News

Campus Safety Is our Top Priority: A Message from President Munroe In light of recent tragedies on college campuses in Virginia and Idaho, the president discusses safety measures, initiatives and programs that ensure campus safety.

Animal Farm: The Musical Opens BMCC's Theatre program presents “Animal Farm: The Musical,” directed by Theatre Professor and program Chair Charles Anthony Burks, through November 20 at various times in Theatre 2 at 199 Chambers Street. Admission is free and open to the general public. In the original BMCC musical, the classic George Orwell story “Animal Farm” is told through song by a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free and happy.

Social Justice and Equity Centers Celebrate and Support Vast Range of Identities
The President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation supports team projects including the Social Justice and Equity Centers (SJEC), which provide Social Justice Programs, a Pride Center, Multicultural Center and Women’s Resource Center. The programs are located in Room S-340 at BMCC’s 199 Chambers Street campus. “Creating a Pride Center and Multicultural Center alongside our already-existing Women’s Resource Center will strengthen student access to campus-wide support and resources they might not be aware of,” says Tammie Velasquez, Manager of the BMCC Women’s Resource Center and Project Lead for the SJEC. “I’m hoping it will be a home, a place of refuge, celebration and empowerment for everybody to gain a better understanding of their identities, at BMCC.”

Two Student Filmmakers Garner Awards and Tackle Life-Changing Issues 
Video Arts and Technology (VAT) major Renzo Esposito takes on Holocaust denial, racial discrimination and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in his short documentary film “Talk Louder,” winner of the Grand Jury Price at the 5th Annual Joyce Forum Jewish Short Film Festival, among other honors. Alumnus Jeremiah Chaparro (VAT, '22), now earning a bachelor's degree in Motion Picture - Production at the University of Miami, just won the Best Student Film Award at the 2022 International Film Festival Manhattan for his short film “Harmony,” which looks at the dangers of isolation. Both students credit BMCC and VAT Professor Anastassios (Tassos) Rigopoulos for challenging them to reach new levels of visual storytelling.

Science Professor Jamal Ali Wins Award for Photonic Research  BMCC Science Professor Jamal Ali has received the Norman Edmund Inspiration Award for his work involving students in photonics techniques and research into optical properties of gray matter in the cerebral cortex of the human brain. "I am grateful to have been recognized for my efforts to motivate students toward Photonics research at BMCC," says Professor Ali. "I want to thank Professor Joel Hernandez, Chair of the Science Department, for his support and creating a space for me to run some of the Photonics experiments with my students." Professor Ali explains that Photonics is a branch of optics that deals with light interaction with matter (atoms and molecules) using optical components such as filters, lenses and polarizers. "The research investigates optical properties of human gray matter in the cerebral cortex and imaging of structural changes and neuron density using spectroscopy and NIR (near-infrared) Optical Imaging Techniques," he explains. The project was funded by PSC-CUNY Research Award Grant Cycle 49 (Brain Imaging) and Cycle 50 (Prostate Cancer Imaging). Earlier support was provided through BMCC's STEP and CSTEP programs.

BMCC Psychology Alumna Michelle Horton Publishes her First Book, Which Began in Class Michelle Horton (Psychology, '22) just published her first novel, “The Covenant of Magic” (Barnes and Noble, 2022), inspired by a Political Science course she took in 2019 with Professor Herbert Fischer. She credits some of the character insights in her novel, as well as insight into her work in the field of cosmetic product development, to what she learned in psychology and other classes at BMCC. She also shares some thoughts on returning to college after working for more than a decade.

Science Professor Yanagisawa Leads Winning Team  BMCC student researchers led by Science Professor Chiaki Yanagisaw won first prize in the clinical category at the 55th Annual Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists Conference held at SUNY Westbury on November 5. Computer Information Systems major Marcus Benoit presented a research poster, "Detailed Statistical Analysis on Breast Cancer," that he co-authored with Professor Yanagisawa and Hofstra University Neuroscience major Valeria Gromova. “Basically, we used modern techniques from machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, to analyze information of cell nuclei extracted from a suspicious mass in a patients' breast and diagnosed whether the sample is from benign cells of normal tissues or malignant cells of breast cancer,” said Professor Yanagisawa.

