Faculty News & Kudos

Dr. Reginald Blake, Dr. Hamid Norouzi, and Dr. Akm Samsur Rahman were awarded a $88,445 grant

Dr. Reginald Blake, Dr. Hamid Norouzi, and Dr. Akm Samsur Rahman were awarded a $88,445 grant for a 22-month period for their collaborative research project “Understanding Climate and Extreme Weather Events in the Greater New York Area” as part of the Department of Energy (DOE) Research and Development Partnership Pilots program. The DOE granted $4.7 million in funding for 35 new projects to colleges and universities that are under-represented in its foundational climate, earth, and environmental science research investments. The grants aim to position under-represented academic institutions to make major scientific contributions in support of the DOE’s science mission.

CUNY’s Black, Race and Ethnic Studies Initiative (BRESI) recently announced the award of 126 grants to fund BRESI-related projects from more than 500 proposals submitted across the University in July. Congratulations to our City Tech awardees and their teams!

• Professor Marzi Azarderakhsh (Construction Management & Civil Engineering Technology)
  Providing Mentored Student Research Opportunity to Achieve Equity and Environmental Justice
• Professor Mary Ann Biehl (Communication Design)
  Self Portraits: Explorations of Identity
• Professor Renata Ferdinand (African American Studies)
  Where My Girls At?: Bringing Black and Latinx Girlhood from the Margins to the Center

BRESI is supported by a generous gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. A complete list of awardees can be found here.

Julia V. Jordan has been selected as the Department’s Distinguished Alumna

Ms. Julia V. Jordan is a Professor Emeritus from New York City College of Technology, CUNY, where she dedicated 40 years of service to excellence in education at her alma mater. Professor Jordan retired in 2021, not before leaving an indelible mark on the department and college. As an educator, Julia inspired countless students and as the Director of the College’s Faculty Commons, she mentored and influenced a myriad of faculty and staff members. Among her contributions to the community, Ms. Jordan serves on the Board of Directors for Spoons Across America as Founding Member and Trustee Emeritus.

Spoons Across America has been selected as the Department’s Outstanding Industry Partner

Spoons Across America, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating children, teachers, and families about the benefits of healthy eating. Spoons mission is to influence the eating habits of children through hands-on education that celebrates the connection to local farmers and the important tradition of sharing meals around the family table. For years, Hospitality Management students have volunteered to help carry out their mission through classroom visits culminating in a prestigious “Dinner Party” event which included students, their parents and friends.

Laura Fung has been selected as the Janet Lefler Academic Achievement Award recipient

The Janet Lefler Academic Achievement Award is given to the graduating Hospitality Management student who demonstrates a sustained commitment to outstanding scholastic achievement.

To see Ms. Fung’s address to her classmates as well as a complete list of the Department’s student awardees, visit the Hospitality Management webpage on the New York City College of Technology website on May 31, 2022. The video presentation will also include messages from Distinguished Alumna, Professor Emeritus, Julia Jordan and Mr. James Grosso, Executive Director of Spoons Across America.

Keith Whitmoyer translated a book written by foundational philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Professor Keith Whitmoyer, adjunct assistant professor of philosophy (Department of Social Sciences) translated a book written by foundational philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty that has just been published (January 2022) by Northwestern University Press. Titled The Possibility of Philosophy, the book presents the notes that Maurice Merleau-Ponty prepared for three courses he taught at the Collège de France. They provide indications of the new ontology that informed The Visible and the Invisible, a posthumously published work that was under way at the same time. 

Caroline Hellman appointed Interim Special Assistant to the President

Professor Caroline Hellman has been appointed Interim Special Assistant to the President assuming many of the responsibilities formerly held by Dr. Stephen Soiffer, who recently retired. She will oversee the Offices of Communication, and Image and Visual Communication, and play a leadership role in managing the external image of the College. Dr. Hellman has served as a Professor in City Tech’s Department of English since 2007 and is a CUNY Leadership Institute Fellow with a strong interest in public higher education policy. We welcome Caroline to her new role at the College!