Jenesia Diaz spent much of her childhood in and out of the hospital.

BMCC Upward Bound End of Year Celebration 2017

The BMCC Upward Bound program has received a five-year, $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to build on its work making college a reality for low-income high school students and those from families in which neither parent has earned a bachelor’s degree.

The program will continue working with two Manhattan high schools — Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School for International Careers and Murray Bergtraum High School — and will add Landmark High School and the Leadership and Public Service High School. It will serve about 66 students annually, ages 13 through 19.

“In addition to scaling up the program, the grant will enable us to use more technology in the classroom,” says Antonette McKain, who led the BMCC Upward Bound program for 17 years and recently assumed the role of Director of Evening, Weekend and Off-Site Programs at BMCC. “By accessing online resources, students will research and explore career fields and academic areas they might not have been aware of. We will also do more targeted outreach as we meet the technology needs of this generation of students who communicate through Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and other platforms.”

Upward Bound students also work closely with instructors who are high school teachers or guidance counselors. In small groups after school, they prepare for New York State Regents examinations and bolster their skills in algebra, physics, biology, earth science, English and other subjects.

A ‘family vibe’

“Upward Bound is a very close-knit program,” says Janice Zummo, BMCC Assistant Dean for Academic Support Services who oversees the program. “The students come together as a small group every day after school for up to four years, and they become an important resource and support for each other.”

Zummo also says the program has also evolved to have a strong alumni network.

Keiran Miller, who attended Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School for International Careers, was part of BMCC’s Upward Bound program from 2008 through 2011. He attended Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on a Posse Foundation Scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing in Spring 2015.

“I started a spoken-word poetry group on campus and served on editorial boards,” Miller says. “I also tried to help other students by doing college access and college success work — and I made all those connections because of my experience with Upward Bound.”

Looking back on his experience with the BMCC Upward Bound program, he says, “People are willing to go the extra mile for you and give you the tools and resources you need, but you have to have confidence and faith in yourself, too.”

Miller and his fellow Upward Bound members took college tours together and attended cultural events such as a performance of Cirque du Soleil. “There was always some kind of meal component. Upward Bound has a family vibe,” Miller says.

“One of the staples of Upward Bound was Antonette McKain’s ‘tough love’ approach,” he says. “She treated us like adults. We stumbled and made mistakes but in our own ways, we all learned responsibility, time management and the importance of following up with people — if someone connects you to someone or some opportunity, it’s important to keep that person in the loop.”

In Fall 2018, Miller will start work on his master’s degree. In the year prior to that, he will work as a counselor at Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece, guiding students as they consider college in the United States.

Guiding students into college is central to the mission of Upward Bound. “We take the students on college tours, both interstate and intrastate, so they begin to think critically about their options,” says McKain. “We help them grapple with questions such as, ‘What size school will I feel comfortable in? Do I want an urban or suburban setting? Do I want to be in a homogenous school, or one that is more diverse? Do I want to live on campus or off?’”

Celebrating the end of a dynamic year

On June 17 in Theatre 2 at 199 Chambers Street, the BMCC Upward Bound program held its End-of-Year Celebration. Special guest speakers include Key Note speaker Maggie Howard and BMCC’s Dean Janice Zummo. A surprise tribute was made in honor of the program’s exiting Director, Antonette McKain. “She didn’t even know it was coming,” says Zummo. “The alumni had prepared a video in which they spoke about their experience of working with Antonette, and others spoke in person. They also gave her a beautiful engraved vase.”

Awards were distributed by the following Upward Bound workshop leaders: Jennifer Springer, Composition and Literature; Celeste Farmer, Algebra and Geometry; Subhra Goswami, Living Environment/Earth Science; Dominique Ceniceros, Trigometry/Pre-Calculus; Linda Barber, SAT/ACT Math; Marjorie Antoine and Yolanda Simancas, Road to College, and Serena Fong, Senior Transition to College.

The event celebrated Upward Bound seniors heading off to college: Angelica Diaz, Marist College; Valentino Gordon, Alfred University; Junior Holguin, Ithaca College; Shuzel Lide, University at Buffalo; Rashel Loaiza-Duarte, SUNY Brockport; Allyssa Martinez, Queens College, CUNY; Maireni Paulino, Ithaca College; Jarleny Pichardo, Skidmore College; Caitlyn Santander, SUNY Brockport; Da’Sandra Stephens, Marist College, Susanie Seecharan, SUNY Albany and Michelle Sun, Hamilton College.

The Upward Bound Project is an externally funded program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education under the category of Federal TRIO programs in partnership with Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY).

BMCC is mourning the loss of one of its own. Miosotis Familia graduated with an Associate in Liberal Arts degree from BMCC in Summer 2009. She went on to work as a medical assistant before serving as a law enforcement officer in the New York Police Department for 12 years, a career which came to a tragic end on the night of July 4.

“Miosotis Familia will be remembered for many things, including her determination to gain an education and earn her Associate degree,” says BMCC President Antonio Pérez. “She attended BMCC from 2000 to 2005, then returned in the summer of 2009 to complete one final class and graduate. Her unwavering goal was to help her fellow New Yorkers and she accomplished that goal; first as a medical assistant and then as a law enforcement officer. We are proud to count Miosotis Familia among the alumni of BMCC.”

The NYPD’s Officer Down Memorial Page states that Familia, 48, was “shot and killed from ambush as she sat in a marked mobile command post vehicle at the intersection of East 183rd Street and Morris Avenue in the Bronx.” Officer Familia was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital and pronounced dead about three hours later.

According to an article in the New York Daily News, Familia had switched about three weeks earlier from working days in central booking at the 46^th Precinct stationhouse, to working the night shift, in order to have more time with her 12-year-old twin son and daughter. Familia also had a 20-year-old daughter.

An article in The New York Times reports that Officer Familia, who grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, made 76 arrests during her 12-year career with the NYPD, 23 of them in felonies. The marked van in which she was killed was intended to serve as a deterrent to a rash of shootings in the Bronx neighborhood where it was stationed.

“Law enforcement officers across New York put their lives on the line to protect and serve their communities,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo posted on his Facebook page. “This horrific and senseless assassination is a devastating reminder of the risks these brave men and women face each day. I offer my deepest condolences to Officer Familia’s loved ones and fellow members of the NYPD. Today, we all come together to mourn one of New York’s Finest.”

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio posted on his Facebook page, “Officer Miosotis Familia was on duty serving this city, doing the job she loved. I ask all New Yorkers to keep her family in your prayers.” The Mayor also ordered flags on all city buildings to be flown at half-mast in Officer Familia’s honor.

In Fall 2017, BMCC students who envision a career teaching music or performing can enroll in the College’s new Associate in Science (A.S.) program in Music, with specializations in Music Studies and Music Performance that articulate to the Bachelor of Science in Music program at Lehman College, as well as a specialization in Music Education.

According to a proposal submitted by BMCC to the New York State Education Department, the Music program will educate students in the fundamentals of music, and in specialized topics in music education and music performance. The curriculum will encompass basics of music theory, keyboard skills, ear training and sight singing. Each concentration, while offering a different focus, will produce graduates who are better equipped to compete with others in the field.

Music majors at BMCC will benefit from a wide range of facilities to support their work, including 16 practice rooms for chorus and voice, the Art and Rita Siegel Piano Lab, which provides 24 electronic keyboards and classrooms with Steinway grand pianos. They will also have access to a comprehensive collection of percussive and string instruments, unique sets of instruments from Bali and more.

Past music students at BMCC have won national contests and performed widely. They are mentored by BMCC’s accomplished Music faculty, who guide students as they audition for and perform with well-established ensembles including the Downtown Symphony, Downtown Chorus and BMCC Select Chorus, String Ensemble and Flute Choir.

Fitore Mehmetaj, a 2017 BMCC alumna and mezzo-soprano who graduated before the A.S. in Music program was created, nonetheless availed herself of the Music courses and performance practice opportunities at BMCC. “The best voice teachers of my life are here,” says Mehmetaj, who also learned digital music software at BMCC and whose composition, “Themes and Variations,” for cello and piano, was performed in the 2017 Composers Now Festival at BMCC’s Shirley Fiterman Art Center. “I have met so many amazing artists through these experiences,” she says.

