Discimus ut serviamus: We learn so that we may serve.
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QView #109 | September 28, 2021
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Danny Burstein Wins Tony Award |
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Seven-time nominee Danny Burstein ’86 picked up his first statue at the Tony Awards on Sunday, September 26. As reported in Entertainment Weekly, Burstein received the Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. In a heartfelt acceptance speech, he paid tribute to his wife, Rebecca Luker—a Broadway star who passed away last year from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—and thanked members of the theatrical community for their kindness while he struggled with COVID. Earlier in the week, his op-ed, “I Lost My Wife. I Won’t Lose Broadway Too,” was published in the New York Times. Burstein is the son of Harvey Burstein (Philosophy), whose retirement after more than half a century was covered in QView 52, and Virginia Vega Burstein ’78.
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In recognition of her decades of outstanding service and dedication to quality and opportunity, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Elizabeth Hendrey was named to Schneps Media’s roster of Power Women 2021. Alicia Alvero, associate provost for academic and faculty affairs, represented Hendrey at the Schneps awards ceremony on Wednesday, September 22. |
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Vice President for Student Enrollment and Retention Richard Alvarez, who is retiring effective October 1, got a proper sendoff on Wednesday, September 22, with a reception in his honor in the Main Dining Hall Courtyard. Alvarez hopes to devote much of his newfound free time to world travel. |
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Colleagues and friends of Clare Rose Consiglio (FNES) dedicated the garden behind Remsen Hall to her memory at a ceremony on Thursday, September 23. Consiglio, who passed away in January after a long illness, was celebrated as the guiding spirit behind her department’s efforts to set up the garden. A Queens native who grew up in Bayside, she earned her master’s degree at QC and chaired the college’s sustainability initiative. |
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Students fortified themselves for the day’s challenges when Student Affairs hosted a Welcome Back Breakfast on Friday, September 24. Denise B. Maybank, CUNY Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management (above, far left), and Jennifer Jarvis, QC Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs (above, far right), addressed the gathering. |
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Representatives from Accenture, Bloomberg, CVS Pharmacy, and Blackstone LaunchPad will be on hand at the Business, Entrepreneur and Technology Virtual Panel presented by the Center for Career Engagement and Entrepreneurships on Friday, October 8, from noon to 2 pm. Here’s the chance for juniors, seniors, and QC alumni to learn about opportunities and network with prospective employers. To attend, sign up in advance; information about joining the meeting will be emailed to registrants.
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Applications Still Open for COIL Fellowships |
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It’s the next best thing to being there: Through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), students are able to interact virtually with counterparts around the world. Faculty who want to find out how to add COIL components to their courses can apply for a COIL Fellowship, which carries a $500 stipend, by October 4 at 5 pm. Fellows work with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and participate in a series of three workshops this semester. While the COIL component takes place solely online, the courses themselves may be on any platform—face-to-face, hybrid, or fully online—and in any discipline. Courses may be existing courses or new courses. For more information, click here or contact Schiro Withanachchi, COIL coordinator.
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Nothing Succeeds Like Access: Reprise |
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The protocol for students participating in hybrid or in-person classes has evolved, and so has the video explaining that protocol. A new version of “What To Know About Campus Access” call it the director’s cut—has just been released. The video, produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing in collaboration with student and faculty leaders and the Department of Drama, Theater and Dance, is part of a series about the resumption of on-campus activities at QC.
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QC and LaGuardia To Create STEM Academy
With $4.6 million in funding from the United States Department of Education (USDOE), Queens College and LaGuardia Community College will enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning for thousands of Hispanic and low-income students.
The five-year grant from the USDOE’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM and Articulation Program (Title III) will enable the colleges to collaborate in the creation of the Queens STEM Academy (Q-STEM). The academy’s goal: to double the number of LaGuardia graduates who make a successful transition to four-year degree programs at QC.
Q-STEM is designed to offer support from the time students are admitted at LaGuardia Community College, which is led by president Kenneth Adams. The project will include outreach to College Now and Early College students, the launch of a learning community cohort model, establishment of a Summer STEM Academy, and faculty and peer mentoring. Over the five years, LaGuardia and QC will forge five STEM articulation agreements, implement joint degrees, and facilitate faculty exchange and shared transfer advisement.
“Queens College is delighted to partner with LaGuardia Community College in preparing Hispanic and low-income students to enter STEM-related fields,” says QC President Frank H. Wu. “As New York looks to rebound from the pandemic, there will be opportunities in every sector of the economy for people with this kind of background.”
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IMA Chapter Gives Accounting Students a Strong Return on Investment |
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Students interested in a career in accounting or finance should consider joining the Queens College Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).
IMA, a worldwide association of accountants and financial professionals in business, is more than 100 years old. With more than 140,000 members and 350 professional and student chapters, the organization is one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession.
