Discimus ut serviamus: We learn so that we may serve.

QView #225 | March 31

The Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership presented “Pedagogies of Writing Workshop: Designing career-oriented and disciplinary writing assignments” on Monday, March 23. Amy Wan (English), special assistant to the provost on writing, facilitated the session. Participants brought assignments to work on.

Aaron Copland School of Music alumnus and faculty member John Yao was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for Let’s Make Some Noise, a project he describes as “an immersive, interactive music experience.” He led a band in making some noise in ACSM’s Choral Room on Tuesday, March 24.

Left to right: Donovan Richards Jr., President Frank H. Wu, and Kean University President Lamont Repollet.

Kean University President Lamont Repollet, chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education team that conducted a site visit of QC, joined President Frank H. Wu at an Urban Studies class led by James Vacca on Tuesday, March 24, when the guest speaker was Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.

After conducting sessions with staff, faculty, students and alumni on March 23-24, the Middle States team delivered its exit readout in a webinar on March 25. A 17-minute video of the presentation by Chair Lamont Repollet and a separate video message from President Wu and Public Safety Director Chief Vincent Sinclair were repeatedly played in the Q-Side Lounge yesterday—Monday, March 30. The Middle States Commission will issue its formal decision this summer.

The Spring 2026 cohort of Queer Writers at Queens College was joined in the LGBTQIAA+ Resource Center on Wednesday, March 25, by award-winning poet and author Emanuel Xavier. He read from his soon to be released book, Still, We Are Sacred. Students received signed copies of Still, We Are Sacred and Xavier’s other title, Love(ly) Child. Queer Writers at Queens College is a six-week writing workshop that enables queer and trans-identified QC students to hone and strengthen their creative writing skills in a community of peers. 

Xavier invites the Queens College community to join him at his official book launch and signing on April 23, from 6 to 8 pm, at the Stonewall Monument Visitor Center on Christopher Street. Registration is required to attend this free event.

Educator and leadership scholar Washington Collado, a SEEK alumnus, spoke to the QC community and discussed his book Four Pillars To Guide Visionary Leaders on Thursday, March 26. The event, part of the Education Scholars Series, was hosted by the School of Education and the Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program. The talk was followed by a Q&A and book signing.

From left: Social Sciences Dean Kate Pechenkina, Mathematics and Natural Sciences Dean Daniel Weinstein, Eleonora Gianti (Chemistry/Biochemistry), Gilad Rabinovitch (Music), Aniko Szucs (Drama, Theatre), President Frank H. Wu

Faculty Fellowship Publication Program awardees for 2025-2026 met with President Frank H. Wu in the Piano Lounge on Thursday, March 26. The CUNY-wide program assists untenured assistant and associate professors, as well as tenured assistant professors, in the design and execution of essential scholarly writing projects. Faculty receive three credit hours of reassigned time for the spring semester to dedicate focused time to their work.

Students volunteered at several community locations during Knights Day of Service on March 27.

Men’s Tennis Earns Record-Setting Victory

The Queens College men’s tennis team set a program record for consecutive victories last week, earning their 12th straight win after defeating Daemen College, 7-0 on Saturday. 

QC has been dominant all season; they have blanked their last three opponents and have not dropped more than two individual matches in a contest all season. They will look to keep the good times rolling this week when they host Adelphi University on Tuesday and visit Fairleigh-Dickinson University on Thursday. Both matches begin at 1 pm. 

Not to be outdone by their record-setting counterparts, the women's tennis team is enjoying a similar surge, as they claimed 7-0 victories over D’Youville University and St. Thomas Aquinas College last Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. On the season, they are 10-3 overall and a perfect 7-0 in East Coast Conference (ECC) play. This week, they will host Jefferson University on Friday at 1:30 pm. 

While the Knights are dominating on the courts, the outdoor track and field season is also off to a promising start with several Knights earning top finishes in their first meet of the year, held at St. John’s University. For the men’s team, Jalen George won the shot put (13.20 meters), Dorian Boyd placed second in the 400-meter run (50.05), and Daniel DiGregori was third in the 1,500-meters (4:20.99). On the women’s side, Caryl Koprowski claimed first in the 800-meters (2:14.51) and Keira Whitaker won the 3000-meter run in 12:26.49. 

On the diamond this week, the baseball team will host a four-game set versus D’Youville beginning on Friday and the softball team will host doubleheaders against Holy Family University and Mercy University on Friday (2 pm) and Saturday (12 pm) respectively. 

For the latest athletics news, be sure to visit queensknights.com. 

Honoring the Memory of Carol Douglas

Nominations are now being accepted for the Carol Douglas Student Diversity Award 2026. This award recognizes students who have actively engaged with their peers or conducted impactful research that promotes diversity within our community, whether through organizing events, leading initiatives, or advocating for underrepresented groups. Any undergraduate student currently enrolled at Queens College is eligible. Nominations can be submitted with this form by faculty, staff, or fellow students who have witnessed the nominee's dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion at Queens College. The deadline is end of day, Thursday, April 16. 

Douglas, a QC and CUNY alumna, was an administrative executive assistant for the School of Social Sciences and a founding member and leader of the Black and Latinx Faculty and Staff Association.