“We are very excited about this opportunity for students to earn an Associate degree as they gain competence in the areas of music performance, pedagogy and theory,” says BMCC Music and Art Chairperson Eugenia Oi Yan Yau. “Graduates will be prepared to enter a variety of majors at the baccalaureate level, as well as a range of careers in music.”

Auditions for the Fall 2017 Music Program will be held August 18 in Fiterman Hall, 11th floor. For more information, contact Professor Robert Reed at roreed@bmcc.cuny.edu or Music and Art Chair Eugenia Yau, at eyau@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Tomorrow’s artists, economists, psychologists, health educators, sociologists, animators and linguists have all found new Associate degree programs at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) to get them started on their academic and career journeys.

Within its close to 50 Associate degree programs, BMCC also introduces cutting-edge courses and internships.

These new courses — ranging from digital imaging to economic analysis to principles of language learning — raise the bar for students who want to excel in their chosen fields of study.

The new courses include:

MEA 371 – Media Arts and Technology Internship 2 credits, 11.5 hours

In this internship, the student applies classroom theory and gains work experience relating to his or her major. Over a semester, the intern completes a term project assigned by the coordinator, and is evaluated by the work site supervisor.

MEA 201 – Professional Development and Career Planning in Media Arts and Technology, 2 credits, 2 hours

In this course students are instructed in industry appropriate methods to creatively plan their careers. Students learn about self-assessment, career exploration, and practical job search skills.

ART 203 – Digital Creative Studio, 3 credits, 2 hours, 2 lab hours

This course will use digital imaging principles as an essential part of photographic editing. Fundamental digital imaging skills will include input, editing, archiving and output as part of the creative process. A range of approaches to producing, processing and printing digital images will be explored as they relate to current practices.

CIS 359 – Information Assurance, 3 credits, 2 hours, 2 lab hours

This course introduces the fundamentals of information security in the context of computer vulnerabilities and how to safeguard computers and networks. The students will examine security planning, organization and technologies and the legal and ethical issues associated with computer and network security.

CIS 362 – Cloud Computing, 3 credits, 2 hours, 2 lab hours

This course introduces students to the principles, foundations, and applications of Cloud computing. Through hands-on assignments and projects, the students will study the paradigm of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are offered as services over the Internet.

CIS 364 – Mobile Device Programming, 3 credits, 2 hours, 2 lab hours

The course will focus on installing, developing, and testing mobile applications. Students will learn the basic framework of a mobile application, mobile user interface design, methods for storing and retrieving information, and mobile security.

CIS 459 – Ethical Hacking and System Defense, 3 credits 2 hours, 2 lab hours

This course provides an in-depth look at network security concepts and techniques. It introduces students to the fundamentals of ethical hacking. The course focuses on the code of conduct and ethics of exploiting systems. It employs a hands-on approach when examining networking security techniques.

MAT 56.5 – Elementary and Intermediate Algebra with Trigonometry, 0 credits, 7 hours

This course is a combination of elementary algebra and intermediate algebra including trigonometry. It includes topics such as properties of real numbers, polynomials and factoring, systems of linear equations and inequalities, rational expressions and functions, quadratic functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, and an introduction to trigonometry.

ECO 240 – Behavioral Economics, 3 credits, 3 hours

This course is an introduction to behavioral economics, which is the use of the methods of psychology to evaluate economic models of decision-making. The course reviews decisions made under conditions of uncertainty, judgments of risk and probability, intertemporal decision-making, and other topics.

ECO 245 – Competition and Strategy, 3 credits, 3 hours

This course introduces students to the economic analysis of strategic interaction and competition among firms in imperfectly competitive markets. While the focus of the course is on the behavior of businesses in an oligopoly, basic concepts of game theory will also be applied to a variety of situations facing firms.

LIN 130 – Sounds of English, 3 credits, 3 hours

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the sound system of English, with a focus on Standard American English and non-standard dialects of American English. The course will also introduce students to the physical production of sounds as well as the mental perception of sounds and how they pattern in English and other topics.

LIN 200 – Language Acquisition, 3 credits, 3 hours

The first part of this course introduces students to theories of first-language acquisition. In the second part of the course, students will become familiar with the theories of second-language acquisition and factors such as motivation, age and learning styles that affect language learning.

LIN 210 – Foundations of Bilingualism, 3 credits, 3 hours

This introductory course provides an overview of the psychological, social, and political aspects of bilingualism. Topics covered include definitions of bilingualism, language development in bilingual children, the linguistic behaviors of bilingual speakers, language loss and maintenance, and socio-political issues pertaining to bilingual language policy and planning.

LIN 220 – Language Teaching Practices, 3 credits, 3 hours

This course will provide students with an understanding of the theoretical foundations and principles of language instruction and language learning. Special emphasis will be on studying pedagogical approaches to TESOL that address the learning needs of diverse language learners in multiple settings.

LIN 120 – Introduction to Linguistics, 3 credits, 3 hours

This course will introduce students to linguistics, the scientific study of language. Students will apply methods of scientific inquiry (including the scientific method) to linguistic systems (phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic) and language phenomena and events.

LIN 150 – Language, Race, and Ethnicity in the US and its Territories, 3 credits, 3 hours

This course explores historical, cultural, and theoretical perspectives on the relationship between language, race, and ethnicity in the United States and its territories. It will examine language varieties such as Black American English and its cross-racial uses by other groups, Chicano English and Spanglish, Hawaiian English, and American Indian English.

ACR 250 – Issues in Literacy & Language Development, 3 credits, 3 hours

Through this course, students will examine diverse perspectives on language and literacy development, specifically atypical development of children (birth through adolescence). Specific attention will be paid to language disorders, language delays, dyslexia and developmental disorders related to language and literacy.

LIN 240 – Language and Power, 3 credits, 3 hours

In this course, students will study the relationship between language and capital, language and institutionalized oppression, and language and activism. Students will also explore the relationship between language, inequity, domination, and resistance.

MAT 161.5 – Mathematics Literacy and Quantitative Reasoning, 3 credits, 6 hours

This course aims to teach students how to interpret quantitative information, analyze quantitative data, and make inferences in contexts involving mathematical concepts. Topics include proportional reasoning, interpreting percentages, units and measurement, thinking critically, numbers in the real world, financial management, statistical reasoning, probability, and linear and exponential modeling.

As a finance intern at Synchronoss, BMCC Accounting major Anthony Nuñez (below) turned classroom learning into hands-on skills development.

“I served as a syndicate between three teams: accounting, taxation and billing,” Nuñez says. “This means I micromanaged and archived the activities of 30 accounts, downloading and reviewing bank statements. I also converted and tracked travel and entertainment receipts into an Excel spreadsheet, and reconciled bank transactions.”

The opportunity to immerse himself in these tasks was made possible by Year Up, an intensive, one-year program that mentors students as they complete internships in some of New York City’s leading corporations and nonprofits.

Nuñez was one of 35 BMCC students included in the 21^st Class Graduation Ceremony of Year Up, held August 1 in the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center Theatre II at the College’s main campus on 199 Chambers Street.

A total of 115 participants were honored at the event, which was opened by Year Up alumna Krystal Smith. “You made it,” she told the audience, “the papers, the deliverables, and all those elevator pitches.” Year Up President Garrett Moran, a former COO of the Blackstone Private Equity Group, encouraged the graduates “to keep you eye on the horizon when you have those tough days, lifting others while you climb.”

Recognizing strengths

Year Up President Moran presented the Urban Empowerment Award to the CUNY Black Male Initiative, which was accepted by University Director Jermaine Wright. The Community Ambassador Award was presented to the New York City Housing Authority Office of Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability, and the Corporate Champion Award was presented to Salesforce. Year Up mentor Evelyn Guernsey and her mentee Toni Newton received the Omar Moodie Mentor Award.

Before the graduates received their awards and certificates, Year Up graduate Morris Hilton spoke of his experience with the program, quoting Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal.” Nuñez also took the stage. “I share with you an inclusive, historical journey,” he said, “one that recognizes our strengths regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.”