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QC IMA Co-president Julia Buksa, an accounting graduate student, and fellow Co-president Jithin Varghese Abraham worked with Jian Xiao (Economics), their faculty advisor, to establish the campus chapter during the Spring 2021 semester.
Buksa believes IMA offers many benefits to accounting students at QC.
Accounting for the FBI
“IMA is a global organization, and they have a network of individuals who are there to guide you," says Buksa. “They provide guidance on your career, whether you are entry level or looking for a more senior role. There are also so many workshops and events that focus on current accounting issues.”
Last spring, QC IMA hosted its first event, in which students discussed a fraud case with forensic accountants affiliated with the FBI. FBI agents discussed white-collar crimes—which often involve illegal accounting practices—and talked about how the FBI uses data analytics during an investigation. The guest speakers also educated QC students on the type of accounting background needed for this type of position, finishing the event with a Q&A session.
“A lot of students were incredibly interested and wanted to know more about a career in the FBI,” added Buksa. “It shows there are so many career opportunities that you may not even know. You don’t just have to do public accounting. You just have to find a way to think outside of the box and find different careers that make you happy.”
Today—Tuesday, September 28—from 5 to 6 pm, QC IMA is hosting its first event of the fall semester, the CPA/CMA Start Guide. The session will feature a guest from Becker, a study platform that assists students in earning their certification in public accounting (CPA) or management accounting (CMA) as well as continuing professional education (CPE) courses. At the virtual event, students will get an interactive overview of the program and will learn about the requirements needed to take CPA and CMA exams. QC IMA students receive discounts from Becker and also have a chance to earn a scholarship which will waive tuition for Becker courses. Students can register here.
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St. George’s Society Helps Seniors Complete Degrees |
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Seniors Yolanda Omigie and Genesia Watters are the newest recipients of St. George’s Society Scholarships, awarded to high academic achievers of British or Commonwealth heritage. They join senior Samantha Mohamed, who received the first such scholarship given a Queens College student in December 2020.
These scholarships offer tuition assistance for the final year of undergraduate study—a last push over the finish line for exceptional students. Mohamed, a political science and elementary education major, found that the aid freed up resources she needed to apply to law school. “The money allowed me to take LSAT prep courses, hire a tutor to help me with the LSAT, and not have to worry about the financial toll it’s going to take on me and my family,” she says. Omigie, an economics major and computer science minor, says of her senior year, “This is the last step, and I have no worries. I can completely focus on schoolwork and finish strong.”
The St. George’s Society of New York (SGSNY), a membership organization founded in 1770, began its scholarship program in 2008. Most of its Scholars are first-generation college students, working adults, and students of color, and many are CUNY students. Beyond financial assistance, SGSNY offers personal and professional mentoring, professional development workshops, and a network of alumni.
A professional, intergenerational community of support is highly valued by the students. For instance, Mohamed, originally from Trinidad, was mentored by a 2018 graduate of Brooklyn Law School. “She spoke to me about her own experience and that really helped me. In my background I don’t really have people that relate to this experience of going to college and applying to law school,” she says.
Of this year’s recipients, Watters earned her associate degree in English at the University of Belize, then came to this country seeking to become a speech pathologist. With a near-perfect GPA in Linguistics and Communication Disorders (LCD), she is also a JFEW Scholar (Jewish Foundation for Education of Women), aiming to go on to earn her master’s and begin her career. Community is important to her. She serves as a peer counselor and is the founder of BLASK-LCD, a support group for Black, Latinx, and other students of color in her program that is advised by Elizabeth Ijalba (LCD).
Coming from multicultural Belize, Watters was attracted to Queens by its diversity, but has learned that nationally, few students of color go on to graduate studies or careers as speech pathologists. The larger racial climate also “takes a mental toll” on students, she says. “The BLASK-LCD group is a support system. It has been great, and we have managed to bring more awareness.”
Believing Matters
Omigie, who moved here from Nigeria, also is a big believer in the value of networks and role models. As treasurer of the QC chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants, she encouraged fellow students to expand their circle by helping them with “applications, internships, resumes, events,” and other steps in meeting with companies and entering the profession. She was recruited to join the National Society of Leadership and Success, a membership organization that sponsors workshops with leaders like Barack Obama and George W. Bush and offers access to a job bank. Omigie recently completed an internship with NASDAQ as part of her journey toward becoming a business analyst.
For her, the St. George’s Society offers a connection to people with common experiences. “I’m super-excited to network with different individuals that are like me. There are a lot of black people in the society,” says Omigie. “I love to network with people who are older than me, learn how they did it, what they recommend, what it’s like.” She especially appreciates the help the St. George’s Society provides in navigating the city. “New York is hard,” she finds, “but you just need a community and it goes upward from there.”
