https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/ en 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 https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/hadara-bar-nadav-featured-poet-53rd-ccny-poetry-festival-may-2 Award-winning poet Hadara Bar-Nadav is the featured poet at the 53rd annual City College Poetry Festival on May 2 in CCNY’s Marian Anderson Theater, in Aaron Davis Hall. Dubbed “the Woodstock of the Spoken Word,” the festival has become New York’s longest-running poetry celebration.  "The City College Poetry Festival is the democratic voice of poetry in New York City public schools,” says Pamela Laskin, retired lecturer in CCNY’s English department and former director of the CCNY Poetry Outreach Center, which produces the festival. “Its assumption is that there are many poets, and they all have terrific stories to tell. This would make Walt Whitman proud."  Schools from all five boroughs attend, read, and enjoy poetry at the festival. The festival is “something the children always look forward to,” said Deborah Newman, a former teacher at P.S. 368 in Brooklyn, who had been attending the festival for over 13 years. “It’s a blessing, something that is real to them, and it’s an entire year of poetry for the children, leading up to this celebration. The teachers and the administrators love it, too.” Some of the children who participated in the festival’s early years are now teachers who bring their classes. “In 1975, I introduced a third-grade student to the audience of 400 cheering students, teachers, friends and family; in 1996, this same individual returned to the festival at City and introduced the readers from her fourth-grade class,” recalls Barry Wallenstein, CCNY professor emeritus and former festival founder. “Over the past four decades, this event has become a place of reunion and affirmation for City College alumni, returning teachers, student-poets and friends of the College.” “It’s quite extraordinary mentoring these young students. They see the world with such different eyes, and then write without censoring themselves, with freedom,” said Alyssa Yankwitt, Senior Poetry Outreach Mentor, CCNY adjunct assistant professor and new co-director. “This is a moment in time when poetry is more important than ever. These students have something to say, and the festival is a place for them to use their voices.” The event commences with readings by elementary school students, followed by poets from junior high schools. Beginning around noon, the winners of the festival's citywide high school poetry contest will recite their poems, with the top three winners receiving the Poetry Prize, which are cash prizes.  A reading by Hadara Bar-Nadav, will highlight the day’s festivities.   About Hadara Bar-Nadav Hadara Bar-Nadav is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry, the Lucille Medwick Award from the Poetry Society of America, a fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, and other honors. Her books include The Animal Is Chemical (Four Way Books, 2024), awarded the Levis Prize in Poetry, selected by Jericho Brown; The New Nudity (Saturnalia Books, 2017); Lullaby (with Exit Sign) (Saturnalia Books, 2013), awarded the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize; The Frame Called Ruin (New Issues, 2012), Editor’s Selection/Runner Up for the Green Rose Prize; and A Glass of Milk to Kiss Goodnight (Margie/Intuit House, 2007), awarded the Margie Book Prize. Click here to read more. Prominent poets to read their work at the festival include: Paul Simon, Allen Ginsberg, Gwendolyn Brooks, Muriel Rukeyser, Adrienne Rich, Philip Levine, Billy Collins, Major Jackson, Kimiko Hahn and Cornelius Eady. Click here for the full list. The festival presents a special award for the best poem in a language other than English.  Submissions have come from 20 different languages over the festival’s history, reflecting the diversity of both New York City and of CCNY. The American Academy of Poets continues to be a co-promotional sponsor, along with CCNY’s Division of Humanities and the Arts. Click here for a list of all the sponsors. For more information about the Poetry Festival, please contact Alyssa Yankwitt or Jennifer Buño at ccnypoetryoutreachcenter@gmail.com or click here to visit the Poetry Outreach Center. Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:31:01 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/hadara-bar-nadav-featured-poet-53rd-ccny-poetry-festival-may-2 https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/half-million-dollar-grant-ccny-paves-pathway-stem-graduate-education The City College of New York received a three-year, $500,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Exemplary Pathways to STEM Graduate Program to create a CCNY-based program to guide CUNY community college students to CUNY STEM graduate education. The program will be known as “CUNY STEM And Research Scholars Bridge Program,” or CUNY STARS. The brainchild of Karin A. Block-Cora, professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science in CCNY’s Division of Science, CUNY STARS will be incorporated under the City College Fellowships Program, which is directed by Professor of Iberian and Latin American Cultures Isabel M. Estrada. CCFELL, as it is known, aims to support and retain these students in the STEM pathway to graduate school, and to achieve enduring procedural, institutional, and cultural change. The program will be evaluated for its impact on student career trajectories and self-perception in STEM, as well as cultural change in faculty. To support the fellows throughout the duration of their involvement, CUNY STARS will provide mentoring by peers, alumni, faculty, and program coordinators. Fellows will have access to a wide network of alumni who are either current CUNY doctoral students or those who hold faculty positions elsewhere in the U.S. Students will participate in cohort activities for community support, professional development and networking sessions. They will also conduct research-focused curriculum at community colleges before and after transferring to four-year colleges. Recruitment and selection of the first three cohorts of 10 student fellows (five each from Borough of Manhattan Community College and Queensborough Community College) for September 2025 commenced in April. “This program would integrate community college students into growth-oriented multi-institutional pathways within the CUNY system to foster their access to graduate education, and to effect systemic change,” said Estrada. “This robust bridge program, designed to support students starting in the last year of community college through their completion at CCNY, should result in at least half of the fellows transferring to CCNY, and at least one quarter enrolling in graduate degree programs.” “Our community college students come in with the incredible social capital that is very important and contributes a lot to our community,” said Block-Cora. “We need to harness that talent, not just because it's the right thing, but also because it's a huge source of our diversity and our identity as CUNY. Part of what we're trying to do is to change attitudes that see community college students as not as capable as their four-year counterparts. CUNY STARS places these students where they belong: right in the stream with these elite scholars that go on to graduate school and do really great things.” Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:57:21 -0400 /news/half-million-dollar-grant-ccny-paves-pathway-stem-graduate-education