BMCC cohort: Looking ahead

The BMCC cohort of Year Up graduates included Nabid Ahamed, Fateh Ahmed, Juan Alvarez, Elias Arellano, Jose Buelto, Katherine De La Cruz, Mouctar Drame, Kebin Farez, Emmanuelle Figueroa, Patricio Garcia, Emily Gomez, Brandon Grech, Shaina Guallpa, Juana Guerra, Lisset Guerrero, Daniel Hallinan, Ronaldo Julien, Venice Lewis, Ailing Li, Vanessa Mora, Salma Munoz, Anthony Nuñez, Starasia Owens, Sandrea Phillips, Lilibeth Quinsa, Maurice Rodriguez, Aisha Saleh, Natalie Sanchez, Christopher Tan, Matthew Taylor, Ana Tchikaidze, Shelly Uzagir, Antonio Worrell, Ernesto Zavala and Sonia Zempoaltecatl.

While still in the interviewing process, a dozen of the graduates have landed full-time positions in companies including New York Life Insurance Company, Turner & Townsend, Neuberger Berman, State Street Corporation, The College Board and KKR.

“I have an interview soon with an accounting firm that only works with nonprofits,” says Nuñez. “I would be excited to get that position and have the chance to visit the organizations they serve.”

He has one more semester at BMCC, and in addition to applying for jobs, has applied to the BMCC program Refining Each Ascending Leader (REAL), which presents guest speakers from the business sector and other fields. Nuñez — who has made the Dean’s List, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and president of the college’s Toastmaster’s Club — feels confident about the busy schedule he is putting together.

“Year Up has prepared us for doing full-time school and full-time work at the same time,” he says. “I took 12 credits of classes while I completed my internship, which was another four credits, over a six-month period. I was able to do it because the staff at Year Up is there for us the whole way. You feel like you have an overwhelming amount of support, from the social workers to everyone else at Year Up. Many of them left careers in the corporate sector, and they are really committed to helping us reach our goals. I definitely recommend Year Up to other students.”

For more information about joining Year Up at BMCC, call (646) 341-6800 or email admissionsnyc@yearup.org.

Working alongside faculty mentors, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) students investigate the link between dopamine receptors and drug addiction. They analyze metal-tolerant bacteria in the waters around New York City and push mathematical theory to new levels.

These and other research projects were showcased at the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) 2017 Symposium held at BMCC on July 25. Twenty BMCC student researchers — as well as more than 200 students from Bronx Community College, Gutman Community College, Kingsborough Community College, New York City College of Technology and Queensborough Community College — presented abstracts of their projects in poster sessions, and celebrated the culmination of a yearlong project that involved not only research but also workshops in laboratory safety, abstract writing and public speaking.

“Students in CRSP are incredibly dedicated to advancing their knowledge in STEM by conducting faculty-mentored, novel research,” said Helene Bach, Director of Research at BMCC. CRSP students and their faculty mentors commit to 400 hours towards their research activities in the fall and spring semesters, culminating in a huge poster presentation in the summer, she explains.

“They are among the most rigorous of researchers, often presenting at national scientific conferences and even publishing with their mentors in peer-reviewed journals,” says Bach. “These activities, together with the deeper science learning they attain working in a research setting alongside their mentors, gives BMCC students a competitive edge so they can hit the ground running when they graduate and enter as STEM majors at a four-year school.”

The success of the program is evident in its data: One hundred percent of the students in CRSP do go on to a four-year college, “and one hundred percent continue in a STEM field,” Bach says. “This is a highly successful program that produces promising researchers that will be highly marketable.”

Research: The foundation for scientific understanding

The 2017 CRSP Symposium opened with a morning program including remarks by Vita Rabinowitz, Vice Chancellor and University Provost, CUNY, and Karrin E. Wilks, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, BMCC. Jayne Raper, Professor of Biological Sciences at Hunter College, presented a talk, “The Good Cholesterol Primates: Protecting Africa One Cattle at a Time.”

The afternoon program featured remarks by Mark Hauber, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, CUNY, followed by remarks by Provost Wilks and a talk by Kevin Gardner, Founding Director of the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center’s Structural Biology Initiative: “Inspired by Nature: How Studying Cellular Sensing Leads to New Therapies and Biotech Tools.”

“Research is the foundation of all scientific understanding, and through mentored laboratory experiences, students participate firsthand in the creation of knowledge,” say the Symposium’s Co-Directors, Avrom J. Caplan, CUNY Associate University Dean For Research and Ron J. Nerio, CUNY Research Associate, in their welcome message of the event program. “The New York City Mayor’s Office funds the program, and we are especially grateful to Mayor Bill de Blasio for his generous support.

Sharing research findings with peers across CUNY

In the afternoon session, BMCC students joined their peers from other colleges who delivered oral presentations of their work. BMCC Science major Md Samirul Islam gave a talk on the research he took part in, mentored by Professor Abel Navarro: “Absorption of Phenol from Aqueous Solutions with Native Caribbean Seaweed: Purify Toxicity of Phenol from Water.”

The event also included a poster competition. The first place winner was BMCC student Tesfamichael Demeke, who will attend Columbia University in the fall, and the second place winner was Jayeda Hossain, who will attend Baruch College starting fall 2017.

The students also presented highlights of their research in posters session where they talked with guests and fellow researchers about their work. These projects from BMCC included:

• “Solar Panel and Optical System,” Robiul Alam and Zhixin Deng; Mentor/Professor Shalva Tsiklauri.

• “Preparation and Characterization of Chemically-Modified Biomaterials and Their Application as Adsorbents of Penicillin G.,” Jacqueline Baah Twum; Mentor/Professor Abel Navarro.

• “Two Different Approaches for the Stirling Numbers of the Second Kind,” Xueying Chen; Mentor/Professor Jaewoo Lee.

• “Isolation and Characterization of Heavy Metal Tolerant Bacteria from the Newtown Creek,” Lionel Colon, Nicole Yoo and Walker Farnham; Mentor/Professor Sarah Salm.

• “Joining of Low-Module Thermoplastics for Dental Implants,” Mayumy Cordova; Mentor/Professor Rafael Niyazov.

• “Utilization of Used Green Tea Leaves for the Removal of Yellow Hair Dye Through Bioremediation,” Tesfamichael Demeke; Mentor/Professor Abel Navarro.

• “The Effects of Forskolin on Cultured SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells,” Jay Gadsden; Mentor/Professor Jane M. Tezapsidis.

• “Black Tea Extract Has Anti-Proliferative Effects on the Oral Bacteria, Porphyromonas Gingivalis and Human Gingival Fibroblasts in a Dose Dependent Manner,” Shanna-Key Griffiths; Mentor/Professor Brian Rafferty.

• “Fighting Drug Addiction with Water: Analyzing the Solvation Thermodynamics of the D3 Dopamine Receptor Binding Cavity,” Jayeda Hossain; Mentor/Professor Lauren Wikstrong, Emilio Gallicchio (Brooklyn College) and Tom Kurtzman (Lehman College).

• “Adsorption of Phenol from Aqueous Solutions with Native Caribbean Seaweed: Purify Toxicity of Phenol from Water,” Md Samirul Islam; Mentor/Professor Abel Navarro.

• “Response Priming Reveals Capacity Limitation,” Urjana Kica; Mentor/Professor Marjan Persuh.

• “Simulation of Adsorption Models: Instantaneous and Non-Instantaneous Mixing,” Jieying Li and Jie Lan; Mentor/Professor Chris McCarthy.

• “An Autonomous Ground Explorer Using Computer Vision,” Jiahua Liao; Mentor/Professor Hao Tang.

• “Quantum Dots in 2-D TMDs Materials,” Sofia Mvokany; Mentor/Professor Shalva Tsklauri.

• “Biological Activity of Taraxacum Officinale,” Eric Pereira; Mentor/Professor Adolfina Koroch.

• “Molecular Recognition of Cell Adhesion Proteins: Does Water Help the Candida Fungal Pathogen Colonize a Host?” Sheila Sarkar; Mentor/Professor Laurent Wickstrom and Emilio Gallicchio (Brooklyn College).

• “Body Segmentation and Recognition in AR/MR,” Pedro Torres; Mentor/Professor Hao Tang.

