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

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Two events on campus last week attracted full houses, attesting to the range of interests within the college community.

Holocaust denial was the topic when Deborah E. Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, addressed a rapt audience in Rosenthal Library’s Room 230 on the evening of Monday, October 15. The Center for Jewish Studies and the History Department sponsored her lecture, the last event for Homecoming 2018.

First- and second-year computer science students poured into Rosenthal 230 on Wednesday, October 17, at 12:15 pm for a workshop with Google software engineers, three of whom—(from left) Ulrich Palha, Noam Wolf, and Adolfas Lapsys—hold degrees from QC. On the far right is Brendan Collins, University Programs at Google NYC. The Career Center, in a project led by Karen Johnson, hosted this event. Google will also be sponsoring QC’s first 24-hour hackathon www.hackattack2018.com on October 27-28.

Cheryl Littman Appointed Dean of Institutional Effectiveness

Cheryl Littman has been named dean of Institutional Effectiveness after serving as acting dean since 2016. In that capacity, she created the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and held key roles in the college’s recent reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and in our strategic planning process.

Before coming to QC, Littman worked in the CUNY Office of Academic Affairs for 15 years, 12 of them in the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Prior to that, she was a faculty member at Ohio University and a research analyst at the Chicago Public Schools and the University of Chicago, where she earned a PhD in Education.

Littman has presented extensively at conferences and contributed to numerous publications. With her deep commitment to public education and to the mission of Queens College, she will continue to play an important part in the college’s efforts to better support students, faculty, and staff through data-driven decision making and by making information available to faculty and staff.

President Felix V. Matos Rodriguez regularly engages with the Queens-wide community, as these stories show.

On Thursday, October 18, President Matos attended the conference that QC and its Division of Education hosted for principals from Southeast Queens. Here he is with Juan Mendes, the borough’s superintendent for the New York City Board of Education.

On the same day, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown presented President Matos with the 13th Annual Hispanic Heritage Award, honoring his tireless service to the Hispanic community in New York City and Puerto Rico. The Queens Daily Eagle covered the event.

Addressing Employment Barriers Faced by People with Disabilities

The prospect of entering the job market after graduation can induce anxiety in any college student. This is especially true for students with disabilities, who have to decide how or if to disclose their condition to a potential employer. To better prepare students for this challenge, CUNY LEADS (Linking Employment, Academics, and Disability Services) and Queens College hosted a presentation in the Patio Room at noon on October 15 in connection with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

The event featured Taniqua Hunter, an employee of ACCES-VR (Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation), a company that helps individuals with disabilities achieve and maintain employment. Hunter informed the audience that employers must honor requests for accommodations, cannot ask about a disability, and cannot exclude a disabled person from a job opportunity, as long as the person can perform the essential job functions.

Hunter gave advice on when and how to disclose a disability and how to handle any difficult questions on the subject from an interviewer. She discussed the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing a disability during different points of the hiring process.

She also offered words of encouragement to the students in attendance. “You have skills,” she said. “You are not going to an employer for charity. They are paying you for your service and your talent. Remember that. They are not giving you a pass for the hire. You’re going there because you think you are the best candidate for the job. If you meet those requirements, then you are good.”

To learn more about the services offered by ACCES-VR, go to http://www.acces.nysed.gov/vr . On Monday, October 22, a second National Disability Employment Awareness Month event took place in the Patio Room at noon. CUNY Vice Chancellor Chris Rosa, a QC alum, led an employer panel discussion with representatives from JP Morgan Chase, ACCES-VR, Northwell Health, and Maximus. The discussion was followed by a Q&A session and a networking period.

Taking Steps Against Cancer

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Student Association leaders canvassed the campus last week, selling pink SA water bottles for $2 each to raise funds for breast cancer research. On Wednesday, October 17, during free hour, the Office of Serving Learning, the Office of Student Development and Leadership, and the Student Association jointly sponsored a walk around the Quad. Items—such as pens, wristbands, and water bottles—were given away to participants and those who supported the event with suggested donations of $1 to $5. “About 50 to 75 people participated,” reports Emanuel Avila, associate director of Judicial Affairs & Service Learning. “We’ve raised $3,000 so far, and that figure will go up.”

On October 21, the Office of Service Learning teamed up with the American Cancer Society to participate in, fund-raise for, and support the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. “This is the ninth year in a row that we’ve done this,” adds Avila, noting that QC’s involvement affirms the college’s motto, “We Learn So That We May Serve.”

