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"Campus Update" is a weekly e-newsletter published by LaGuardia's Division of Communications and External Affairs to provide news and information to the college community.
| | The Division of Communications and External Affairs offers various additional resources to help you share news with the campus, including an event calendar, photography, graphic design, and more. | | |
On June 1, the City University of New York announced the launch of the Institute for LGBTQIA+ Community Engagement and Public History, to be housed at LaGuardia. The institute builds on the work of CUNY's LGBTQIA+ Consortium to serve as a CUNY-wide hub to support LGBTQIA+ students, strengthen campus collaboration and partner with community organizations. A cornerstone of the institution’s work will be collaboration with key partners, such as CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies and the LGBTQ Policy Center at Roosevelt House, among others. These partnerships will help expand archival collections, support graduate research, inform public policy discussions and foster student leadership. The institute will also prioritize community engagement through public exhibitions, workshops, lectures and events—including Pride celebrations—connecting CUNY students with New York City communities while promoting understanding and inclusion.
Read more about the LGBTQIA+ Institute here.
| | LaGuardia Community Celebrates Pride on the Greenway | | |
The college kicked off its lineup of Pride Month events with a festive celebration on the LaGuardia Community Greenway, Wednesday June 3. The event began in the M-Building Lobby with an unveiling of Pride displays created by Casa Ambassadors, followed by a short walk to the Greenway. On the Greenway, attendees had the chance to enjoy a performance by the all-drag queen band The Good Judies, a student fashion show, music, food, games, and more. If you weren’t able to make it to yesterday’s Pride celebration, there’s more programming to come, including the opportunity to march in Queens Pride on Sunday, June 7.
Learn more about upcoming Pride events at LaGuardia here.
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LaGuardia’s 2026 Service Appreciation Ceremony took place on May 28 at LPAC’s Mainstage Theater, honoring 150 employees celebrating 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 years of service. President Kenneth Adams and Provost Billie Gastic Rosado presented certificates and pins to each honoree. Photos from the ceremony are available on Flickr. Among those honored were Dr. Thomas Fink, Professor of English, and Alejandro (Alex) Ibanez, a LaGuardia graduate and College Lab Technician (CLT) in the Mathematics, Engineering, and Computer Science (MEC) Department, both celebrating 45 years of service.
Read more about the 2026 Service Appreciation Ceremony here.
| | LaGuardia, New York City Council Member Julie Won, and Queens Borough President Donovan J. Richards Jr. celebrated the co-naming of 29th Street between Skillman and 47th Avenues as “LaGuardia Community College Way” at a ceremony on June 1. The block is home to the LaGuardia Community Greenway. “The co-naming honors years of advocacy to transform a block of 29th Street into a public greenway for our students and the Long Island City community,” said President Adams during the event. “This transformation didn’t happen by accident. It began as a student-led idea. Thanks to Council Member Julie Won and NYC DOT, this effort grew through the Open Streets program. Today, this street stands as a permanent gathering space for students, faculty, and our neighbors.” | |  | Red Hawks Rising is an annual college tradition highlighting the stories of graduating students. Published in the weeks leading up to Commencement, the series celebrates the dedication, resilience, and achievements of members of the graduating class and is named in honor of LaGuardia’s beloved mascot. This spring, more than 2,400 students are eligible to receive their associate degrees at the 2026 Commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 18, on the Quad at Queens College. This week, the series added three new features, profiling Akiko Hiroyama (New Media Technology: Digital Media), Custodio “Bush” Cardoniga II (Film and Television), and Claudia Martinez (Business Administration: Healthcare Management). Check back here as additional stories are added. | | LaGuardia Faculty and Staff Gather in Little Theater for Closing Sessions | On Wednesday, June 3, President Kenneth Adams shared end-of-year updates at Spring 2026 Closing Sessions in the Little Theater. After enjoying coffee and other light refreshments in the Skylight Area, faculty and staff listened to President Adams’ remarks on various developments across campus, from enrollment and retention rates for the 2025-2026 academic year to fundraising milestones and more. If you weren’t able to attend in person, a recording of his presentation will be available on LaGuardia's Youtube channel shortly. | | | LaGuardia celebrated the creativity and academic excellence of its students during the 2026 Undergraduate Research Day, on June 3. The annual event showcased interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects spanning STEM, social sciences, health sciences, environmental studies, humanities, and technology. Throughout the afternoon, students presented original research through poster sessions. Faculty judges selected eight winning projects, in addition to a "Student Choice" award and a "Social Sciences" award. | | LaGuardia to Observe Summer Fridays Beginning June 8 | | | | As a reminder, LaGuardia is participating in CUNY’s Summer Four-Day Workweek Program, which will be in effect from June 8 through August 14. During this period, campus will be closed on Fridays; please keep the adjusted summer schedule in mind, and be sure to check individual office hours when seeking assistance from your colleagues in other departments and divisions. | | FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES | | Single Use by Professor Bijoyeta Das Receives International Acclaim | Single Use, Professor Bijoyeta Sahoria Das’ first AI-generated short film has won more than 20 awards for Best Short Film and has been selected for screening in more than 40 international festivals and events. The film has been featured in the Bali International AI Film Festival, the Miami Art Tech Summit, the Houston Underwater Film Festival, and more. Professor Das received an EDIT Award in 2025, which supported the film’s post-production process. “There has been a lot of controversy and discussions about using AI, but I wanted to experiment with it, and it resulted in a film that has been widely appreciated,” she says. “I used AI as just a tool or software from my tool kit; the process was driven by my creativity.” | | | Professor Thomas Onorato Selected for HRPT – Research Alliance Scholars Program | Biology Professor Thomas Onorato has been named a 2026 CRSP-Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) Alliance Scholar. The HRPT – Research Alliance Scholars Program supports research, data analysis and resource management goals. Dr. Onorato’s HRPT research project, which he is working on alongside Dr. Ingrid Veras, examines biomolecular soundscapes of the Hudson River, exploring the intersection of aquatic ecology and social capital. Learn more about the HRPT Research Alliance Scholars Program and Dr. Onorato and Dr. Veras’ project here. | | LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES | | |
LaGuardia’s Journalism program and the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives co-hosted a student showcase and inaugural exhibit opening, Girls Just Want to Make Fun: Women of the Inner Circle, on June 3 in the Archives gallery in Room C-768. The exhibit will remain on display through the fall semester. It showcases the work of this year's Gardiner–Shenker Student Scholars, supported by an endowed grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, serving as the fellows' end-of-year showcase. Projects drew from the Archives’ newest acquisition, the Inner Circle Collection, focused on the 102-year-old organization of New York-area journalists and media figures known for its annual political satire performances. “Through their research, our students uncovered not only key historical moments, but also the powerful role media plays in shaping public understanding and political narratives,” said Jennifer Jensen, Director of the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.
Read more about the exhibit here.
| | LaGuardia’s Theater Program received top national recognition at the 2026 American College Theatre Festival (ACTF), earning two national awards and 18 national commendations for its production of At the Wedding by Bryna Turner, directed by Theater Lecturer James Ryan (JR) Caldwell. The national honors included the Citizen Artist Award, which honors theater programs that foster social impact, empathy, and engagement with complex cultural issues, along with the Distinguished Sound Design Award, presented to Caldwell. | | Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Hosts Induction Ceremony for New Members | | On Friday, May 29, the Alpha Theta Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) at LaGuardia hosted an induction ceremony to welcome the chapter’s newest members. The ceremony, which took place in the Little Theater, was followed by a reception in the Poolside Café. PTK is an international honor society recognizing the student leadership, academic excellence and achievements of students enrolled in two-year colleges; students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA and earned at least 12 credits are invited to join at the end of each semester. | | LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative Showcase Celebrates Seven Years of Student Engagement | On June 2, 2026, students, faculty, and community partners gathered in Room E-242 for the LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative (LHI) Showcase, an event celebrating seven years of local and global impact during the 2025–2026 academic year. The showcase highlighted the many ways students from LaGuardia have connected classroom learning with meaningful service, research, advocacy, and community engagement. LHI continues provides students with opportunities to apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges while developing leadership skills and a commitment to social responsibility. | | | Students in Paralegal Studies Program Network, Explore Legal Careers | The month of May was full of opportunities for students in the Paralegal Studies program to network and get a firsthand glimpse of what it means to pursue a career in law. On May 1, the Law Society-Pre-Law League hosted its first annual Law Society Networking Night, bringing together legal professionals from a wide range of practice areas to meet and mentor students in the program, as well as others interested in law. Then, on May 20, students in the program visited Queens County Supreme Court for an inside look at the justice system in action, observing courtroom proceedings and connecting with professionals who work in the courts. And then on May 22, The Yale Law School Office of Admissions welcomed 15 Paralegal students for a private tour and admissions information session. | | 24th Annual Thomson Avenue Film Festival Highlights Short Films and Screenplays by LaGuardia Students | This week marked the 24th Annual Thomson Avenue Film Festival, featuring a series of short films created by LaGuardia students. Due to theater renovations, this year’s festival was held online—the films can be viewed here. On June 4 at 7:00 p.m., an online awards ceremony will be held on Zoom to celebrate the top films and screenplays of the year; audience members can vote for their favorite films in the festival through 6:00 p.m. on June 4. | | | LaGuardia to Partner with Queens Community House on Teagle Foundation’s Knowledge for Freedom Initiative | LaGuardia will partner with Queens Community House on The Settlement Experience: A Knowledge for Freedom Program, supported by a $250,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation. The program will provide promising high school seniors from Queens with the opportunity to participate in a three-week humanities seminar focused on questions of purpose, civic responsibility, and community engagement, followed by a year-long college support and civic engagement experience. As part of LaGuardia’s contribution to the initiative, Professor Jose Fabara will teach a customized summer version of CSE 120: Reading the Biography for Queens-area high school students who are preparing for their college futures. | | LaGuardia Students Share Research, Art, and Creative Writing in Student Publications | | |
As the academic year comes to a close, a wide range of student publications and journals have launched their latest issues:
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The Gadfly: Curated by the Philosophy Club with the support of the Social Sciences Department, the 13th volume of The Gadfly includes research on topics such as Aztec ethical concepts, mindfulness approaches for community college students, and much more.