“Time management is a state of mind. Our relationship to time can make or break our academic, professional and personal commitments,” says Nicole O’Donnell, a student in the Bilingual Childhood Education major at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) and a student in the CUNY Baccalaureate School for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies.

For college students gearing up to take on the new year, a key factor in making the transition from high school to college is time management. Though it is a skill that students will need for the rest of their lives, honing that skill proves to be difficult when paired with the academic and extracurricular commitments of a typical college student’s life.

So how can students get into this state of mind? Often, it begins first thing in the morning.

O’Donnell, who commutes from Brooklyn, sets two alarms.“That way, I never find myself having [overslept],” she says. She also uses the MTA.info website to view train schedules. BMCC alumna Gifty Blankson (Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts, ’16), who commutes from the Bronx, uses the Transit app in order to see real-time updates to train schedules and avoid service interruptions. Vito DiGiorgio III, a Liberal Arts major at BMCC, commutes by bus from New Jersey. DiGiorgio arrives at BMCC a couple of hours prior to his first class in order to mentally ready himself for the day ahead.

Balancing student activities with classes

Students enrolled at BMCC receive a Co-Curricular Transcript (CCT) that documents their activities outside the classroom. These activities, while important in developing communication skills and a sense of responsibility, require a sizeable time commitment.

Is it worth it? Melissa Aponte, Assistant Director of Student Activities, believes so. “Students create meaningful relationships with peers, faculty and staff though their participation in extracurricular activities,” she says. “Also, club activities typically only require about two hours and take place when class is not in session.”

Blankson, who has held leadership roles in the BMCC Scholarship Society and the BMCC Sisterhood Society, says her involvement in extracurricular activities was “an opportunity to learn and practice networking skills with faculty members and colleagues.”

DiGiorgio is involved in the BMCC BOLT Program, BMCC PLUS, the BMCC Learning Academy and Rowing Club. He is also Vice President of the Essence of Earth Club. “I find myself busy in a good way,” he says. “I wanted to test everything out to see what I liked to do. I get to meet new people and make connections that open doors to scholarships and other opportunities.”

O’Donnell, a BMCC Foundation Scholar, has attended the BMCC Foundation Gala and MoneyWorks seminars and participated in research projects. “Things can be overwhelming when you’re balancing life and school, and it can be daunting to add more to one’s schedule,” she says. “However, professional careers are built on people skills, leadership, initiative and time management,” skills she has developed through her extra-curricular commitments.

Blankson believes that while extracurricular activities are valuable to a student’s experience, school is her first priority. “Don’t let anything deter you from attaining your degree,” she says.

For students balancing life with school, time management is even more critical. Deborah Harte, Single Stop and Special Services Manager, helps students with time management and other related issues. “Some students have families, work and school, and some are single parents with childcare issues. Some are homeless and others have no means of eating regularly,” Harte says.

Time management tools

Both DiGiorgio and O’Donnell like to use paper planners. “I like using the pen-to-paper technique because I visualize what I want to get done every day,” DiGiorgio says. For O’Donnell, “carrying a planner equips me with visual cues,” she says, “that help me remember my goals.”

O’Donnell also uses the iBooks app to download her assignments from Blackboard and make them accessible during her commute. “I have even taken pictures of textbook pages and math assignments so I can ponder the material until I get home,” says O’Donnell, who also utilizes the project management app Trello, which lets her organize tasks by category and color code projects by deadline.

Additionally, BMCC has numerous programs dedicated to nurturing a good work ethic in its students. “To be a well-rounded student, you must allow the school to go through you just as you go through it,” Blankson says. “Don’t just go to class and go home. Participate in events, build relationships — and manage your time well.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was researched and written by Public Affairs intern Tasfiah Tabassum, who will enter Horace Mann School as a senior in Fall 2017. 

This Fall 2017, 38 professors are joining the more than 1,500 faculty at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY). Teaching in BMCC’s 47 associate degree programs, these new faculty members bring expertise in areas ranging from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields, to Liberal Arts areas such as Art History, Modern Languages and Theatre. As part of their orientation to the College, they took part in activities that culminated in a reception on the 13^th-floor terrace of Fiterman Hall, where they met with colleagues and the administration of the college, including President Antonio Pérez, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Karrin E. Wilks and Associate Dean of Faculty, Jim Berg.

Professors at BMCC not only teach, but mentor students who join faculty research projects and conference presentations. The faculty takes part in their own development at BMCC through The Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (CETLS) and grant-funded projects. They help lead the college and serve the community, setting an example for students who explore academic and career options as they complete their degrees.

Faculty joining BMCC in the 2017 Fall semester include: Kenneth Cotton and Candido Hernandez (Academic Literacy and Linguistics); Peter Hoontis, Peter Mayer and Roderick S. Snipes (Business Management); Tamir Avcilar (Computer Information Systems); Maria Alvarez, Angela Florschuetz, John Hodgkins, Amanda Hollander and Frederick Solinger (English); Sara Elmiligi (Health Education); Anthony Bishop and Sharell Walker (A. Philip Randolph Memorial Library); Elisabeth Jaffe, Aradhana Kumari, Serine Ndiaye and Hong Yuan (Mathematics); Melanie Oram and Owen Roberts (Media Arts and Technology); Giada Geraci and Laurie Lomask (Modern Languages); Joshua Henderson, Yan Tang and Terttu Uibopuu (Music and Art); Judy Ashton, Careen Purcell and Edward Williams (Nursing); Jamal Ali and Moussa Gazali (Science); Liza Chowdhury, Gerard Clock, Paoyi Huang, Shirley Leyro and Nicole Lopez-Jantzen (Social Sciences, Human Service, and Criminal Justice); Charles Burk and Vanessa Leuck (Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts) and Ruth Guirguis (Teacher Education).

This group of academic scholars reflects the 47 associate degree programs at BMCC,  including new offerings such as Art History, a program that welcomes Professor Yan Yang to its faculty.

Professor Yang has taught courses on East Asian art — Chinese, Japanese and Korean art from prehistory to 21st century — at the University of Connecticut, University of Tennessee and Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan. “I am researching the notion of ‘Japanese art’ known as yamato-e’; the codification of its meaning during a very political moment in the early 20th century and how it has affected our understanding of the more distant past,” he says. At BMCC, he looks forward to participating in “curriculum-building that will provide students with innovative ways to think about art, art history and Asia. There are numerous institutions and organizations devoted to Asian art in New York City and I invite anyone with an interest in Asia to join me and experience it through its objects.”

Professor Charles Burk, who is new to the Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts Department at BMCC, brings experience teaching Voice and Movement, Screenwriting and Collaboration Adaptation to Performance (CAP) at institutions including The City College of New York/CUNY (City College) and Fairfield University in Connecticut.

Recently, Professor Burk performed in the Obie-nominated, off-Broadway play “Othello Remix,” and he is working on what he describes as a rap adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Taming of the Shrew,” titled “To Catch a Fox!”

Other projects include directing a musical about adjusting to college life, “What Now? Now What?,” which will be presented September 5 and 7 in Aaron Davis Hall (Theatre A) at City College. He is also creating a theater piece that addresses “the issue of single mothers raising young black men, and how the lack of male role models have shaped their outcomes.” At BMCC, Professor Burk foresees developing “an apprenticeship for student involvement with these projects. I am also excited about partnering with fellow faculty.”

Before joining BMCC’s Math Department, Professor Elisabeth Jaffe taught algebra, calculus, advanced topics in mathematics and writing at Baruch College Campus High School.

“My favorite thing is to help students see mathematics in the world around them,” she says. “I want them to see the quadratic functions of water fountains or throwing a basketball. I want them to think about the relationship between volume and surface area when blowing up a balloon, or the importance of angles when buying a slice of pizza. I want them to realize they do complex mathematics in their heads every time they cross a street against the light. I want my students to see math as a creative subject.”

At BMCC, she plans to help non-STEM students develop an enjoyment of, and confidence in mathematics. “There is a high expectation at BMCC that every student can learn,” she says. “We are all lifetime learners, and BMCC embraces that philosophy.”