BMCC Community Impacts City Spending Through Participatory Budgeting Process
On Monday, November 14, BMCC students, staff, and faculty gathered at BMCC's CUNY in The Heights campus to participate in the City’s Participatory Budgeting process, known as "The People’s Money," to determine how $5 million in city expense funding should be spent. Participants discussed issues facing their communities and submitted project ideas on how to solve them. Ideas generated included free SAT and college prep for students, expanded mental health services and after-school programming in low-income communities. “Participatory budgeting a great practice to foster civic engagement, build trust in government and give communities a voice in how their tax dollars are spent,” said Doug Israel, BMCC’s Director of Government and Community Relations. “I was pleased to see our students, staff and faculty take advantage of this opportunity and generate such great ideas that can have a real impact in their neighborhoods.” New York City residents ages 11 and up will be able to vote on these projects starting in May 2023. Winning projects will be funded and implemented starting in June. To submit your own idea by November 18 deadline, visit participate.nyc.gov.  

BMCC Faculty Look to Build Education, Research and Sustainability Partnerships Almost 20 BMCC faculty and staff met with the science and education staff at the Hudson River Park to discuss future collaborative research, STEM and other science-related opportunities that could benefit the BMCC community while promoting environmental stewardship. Hudson River Park, located across West Street from the BMCC campus, is a unique location for college student field trips, internships, experiential learning, and research opportunities. The event was sponsored by BMCC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (CETLS) and BMCC currently serves on the Advisory Committee to the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT).  For information on partnership opportunities with the HRPT, contact BMCC Director of Research Programs, Odaelys Pollard, at opollard@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Announcements

President Munroe Presents at Webinar on Creating Campus Spaces for Student Success 
On November 10, BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe presented in a virtual forum, "Creating Campus Spaces to Support Student Success," hosted by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The forum can be watched on-demand by registering here. In his talk, President Munroe shares how the physical campus space can support hybrid learning, provide multi-use spaces, promote the BMCC mission of inclusion and send a positive message to students, faculty and staff. 

Give the Gift of Sight: Donate Eyewear to Those in Need
In partnership with the Lions Clubs International, the BMCC Office of Evening/Weekend and Off-Site Programs is collecting used eyewear that can be repurposed to help children and adults in need of glasses around the world. Recipients of the eyewear will be provided with new lenses. Please make sure the frames are intact. The drop box is located in the Academic Affairs office, 199 Chambers Street, Room S-715. For more information, contact Antonette McKain at amckain@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Show Your Appreciation: Add a Leaf to the Tree of Thanks 
Stop by the Tree of Thanks outside Room S-350 at 199 Chambers Street to write thank you notes to students, faculty, staff, family, tutors, mentors or anyone else — friends, family or colleagues — to show your appreciation and spread some joy in this season of giving thanks. If you don't want to stop by in person, leave a note of appreciation on our Virtual Tree of Thanks by clicking on the pink circle with the plus sign, on the bottom right-hand corner of the page  — or do both! 

Deadline for Submissions to 2022 Student Film Festival November 27 The BMCC Video Production Club will present the 2022 BMCC Student Film Festival, December 2 at 6 p.m. in Theatre One at 199 Chambers Street. Deadline for submissions to the festival is November 27. The event is free and open to the public. Find out more about submission guidelines and other details here.

Hispanic Heritage Month Continues Through February
An exhibition on student art continues through February 15, and in March, Latino social workers will share their journey. Another event, "Let's Talk about Bad Bunny, Anti-Colonialism and Gender Norms" will take place November 22. Learn more here.

CUNY Startups Offers Free Program to Help Students Jump-Start Their Startups  Let your students know that if they have a startup blueprint, prototype or business plan, CUNY Startups offers a free accelerator program to bring their ideas to fruition. The New Venture Accelerator (NVA 2) is a FREE 10-week program committed to helping students jump-start their startups through engaging workshops and mentoring. Encourage students to apply by December 31 to join a Spring 2023 collaborative experience, where students with distinct entrepreneurial goals launch their businesses.

