Colin Powell School Marks Psychology Dept.’s 75th Anniversary

June 5 symposium explores how social messages impact understanding of ourselves and others

On Thursday, June 5, the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York will cap a year of events celebrating the 75th anniversary of itsPsychology Department. “The Social World and the Meaning of the Message: A 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Psychology Department of the Colin Powell School,” a half-day symposium, examines the evolution of social messaging and the role it plays in social justice, politics and our understanding of ourselves. 

What:  "The Social World and the Meaning of the Message”
When:  12 noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 5
Where:  The Great Hall of Shepard Hall

City College of New York
160 Convent Ave.
New York, NY 10031  

Emory University psychologist Drew Westen, author of “The Political Brain, The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation,” will deliver the keynote address. His talk, “Three Principles of Effective Political Communication: Openly Addressing the Conflicts at the Heart of Issues Like Racial Politics,” at 4:30 p.m., focuses on how social messaging that challenges our preconceptions can go awry.

The opening session, a tribute to City College psychology professor Kenneth Clark, explores the historic roots of social messaging that is inherent in racial bias and discrimination. Speakers include Anderson J. Franklin, the David S. Nelson chair at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education, and social worker Lewis Zuchman, a long-time activist in Upper Manhattan and an original “Freedom Rider.” Monique Bowen, a 2012 graduate of the CUNY doctoral program and City College Professor of Psychology William Crain will moderate the session.

The second session spotlights the future of social messaging and its intersection with identity. Speakers include: Leora Trub, assistant professor of psychology, Pace University; PhD student Zachery Geller, and sociologist Harold (Hal) M. Spielman, a recognized expert on advertising, marketing and communication research.

The symposium is free and open to the public.

About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. More than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture; the School of Education; the Grove School of Engineering; the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, and the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. U.S. News, Princeton Review and Forbes all rank City College among the best colleges and universities in the United States.

About the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
Inaugurated in 2013, the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership comprises the Departments of Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. It offers traditional undergraduate and graduate degree programs in these disciplines plus dynamic interdisciplinary programs in International Relations, International Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Mental Health Counseling, Pre-Law, Public Service Management and Women’s Studies. The Colin Powell School is also home to the Skadden, Arps Honors Program for Legal Studies, the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute and the CUNY Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology. Nearly one third of all City College degrees are awarded by the Colin Powell School, which builds upon CCNY’s exceptionally strong tradition in the social sciences.

Colin Powell School media contact:
Maura Christopher, 212-650-7386,  %6dc%68ri%73topher@ccny.cu %6ey.e%64u" rel="nofollow"> mchristopher@ccny.cuny.edu