QView #180 | May 14, 2024

The QC Speech-Language-Hearing Center fielded a delegation for the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Parkinson’s Unity Walk in Central Park on Saturday, April 27. “It was another great year for QC and our students, faculty, and clients,” reports Elizabeth Viccaro (Linguistics and Communication Disorders), who coordinates Reclaiming Your Voice (QView 112) —a no-cost speech and communication program for people with Parkinson’s—on campus. “Michael J. Fox made a surprise guest appearance and said a few words to motivate and support everyone. It was quite inspirational.“

Michael Feuer ’73, author of Can Schools Save Democracy? Civic Education and the Common Good, spoke to education students on Monday, May 6, through Professionals on Campus. Feuer is dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and professor of Education Policy at George Washington University, past president of the National Academy of Education, and nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

He holds a BA in English from Queens College (where he was active in student-run radio station WQMC), an MA in public management from the Wharton School, and a PhD in public policy from the University of Pennsylvania. The event was hosted by the Office of Institutional Advancement.

Dining and entertainment were on the agenda at the 33rd Queens College Gala, which took place on Tuesday, May 7, at a landmark location, 583 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The alumni honored this year were Frank Fan Yu ’94, founding chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Ally Bridge Group, who received the President’s Leadership Award, and Lee Fensterstock ’68 chair and CEO of Fensterstock Associates and chair of the Queens College Foundation, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Olympic Silver Medalist Gail Marquis '80 was emcee for the QC Gala ceremony.

President Frank H. Wu and QC Gala honorees Lee Fensterstock '68 (center) and Frank Fan Yu '94.

A group of performers, all of whom have studied at the Aaron Copland School, provided musical interludes directed by ACSM associate director Edward Smaldone seen here playing guitar.

Lucius Young (far right in photo), chief of District Support and Implementation for the New York City Department of Education, and Jason Borges (next to Young), executive director of the New York City Public Schools Literacy Collaborative, visited the School of Education on Wednesday, May 8, to discuss the NYC Reads Initiative with faculty. A literacy program launched in 2023-24 and phasing in through the next academic year, NYC Reads requires all early childhood education classrooms to adopt the Creative Curriculum, a widely used preschool program. K-5 schools will choose one of three pre-approved, phonics-based reading curricula that have proven to be effective.

From left to right: NYS Assemblyman Sam Berger, Cicely Rodway, William Modeste, and NYS Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson.

Two esteemed SEEK retirees—Counselor William Modeste and English Professor Cicely Rodway—were honored at an event in the James Muyskens Flex Space on Thursday, May 9, when they received proclamations from New York State Assemblymembers Khaleel Anderson ’19 and Sam Berger. President Frank H. Wu delivered greetings and congratulations.

At the Academic Senate meeting on Thursday, May 9, President Frank H. Wu addressed and answered questions on the highlights of the academic year, campus safety measures, commencement plans, and other topics. 

The Political Science Department held its year-end Honors and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 9, recognizing outstanding students and presenting its Distinguished Alumni Award to Leonard Livote ’75. In a more than 30-year career, Livote held numerous positions in the New York State Court system; he is currently justice for the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court (Civil Term) in the 11th Judicial District of New York, serving Queens County. He also spent 27 years in the Army Reserve, retiring in 2012 at the rank of colonel (0-6) and with a job title of senior military judge. As an undergraduate, Livote was active in the Student Association and served in the Academic Senate.

Caregiving was the theme that brought (left to right) musician/author Ali Sethi, psychologist Allison Applebaum, author Joyce Carol Oates, and SongWriter founder/host Ben Arthur to the stage of LeFrak Concert Hall on Saturday, May 11. As reported in QView 179. Arthur came to QC to film an episode of his SongWriter podcast before a live, diverse audience.

Accompanied by banjo player Tony Trischka, Ben Arthur performs with his daughter.

Spring Fest brought fun and games to the Quad.

Women’s Tennis Sweet 16 Bound, Men Earn #1 Seed in NCAA Men’s Tennis East Regional

Looking to book their first trip back to the NCAA Women's Tennis Round of 16 since the 2018-19 season, the Queens College women's tennis team earned the #1 seed in the East Region as they played host to one half of the East Region bracket from May 10-11 inside the QC Indoor Tennis Bubble. Ranked #37 in the ITA National Rankings and #1 seed in the NCAA East Region, the Knights matched up against the #5 seed Adelphi University Panthers Saturday afternoon. The Knights would earn doubles points at the #1 and #3 courts to take an early lead of 1-0 before the singles courts of #6, #4 and #3 clinched the match as Queens earned the victory for a final score of 4-0 and advanced to the Sweet 16. It is the Knights' ninth appearance in the Sweet 16. With the win, the Women’s Tennis Team improved to 14-4 overall on the year.

Earlier in the week, the Queens College men's tennis team earned the #1 seed in the NCAA Men's Tennis East Regional for the 22^nd straight year. The Knights take an overall record of 16-6 into the NCAA Tournament and are coming off earning an East Coast Conference regular season title, their sixth ECC Men's Tennis Championship title in seven seasons, and 10^th overall. While on Saturday, May 4 the Knights won the first ever Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference x East Coast Conference Men's Tennis title to earn the automatic bid to the title. Senior Roni Rikkonen, freshman Tim Andersson, and sophomore Lucas Sotos earned All-ECC Conference honors. Rikkonen followed up his ITA East Region Singles Championship crown by becoming the third straight Knight to earn top ECC men's tennis honors as he was named Player of the Year. The NCAA East Region #1 Bracket was set for Monday, May 13 to Tuesday, May 14 with the Knights hosting the #4 seed University of District of Columbia Firebirds and #5 seed Southern New Hampshire University Penmen inside the Indoor Tennis Bubble at noon. Queens will await the winner of the first-round match between the Firebirds vs. Penmen to determine who will advance to the finals, May 21-25, in Orlando, Florida where Rollins College and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission will serve as hosts.