Enrollment

Winter & Spring 2023: Advisement and Registration Open
Students value the advice and support of BMCC faculty and staff. As trusted influencers, please encourage students to meet with their advisor to track their academic progress and set a plan for success. Things to know: All students must meet with their advisor before registering. Students can register on CUNYfirst or meet with a Panther Station Specialists on Zoom. When choosing classes on CUNYfirst, students should pay close attention to the class meeting mode (in-person, online or hybrid), as well as the class session (15, 8 or 7 weeks). Students attending in-person or hybrid classes must upload proof of vaccination. For more information, visit the Registration page or contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Human Resources

Open Enrollment for Flexible Spending Accounts Ends November 18 The City of New York offers its employees a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) program through Internal Revenue Code section 125. The program allows City employees to deposit a portion of their pre-tax income into accounts maintained by certain health and dependent care expenses. Please refer to the FSA website for any updates.

All CUNY Employees Are Mandated to Take These Two Trainings on Blackboard or Zoom
Both CUNY-mandated, 2022-2023 Work Place Violence (WPV) and Employee Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Course (ESPARC) trainings are available on Blackboard. Log into your Blackboard account and select the BMCC ESPARC or WVP training under “My organization." Starting November 22, both trainings will also be available on Zoom and will take two hours to complete as they are presented consecutively. For questions, reach out to your campus Compliance Training Administrator. To schedule a Zoom training reach out to Josefa Larios (jlarious@bmcc.cuny.edu). Here are the dates:

• Tuesday, November 22 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, November 29 at 2:15 p.m. 
• Friday, December 2 at 10 a.m. 
• Tuesday, December 6 at 2:15 p.m. 
• Friday, December 9 at 10 a.m. 
• Tuesday, December 13 at 2:15 p.m. 
• Friday, December 16 at 10 a.m. 

Diversity-Related Programs Available to BMCC Employees
The CUNY University Training Office is offering diversity-related programs this Fall 2022 semester. Courses targeted to staff at all levels, including directors, managers and supervisors, cover topics including how to present persuasively in person or virtually, how to build an inclusive culture, how to move from microaggressions to microaffirmations and more. Before registering for any professional development course, BMCC employees must receive written approval from their supervisor, then complete the Fall Course Registration Form. Next, the BMCC employee and their supervisor will receive a confirmation email from University.Training@cuny.edu within seven business days. Seats are limited, so please register as soon as possible.

Donors and Alumni

Sports and Wellness

Game Day: Watch Live TONIGHT The BMCC Men's Basketball team takes on Monroe College on Thursday, November 17 at 5 and 7 p.m. Watch live here.

Two 20-Point Efforts From Araujo and Andrews Propel Women’s Basketball To Their First Victory of The Season
Freshmen Amanda Araujo (Bronx, New York) and Demaris Andrews (Bayonne, New Jersey) both put up 20-point scoring efforts powering the BMCC women's basketball team to their first victory of the season 49-42 over CUNYAC opponent Queensborough C.C. on Tuesday night at BMCC Gymnasium.

Four Players Score in Double Figures as Men’s Basketball Picks Up First Victory Of The Season
The Panthers put together a complete effort as four players posted double-digit scoring efforts for their first victory of the 2022-23 season fending off CUNYAC opponent Queensborough C.C. 80-69 on Tuesday night at BMCC Gymnasium. 

BMCC Men's Basketball Edged 70-65 On The Road Against Nassau C.C. The BMCC men's basketball team gave Nassau Community College all they could handle but were held off 70-65 in their Region 15 opener on Saturday afternoon in Garden City, New York.

Get Ripped, Stay Fit: Visit the BMCC Fitness Center
Free weights, resistance equipment, cardiovascular equipment and more are available to BMCC students, faculty and staff. Alumni are welcome with the BMCC Alumni Card. Read more here.

Follow the Panthers The BMCC athletic program leads eight varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For more news on the Panthers, visit the official site of BMCC Athletics, and follow the Panthers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Calendar

Theatre Department Presents Animal Farm, The Musical 
November 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

Counseling Center: Feel Better Fast
November 21

Decolonizing Thanksgiving
November 21

Identifying Your Career Strengths: NACE Career Readiness Competencies
November 22

Spring 2023 CUNY Start Information and Registration Session
November 22

The Dialectics of Oppression: Negating Violence, A Talk by Dr. Rami Salameh December 6

Connect with BMCC

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