November 2023

International conflicts have a long reach, particularly at a college named for, and serving, “the World’s Borough.” The news from the Middle East is particularly painful and distressing for our campus; members of our community have family in Israel and Gaza, as well as in neighboring countries. I assure everyone that Queens College welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds and ask only that everyone treat each other respectfully. Over the past few weeks, I have shared several communications with the college community regarding the Middle East, including opportunities for discussion and dialogue organized by the Office of Compliance and Diversity. Please watch your email for information about future sessions and updates.

After the devastation of World War II, the Fulbright Program was launched in the hope that educational exchange would promote peace and understanding. In the ensuing decades, many Queens College faculty and students have gone overseas to study, conduct research, and teach, courtesy of Fulbright awards. I’m delighted, but not surprised, that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named QC a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Leader for 2023. The designation recognizes HSIs for their Fulbright participation. QC has plenty of company within CUNY. Five other campuses—Baruch College, City College, the College of Staten Island, Hunter College, and LaGuardia Community College—are also on the list of Fulbright HSI Leaders, which means that CUNY has the most HSI leaders of any university system in the United States. 

While I’m on the subject of studying and working in other countries, I’ll put in a plug for the Queens College program that gives students the opportunity to teach English in Vietnam during the summer. The next information session for prospective applicants will be held over Zoom on Monday, November 13, from noon to 1 pm. Students can reserve a place here.

Students and faculty from around the world enrich campus life and find success at Queens College. Case in point: Malaika Qaisar and Hannan Ahmed, the top-scoring team in the QC round of this year’s Blackstone LaunchPad Ideas Competition, came here from Pakistan. Their business concept falls within the consumer products and services category. I had the wonderful opportunity last week to congratulate the winners and their mentors. I commend Malaika and Hannan on their win and wish them the best of luck on December 8, when they will represent QC in the CUNY-wide tier of the contest. They have also entered the TechImpact Startup Competition hosted by the QC Tech Incubator and Accompany Capital, which helps immigrant, refugee, and underserved entrepreneurs grow their businesses. I wish all the LaunchPad participants continued success, both academically and professionally.

Luc Marest (Economics), campus director for Blackstone LaunchPad; President Frank H. Wu; Blackstone student participants Tashifa Farooq, Nicole Haller, Emily Haller, and Ming Lei; Karl Mitchell (Economics), mentor for contestants.

From left: Marest, Hannan Ahmed, Malaika Qaisar, Wu, and Karl Mitchell

With Queens College alumni holding prominent positions in every conceivable field, students have access to an extensive professional network. On November 1, business and accounting students got an overview of the assurance practice at BDO. Everyone paused for a group photo, below.

Donuts were on the menu during the Summit for RAW (Resident Appreciation Wednesdays) on November 1.

Elsewhere on campus that day, we celebrated Harvest Fest.

The following morning, I was the opening speaker at the Asian American and Pacific Islander Summit at the invitation of its host Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, with whom I’d had a meeting six months ago. The event featured congressional leaders from New York and Washington. In the photo at right, I'm joined by Senator Gillibrand and fellow Summit participant John Wang, a QC alumnus and prominent business leader in Flushing.

TIME 2000 (see QView 159), Queens College’s groundbreaking program in math teacher preparation, has graduates working at schools across New York City. On Friday, November 3, the program held its 20th annual Celebrating Mathematics Teaching conference, attended by hundreds of high school students and their mathematics teachers along with TIME 2000 students and faculty. The event featured a keynote by Christine Franklin—University of Georgia emerita professor and a fellow of and K–12 statistics ambassador for the American Statistical Association—and dynamic mathematics lessons. I wish my math classes had been that exciting! A special guest at the conference was Joshua Brumberg, professor of psychology at QC and the CUNY Graduate Center and now the center’s interim president. I gratefully commend Alice Arzt and her great team for 25 years of operational service in leading this innovative program.

Alice Arzt at the podium

Registration

Keynote speaker Christine Franklin

On Saturday, November 4, at our invitation, Mayor Eric Adams visited both the Louis Armstrong House Museum and the new Louis Armstrong Center (watch video). As far as we know, this was the first time that a New York City mayor has seen first-hand the home of the incomparable jazz giant. It follows a recent visit by NYC Department of Education Chancellor David Banks. We look forward to future educational collaboration benefiting students, teachers, and parents throughout the city.

Congratulations to our men’s soccer team, who are headed to the East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship match! Last Saturday, the Knights defeated Mercy College, 4-3, in the ECC semifinal. The Knights trailed 3-1 with just 20 minutes remaining, but rallied to score three goals, including the tiebreaking goal by freshman forward Tommy Gunn with just eight seconds left to give the Knights a thrilling victory.

The Knights will host the championship game this Saturday against the University of the District of Columbia. The time of the match has yet to be announced. Should the Knights win, they would earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament! I hope you can make it to the game and give them your support! Be sure to check https://queensknights.com/ for the latest updates.

Under a longstanding arrangement with the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, art and historical artifacts from its collection can be displayed in campus offices, mine included. Now, through a new Queens College School of Arts program, work by BFA and MFA students is being added to the mix. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of unveiling a piece by Yongyan Jiang, Perception Infinite, in my anteroom on the 12th floor of Kiely Hall. Inspired by the artist’s view of the Milky Way through a telescope, Perception Infinite—watercolor ink, airbrush, lettering pen, and calligraphy brush pen on paper—will be shown for the next six months.

From left: Julia Del Palacio, associate dean, Queens College School of Arts; Maria C. Pio, director of education and administration at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum; Yongyan Jiang; Simone Yearwood, interim dean of the Queens College School of Arts and Humanities

This campus has always taken pride in making accommodations that encourage veterans and active members of the military to pursue degrees. The college has two endowed scholarships for student veterans, as well as a fund that awards them grants toward educational expenses. Yesterday, Military Times released its list of “Best for Vets” colleges , and QC was on it. (Victory Media gave the college a Gold ranking on its list of military friendly schools earlier this year.) Tomorrow—Wednesday, November 8—I will have the privilege of speaking at the annual Veterans Day luncheon hosted by the Office of Veteran and Military Support Services.

Before I forget, today—Tuesday, November 7—is Election Day. Polls are open from 6 am to 9 pm. To find your voting site, click here. This year’s ballot includes two proposed amendments to the state constitution. You can learn more about them here.

Looking at the calendar, I realize that Thanksgiving is around the corner. I hope everyone will enjoy the short week, long weekend, and have a chance to relax and spend time with people they cherish.

Stay safe and take care.

PS: There’s still time to register for NYC Men Teach’s fifth annual Innovation in Education conference, hosted by Queens College on November 10. Jarvis R. Givens, a professor of education and African & African American studies at Harvard University, will be the guest speaker; Soribel Genao, professor of educational leadership at Queens College, will moderate. Reserve your place.