senior, data analytics & new media arts.   Demo Day Audience Choice Winners ($500 each): Zahn Social Cineduca - increases the visualization of the LatinX stories through an educational Spanish platform cineduca (film library) that includes other resources such as lesson plans and handouts for teachers and students. Zahn Software QuickBites - a student-led food delivery service that provides busy college students with affordable, time-effective, and eco-friendly meal delivery while supporting local businesses through low commissions and campus-focused partnerships. Kaylie Hardware CardiaLink - a wireless EKG acquisition and EKG lead management system that reduces setup time by 50% and improves patient care through rapid diagnostics and enhanced portability. Standard Chartered Women+Tech EcoBuild - a marketplace that connects professionals in the construction industry with surplus and reclaimed building materials, reducing waste and promoting sustainability. Support for the Zahn Innovation Center Incubator Venture Competition is provided by, among others, endowments established by the late Irwin Zahn and Harvey Kaylie, both distinguished CCNY alumni; and by Standard Chartered.      Click here to read about the Women in Tech (WiT) Incubator Competition.  About the Zahn Innovation Center The Zahn Innovation Center, a program of the Office of Institutional Advancement, Communications and External Relations, is at the heart of entrepreneurship at the City College of New York. It inspires a diverse community of changemakers to develop transformative ventures. Thu, 15 May 2025 21:04:33 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/student-startups-win-82k-ccnys-zahn-venture-competition https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/cuny-bestows-salk-scholarships-ccny-quartet Two current City College of New York students and two recent graduates are recipients of Jonas E. Salk Scholarships awarded by The City University of New York. The scholarships recognize exceptional students who plan careers in medicine and the biological sciences. CCNY’s 2025 Salk Scholars are:   Janice Rateshwar, graduating senior, biomedical science;  Abiola D.  Laguda, graduating senior, biomedical science; Beliz Kayis, Class of 2024, BS biomedical engineering, Macaulay Honors College; and  Sameah Algharazi, Class of 2023, BS biology.  As Salk Scholars, the four will each receive a stipend of $8,000 to be allocated over three or four years of medical studies. Following are brief bios of the Scholars: Janice Rateshwar: A graduating senior in the Sophie Davis Program, Rateshwar will attend the CUNY School of Medicine (CSOM). On campus, she conducts biomolecular computational research under the mentorship of Dr. Linda Spatz, investigating the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus—an autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects women of color. The Long Island native raises awareness about her research by presenting at several national conferences. She serves as Vice President of CCNY’s Women in Science Organization, is a Dean’s List student, and a recipient of CUNY’s Belle Zeller Scholarship for Community Service. Janice also shadows at Columbia Dermatology and volunteers with NYU Langone to organize free community skin cancer screenings for immigrant populations. She has worked with the Bronx-based nonprofit, The Inspired Community Project, to champion educational opportunities for neurodivergent children. Janice aspires to become a physician-scientist dedicated to holistic care and advancing health equity in underserved communities.   Abiola D. Laguda: A member of CCNY’s Class of 2025, Laguda will enroll at CSOM after graduation. He plans a career as a physician with the goal of improving health literacy and accessibility in underserved communities. He’s volunteered as a community healthcare worker at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, worked as a research assistant at Weill Cornell Medicine Center and interned there also for immunologist Dr. Lishomwa Ndhlovu. Laguda’s resume includes a clinical research internship at Mount Sinai in Manhattan; a health science internship at the Remedy Project, and a spring 2024 stint as an intern at the Washington, DC-based Center for Science in the Public Interest. On campus, the Bronx resident has served as a Colin Powell School Racial Justice Fellow, and as a CSOM biochemistry tutor. Laguda’s honors include the Dean's List, the David and Ruth Levine Scholarship, and the Merit scholarship.  Beliz Kayis: The 2024 alumna and Long Island resident enrolls at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University this fall. Raised in Türkiye, Kayis plans to specialize in surgery and pursue an early career with Doctors Without Borders that will enable her to travel globally serving underserved populations. She graduated summa cum laude with a BE in biomedical engineering, on a pre-med track, from the Macaulay Honors College in CCNY’s Grove School of Engineering. Along with volunteering as an emergency responder, Kayis worked as a research assistant for Dr. Steven Nicoll's team tasked with developing a new cellulose-derived biomaterial for multiple medical applications; and in Dr. Lucas Parra's lab, helping develop an algorithm able to analyze and detect anomalies in breast MRIs. In addition to her Macaulay scholarship, Kayis’ other honors included the Peter F. Vallone