A Message from the President

Dear Colleagues & Supporters:

Welcome to this month’s edition of Press from the Prez. As always, I’m deeply grateful for your unwavering support of Guttman Community College’s students, faculty and staff. It’s because of your commitment that we continue to make strides toward fulfilling our mission and advancing our vision for the future. 

In this issue, you’ll read about some exciting developments and key initiatives that are helping us bring our strategic plan to life. 

This month, we proudly joined the national movement to raise awareness for first-generation college students. By shifting the narrative to one that highlights the strengths and potential of these students, we continue to champion their success. Our focus is on empowering these learners to break barriers, build futures and inspire change. 

Additionally, we hosted a Cybersecurity Roundtable that brought together thought leaders and experts from New York City’s vibrant IT sector. The discussion was not just about presenting our new cybersecurity certificate and degree programs, but also about exploring opportunities for internships, mentorship, and career pathways that will give Guttman students a clear route to success in this dynamic field. 

Perhaps most exciting of all, I’m thrilled to share that Guttman has been awarded nearly $1 million in grants and funding to support our Behavioral Health Pathways program. This is a huge accomplishment, and I want to give special thanks to Interim Dean Curtis Dann-Messier for his visionary leadership and tireless efforts in securing these awards. These resources will help us expand workforce development initiatives, ensuring our students are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Watch for details to be announced soon.

At Guttman, we are transforming lives, shaping futures and building a brighter tomorrow. And I truly believe that the best is yet to come. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey! 

With deepest appreciation, 

Dr. Larry D. Johnson, Jr. ("Dr. J")

Now a transfer student at Fordham, alumna Gianna discusses how Women of GRIT helped her succeed in her classes at Guttman, empowered her to pursue leadership opportunities and gave her the courage to try new things. Make an impact today – to make a gift, visit guttman.cuny.edu/give.

Guttman-Baruch Business Academy Launches

Solidifying a new Guttman/Baruch partnership, Dr. Johnson and Dr. David Wu, president of Baruch College, signed a “2+2” articulation on 11/26 for the Guttman-Baruch Business Academy begun this fall. The program provides seamless transfer between Guttman's Business Administration program and Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business.

State of the University

President Johnson, along with members from the College leadership team and student leaders Sabrina Qi and Kayla Goins attended CUNY’s State of the University event on 11/20 at City Tech. They were joined by Guttman alumna Maria Isabelle Parada ‘16, who was selected for CUNY 50 under 50.

GCC and NYPL: A Community Partnership

On 11/19, Dr. Johnson joined Chief Librarian Meagan Lacy and Provost Paul Refeinheiser to meet with New York Public Library's Stavros Niarchos Foundation branch Outreach and Programming Supervising Librarian Peter Raimondi and Managing Librarian Jhenelle Robinson to expand the College’s working relationship and further essential partnerships for student success.

Popcorn with the President

Each semester, President Johnson welcomes all members of the Guttman community to Popcorn with the President, an informal listening and dialogue session to share ideas and ask questions for the good of the college. This fall, the 11/19 gathering took place at Guttman North.

Brandon Harding and George Jordan:

Leading with Pride in DAPi, Empowering Students with Disabilities

Brandon Harding (pictured back row center) isn’t a member of just one international honor society—he’s a member of two. As vice president of Guttman’s DAPi, he’s earned the distinction of belonging not only to the campus’ chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society, but of meeting the even narrower eligibility requirements of Delta Alpha Pi. DAPi is the only collegiate academic honor society that specifically recognizes high-achieving students with disabilities and develops or enhances skills in leadership, advocacy, and education while fostering disability identity and a sense of community. Read more.

First-Gen Pride! 

Shout-out to the members of our Guttman community on 11/8, National First-Generation College Celebration Day honoring the Higher Education Act of 1965 and all those who benefitted. Student Success Advocate Leslie Mejia wears their pin with pride!

Power to the Poets 

“Voices of Power” resonated on campus 11/8 when guest artist Laney the Poet shared the mic for a spoken word workshop and poetry performance sponsored by student groups United Men of Color and Women of GRIT.

Let’s Talk About It 

Post-election discussions on 11/12 and 11/14 brought the Guttman community together to reflect on their emotions, questions and reactions following the 2024 presidential election. Facilitated by Dr. Andrea Morrell and Dr. Douglas Medina, the sessions created a safe and open space for students, faculty and staff to share their thoughts and promote healthy dialogue with support from President Johnson and Vice President Ambrose as well as Counseling & Wellness Center and Student Life staff.

Sip and Sofrito 

On 11/12, Guttman Peer Leaders hosted Chef Marlin Castillo, who led participants in a Dominican culinary workshop making sofrito, the aromatic Latin flavor staple, and mixing non-alcoholic signature drinks. ¡Buen provecho!

Professional Development: College-Level Reading 

On 11/14, as part of a workshop series focused on the complex skills of reading, faculty learned evidence-based strategies to help all learners become proficient in comprehension and fluency. Inclusion coach and consultant for the Performance Assessment Consortium, Nora Madsen leads professional development that helps faculty in all disciplines incorporate direct instruction for students who struggle with decoding, phonetic awareness and other key components of reading.

Honors Program Facilitates Faculty Research Panel  

Guttman’s Honors program sponsored the 11/14 “What Are You Working On?” panel. Dr. Elizabeth Nicoletti and Professors Cassandra Barnes, Tau Battice and Maya Mason discuss their academic and adjacent work in a recruitment event for students to learn about scholarly careers.