Shane Snipes, a new professor in the Business Management Department at BMCC, is focused on “how to best teach disenfranchised students to think like an entrepreneur.” One of his goals at BMCC “is to connect with students in as many majors as possible, so they understand that being an entrepreneur is possible whether studying health, theater, math, art, computer programming or any other field.”

Professor Snipes has taught social entrepreneurship at Fordham University, as well as having taught “innovation methods to hundreds of managers at Microsoft, HP and Best Buy. From there, we set up innovation labs for international divisions.”

With this experience, he sets an example for BMCC students who dream of startingtheir own businesses. “I ‘walk the walk’ of entrepreneurship,” he says. “I successfully sold a sustainability consultancy in 2013 to Siemens Corporation. I was in Lithuania in the early 1990s, when starting a nonprofit to address ecological education was important, and the organization I founded was later brought into the Bureau of Land Trust. Entrepreneurship isn’t ‘The Answer’ as I hear, sometimes. It does, however, help show how our interests can solve problems for others — and that’s business.”

Professor Ruth Guirguis taught education courses at Pace University before joining the Teacher Education Department at BMCC. “One of the key things that attracted me to BMCC is its multicultural and diversity aspects,” she says. “It is beautiful to see so many cultures come together, and to be a part of guiding students as they earn their degrees and move on to teach a very diverse student population, themselves.”

Professor Guirguis’ scholarly focus centers on the development of self-regulation and dual language learners. “I come from the CUNY system,” she says. “It was the teaching and learning that occurred while completing my master’s degree that allowed me to go on and get my doctorate.” At BMCC, “Students can make a positive start and develop a solid foundation to further their careers,” she says. “In the past I have worked with my students and together we have been able to publish. I look forward to working with student researchers at BMCC.”

To learn more about BMCC faculty, their research projects and successes, as well as resources available to faculty, visit Faculty Affairs on the BMCC website.

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) welcomes Kristin Albright Waters, Director of Enrollment Management and Phillip A. Keefe, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving in the Office of Development.

Kristin Albright Waters, Director of Enrollment Management

Waters will provide administrative leadership to the One-Stop Student Services center scheduled to open in 2018. “I will be working with members of the Office of the Registrar, Financial Aid, Testing and Admissions to implement and manage the center,” she says, and plans to improve enrollment services through “timely responses to inquiries and emails, decreased wait times for office transactions and implementation of technology services for students both on and off campus.”

Before joining BMCC, Waters served as Associate Director of Operations, and prior to that, Assistant Registrar at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She earned an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Frostburg (Maryland) State University, an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Capitol College of Capitol Technology University in Laurel, Maryland, and an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech. Waters also earned a B.S. in Psychology from Millersville University in Pennsylvania. She has presented three times at the Middle States Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, published articles on higher education in the national journal “C&U” (College & University), been selected as a featured speaker for Baker Leadership and served on the Professional Staff Senate at UMBC.

“Living in New York City has been a dream of mine for many years,” says Waters. “I identify with the mission statement and strategic goals of the college, and know that the work that I do will have a direct impact on the students of BMCC.”

Phillip A. Keefe, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving

“My role is to find additional sources of revenue for the college,” Keefe says. “One way to start this process is by building relationships with alumni and friends of the college, finding links between their priorities and values, and BMCC’s mission to provide a quality education to all students.”

Keefe has gained more than 30 years of experience in client service and charitable and estate planning. Prior to joining BMCC, he was Director of Planned and Major Gifts at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York. In 2002, he started working with nonprofit organizations, taking on the role of Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Bank of New York Charitable Services Group. Other positions have included being Vice President of Wealth Management at BNY Mellon, JP Morgan Chase and Lakeland Bank.

Keefe earned an A.S. in Criminal Justice from Nassau Community College and a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from Manhattan College. “What attracted me to BMCC is the fact that it is a community college and I am an alumnus of a community college,” he says. “I also have a daughter who went to a community college. We both benefited from the support and environment a community college provides, and went on to four-year schools with more confidence and academic skills than when we entered.”

Keefe starts his new role at BMCC as students begin the Fall 2017 semester. “It’s a new beginning for us all,” he says. “I’m looking forward to reaching out to alumni and supporters to hear their stories; reaching out to our constituents and learning what interests them. I look forward to getting to know the BMCC community inside and outside the college, growing our existing relationships and building new ones.”

The Citi Foundation has awarded BMCC a $60,000 grant for renewal of the Save for Success program, which was launched in Fall 2015. Save for Success is a financial education program that encourages students to save a portion of their financial aid and begin forming positive savings habits.

The 50 participating students will work with a financial counselor and program coordinator as they set up strategies to save money, design an educational plan and connect with offices at the college that can support their efforts. If participants successfully save for a full course ($600), they will receive a free, for-credit course during the BMCC winter or summer sessions.

The Save for Success program serves students from households with low to moderate income and who have at least a 2.5 GPA. They must be registered full-time for the Fall 2017 semester, and have completed close to 30 credits.

Strategies that build lifelong skills

“BMCC believes Save for Success impacts students’ financial behaviors in an important way,” says BMCC Dean of Student Affairs, Michael Hutmaker.

He explains that not only does the program provide skills and knowledge about saving, investing and spending, “It helps students learn ways to stretch their dollars. Students learn strategies to save and maximize their funds, such as reducing their spending or taking advantage of coupons, discounts, campus events and other programs. These are lifelong skills that will benefit them well beyond their time as a student.”

“BMCC is especially grateful to the Citi Foundation for its continued support of Save for Success,” says Brian C. Haller, Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations at BMCC.

The program offers students the opportunity “to look at their lives as a living financial model,” he says, “through which they can learn how to be more creative and effective in managing their financial resources. Dean Hutmaker and his team have been creative and successful in tweaking this program, so that participating students find countless teachable financial moments and lessons which will empower them financially throughout their lives.”

For more information about the Save for Success program at BMCC, contact Fausto Heredia, Program Coordinator at save@bmcc.cuny.edu or (212) 220-8000, x5093.

The BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center is proud to partner with host Randy Cohen for his “Person Place Thing” podcast and radio show. The first featured guest is Jack Kleinsinger on Friday, October 20 at 7 p.m. Tickets to the recording are $10 and available online, at the door and by phone at (212) 220-1460.

Upcoming shows in this series include Woody King, Jr. (March 6, 2018) and Randy Weston (April 3, 2018).

“Person Place Thing” is an interview show recorded around New York and based on this idea: People are particularly engaging when they speak not about themselves, but about something they care about. Guests talk about one person, one place and one thing that is important to them. The result? Surprising stories from great talkers. This show is taped and will broadcast at a later date on public radio throughout the Northeast (WNYE, 91.5 FM in NYC), as well made available online.

Randy Cohen, creator and host of “Person Place Thing” began his career writing humor pieces, essays and stories for newspapers and magazines such as The New Yorker, Harpers and The Atlantic. He won three Emmys for his writing on “Late Night With David Letterman” and a fourth Emmy for his work on Michael Moore’s TV Nation. For 12 years he wrote “The Ethicist,” a weekly column for the New York Times Magazine. In 2010, his first play, “The Punishing Blow,” ran at New York’s Clurman Theater. His most recent book, “Be Good: How to Navigate the Ethics of Everything,” was published by Chronicle.

Jazz impresario Jack Kleinsinger was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of North Florida and is a former Assistant Attorney General of the State of New York. Kleinsinger started producing “Highlights in Jazz” — the longest-running, continuous jazz series in the history of New York City — 45 years ago. He has produced many concerts in New York City schools, colleges and prisons, and co-produced programs for the Newport and New York Jazz festivals as well as for the Jazz Festival in Nice, France. His honors and awards include the 1997 JVC Jazz Festival concert, “Thanks to Jack Kleinsinger for 25 Years of Highlights in Jazz,” the Charlie Parker Memorial Award presented at the 52nd Street Americana Festival, and a proclamation by Manhattan Borough President C. Viginia Fields designating February 5 as Jack Kleinsinger Day in the borough.

