October 2025

I have wonderful news to report! As some of you may have already heard, the Louis Armstrong House Museum (LAHM) has been named a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG). On September 30, when Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo announced five new CIG members—one in each borough—musicians from the LAHM community of artists offered a brief performance. Here’s a video. Watch NY1 coverage.

From left: Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of New York; Regina Bain, LAHM Executive Director

Admission to the CIG is something to celebrate. Member institutions—all of them privately managed cultural organizations that operate on city-owned property and provide public programming—receive substantial subsidies and capital investments. The five additions to the group bring its membership to 39.

Members of the Louis Armstrong House Museum community of artists (from left): Summer Camargo, trumpet; Nathaniel Williford, trumpet; Ehud Asherie, keyboard; Alphonso Horne, trumpet; Liany Mateo, bass; Bruce Harris, trumpet; Willie Bowman, percussion

LAHM didn’t attain CIG status overnight. A lot of people worked toward this goal, some for more than a decade. I’d like to express my gratitude to Commissioner Cumbo; New York City Council Member Francisco Moya—who represents District 21, LAHM’s “home”; the LAHM Board of Trustees, which I serve on, including its chair, Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson; Assistant Vice President for Governmental and External Relations Jeffrey Rosenstock; LAHM Executive Director Regina Bain; CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and his team; and the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.

Jay Hershenson, Laurie Cumbo

Jeffrey Rosenstock

I continue to host CUNY leaders on campus to discuss expanded opportunities for QC students and collaborations with faculty. On Wednesday, October 1, my guest was Natalie Gomez-Velez, interim dean of CUNY School of Law. 

From left: Concettina Pagano (Psychology), Associate Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs Maria DeLongoria, Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson, CUNY Law Dean Natalie Gomez-Velez, yours truly, Keena Lipsitz (Political Science), Michael Newman (Linguistics)

From left: Center for Career Engagement and Internships Director Zavi Gunn, Nourit Zimerman (Jewish Studies/History), Director of Experiential Education Cristina Di Meo, Carla Cordova Farfan (Immigrant Student Support Initiative), Keena Lipsitz (Political Science), me, General Counsel Dennis Cohen, CUNY Law Dean Natalie Gomez-Velez, Natalie Vena (Urban Studies), Concettina Pagano (Psychology), CERRU Director Iyabo Oyewo-Hall, Tech Incubator Executive Director Ying Zhou, Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Sean Pierce, Michael Newman (Linguistics), Social Sciences Dean Kate Pechenkina

We couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather on Sunday, October 5, when the college’s annual Open House brought prospective students and their families to campus. The presence of faculty, staff, and current students made for a welcoming environment. In particular, I’d like to thank Assemblymember and QC alumnus Khaleel Anderson, who helped bring residents of his Far Rockaway district to the Open House and spoke to attendees; Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Jennifer Jarvis; Assistant VP for Enrollment Management Vivek Upadhyay; and Director of Undergraduate Admissions Chelsea Lavington and the Admissions team.

Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson, a QC alumnus and SEEK graduate, participated in the Open House.

Aracelia Cook, president of the South Ozone Park Civic Association, spoke wonderfully at a pre-Open House event for Far Rockaway residents.

The latest affirmation of Queens College came from the Wall Street Journal, which placed QC sixth on its annual best value colleges list, after Baruch College, Hunter College, Brooklyn College, City College, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and ahead of Lehman College. Yes, you’re reading that correctly: CUNY Colleges Take Top Seven Spots in Wall Street Journal ‘Best Value’ Colleges Ranking – The City University of New York. All of us can take pride in that achievement.

Our fall sports teams are in the midst of another successful season. Men’s soccer has won four straight matches and is in second place in the East Coast Conference (ECC) with a record of 7-1-2 overall and 3-0-1 in ECC play. Forward Bradyn Brown is having an outstanding rookie campaign, leading the ECC in goals with nine.

In women’s tennis, Lilie Bizouerne captured the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Region singles championship last week, becoming the first Knight to do so since 2019.

You can stay up to date on all the latest Knights news by visiting the athletic website: queensknights.com. I also encourage you to support the Knights at our home games throughout the year.

Multiple events taking place tomorrow, October 8, attest to the range of programming available to QC students.

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Latin American and Latino Studies, the Political Science Department, and the Office of Alumni Relations will present “A Conversation with Activist and Author Cristina Jiménez Moreta ’07” at 12:15 to 1:30 pm in Rosenthal Library 230. CUNY Distinguished Lecturer Jiménez, a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship—the so-called “Genius Grant”—cofounded and served as executive director of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth–led organization in the country. In that capacity, she steered national and state campaigns for immigrant justice and played a leadership role in the campaign to implement the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). She was a recipient of Queens College’s highest administrative honor, the President’s Medal. It is an honor and a pleasure to welcome her back to campus.

At the same time, the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Office of Institutional Advancement will hold “Beyond the Degree: Finding Your Future Career in Hydrogeology and Environmental Consulting” in Science Building C207. Nathan Epler ’83, a hydrogeologist with expertise in site assessment, site remediation, chemical fate and transport evaluations, will be the featured speaker. (To attend via Zoom, use meeting ID 819 1043 4546, pass code 585225.)

National Coming Out Day will fall on Saturday, October 11, but it will be observed on campus tomorrow at free hour in Klapper Circle; if it rains, the event will move to the Main Dining Hall. After the scheduled CUNY students, faculty, and staff share their stories, attendees can come up to the mic to share theirs. For tickets—encouraged but not required—click here. This event is made possible through the generous support of the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium in partnership with the New York City Council. Co-sponsors are Queens College Gender, Love and Sexuality Alliance/GLASA, the Queens College Hispanic Club, the Alliance of Latin American Students at Queens College, the Queens College Committee for Disabled Students, Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority at Queens College, and the CUNY Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives.

Also on October 8, Nubian Néné, a CUNY Dance Initiative artist in residence at Queens College for 2025/2026, will teach a free waacking master class in Rathaus Dance Studio 101A from 12:15-1:30 pm. I confess that I am just learning about waacking; per the flyer, the class will involve arm drills, control, lines, walks, and character exploration linked to the music of the disco and house eras. As usual, QC offers innovation to be celebrated!

On the following day, Not In the Job Description, an exhibition of artwork by Queens College staff, will open in the Klapper Hall fourth floor gallery with a reception from 6 to 9 pm. Here’s a chance to see pieces created by a dozen staffers. You can view the show on weekdays (excluding holidays) from 9 am to 5 pm, through October 22. I intend to stop by.

Queens College began holding classes on October 11, 1937, which means that this Saturday will be the college’s 88th anniversary. If you’re unacquainted with QC history—or you want a refresher—I highly recommend this video produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing.

I’ll close this newsletter by commiserating with the many people—veterans and students on active duty; international scholars and students applying for visas; faculty conducting federally funded research; federal employees—who are affected by the federal shutdown. As I noted in my recent mailer, campus operations are unchanged. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and issue updates as appropriate and warranted.

PS: According to recent statistics, more than a third of the people in New York City are foreign born; that figure is even higher in the Borough of Queens. Many members of the QC community are immigrants, or the children or grandchildren of immigrants, often reflecting the rich diversity of Queens County, known as “The World's Borough.” This is my story, too: My parents came to the United States from Taiwan, and my family thrived in this country. At QC, we appreciate and deeply value the contributions of immigrants to the university, city, state, and nation. There will be an “I Stand with Immigrants Day of Action” on October 15 from 12:15 to 1:40 pm on the Quad (rain location: Dining Hall 400). I’ll be stopping by and look forward to seeing you there. May you continue to have a productive and enjoyable semester.