Nominations Open for Social Justice Award

The University Advisory Council on Diversity (UACD) has opened nominations for the inaugural Michael Seltzer Award for Social Justice Leadership. This award honors the legacy of Seltzer, a former UACD member who dedicated his life and career to advancing diversity, inclusion, and community well-being both within CUNY and in the broader community. Two awards will be issued, one each to a faculty member and to a staff/administrator who have demonstrated sustained, impactful work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and community leadership, particularly in ways that elevate and support CUNY students.

Nominees are expected to have been employed at CUNY full-time for at least five years and demonstrate a record of at least five years of work in the above areas at CUNY, in the broader community, or both.

Nominations are due Friday, April 24, 11:59 am. To nominate yourself or a colleague, submit a 500-word rationale of the ways the nominee meets the criteria above; a CV and up to three links to relevant websites to showcase the nominee’s accomplishments; and a completed nomination form to UACD@cuny.edu.

Awardees will be notified by September 1, 2026, and recognized at an in-person CUNY event scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026.

If you have questions, please email UACD@cuny.edu.

Fellowship for Italian Diaspora Labor Dissertation

The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute is offering a fellowship for doctoral students who are writing their dissertation on any topic involving Italian emigrant and/or Italian ethnic labor and/or working-class life either in the United States or in the wider Italian diaspora. Submissions may come from all relevant fields of study in the social sciences and humanities, including, but not limited to, history, literary studies, film studies, gender studies, and political science. 

The Pietro “Pete” Panto Italian Diaspora Labor Dissertation Fellowship honors the memory of dockworker and labor activist Pietro “Pete” Panto (1910–1939), who was murdered for leading rank-and-file stevedores in a struggle for safe and democratic working conditions on the Brooklyn waterfront.

The fellowship will run for six years, with one award given each year. The fellowship award is $1,000 per year, distributed by check or bank transfer after the awardee is announced. 

Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2026. The winner will be notified on Labor Day, September 7, 2026.

For information about eligibility and how to apply, write the Calandra Institute at calandra@qc.cuny.edu.

Walking with Purpose

The annual Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Unity Walk Parkinson’s Unity Walk will take place in Central Park on Saturday, April 25. The Queens College Speech Language Hearing Center (QCSLHC) is excited to continue its participation and will proudly host a booth at the event. For the fifth consecutive year, the center will field a group of dedicated walkers, including President Frank H. Wu.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s disease research. Every dollar raised for the Parkinson’s Unity Walk will be matched, up to $1.4 million. All proceeds go directly toward finding a cure. 

The QCSLHC is committed to supporting individuals with Parkinson's through its speech program, "Reclaiming Your Voice," based on the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program from the Parkinson Voice Project (PVP). Elizabeth Viccaro (Linguistics and Communication Disorders) shared that “We are honored to provide these vital services at no cost to individuals and their care partners, made possible by the support of the PVP and generous grants from the Light of Day Foundation, the Parkinson's Foundation, and PSC-CUNY.”

On a personal note, Viccaro observed, “The mission of the Unity Walk is especially meaningful to me. My father lived with Parkinson's for over 20 years, and I participated in the very first walk in 1994 to support him and others affected by this challenging condition. Since then, and with the help of everyone at the QCSLHC, I have remained dedicated to raising awareness and amplifying the challenges faced by so many.”

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the contributions of James Parkinson, the surgeon who first described “the Shaking Palsy” in 1817; he was born on April 11. The month recognizes all those affected by Parkinson's. 

People interested in joining QCSLHC colleagues, undergraduate and graduate students, clients, families, friends, and President Wu on the 1.2-mile course should please contact the center at speechcenter@qc.cuny.edu. Participants will need to sign a waiver form. Additionally, you can show your support by joining and making a contribution to the team at Donate to QCSLHC Team.

CUNY Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost Alicia Alvero, a former QC faculty member and administrator, wrote an opinion column about the crucial services offered by the university’s campus-based child centers. Her daughter was served by QC’s Child Development Center . . . . Stephen Pekar (SEES) gave a talk at the United Nations on March 19 as part of "Glaciers in a Changing World: Safeguarding the Planet's Cryosphere," held in conjunction with World Day for Glaciers. Pekar discussed how knowledge of climate and sea-level changes that occurred when carbon dioxide was higher than it is today could help us understand future climate changes . . . . Caroline Rupprecht (Comparative Literature) participated in a conference called "Speaking in Pairs" at Hunter College Art Galleries on March 20. She presented a paper on secondary antisemitism in Gerhard Richter vis-a-vis Jewish photographer Alberto Errera. Forward this link to 1:21 to see her paper

. . . . Anthony Tamburri (Calandra) will be among the honorees on May 28, when the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) will hold its National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala in Washington, DC. OSDIA, the largest and oldest Italian American organization in the United States, celebrated its 120th anniversary this past year . . . . Edisa Weeks (Dance) received an Outstanding Performer Bessie Award in January for 3 RITES: Liberty. The Bessies are the equivalent of Obies or Tonys for the New York City dance community. The research for 3 RITES: Liberty was supported with a PSC-CUNY grant . . . . Queens College once again was rated a Military Friendly School and a Military Spouse Friendly School by VIQTORY, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business. Institutions earned the Military Friendly Schools designation through an evaluation using public data sources and responses from VIQTORY’s proprietary survey.