Scholarship, Undergraduate Academic Excellence awards in biomedical engineering, Wallace H. Coulter awards for Outstanding Undergraduate Performance and the Dean’s List. Sameah Algharazi: From CCNYs class of 2023, Algharazi is also headed to SUNY Downstate to study medicine. Her career goal is to become a neurologist specifically to utilize patient care to direct research work on memory disorders. Born in New York of Yemeni immigrant parents, she graduated magna cum laude with a BS in biology. Algharazi participated in neuroscience research at Columbia University on a project related to neuroimaging analytical techniques used in studying longitudinal changes in brain activity. Additionally, she helped with the development of a project studying autobiographical memory recall and music. At CCNY, the Bronx resident conducted honors research with Dr. Jay Edelman on saccadic eye movements and memory. She was a peer mentor in the CCAPP Science Mentoring Program and learned patient care while being a hospice volunteer. Algharazi’s academic honors included the Excellence in Neuroscience Award, the Peter F. Vallone Scholarship, and inclusion on the Dean’s List. About the Salk Scholarship Program The Salk Scholarship is named for Dr. Jonas Salk, a 1934 graduate of City College, who developed the first polio vaccine in 1955. Dr. Salk turned down a tickertape parade in honor of his discovery, and asked that the money be used for scholarships instead. New York City provided initial funding for the scholarships that year. The Jonas Salk Scholarships are awarded annually to eight graduates of CUNY senior colleges who have been accepted by, and plan to attend, U.S. medical or graduate schools.   Sun, 11 May 2025 12:53:47 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/cuny-bestows-salk-scholarships-ccny-quartet https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/ccny-educational-psychologist-nicole-lorenzetti-researches-how-teachers-think-about-classroom Teacher preparation programs should provide all teacher education students with appropriate training in recognizing and supporting mental health concerns so that they are able to recognize needs for mental health services referral. This is the argument that The City College of New York Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology Nicole Lorenzetti presented to the American Education Research Association’s 2025 annual meeting. Lorenzetti, who also directs the CCNY School of Education’s Program in Special Education, presented “It’s Just Who He Is: Mindsets of Teacher Education Students and Student Disciplinary Referral,” her preliminary findings for a full paper that she is currently preparing for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. The upcoming paper was prompted by research that Lorenzetti conducted for her most recent  study, "Teachers Education Students’ Classroom Disciplinary Decisions for Students Exhibiting Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors," published in in Voices of Reform last year. Her analysis of the relevant data yielded insights into teacher education students’ own beliefs about personality influence. Those beliefs determined how they decide between removing a disruptive student from the classroom for discipline or keeping the student in the classroom to work through the behavior, she found. Participants in the original study were more likely to refer students displaying internalization symptoms (such as social withdrawal, self-blame, rumination, and anxiety) to the school psychologist. They were also more likely to address externalizing behavior (such as aggression, bullying, conduct problems, inattention, hyperactivity, and defiance) as opposed to internalizing behavior.   “If teachers are at the forefront of recognizing disorders that underlie behavioral issues and they are responsible for recommending students to school administration for exclusionary discipline, it is vital that teachers receive training early to address biases they have around internalizing and externalizing disorders as well as to recognize when students should be referred for services as opposed to receiving exclusionary discipline,” wrote Lorenzetti. “This study contributes to this line of investigation by examining how teacher education students make classroom disciplinary decisions about common but disruptive classroom behavioral issues that are related to internalizing and externalizing behaviors.” Mon, 05 May 2025 12:39:20 -0400 /news/ccny-educational-psychologist-nicole-lorenzetti-researches-how-teachers-think-about-classroom https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/actor-alumnus-victor-almanzar-delivers-ccnys-2025-dortort-lecture-may-7 Victor Almanzar, the star of award-winning theatrical, television and film productions, returns to his alma mater to deliver the David Dortort Lecture in the Dramatic Arts at The City College of New York on Wednesday, May 7. Free and open to the public, his talk, 6 – 8 p.m. in Theatre B of Aaron Davis Hall, is entitled “An Actor's Journey.” From the Class of 2012, Almanzar, who majored in theatre, will share how his CCNY degree led to success on the stage and screen, appearing on Broadway and in productions such as Steppenwolf, Homeland and Empire.  