Discimus ut serviamus:
We learn so that we may serve.
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QC Boosts Economy by Over $1.8 Billion
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Queens College contributes
more than $1.8 billion
to the local, regional, and state economy, concludes a study released today by Emsi, a labor markets analytics firm.
Emsi’s paper, reflecting fiscal 2017-2018, credits alumni collectively for $1.5 billion, the net impact of former students employed in the regional workforce during the period covered by the report.
Nearly 85 percent
of QC graduates stay in the metropolitan area.
Another $276.1 million in net impact comes from the college’s operations spending, a category comprising payroll and day-to-day expenses related to facilities, supplies, and professional services. That figure is exclusive of research expenditures, which amount to $11 million.
Start-up and spin-off companies launched as a result of the college generated $35.8 million in added income for the New York City metropolitan area. (Emsi defines start-ups and spin-offs, respectively, as companies created to license and commercialize QC technology or knowledge, and companies created and fostered through QC programs or by QC faculty, students, or alumni as a result of their experience here.)
Because QC is committed to promoting supplier diversity, New York State-certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises were a significant part of the vendor pool. In 2018, MWBE participation was 36%, or $1.1 million in actual spending.
Statement by
Chancellor Matos Rodr
í
guez
“This study documents the tremendous annual economic impact that Queens College, one of CUNY’s 25 colleges, has on New York City and the greater metropolitan area,” said CUNY Chancellor F
é
lix V. Matos Rodr
í
guez. “Queens College faculty and staff win millions of dollars of research and philanthropic grants. The college’s alumni are collectively responsible for $1.5 billion in impact. Clearly, Queens College—like its sister institution City College, which recently released a similar report, and like CUNY—is a vital New York institution that makes powerful contributions to the economy of both the city and state.”
"With a total impact of $1.8 billion to the economy, it should not come as a surprise that Queens College is a critical component to not only Queens County, but also New York City overall,” said President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce Thomas J. Grech. “The economic impact to businesses large and small comes at a very critical time for the Queens economy, as transportation, health care and tourism establish themselves as key drivers to business. We enjoy our ongoing partnership at all levels, including the fostering of internships and mentorships of Queens College students by the chamber and our members."
QC’s economic impact was also expressed in terms of return on investment. The
$4.90 return for each dollar spent by taxpayers
who support the institution represents an annual rate of return of 13.3%. For students, QC offers a return on investment of $5.50 for each dollar spent—an annual rate of return of 17.9%.
Statement by Interim President William Tramontano
“This report provides indisputable evidence that Queens College is not only of life-changing importance to the students who enroll here as part of their pursuit of the American dream, it is a powerful economic engine that generates and drives commerce in support of the entire New York metropolitan area,” said Queens College Interim President William Tramontano.
Emsi’s complete report, executive summary, fact-sheet, and one-page infographic are
all online
.
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Queens Borough President candidates (from left) Costa Constantinides, Elizabeth Crowley, Anthony Miranda, and Donovan Richards appeared in a forum hosted on Monday, February 24, in Campbell Dome by James Vacca (Urban Studies), at far right, and the Urban Studies Club. The winner of next month's special election will serve until the end of the year.
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Students displayed their manual dexterity when the QC chapter of Ascend belatedly marked the Lunar New Year of the Rat with a Red Envelope Lantern meet-and-greet on the evening of Thursday, February 20, in the Q-Side Lounge. During the first half of the event, students made lanterns out of red envelopes, which are traditionally given by elders and married couples to younger family members. The envelopes contain money, to wish the recipient good fortune and luck. Friends also exchange envelopes. In the second half of the event, contestants had to use chopsticks to pick up and transfer as many candies as possible from one plate to another in 30 seconds. The top three finishers received gift cards.
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Minds Over Grey Matter (and Related Topics)
Nim Tottenham (right), director of the Developmental Affective Neuroscience Lab at Columbia University, will deliver the keynote when Queens College hosts the 17th Annual Neuropsychology Research Day on Friday, February 28, from 10 am to 5 pm, in Benjamin Rosenthal Library, Room 230.
Co-sponsored by QC’s Psychology Department, Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Office of the Provost, Neuropsychology Research Day is a CUNY-wide conference at which students and faculty—many of them from the college—showcase their latest research in neuroscience and neuropsychology. Fifteen-minute talks will be offered throughout the day. The conference is free and open to the public; no registration is necessary and visitors can come and go as they please. Undergraduates and master’s students interested in research on campus, graduate school opportunities, and career paths in neuroscience and neuropsychology are encouraged to attend. For more information,
click here
or
contact
Carolyn Pytte
.
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Equipping Students for Success
This week and next, the Center for Career Engagement and Internships is holding events that will help students improve their futures.