BMCC Tribeca PAC is Downtown Manhattan’s premier presenter of the arts, reaching audiences from the college community, downtown residential and business communities, local schools, families and audiences of all ages. BMCC Tribeca PAC strives to present a broad global perspective through the presentation of high-quality artistic work in music, theatre, dance, film and visual arts. Located on the Borough of Manhattan Community College campus, 199 Chambers Street (between Greenwich Avenue and West Street, the theatre is convenient to the 2/3, A/C/E and R/W subway lines and the New Jersey Path Train. For more information visit www.tribecapac.org.

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) welcomes Bryan Dowling, Director of Assessment in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, and Lisa Panzera, Director of the Shirley Fiterman Art Center.

Bryan Dowling, Director of Assessment

Applying more than a decade of experience streamlining data collection, analyzing institutional self-studies, strategizing around Middle States reports and more, Bryan Dowling assumes his role as Director of Assessment in the BMCC Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics.

“I look forward to joining the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, and working with students, faculty and administration to ensure our students step out into the world with everything they need to succeed,” says Dowling, who comes to BMCC from the Psychology Department at Hunter College, where he served as Research Programs Manager. In that role, he maintained departmental data, coordinated courses serving up to 500 students and managed budgets slated for faculty research.

Dowling earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from SUNY Plattsburgh. He earned a Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Animal Behavior at Hunter College, CUNY, and a Ph.D. in Psychology — with concentrations in Biopsychology, Behavioral Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology — at The Graduate Center, CUNY.

“I’ve spent 21 years at public institutions, starting my higher education at a community college, moving on to SUNY for my bachelors degree, and ending up at CUNY — first as a graduate student and then as an employee,” he says. “I’m delighted to continue my career with CUNY and help carry out the mission of our public colleges to provide a quality education for all our students. I’ve heard nothing but the best about BMCC and am excited to join the team.”

Lisa Panzera, Director of Shirley Fiterman Art Center

In her former role as Senior Director of Fergus McCaffrey, a contemporary art gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, Lisa Panzera organized 10 to 12 exhibitions and art fairs a year. When Fergus McCaffrey moved from its 1,400-square-foot space on the Upper East Side to its current 9,000-square-foot space in Chelsea, she oversaw the gallery’s expansion. She served as General Editor of catalogues the gallery produced, secured relationships with artists, and fostered affiliations with museums, institutions and collections.

Panzera started her career as a curatorial intern at the Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton, Massachusetts. Later roles included curator of the Levy Gallery for the Arts in Philadelphia, and associate curator at both The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Fondazione Prada in New York.

Overall, she brings more than 30 years experience working in galleries and internationally renowned museums to her new position directing the Shirley Fiterman Art Center at BMCC.

“I greatly look forward to joining the BMCC community,” Panzera says. “I am very excited at the prospect of building the Shirley Fiterman Art Center’s exhibition program and to cultivating both existing and new relationships to raise awareness of the Art Center.”

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Art History at Smith College, Panzera went on to earn both an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Art History at the Graduate Center, CUNY. At Hunter College, she taught graduate courses in Modern Art, Special Topics in 20^th Century Art, and Theory and Criticism. She has lectured at the Museum of Modern Art, the School of Professional Studies in the Continuing Education department at New York University, the Whitney Museum of Art, and Marymount College. She has also published widely in journals including ARTnews and Art in America.

A. Philip Randolph/BMCC Library

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) will partner with nonprofit research service Ithaka S+R and Northern Virginia Community College in an 18-month study that seeks to assess and improve library support systems within community colleges.

In addition to BMCC and lead investigator Northern Virginia Community College, five other community colleges, including three CUNY schools, will participate in the study.  The project is funded by a $449,388 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Laura Bush 21^st Century Library Program.

The project will explore how community college student success can be defined in a way that is inclusive of both policy priorities and students’ own needs. Project participants will also explore what services academic libraries can offer to most effectively help students attain success.

Ithaka S+R will publish two public research reports over the course of the project: one on community college student perspectives, practices, and needs; and a second report that will provide specific assessments of library service offerings that will be developed over the 18 months of the project.

BMCC together with the other study participants will also publish a toolkit that can be further adopted by both community colleges and community college systems to test these and other service concepts that are relevant to their student populations.

“We are very excited about this project as it seeks to assess and demonstrate the impact of library services on student success, said Kathleen Dreyer, chief librarian, BMCC. “Ultimately the grant will allow us to articulate the important role libraries have in student success and our role in the community,” she says.

On an even broader scale, this project seeks to strengthen the position of the nation’s community college libraries as an anchor in the campus community. It will also help libraries collaborate more effectively with their partners and increase library contributions to student success.

Birthright AFRICA /BMI Scholars with Entrepreneurs at ImpactHub Accra that shared their stories and career paths in innovation in Ghana.

Five Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) students — Christiana Agyepomaa, Brittany Broderick, Kasson Colon-Mangin and Tredesha Howard — as well as BMCC alumnus Milton Henriquez and two other CUNY undergraduates, traveled together to the Republic of Ghana for ten days in August 2017.

The trip, co-sponsored by the CUNY Black Male Initiative (CUNY BMI) and Birthright AFRICA, was led by Shawn Best, University Associate Director of CUNY BMI, along with Birthright AFRICA’s Founder and Chief Umoja (Unity) Officer, Walla Elsheikh, and its Founding Fellow and Program Director, Ashley Johnson.

Before leaving for Ghana, the students met with entrepreneurs who are part of the African diaspora in New York, and visited cultural sites in both New York and Washington, D.C.

In the Ghanaian cities of Accra and Kumasi, they met with business leaders and innovators, as well as visiting university campuses and other sites.

Six weeks of cultural, historical and personal preparation

“The Birthright AFRICA Scholars were transformed as they explored their cultural roots and legacy of innovation in New York and Washington D.C., and experienced the culminating 10-day, life-changing trip to Ghana,” said Birthright AFRICA Founder Elsheikh.

Overall, the students “gained an in-depth knowledge of historic figures and present-day leaders and entrepreneurs of African descent that have paved the path for them to fulfill their aspirations,” she adds. “To see them experience a country on the African continent for the first time and be affirmed in their resilience and brilliance as people of African descent was a major highlight. They fully embraced the people and culture of Ghana with plans to stay connected and revisit, which is truly inspiring.”

In New York, the students visited the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Weeksville Heritage Center, the African Burial Ground and National Monument, Apt Deco, WeWork Harlem, The Brooklyn Commons and The National Black Theatre.

In Washington D.C., they toured the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Innovation Partners such as The Human Diagnosis Project. They also visited the African American Studies department at Howard University, kicking off a series of campus tours that would continue in Ghana, where they also met with business leaders at the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), Ostec and Airtel Ghana, as well as meeting with entrepreneurs at Impact Hub Accra.

“Know your history, to know where you are going”

The experience of being in two cities in Ghana — Accra and Kumasi — “opened the students’ eyes to the possibility of who they could be in the world,” says Birthright AFRICA Founder Elsheikh.

CUNY BMI Associate Director Best describes the benefit of the trip by referencing the Sankofa principle that Birthright AFRICA is based on: “Know your history to know where you are going.”

Birthright AFRICA, he says, “not only held trainings for six weeks straight, they gave the students MetroCards and fed them. Walla connected us with thought leaders in New York who are Senegalese, Nigerian, Ghanaian and also African Americans, the entire diaspora. We would meet and have conversations, and then the students would map out their own plans for innovation.”

Finding community, inspiration and truth

For BMCC Business major Tredesha Howard, a highlight of the trip was meeting Lucy Quist, an international business leader and CEO of Airtel Ghana, which provides telecommunications services to 15 African countries.

“She was a strong, fearless and bold black woman who was extremely graceful and humble,” Howard says. “Her knowledge and experience were truly an encouragement; despite what stands before you, push through.”

Another impactful segment of the trip was visiting one of the Slave Castles along the Ghanaian Cape Coast, fortresses that held an estimated six million enslaved Africans before they were shipped to other countries.

Physically being in the site “was extremely heavy for me and probably the hardest part of my trip,” Howard says. “Learning the truth about what my people went through in slavery was emotional and at times very tough to digest. However, I have an indescribable gratitude for my ancestors who survived the unspeakable.”

