News

College to Confer Honorary Degrees on Suarez, soprano Kathleen Battle, philanthropist Harvey Kaylie, ’60EE, and Professor Emeritus Sheldon Weinbaum Ray Suarez, senior correspondent for “PBS NewsHour,” will be the guest speaker at The City College of New York’s 166th Commencement Exercises, 10 a.m., Friday, June 1, on the CCNY campus. Mr. Suarez will also receive the honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Laws, from the College. In addition, CCNY will confer honorary degrees on: operatic soprano Kathleen Battle, engineer and philanthropist Harvey Kaylie, ’60EE, and Distinguished Professor

Proceeds to Benefit New Ray Santos Scholarship Fund for City College Music Students An all-star tribute and benefit concert honoring Ray Santos, a living legend of the Mambo era and long-time leader of The City College of New York’s Latin Band, will be presented 7 p.m. Monday, May 21 in the Marian Anderson Theatre of Aaron Davis Hall on the CCNY campus. Proceeds from ticket sales will be used to support the newly formed Ray Santos Scholarship Fund to benefit City College music students. Among the performers scheduled to appear are Latin music greats: Candido Camero, Xiomara Laugart, Lalo

Harlem-Based Artist Known for Photographing West Indian Carnivals Captures Contemporary City Life on Film in “On a Roll” Ray A. Llanos, the Harlem-based visual artist best known for his lively and dynamic images of Carnival celebrations throughout the West Indies, will present his latest exhibition, “On A Roll,” in The City College of New York’s Aaron Davis Hall Gallery, May 15 through June 23. “On A Roll” is a series of captivating and enduring photographs of contemporary life in New York and other cities. Llanos diverts from today’s digital age, where camera settings can be adjusted and

Researchers with City College-based Center Devise Method to Control Dendrite Formation in Safe, Low-Cost Zinc Anode Batteries The CUNY Energy Institute, which has been developing innovative low-cost batteries that are safe, non-toxic, and reliable with fast discharge rates and high energy densities, announced that it has built an operating prototype zinc anode battery system. The Institute said large-scale commercialization of the battery would start later this year. Zinc anode batteries offer an environmentally friendlier and less costly alternative to nickel cadmium batteries. In the longer

The 12th Annual CUNY Jazz Festival, a gathering of bands and ensembles from across the CUNY system, takes place May 3-4 in Shepard Hall, Rooms 306 and 190, at The City College of New York at 140th Street and Convent Avenue in Manhattan. Saxophonist Steve Wilson, hailed by “The Wall Street Journal” as “essential to this city’s jazz landscape,” will be the festival’s guest artist. ? The festival opens 12 Noon Thursday, May 3, with a performance by the CCNY Jazz faculty ensemble, comprising Professors John Patitucci on bass, Dan Carillo on guitar, Mike Holober on piano and Paolo Orlandi on drums

Leading Award for Graduate Study in STEM Disciplines Awards up to $121,500 Over Three Years Nine City College of New York students – eight recent graduates and a graduating senior – are recipients of 2012 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. The Fellowships are the most prestigious awards a graduate student in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) can receive. They provide $121,500 over three years and are given to recognize and support exceptional students who have proposed graduate-level research projects in their fields. “This is a tremendous achievement that

CCNY Advances Electrical Brain Stimulation to Tap Pain Network Migraine pain sits at the upper end of the typical pain scale – an angry-red section often labeled “severe.” At this intensity, pain is debilitating. Yet many sufferers do not get relief from – or cannot tolerate – over-the-counter and commonly prescribed pain medications. Recently, a team of researchers that includes Dr. Marom Bikson, associate professor of biomedical engineering in CCNY’s Grove School of Engineering, has shown that a brain stimulation technology can prevent migraine attacks from occurring. Their technique, using

Teacher Academy Seniors Yekaterina Garmash and Michael McDonald and Recent Grad Mallory Villa Receive $100,000 Stipends City College of New York graduating seniors Yekaterina Garmash and Michael McDonald and recent graduate Mallory Villa have won Math for America Fellowships (MƒA). The highly selective five-year program for talented students committed to teaching math in public schools provides a $100,000 stipend. Math for America is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve mathematics education in U.S. public secondary schools by recruiting, training and retaining outstanding mathematics

Largest Gift for Science Division Establishes Martin and Michele Cohen Dean of Science, First Endowed Deanship in College’s 165-Year History The City College of New York today announced a $10 million gift for its Division of Science from alumnus Martin Cohen, ’70, and his wife, Michele. The gift, the largest ever for the Division, will establish the Martin and Michele Cohen Dean of Science at CCNY, the first endowed deanship in the College’s 165-year history. It also funds endowed professorships and provides funds for faculty and student support. The gift is subject to approval of the CUNY

Award to Jizhong Xiao Will Assess Marketability of City-Climber Wall Climbing Robot Dr. Jizhong Xiao, associate professor of electrical engineering in CCNY’s Grove School of Engineering was awarded a six-month, $50,000 commercialization grant from the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. Professor Xiao will use the award to assess the commercial readiness of the City-Climber, a mobile robot capable of climbing walls and running along ceilings. “This [is a] new program. Essentially they choose the most promising technology that can transfer from lab to market,”