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Can’t afford to accept an unpaid position? How To Get a Paid Internship, on Wednesday, February 26, from noon to 1:30 pm, in Powdermaker 108, will share tips for landing a placement that offers more than experience alone. Students will have the chance to speak with employers, peers, and career educators about paid internship opportunities with America Needs You, the CUNY Service Corps, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and HireQC.
The Félix Matos Rodríguez Internship Fund, established last year, provides financial assistance to QC undergraduate and graduate students. One-time awards of $2,400, for 150 hours, are available.
Click here
to review the application description before the event.
The Career and Internship Fair will take place on Monday, March 2, from noon to 2 pm on the fourth floor of the Student Union. More than 60 employers—such as GEICO, New York Community Bank (NYCB), the New York City Department of Education, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Macmillan Publishing Group, Marks Paneth, and Revature—will be on hand to recruit personnel. Students should dress in professional clothes and bring their QC ID card, as well as copies of their resume.
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Student Ambassadors Sought by MoMA/CUNY Arts
The Museum of Modern Art and CUNY Arts have teamed up to offer a student ambassador program this June. Participants will be required to attend a series of behind-the-scenes MoMA workshops that explore modern and contemporary art, as well as art museum professions. Participants will also create a project designed to have impact on CUNY student visitation to the museum. The benefits of ambassadorship include professional development, networking opportunities, MetroCards for roundtrip travel to MoMA to attend program sessions, and a stipend of $1,000 per person.
To apply, submit a resume and cover letter by Friday, March 20, to
[email protected]
. Successful applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States for the whole duration of the program, scheduled for June 8-12 and 17-18.
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New Baseball Exhibit Is a Home Run
A passionate baseball town, New York City has witnessed many of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the sport’s history. For the next month, QC will explore that rich record with the exhibit
Home Base: A History of New York City’s Love Affair with Baseball Told in Art and Artifacts
.
Items on display include:
- Memorabilia of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play Major League Baseball, who made his debut in Brooklyn in 1947.
- Artifacts from New York Yankee greats such as Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra, and Don Larsen—including a baseball signed by Larsen and Berra commemorating the former’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series.
- Historic items from Negro League baseball games played in New York.
- Uniforms from some of the first professional baseball teams to play in New York City, dating back to 1871.
- A collection of baseball cards representing every immigrant who made his major league debut with either the Yankees or Mets.
- A seat from the original Yankee Stadium, constructed in 1923.
- Original artwork by Philip Dewey and Jesse Loving.
- Original ticket stubs and programs from several World Series games, including the 1955 World Series (the only World Series won by the Dodgers while the team was in Brooklyn), 1969 World Series (first Mets World Series championship), and the 2000 World Series (Mets vs. Yankees “Subway Series”).
The exhibit debuted on February 18 and will run through March 15 at the
Queens College Arts Center
, Benjamin Rosenthal Library, 6th Floor.
Home Base
is open Monday–Thursday, 12–1 pm, with additional hours on Tuesday, 4–6 pm; or by appointment (call 718-997-3197 or send an email to
[email protected]
).
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Building Futures:
Ying Zhou
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Making Connections for Tech Entrepreneurs
When Ying Zhou was 15 years old, employed full-time as a lathe operator in a Sichuan factory, she couldn’t have imagined her future. “My education was very spotty after third grade,” says Zhou, executive director of the Tech Incubator at Queens College. Although both her parents were scientists, Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution had overturned the usual social expectations. And so Zhou found herself figuratively yoked to a heavy machine.
What made her future possible was a surprise decision by Chinese universities to recruit selected peasants and workers. Zhou, then 17, was admitted to college as an English major, and graduated in less than three years. Afterward she was employed in a science library and as an interpreter for many organizations. Five years later, an opportunity to study Western-style accounting opened up; Zhou moved ahead to earn an economics degree with a major in accounting in 1984.
The road from factory work in China to helping technology business entrepreneurs and students in Queens is neither straight nor short. Luck, plus lots of talent and determination, play their roles. When Coopers & Lybrand, then one of the United States’ “Big Eight” accounting firms, partnered with the Chinese government to provide practical training to accounting students, Zhou seized the opportunity.
“While working as an auditor for a year in New York, I became fascinated by computers and what we can do with technology,” Zhou says. By that time, she knew she wanted to learn more about computers and study in America. Without a background in computer science (CS), though, Zhou couldn’t be admitted to a CS graduate program. Instead, she enrolled in the CUNY Graduate Center’s doctoral program in accounting, offered at Baruch College, and took as many computer classes as possible.
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The
Q View
is produced by the
Office of Communications and Marketing.
Comments and suggestions for future news items
are welcome.
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