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According to the calendar, autumn won’t start for a few weeks. But for me, the season begins with the fall semester, which infuses the campus with energy. I am delighted to see all of you, newcomers and returnees, and I appreciate what each individual adds to our remarkable community.
While many people take well-deserved time off in August, I spent much of the month here.
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We are eager to develop new partnerships between Queens College and other New York City institutions. It was my pleasure to host Michael Lee, president of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), for lunch on Tuesday, August 6. MOCA, which has made great strides in recovering from a devastating fire in 2020, will celebrate its 45th anniversary next year. We are discussing means of working together, both with AAARI (the Asian American/Asian Research Institute of CUNY, housed within Queens College) and Queens College itself. | |
From left: Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson, MOCA President Michael Lee, and I. | |
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Our own Louis Armstrong House Museum (LAHM) has been in the news. On Wednesday, August 14, Governor Kathy Hochul visited LAHM, becoming the first governor to do so. She was accompanied by Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, CUNY Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson Sandra Wilkin, Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry, members of the LAHM Board of Trustees and yours truly. You can join us through this video Governor Kathy Hochul Tours the Historic Louis Armstrong House Museum and Center (youtube.com). I encourage everyone to visit the LAHM. It is world renowned, and we are honored to play a role in ensuring it brings an iconic figure to the world, for his music as well as his advocacy.
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Governor Kathy Hochul tries out Armstrong’s desk . . . | |
. . . and holds one of Armstrong’s trumpets as (from left) I look on with Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and LAHM Director of Research Collections Ricky Riccardi. | |
Everyone loves a cookout! On Thursday, August 15, IT fired up the grill for its annual barbecue outside I Building and Powdermaker Hall. | |
Participants in the QC Summer Undergraduate Research Program (QC SURP) presented their work in a showcase on Wednesday, August 21. Hands-on experience is crucial for aspiring scientists, and I’m proud that Queens College gives students these opportunities. | |
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As a pet lover, I am happy that we provided space in the Colden Auditorium lobby on Saturday, August 24, for a cat adoption event organized by New York City Council Member James F. Gennaro and MeowSquad NYC. Draco, Cindy Clawford, and other kitties found forever homes with ailurophiles who submitted applications in advance to MeowSquad, a Queens-based cat rescue organization. We benefit so much from the support of the New York City Council.
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At “Assessment Fest"—aka Administrative Assessment 101—on August 27-28, supervisors learned best practices for evaluating their direct reports. The program included presentations by Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness Rebekah Chow and Mathematics Professor Christopher Hanusa. I thank Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Patricia Price for organizing this program. | |
John Bowne High School, next door to the college, has a nationally recognized agricultural program that immerses teens in plant and animal science. Director of Undergraduate Admissions Chelsea Lavington and I enjoyed a tour of the facilities on August 27. | |
Professor Emeritus and adjunct faculty member Andrew Hacker (Political Science) is always welcome on campus. He began teaching here in 1971, already 16 years into his academic career. My wife and I caught up with Andrew and his wife Claudia Dreifus, a member of Columbia University’s faculty, for a delightful lunch on Thursday, August 29. | |
From left: My wife, Professor Carol L. Izumi, and I with Professor Andrew Hacker and his wife, Professor Claudia Dreifus. | |
As usual, August was marked by start-of-the-semester rituals. | |
Incoming QC students and their parents received separate campus introductions on Wednesday, August 7. The parents meeting took place in the SU Underground; students gathered on the Quad. | |
QC’s Summer Bridge Program helps Kessler Scholars transition to college; I greeted them on Tuesday, August 13. | |
A week later, Honors Orientation took place in the President’s Lounge, next to the Dining Hall. | |
On Monday, August 26, I spoke to new participants in the Global Student Success Program . . . | |
. . . and the National Student Exchange . . . | |
. . . at their respective orientations. | |
Between those sessions, I swung by The Summit, where residential students were moving in. | |
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To help everyone feel at home, QC threw its customary Welcome Day party on Tuesday, August 27. This video captures the fun.
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That same day, I had the opportunity to meet some of the 2024-25 cohort of TheDream.US Scholars. | |
There was one more orientation that afternoon, for newly admitted students at the School of Education. | |
Then I hosted a well-attended reception in Douglaston for new faculty, new department chairs, and those new faculty hired during the COVID-19 epidemic (when we could not hold an in-person event) on Thursday, August 29. It was a terrific opportunity for faculty and staff to start the semester with camaraderie and good wishes for the academic year ahead. | |
I look forward to seeing what academic 2024-25 holds for the entire campus community. | |
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I’d like to wish all our fall sports teams good luck as the 2024 season gets underway this week! Our men’s soccer team opens on September 5 at home against Assumption University at 7 pm, while the women’s soccer team hosts Southern Connecticut State on September 6 at 3 pm. Cross country will run at the Adelphi Panthers Invite on Friday at 2:30 pm and women’s volleyball opens the season on the road at the Southern Connecticut State Invitational, which takes place September 6 and 7. Women’s and men’s tennis will begin later this month.
I hope to see you at some games this season. Go Knights!
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I'll close with a plug for flu shots. This month and next, faculty and staff can get free flu shots on campus through WorkWell NYC. Appointments are available on September 17 and October 3 from 11 am to 2:30 pm. You can make your appointment electronically at Affiliated Physicians Registration Site - AP Schedule or call 866-481-4391 between 8 am and 6 pm. After booking a slot, you will be able to download and print the consent form, which you should complete and bring with you. If you forget, don't worry; the pop-up clinic, in Kiely 163, will have extras. Please note that the site is wheelchair accessible.
Free flu shots are also available to New York City employees and their families at participating pharmacies and in-network medical offices. For specifics, contact your health insurance provider for more information.
If you have questions, visit on.nyc.gov/wwnycflu or contact Queens College Human Resources at 718-997-4455.
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PS: The Queens County Farm Museum boasts New York City's only maize maze, and it begins challenging visitors this weekend. Before participants are set loose in a three-acre living labyrinth, they attend a stalk talk for pointers. The maize will be open through late October; for dates and times, go to the Amazing Maize Maze.
I look forward to seeing you on campus!
Stay well and safe.
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