Guttman Hosts Community Board 5 and Borough President Mark Levine

On 11/14, Guttman hosted the Community Board 5 monthly meeting. In addition to presentations from community members, Assembly Members Harvey Epstein and Tony Symone as well as Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine provided updates.  

Cybersecurity Roundtable Brings Industry Leaders 

Guttman’s Career Innovation Hub and Center for Career Preparation and Partnerships held a Cybersecurity Roundtable on 11/19 to gather feedback from leading industry professionals and ensure our cybersecurity program continues to align with current employer demands. The event reinforced the College’s strategic focus on increasing workforce development opportunities that follow up-to-date industry standards and meet market demand. Read more.

“Grizzlies Gonna Give” 

On 11/26, the Office of Student Affairs hosted the annual tradition of a “Grizzly Giving” meal for students to gather for food, conversation, and activities. Special thanks to the Counseling and Wellness Center and the Connect Center for making this a special community event!

Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) Open House 

With swag giveaways, school supplies, pizza and beverages, HUMSS faculty and department chair Dr. Alia Tyner promoted their classes and programs to students choosing a major. Secondary education, liberal arts internship, environmental ethics, and new history courses were showcased at the 11/26 event.

Welcome, Dr. González! 

Dr. Marlyn González, Lecturer Doctoral of Biology, has joined Guttman’s Department of Science and Mathematics. With a background in clinical laboratory science in microbiology and genomics, Dr. González has led critical research initiatives for the health and safety of New Yorkers.

Faculty Furthers the Field of Nature-Based Learning  

Human Services Program Coordinator Dr. Nicole Kras’ articles, “A model for embedding nature-based learning across disciplines: A pilot study at an urban community college,” was published in The Community College Enterprise and “Insights on Island Living: Piloting participant-produced photographs,” in the Journal of Ecopsychology.

On 11/9 Kras presented “Embedding Nature-Based Experiences into the Human Services Curriculum” at the National Organization for Human Services Conference in New Orleans, and on 11/14, “Green and Blue Spaces: Pathways to Better Health. What is the Evidence?” at the Regional Conservation Partnerships Network Gathering at the University of Amherst.

Financial Aid Expert Addresses Statewide Peers 

Director of Financial Aid Dr. Cristina Ortiz-Harvey presented “Connecting the Dots By Navigating Satisfactory Academic Progress,” joined by her former Guttman colleague Dr. Kennybel Peña, at the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association conference in Buffalo, NY.

Guttman Contributes to National Career-Embedded Learning Dialogue 

Professional staff from Guttman’s Center for Career Preparation and Partnerships Patricia Jean, Shaina Davis and LaShonna Turner with Business professor Dr. Sebastien Buttet presented on their use of a new Competency Rubric in academic internship courses at the 11/14 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Competency Symposium in a session facilitated by former Guttman colleague Dr. Niesha Taylor.

New Book by Anthropology Professor  

Dr. Kristina Baines’ "Heritage in the Body: Sensory Ecologies of Health Practice in Times of Change,” published by the University of Arizona Press, offers case studies to examine the links between Belizean health and heritage for individuals of Indigenous Maya and Garifuna communities in the U.S. and in Belize.

Alumni and Faculty Present Oral History at Annual Meeting 

Graduates Bashir Juwara, Samantha Ruiz-Correa, Sadaf Majeed and Thierno Diallo traveled with historian Dr. Samuel Finesurrey to present their work entitled “Embodied Violence and Relentless Resilience: Tracing the Residues of Structural Violence in Immigrant Oral Histories” at the Oral History Association in Cincinnati, Ohio on 11/1.

2024-’25 CUNY Faculty Fellow 

Dr. Douglas Medina, political science professor, received a 2024-’25 CUNY Faculty Fellowship Publication Program award to support the writing of his book that delves into two transformational moments in CUNY’s history: the take-over of parts of City College in 1969, leading to the Open Admissions policy in 1970; and the fiscal crisis of New York City, leading to the imposition of tuition for undergraduate students in 1976.

Institutional Research Team Presents on Creating Progress

Guttman’s Institutional Research Team – Elisa Hertz, Nyssa Hasan and Teruo Yokoyama – presented “A SAGE Approach to Institutional Effectiveness” at the 2024 North East Association for Institutional Research Conference in Newport, Rhode Island. The IR team presented how the SAGE framework uses the formula Purpose + Process + People = Progress to support unit-level planning and advance college goals.

Board Member Appointed to State Commission 

Jeffrey Gu, co-founder and policy director of Make Us Visible and Guttman Community College Foundation Advisory Board member, has been appointed to a three-year term on New York State’s inaugural 15-member Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission.

A $44,000 grant through CUNY from the New York State Office of Mental Health supports five Human Services students chosen as Mental Health Fellows for the Fall 2024 semester. Selected fellows are interested in careers focused on mental health and participate in professional development and mentoring experiences throughout the academic year. Professor Nicole Kras and CCPP Director Patricia Jean co-administer this grant addressing the critical need for a more diverse and inclusive mental health workforce.

Guttman has received more than $24,000 from the University to support the Math Start Program for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The program, led by Associate Director of Pre-College Programs and Academic Success Laura Fritz Greenlee, offers a collaborative, student-centered learning environment to enhance students' understanding of math and prepare them for college-level coursework.

Yoselyn Peralta, Guttman Class of ’18: “More, Not Less”

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