Aaron Davis Hall is located at 140 Convent Ave., New York, NY, 10031. About Victor Almanzar Victor Almanzar is a New York-based actor who came from the Dominican Republic at an early age. He appeared as Oswaldo in the Pulitzer Prize-winning production of Between Riverside and Crazy in both The Atlantic Theater and Second Stage Theater (NYC) and the Steppenwolf Theater (Chicago). He also appeared as Oscar at The Steppenwolf Theater production of Grand Concourse. He has completed a lead role in the independent feature film 11:55, a recurring role in the series Homeland as lieutenant Wenzel (Showtime), a recurring role in the series Power as Arturo (STARZ), a recurring role in the series Empire as Big Heavy (FOX), a supporting role in the feature film Brawl in Cell Block 99 (XYZ Films), a guest star role in Blue Bloods (CBS), a guest star role in Chicago PD (NBC), a guest star role in High Maintenance (HBO), and a role in LFE (a pilot for CBS). Before turning his attention to acting, Almanzar was in the United States Marine Corp, where he served in Kosovo and Iraq. Since then he has worked on the New York stage, Regional Theaters, and in London. He was nominated for The Lucille Lortel Award for his role in Between Riverside And Crazy. Almanzar is a proud lifetime member of The Actors Studio. About the Dortort Lecture The Dortort Lecture in the Dramatic Arts was endowed in 2004 by David Dortort (1916-2010), the famed Hollywood screen writer, executive producer, and 1936 CCNY alumnus. He sought to bring to his alma mater the most creative and talented writers, directors and other artists from stage, film and television. The annual lectures aim to provide thought-provoking insights on the media, the creative process and artistic and political issues. Dortort was the creator, writer and executive producer of “Bonanza,” one of the longest-running primetime dramatic series in television history, lasting 14 years.  He also created, wrote and produced “The High Chaparral,” the first primetime series to feature Latino characters in starring roles. Dortort’s film credits include “The Lusty Men,” “Reprisal,” “Cry in the Night,” “The Big Land,” and “Clash by Night.” He received the Motion Picture and Television Foundation’s Golden Boot Award for Distinguished Work in Western Films and Television in 1999.  Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:24:55 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/actor-alumnus-victor-almanzar-delivers-ccnys-2025-dortort-lecture-may-7 https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/city-state-names-ccny-chemical-engineer-robert-messinger-trailblazer-clean-energy Robert J. Messinger, associate professor of chemical engineering at The City College of New York whose research includes developing a new generation of rechargeable batteries, has been named to City & State’s 2025 Trailblazers in Clean Energy list. The list shines a spotlight on New York’s most remarkable renewable energy leaders, including innovative industry figures, groundbreaking policymakers and notable environmentalists and conservationists. “The transition to clean energy has entered a new phase in New York, as the state faces threats from new tariffs, economic headwinds and a pivot away from climate change policies in Washington, D.C. Yet renewable resources like solar and wind power as well as advances in battery storage and energy efficiency remain a key part of the energy equation, championed by public officials and industry executives alike,” said City & State.  “And even as federal subsidies for renewable energy dry up and climate goals come under scrutiny, there remains plenty of industry momentum behind major initiatives like offshore wind installations and upgraded and expanded transmission lines across the state.” City & State cited Messinger for his “out of this world” research, noting that he heads the partnership between CCNY and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and Northeastern University “to study and develop new battery technologies that can withstand the rigors of space.” An expert in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Messinger also leads one of the nation’s largest teams investigating rechargeable aluminum metal batteries, an emerging battery technology with significant promise but that requires scientific and technology research before scalable use.  In addition, Messinger is also developing novel chemistries for Li-ion battery recycling.   About Dr. Robert Messinger In addition to his faculty position as associate professor in the Grove School of Engineering, Messinger is also Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He is the founding director of the NASA-CCNY Center for Advanced Batteries for Space and received a 2019 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career (NSF CAREER) Award. Since joining CCNY in August 2015, he has been PI or co-PI on awards or contracts totaling $23.8 million. At CCNY, his research team investigates electrochemical materials, chemical processes, and multi-phase fluids up from the molecular level, aimed at solving societal challenges in energy storage and recycling.  Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:12:08 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/city-state-names-ccny-chemical-engineer-robert-messinger-trailblazer-clean-energy https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/justice-sonia-sotomayor-receives-ccnys-2025-colin-l-powell-distinguished-leadership-award United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the 2025 recipient of the Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award, bestowed by the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York. The award recognizes individuals who have reached the highest level in their fields, and who embody the leadership values that General Powell, a 1958 graduate of CCNY, demonstrated throughout his career: integrity, humility, humor, pragmatism, and common sense. These values were articulated most famously in Powell’s Thirteen Rules of Leadership, which culminate with “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” These words are memorialized on the award medallion. In presenting the award to Sotomayor at a ceremony in New York City earlier this month, Linda Powell, chair of the Colin Powell School’s Board of Visitors and the daughter of General Powell, cited Sotomayor’s life story and her professional accomplishments, and lauded her commitment to justice. “Justice Sotomayor’s journey — marked by perseverance, determination, and an unwavering commitment to justice — paved the way for countless others to follow,” said Powell. “Much like my father, she leads by example, demonstrating that true leadership is about character, service, and making a lasting impact on the world.” A Bronx native, Justice Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University. She earned her law degree from Yale Law School, where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. She served as a New York County assistant district attorney and, after leaving government service, made partner at Pavia & Harcourt. She was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, and to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by President William J. Clinton in 1997. President Barack Obama appointed her to the Supreme Court in 2009. In a discussion with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Maria Hinojosa that touched on family and loss, friendship and solitude, Latin music and dance, and growing up in the Bronx, Sotomayor addressed the Colin Powell students and young alumni in the room. “I have the faith that the General had that you will have the power to make a better world than we have,” she said. “That you will figure out from our mistakes what to do in a different way…you show us that there are still young people interested in changing the world.” The Distinguished Leader Awards event was conceived by Marco Antonio Achón, co-chair of the Colin Powell School’s Board of Visitors and global head of Corporate Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking. The event was made possible through the generous support of Santander. In his remarks, Achón paid tribute to General Powell and his leadership of the school that bears his name.  “General Powell’s leadership wasn’t about commanding attention—it was about giving it. It wasn’t about prestige—it was about purpose. His gift was to instill in others a sense of dignity, of optimism, and of responsibility,” he said. “The Colin Powell School is one of his most enduring acts of leadership. It is where potential meets purpose. Where voices that might have gone unheard are being prepared to lead—with courage, integrity, and vision.” “Justice Sotomayor embodies the essence of effective leadership, and she is a role model for generations of young people who aspire to be change-makers,” said Andrew Rich, the Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean of the Colin Powell School. “It is a privilege for us to honor her with the 2025 Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award.” CCNY President Vince Boudreau talked of how Justice Sotomayor “shares a great many characteristics with General Powell: Integrity. Passion. Perseverance. An inclination — maybe even a compulsion — to say what she truly believes despite the costs and the headwinds. And they also share a life trajectory — born in the Bronx and rising to national leadership.” City University of New York Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez celebrated Justice Sotomayor’s deep roots in New York and noted that her late mother earned a nursing degree at CUNY’s Hostos Community College. “Most people know her as a justice of the Supreme Court but for decades before her appointment in 2009 she was a New Yorker who devoted her life’s work to the principles of equal opportunity and democracy,” he said. “We know what her leadership means as we move forward and we are proud to honor her here tonight.” About the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership Established in April 2013, the Colin Powell School is home to the social science departments at CCNY as well as the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. With almost 4,000 students, and graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School mission is to transform the nation’s most diverse student body into tomorrow’s global leaders. Half of our students are immigrants; most come from lower income backgrounds. More than seventy percent are first-generation college students, and eighty percent are people of color. The Colin Powell School and City College remain among the most effective engines of economic and social mobility in the United States. The School is led by a faculty dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations. Read more about the Colin Powell School. Mon, 28 Apr 2025 10:46:37 -0400 /news/justice-sonia-sotomayor-receives-ccnys-2025-colin-l-powell-distinguished-leadership-award