Reflecting on her scholarship, Mohamed is grateful for the financial security it offered. “The money given by the St. George’s Society has helped me not have to stress so much about work or think that things are outside of my realm of opportunity because of how much they cost. I can set myself up better for the future.”
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Poli Sci Students Learn While Serving the Community |
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In a course taught this semester by Keena Lipsitz (Political Science), students are earning academic credit while participating in community service. For one project, students will research their New York Assembly districts and offer public testimony on the current electoral redistricting process; for another, they will assess the experience of voters in Queens and propose ways to make it better. Lipsitz was able to plan these projects over the summer thanks to a grant from a new QC program, We Learn So That We May Serve (WLSTWMS), inspired by the college motto. “The grant gave me an opportunity to rethink my pedagogy and incorporate a service component,” she observes.
Redesign, Refresh, Renew
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That’s the idea behind WLSTWMS. Led by former Vice President for Finance and Administration William Keller and supported by the Queens College Foundation, the program encourages faculty to redesign existing courses or develop new ones that integrate teaching, learning, and community service, enabling QC students to “learn so that they may serve.” Seven grants of up to $5,000 each were awarded in 2021, the initiative’s inaugural year.
“It was fun,” says Lipsitz of her work creating new learning modules for the campaigns and elections course she regularly teaches. For the redistricting project, she is asking students to define their own “community of interest,” which may be connected to history, race, ethnicity, economic status, or other factors. Drawing district boundaries so as to incorporate entire communities rather than split them between multiple districts helps those communities get their voice heard. Through research, including a survey instrument, “Students will define their own communities of interest and draw districts with the goal of providing public testimony online and drawing maps using redistricting tools,” explains Lipsitz. She hopes that this exercise will give participants a deeper grasp of the redistricting process and empower the communities they come from.
Her second service learning module in the course will involve students studying how to improve voter satisfaction and assessing whether polling stations in Queens deliver. While regular voters have committed themselves to casting a ballot, Lipsitz says, “People on the margins might be turned off if voting is too much of hassle or unpleasant.” For this project, students will go to the Queens College polling site in November to observe the general action and observe factors such as waiting times. Then students will analyze their results and submit a report to the Board of Elections.
Across campus, other WLSTWMS grantees are, like Lipsitz, integrating public service into their curricula. QView will cover these courses as they develop.
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Program Incubates In-House Talent
Students are helping startup firms at the Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC) through a program administered by Schiro Withanachchi (Economics) and Ying Zhou (TIQC).
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This semester, 12 students, supported by a scholarship, are enrolled in a credit-bearing internship course taught by Sheldon Wayman (Economics). This class is structured as a consulting engagement that enables the students to work with and provide business advice to four companies—My Trust Fund Legacy, Tailor-Made by Pauline, DigiXchange, and Kazani Beauty—as well as the incubator itself. The students meet with the firms and Wayman on a regular basis and have weekly deliverables.
“The students gain practical experience and apply knowledge from the classroom to real-world projects,” says Withanachchi. “The firms benefit from students’ knowledge in such fields as finance and statistics.”
Last summer, 11 economics and business majors held paid virtual internships at the incubator, offering support to resident companies. Students were mentored collectively and one-on-one by four QC alumni: David Auslander ’85 (chief architect and technology innovation leader at Microsoft), Stacey Dackson-Weir ’93 (VP and director at Structure Tone), Ronald Frank ’68 (managing partner at Ronald S. Frank, LLC; former managing partner at IBM), and Jonathan Vazcones ’11 (VP of Community Reinvestment at M&T Bank). The problems students tackled included understanding companies’ customers, community outreach, data analytics, research, social media and digital marketing, and web design and development.
The TIQC internship program began last spring with a pilot involving six students.
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Aaron Copland School of Music alumnus Keith Patchel, composer-in-residence at New York University’s MusEdLab, passed away last month at the age of 65.
Patchel completed a BFA in music at SUNY Buffalo, where his teachers included John Cage, Morton Feldman, and Lukas Foss. Continuing his education in New York City, he studied at the Juilliard School of Music and earned a master’s in composition from ACSM. Active in punk rock as a guitarist and producer, he was known to a wider audience for his work for the Hayden Planetarium—he wrote the Pluto Symphony, which was nominated for a Pulitzer, for the planetarium and his band provided accompaniment for its Mars show. His other projects ranged from chamber opera to film scores.
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Heard Around the Virtual Campus |
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Nicholas Alexiou (Sociology), director of QC’s Hellenic American Project (HAP), co-moderated a virtual discussion on September 18 with Chris Jaymes, author of Sons of Chaos, a graphic novel set during the Greek Revolution of 1821. The event was jointly sponsored by HAP and the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture . . . .
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