The Ghanaian cities of Accra and Kumasi feel similar to the neighborhoods in Barbados, where she grew up, Howard realized. In Ghana, she says, “There was always this sense of community. Though many people are on the streets selling the same things, there are no traffic lights and very little police presence; everyone for the most part is respectful and peaceful. I would even say they live harmoniously. Yes, Ghana has its issues but it is far from the picture that has been painted about it. I barely even saw one mosquito in my 10 days there. Just like in America there are good parts as well as bad parts.”

An eye-opening introduction to the African diaspora

Kasson Colon-Mangin, a Liberal Arts major at BMCC, was impressed by the group’s visits to Asheshi University and the University of Ghana in Accra, as well as to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.

“We also visited several corporations, organizations and black-owned businesses, where we were able to connect with leaders from the African diaspora,” he says.

That concept of an African diaspora was an important thread connecting the students’ meetings with entrepreneurs in both New York and Ghana.

For example, says CUNY BMI Associate Director Best, “We met a Jamaican gentlemen working out of Impact Hub Accra,” which provides assistance to innovators as they develop and deliver a viable product. “In our tour of the space, we met leaders and entrepreneurs within Impact Hub who were from around the world, showing there are more than Ghanaian people in Ghana. That was eye-opening for our students.”

To process the impact of those experiences, each student on the trip to Ghana completed an assignment, describing the innovators and projects they found most inspiring.

“My research topic is focused on visual communications, such as the Adinkra symbols that people in West Africa used to communicate, and on the first topographical map of the world, which was created in Africa,” says Colon-Mangin, who is also investigating “origin stories of the cosmos, Afrikan fighting sciences, proverbs and art.”

One individual who stood out for him on the trip was Dr. Obadele Kambon from the University of Ghana.

“He was able to explain the Bakongo cosmograms and the Adinkra symbols,” says Colon-Mangin. “He also showed the connection between the origins of the universe and the fighting style Capoeira. I was able to receive a one-on-one training session in the Capoeira fighting science of which he is a master. He gave a lecture comparing the Eurocentric teachings we have been mis-educated with, to what our African ancestors created — clearly showing how the ideas were stolen.”

Helping students build their own legacy, and academic success

Looking back on the trip to Ghana, Birthright AFRICA Founder Elsheikh describes it as being “full of affirming, life-changing moments,” for both students and staff.

As Tredesha Howard puts it, the experience “has reaffirmed my staying on track with my goals for the future, because in order to bring about change, you must be in a position to make or influence change. Thus, the only way I can do that is to get my degrees.”

CUNY BMI Associate Director Best takes that analysis a step further, relating the trip’s impact to long-term student success.

“Students felt energized, inspired to be creators of their own legacy in their own field,” he says. “The trip inspired the students to achieve and bring back to the BMI community that keen sense of belonging that keeps them connected to each other, to Africa and to BMI — and in the long run, that sense of belonging is a significant factor in building retention in college.”

For more information about the CUNY Black Male Initiative at BMCC, contact Ashtian Holmes, Director of the BMCC Urban Male Academy: (212) 220-8000, x7276 or aholmes@bmcc.cuny.edu.

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Pre-Law Program, offered  through the BMCC Academic Advisement and Transfer Center, has just selected 10 students to be mentored at Brooklyn Law School.

The BMCC Pre-Law program started in Fall 2017. Rick Naughton, a Senior Academic Advisor at BMCC who holds a law degree from Penn State University, developed the program after consulting with pre-law advisors at Baruch College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Hunter College.

“I was motivated to create the program after meeting with dozens of students who expressed an interest in attending law school but weren’t sure what steps needed to be taken to achieve that goal,” says Naughton, who is BMCC’s Pre-Law Advisor, on record with the Law School Admissions Council.

He adds that another option for students is the BMCC Pre-Law Society club, which gives students the opportunity to learn about law and legal careers in an informal social setting.

The Pre-Law Program: Networking, law fairs and other resources

Students in the Pre-Law Program at BMCC attend networking events and law fairs throughout the New York City area, among other activities.

“It’s important for students to be able to talk first-hand with law school representatives to learn about scholarships and other resources, and be able to ask questions they might have,” Naughton says.

Through these events, students will broaden their awareness of the diverse options available to a person with a law degree, he says, such as working in the public or corporate sector and in areas such as human rights, criminal law, immigration, estate planning and many others.

The Pre-Law Mentoring Program: A first-hand look at law school

Ten students in the Pre-Law Program at BMCC have been selected to be paired with a law student at Brooklyn Law School, through that college’s mentoring program.

“Participants will meet regularly with their law school mentors, sit in on actual law school classes and witness first-hand the rigors of law school,” Naughton says.

He adds that both the Pre-Law Program and mentoring program “will provide role models to underrepresented students who might not have considered the option of a legal career.”

BMCC students in both the Pre-Law Program and mentoring program will meet law students and working lawyers, as well as learn about the long-standing tradition of minority lawyers such as those who graduated from Brooklyn Law School and went on to be trailblazers in their field.

These include David Dinkins, the first African American mayor of New York City; Percy Sutton, the first African American Manhattan borough president and Dorothy Chin-Brandt, the first Asian American woman judge in New York State.

The Pre-Law Society: Learning about law in a social setting

BMCC student interest in the field of law has also resulted in a new club, the Pre-Law Society. “This club will provide a social setting through which students can focus on legal careers and the law,” Naughton says.

Events the Pre-Law Society might present could include movie nights, “with a theme surrounding the legal profession,” he says. “Or they might bring in speakers who are friends or family members who are in law school or have gone on to start a career in law.”

For more information, please contact Rick Naughton at rnaughton@bmcc.cuny.edu or prelaw@bmcc.cuny.edu.

President Pérez told the students it was always exciting to celebrate student success such as a perfect grade point average. But he also advised students to not feel defeated if they ever stumble or suffer setbacks as they continue their academic journey.

“I was never a 4.0 student, but it didn’t deter my drive to be successful, “ said the president.

He also encouraged the achievers to strive and be well-rounded individuals by getting involved in student clubs and other organizations and be willing to take the time to help or encourage their fellow students.

Provost Wilks thanked the students for their commitment to academic excellence. She said achievers in the room had demonstrated that they have leadership potential which would prove beneficial to both their careers and society.

“I see people throughout this room who can make the world a better place,” said Wilks.

Vice President of Student Affairs Marva Craig told the achievers they had mapped their journey of perfection. She also encouraged the students to listen to their peers and if they see them struggling academically, to offer assistance.

“Help others achieve what you’ve achieved,” said Craig.

In addition to a buffet meal and tables decorated by ornaments and small bags of customized BMCC M&M candies, this year’s ceremony was different from those in year’s past. Prior to the ceremony, the Office of Student Affairs challenged students to conceptualize a one-word theme for the year. Each achiever was instructed to think about two to three things they would like to accomplish this year.

Before receiving their certificates, each student took the podium and shared their academic and life goals with the audience.

This year’s achievers include;

(A-C) Jennifer Abrams, Kartik Aggarwal,Safi Ahmed,Jasmine Ahmed,Kimberly Alcock-Ainsworth, Parker Allen, Michele Alle, King Allen,Juan Alvarez Lucy Alvarez,,Burim Ameti,Mehran Amini Tehrani, Nancy An, Paloma Andrade, Zhulieta Angova, Ines Anous, Daniel Antipova, Isabel Antoniani,Romulo Armas Monje Aleksandra Artyfikiewiczd,, Etty Ausch,Ifat Ayalon,Almog Badash, Janice Bailey, Daniel Baranello, Eter Bardanashvili, Rasidatou Barry, Anna Bello, Juan, Beltrez, Christopher Belyusar,,Nadav Ben Shitrit, Maher Benham, Kayla Benjamin, Hicham Benkada, Phurbu Bhote Sherpa, Anastasiya Biloblotska, Massey Blakeman, Matthew Blume, Lizeth Francy ,A Bonilla Caballero, Yaakov Brezak, Julissa Brito, Colby Brittain, Sophie Brittain, Zuzanna Bronczyk, Patrick Browne, Jeffrey Bryak, Alexandra Buesgens, Irena Butcher, Taylor Butler, Nicole Bytnerowicz, Tiffany Cales.Ticiana Camargo-Panagis, Carlos Alberto Campoy Rodriguez, Jenny Cann, Victoria Carolina, Divita Casada, Stephen Catullo, Admira Cemalovic, Shuk Han Chan, Noella Chan Hunter, Shyendra Chandrasena, Proloy Chaudhuri, Michael Checkett, Andrew Chee, Jason Chen, Kevin Chu, Donna Cicchesi, Lenny Ciotti, Sarah Cohen, Ashley Corbiere, Mayumy Cordova Lozano, Jessica Corsino, Dylan Cortes, William Cosper, Tiarah Coston, Daniel Crosby, Jessica Cummings; and