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Ad Astra: This semester’s edition of LaGuardia’s undergraduate research journal, Ad Astra, features pieces written by students and faculty, spanning topics such as current immigration policies, aquatic and terrestrial microorganisms in Little Neck Bay and more.
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The Queerterly: The second issue of The Queerterly features three graphic narratives focused on the LGBTQIA+ experience, each written and illustrated by LaGuardia students.
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The Lit: LaGuardia’s literary journal features a wide range of poems, short stories, visual art and more; the journal was produced by students enrolled in the English: Creative Writing track’s internship course.
| | Library and Faculty Council Accepting Applications for 45th Annual Library Review Competition | | Applications for the 45th Annual Library Review Competition are open now through July 6. This competition recognizes student research papers that received an A during the 2025-2026 academic year. Last year’s competition received 37 entries on a wide range of topics, including life and earth sciences, artificial intelligence, social justice, cultural bias, and educational issues. The first place winner will receive an Amazon HD Fire Tablet and a certificate of recognition. Please encourage your students to enter the competition here; for more information, students should reach out to Professor Clementine Lewis at (718) 482-5428 or clement@lagcc.cuny.edu. | | | |
- As finals approach, please note our different Study Zones and be mindful of the noise levels in each area.
- As we prepare for the first floor renovation, we have had to move some collections upstairs. Please check in with the Librarian at the Reference Desk if you need help finding anything. And remember to bring the books back down to the Circulation Desk to be checked out.
- The 45th Annual Library Research Review Competition is open to all students who have research papers with a grade of A. Find out how your students can win an award here.
| | Meet with a TIAA Financial Consultant about Retirement | | |
Register for a one-on-one session with a TIAA Financial Consultant to discuss your retirement planning on the following dates:
- Thursday, June 11, 2026 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – E Building, E-407
- Wednesday, June 24, 2026 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – E Building, E-407
Register here.
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CUNY Discount for YMCA Membership
CUNY employees enjoy a 15% off discount on monthly adult or family memberships at the YMCA. Enjoy cardio and strength equipment, fitness classes, swimming pools, basketball courts, racquet sports, and more at the YMCA's 22 different locations throughout NYC.
Get 15% off monthly adult or family membership with your CUNY discount. Enjoy cardio & strength equipment, fitness classes, swimming pools, basketball courts, and racquet sports at 22 locations throughout NYC. Join here.
| | LaGuardia Seeks to Fill Open Faculty and Staff Positions | | Current faculty and staff are welcome to share the openings below with individuals who they believe may be a good fit for the role or apply for the positions themselves. For all LaGuardia openings, visit Employment Opportunities. | | DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DoIT) | | |
Students Must Use New Email System to Access All Official Messages
All official messages to students from the college and CUNY are directed to the new student email system. To receive messages from class instructors via Brightspace and other critical information, students must sign into their new CUNY email accounts. The legacy student email system will be disabled the week of July 6; please urge your students to access their new email account. For more information on how students can access their new accounts click here, or encourage your students to visit the Student Help Desk at B-127.
| | Use Your Free Access to LinkedIn Learning | All CUNY faculty, staff, and students have free access to LinkedIn Learning’s (LIL) 16,000+ online courses in seven different languages. LIL helps faculty teach more effectively by offering expert led courses in pedagogy, instructional design, educational technology, and in demand professional skills. Its flexible, on demand platform helps faculty strengthen curricula with real world applications, stay current in their fields, and better prepare students for academic success and meaningful careers. If you haven’t activated your account, go to LinkedIn Learning and use your CUNY Login credentials to sign up. | | LAGUARDIA IN THE HEADLINES | | "Campus Update" is produced and published by the Communications and External Affairs Division. Faculty and staff who wish to submit items for publication can email CampusUpdate@lagcc.cuny.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday to be considered for publication on Thursday. |
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