Fund-raising efforts will continue through the rest of the month. Events will be announced at Service Learning’s Facebook page .

Employee Benefits Fair

Thinking of switching your health insurance? Want to learn more about retirement? You can consult experts this week at the Office of Human Resources’ annual employee benefits fair, QC LifeBeat 2018, held in conjunction with the open enrollment/transfer period. The fair will be held on Wednesday, October 24, from 11 am to 2 pm at the Patio Room ; the open enrollment/transfer period ends on October 31. If you have questions, email  [email protected] .

Women’s Tennis and Men’s Soccer Teams Make Playoff Push

As the fall athletic season is winding down, two QC teams are making a push toward the postseason. The women’s tennis team finished the regular season with a perfect record of 9-0 overall and clinched first place in the East Coast Conference (ECC) with a 7-0 mark. Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team has a record of 8-4-2 overall and 5-2-1 in the ECC, and is on the verge of clinching a postseason berth this week.

The women’s tennis team has earned the top seed in this weekend’s ECC playoffs and will host fourth-seeded Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday, October 27 at 11 am at QC. Should the Knights win their semifinal, they will play in the championship on Sunday, October 28 at home at a time to be determined. For fans who cannot make it out to the game, the matches will be streamed live at www.eccsportsnetwork.com  

QC has dominated the competition this year, blanking their opponents in seven of their nine victories; the team looks determined to earn its first ECC title since 2010. The biggest obstacle to an ECC Championship will likely be six-time defending ECC champion, New York Institute of Technology, which narrowly lost to the Knights, 4-3, earlier this season.



The men’s soccer team has come on strong at the end of the season, going unbeaten in its last five matches to put itself in a great position to make the playoffs. In a key victory on October 17, the team overcame a 2-1 second-half deficit to defeat NYIT, 3-2. A draw last Saturday with Bridgeport also helped to put QC in the fourth and final playoff spot with one conference match remaining.

The team can clinch a postseason berth with a win or draw at Molloy College on Wednesday, October 24 at 7 pm. The Knights could finish in first place if they earn a victory at Molloy and get help from the three teams ahead of them in the standings.

Be sure to visit www.queensknights.com for postseason updates on both women’s tennis and men’s soccer.

Remember to Renew Parking Stickers

Faculty and staff parking decals for the 2017-2018 school year expired on October 3, 2018 . Stickers can be renewed here . You’ll need your CAMS user ID and password to log in. For complete instructions, as well as rates, click here . If you have any questions, please call the Public Safety Office at 718-997-4443.

CUNY Gives SUM Attention to Research

A new CUNY website, SUM https://sum.cuny.edu runs stories about work by faculty and doctoral students—including QC’s Yoko Nomura (Psychology) and PhD candidate Jessica Buthmann. Their paper in Child Psychiatry & Human Development documented Superstorm Sandy’s lasting impact on babies in families that experienced disaster-related stress, such as power outages or loss of phone service. The SUM story links to Nomura’s and Buthmann’s profiles, their paper, and coverage it’s been given in other media.

Alicia Melendez (Biology) and Sivan Henis-Korenbilt of Bar Ilan University received a $115,000 grant from the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation to study a deficiency in autophagy, a biological process required for cellular recycling . . . . Robert Vago was honored by the Research Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for his 45 years of scholarship on the sound structure of the Hungarian language, with implications for general phonological theory. The event took place in Budapest in April. . . . SEYS Professor Magnus Bassey will be giving a lecture tomorrow, Wednesday, in Kiely 150 from 12:15 pm-1:30 pm on the role that QC students, primarily education students, played in the 1960s Civil Rights movement – based on his research from the College archives.

President Felix V. Matos Rodriguez issued the following statement on learning of the death of distinguished alumnus and former Queens College Foundation Board member Charles Wang, a prominent entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist.

"Queens College mourns the passing of Charles B. Wang. Born in Shanghai, China, Wang was 8 years old when he immigrated to the United States with his family. After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School, he came to QC, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in 1967. With fellow QC alumnus Russ Artzt, Wang founded Computer Associates International in 1976 and became known as one of the most successful leaders in the technology field. In addition to playing instrumental roles in the development and growth of many tech companies in the United States and China, he had multiple interests in sports, business, and philanthropy. As part of our Professionals on Campus Series, he visited QC this past year to talk to computer science students, including many newcomers from some of the 150 countries represented at the college. To his beloved family, we extend our condolences on their untimely loss, along with our deepest pride and appreciation in recognizing Wang's many contributions to knowledge and to our greater society.”