(D-L) Ben Dayan, Alexander De La Vega, Madeline Deleon, Matthew Delgado,, Carolina Dellepiane, Sophia Deverell, Bernard Devlin, Defne Dilsiz, Steven Diodonet, Patrick Diston, Maya Divack, Maggie Dong, Volodymyr Dorodkin, Zeudis Escalona, Courtney Essien, Chelsey Fasano, Noah Fleiss, Iga Flores, Nicholas Fosmire, Steve Fred, Kyle Gagen, Alena Garver, Tiffany Gentry, Lydia Georgantzi, Hope Goldstein, Maria Gonzalez, Allan Gonzalez, Tazhiana Gordon, Janis Grant, Iyana Grogan, Emilia Grycuk, Krystal Gulisano, Corie Hahn, Devin Hammond, Elizabeth Hammond, Wes Hardin, Chontel Harris, Brandi Hassouna, Felicia Haupt, Sheryl Henneberger, Anja Hernandez, Nicholas Herrera, Lina Huang, Shanshan Huang, Ricardo Hughes, Josef Jacome, Bojana Jankovic, Barbara Javoriota Jenkins, Eunju Jeon, Eunsun Jeong, Kevin Jesmain,Suilan Jon Del Rosario,Somia Kamal, Nadjanara Katehis, Christina Kavanagh, Shane Kearns, Sean Kelleher, Ulanda Kesl, Masoumeh Khadempour, Asim Khan, Sun Young Kim, Bohdan Klotska.,Daewoong Ko, Sekou Koulibaly, Evangelia Krana, Winston Kruger, Magdalena Krzyzewska, Kiwook Kwon, Zoe Kypuros, Jovany Labardy, Heather Lacapria, Michelle Lai, Sin Tung Lam, Urgen Lama, Jie Lan. Amanda Lascano, Hyojin Lee, Sang Yun Lee. Jinho Lee, Misa Lee, Cynthia Lendor. Or Levy, Dorotea Levy De Szekely, Eleonore Ley, Yujun Liang, Chao Lin, Jenny Lin Chen, Reuben Lirio, Qi Liu, Gabrielle Loneck; and

(M- Z) Mardiya Magnus Asamoah, Clarissa Martinez, Alexis Martinez, Kemily Martinez Juan Martinez, Junko Matsunami, Chrissy Mazey, Iryna Mcdonald, Natalya Medina,, Karen Medlin, Dmitry Medvedev, Maria Mella, Danica Mijovic, Cristyn Mingo De Los Santos, Tenzin Mingyur, Monalisa Moldovan Solicd, Mahin Monsoor, Daniel Moore, Kelsey Moran, David Morrin, Nellyel Munoz, Ritienne Muscat, Alexandra Napp, Rasul Nekzad, Jessica Nelson, Colette Nelson, Itoko Nemoto, Steven Novick, Joseph Oakes, Samantha O’brien, Marlon Ocampo, Edward O’hare, Yana Olshevskaya, Yana Panchenko, Emmanuel Perez, Stephanie Perez. Delilah Perez, Alicia Persaud, Azaliia Persits, Karona Pich, Lidia Piorkowska Elias Poland, Abigail Prestol, Ashley Przestrzelski, Dewi Puspita, Jian Qin, Chuyin Qiu, Victor Ramirez, Reshma Ramsarup Md. Masud Rana, Youcef Rebrab, Jazmin Rendon, Quinn Rhi, Grisel Rivera, Nathalie Rivera, Anika Rivera, Michael Rojko, Alexia Roldan, Julian Rolof, Leslie Romero Rodriguez, Katherine Rosario, Britania Rose, Jessica Rosenthal, Ineese Russell, Breanna Sabo, Nigina Safarova, Mehmet Sahin, Julian Sapala, Sheila Sarkar, Michael Seifert, Abdullah Shahed, Zhijie Shao, Valeriya Sharypova, Maya Sherpa, Sumi Sherpa, Rosalie Sherrod, Thamy Shirley, Richard Short, Efrat Shoval, Grace Silk, Charles Silverio Da Silva, Emily Simon, Andre Simon, Sara Sirag, Brittany Smith, Grace Spaulding, Margaret Spoddig, Jordan Stern, Grethel Suazo, Goumattie Sukraj, Jennifer Sung, Kazumasa Suzuki, Brian Tai, Catalina Tanase, Fnu Tenzin Choedon, Paola Terolli, Courtney Thomas, Mateja Tokic, Valentine Tonaj, Kevin Towler, Chau Ying Tse, Ian Turner, Tania Veloz, Jamel Vilfort, Javier Villegas, Angela Vuyst, Soheir Wahba, Max Waldroop, Jian Wang, Jasmine Washington, Meghan Wolfe, John Woytalewicz, Jinyu Wu, Tiantian Xia, Lina Xu, Yuanhe Ye, Jee Young Yoo, Younes Zerhouni. Fusheng Zhao, Haojun Zhao and Ya Han Zhu.

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) community celebrated recently tenured and promoted faculty at a reception on September 28 in the Shirley Fiterman Art Center.

BMCC President Antonio Pérez and Provost and Senior Vice President Karrin E. Wilks hosted the event, which is part of the college’s ongoing efforts to recognize faculty achievement.

“We are here to celebrate not just accomplishments, but milestones such as gaining tenure and becoming a permanent part of the fabric of BMCC,” President Pérez said in his opening remarks.

“We think it is an important part of our cycle of rituals not just to congratulate you but to thank you,” Provost Wilks told the audience. “Reaching this point in your academic careers is a testament to your excellence in teaching, your commitment to our students, your pedagogical leadership, scholarship and research.”

Before the event closed, BMCC Professor of Art Thaddeus Radell gave remarks in honor of his colleague, Charles McGill, who passed away in July 2017 and would have been among those honored at the reception. “Charles McGill was colossal not only in the physical sense, but in the sense that he was a key member of our faculty, very serious about his art, and really devoted to his teaching,” Radell said. “His students loved him.”

Newly tenured and promoted faculty

Joel Barker and Achraf Seyam, Accounting;

Shoba Bandi-Rao, Heather Finn, Shane McConnell, Rosario Torres and Oksana Vorobel, Academic Literacy and Linguistics;

Yan Chen and Hao Tang, CIS;

Margaret Barrow and Kelly Secovnie, English;

Lisa Grace, Gloria McNamara and Yuliya Shneydermann, Health Education;

Charles McGill, Howard Meltzer and Joyce Moorman, Music and Art;

David Allen, Barbara Lawrence, Christopher McCarthy and Hong Yuan, Mathematics;

George Stevenson, Media Arts and Technology;

Silvia Alvarez-Olarra, Sophie Marinez, John Thomas Means, Alicia Perdomo, Silvia Roig and Lisa Sarti, Modern Languages;

Edna Asknes, Nursing;

Alexander Gosslau, Adolfina Koroch, Jun Liang, Kibrewossen Tesfagiorgis, Lauren Wiskstrom, Chiaki Yanagisawa, Hasan Yumak and Shengkun Zhang, Science;

Sheldon Applewhite, Peter Bratsis, Marci Littlefield, Maria Pagan-Rivera, Kelly Rodgers and Amy Sodaro, Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice;

Bertha Ferdman, Bejamin Haas and Christopher Jackson, Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts;

Rebecca Garte and Jean Plaisir, Teacher Education.

Faculty resources related to high-impact learning practices, e-learning, research projects, internal grants and other areas can be found on the BMCC Faculty Affairs page.