The 2024 Queens College Baseball team season came to a close Friday afternoon in Game Three of the East Coast Conference Baseball Double-Elimination Tournament. Needing to keep their season alive the #3 seed Knights matched up against #1 seed D'Youville University Saints. The Knights offense tallied nine hits with all starting players recording a hit. All-ECC First Team sophomore right fielder Jorsixt Jimenez drove in the lone run on the day. Queens looked for a late comeback, however D'Youville would hold off the rally and earn a 3-1 victory over Queens.

Keep up to date with campus sports by visiting https://queensknights.com

Revitalized Office of Undergraduate Research Empowers Innovation and Student Inquiry

Alicia Melendez

Nathalia Holtzman

To support and promote research opportunities for undergraduate students across all disciplines, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUGR) has been relaunched under the leadership of Director Alicia Melendez, with support from the office of the Associate Provost for Innovation and Student Success Nathalia Holtzman. The OUGR’s new, user-friendly research opportunity database streamlines the process of connecting students with faculty members seeking research assistants. Other initiatives include an 8-week, full-time, paid summer undergraduate research program (QC SURP) and QC’s inaugural summer research conference on August 21, an opportunity for all students on campus to showcase their research posters. For more information about OUGR, visit its webpage qc.cuny.edu/academics/ougr or contact it at ougr@qc.cuny.edu.

Help by the Pint

You don’t have to be a doctor or a firefighter to save someone’s life. If you’re in good general health and weigh at least 110 pounds—additional height and weight restrictions apply to donors aged 16 to 18—think about donating blood on May 15, when the Health Service Center, Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and the New York Blood Center will conduct a blood drive. Donors can make an appointment or walk in; the drive will take place in the Faculty and Staff Lounge, Student Union 126, from 10 am to 6 pm. Click here for information about eligibility.

AA/ARI Explores AAPI Identities

Interrogating AAPI Identities: Intersectional Scholarship, Organizing, and Transformative Solidarities is the theme of the Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AA/ARI) 2024 Symposium on May 17, 9:30 am to 4 pm, at CUNY School of Law. Students, scholars, community organizers, and practitioners will examine AAPI, a term that encompasses immigrants to the United States with origins from South, Southeast, and East Asia; members from broader Asian diasporic communities as well as those who are indigenous to the Americas; those who become Americans through international adoption from Asian countries; and people of mixed race.

Betty Yu, who describes herself as a “socially engaged multimedia artist, filmmaker, photographer, educator and activist born and raised in NYC to Chinese immigrant parents,” will deliver the keynote. Concurrent panels on NYS AANHPI K-12 Curriculum and Beyond, Identities in K-12 Education, and AAPI Students in Greek Letter Organizations and Online Identity, and an oral history workshop will follow Yu’s speech. After a break for lunch and networking, two half-hour sessions will be devoted to lightning talks and workshops. The symposium will conclude with a performance by Rohan Zhou-Lee, a queer/non-binary Black Asian writer, dancer, trumpeter, and community organizer.

QC Choral Society Presents 83rd Annual Spring Concert

The Queens College Choral Society, Vocal Ensemble, Treble Choir, and Orchestra will pool their talents to perform Mozart’s Requiem—the composer’s last work, which he died before completing—on Saturday, May 18, at LeFrak Concert Hall. Schubert’s Mass in G Major and Lili Boulanger’s Psalm 24 are also on the program. James John, music director of the QC Choral Society, will conduct. The concert starts at 8 pm. Tickets are $25 ($5 for students with a valid QCID at the box office); purchase through the Kupferberg Center Box office at 718-793-8080 or online.

Happening in the Borough

The Queens Night Market (QNM) —which USA Today named the Best City Food Festival in the United States—resumed operations late last month. There is no better place in the world’s borough for sampling the world’s cuisines; on any given night vendors prepare specialties from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin and South America. The market, located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park behind the New York Hall of Science, is open on Saturdays from 4 pm to midnight through Halloween, with two weeks off for the U.S. Open.

Speaking of global attractions, Queens Theatre is marking the 60th anniversary of the 1964 World’s Fair with Theaterama!, a monthly series running through October. (During the fair, the building that would become the Queens Theatre was known as Theaterama.) This month’s event, taking place on Sunday, May 26, is 1964/65 World’s Fanfare Part I. Evoking a parade that took place in 1964, World’s Fanfare will feature people carrying the flags of many nations; the group will make stops for pop-up performances and a demonstration of Akido, a Japanese martial art first seen in the United States at the fair. Marchers will leave the Unisphere at 2 pm. To join the lineup—for free!—register in advance at World's Fan Fare Celebration: Flag Parade. Participants will be asked to wear clothing reflecting their heritage.

Hemel Meghani Cosme, manager of the pickleball program at QC, has been inducted in the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame . . . . John Dennehy (Biology) is a co-author of “From sewage to safety: Hospital wastewater surveillance as a beacon for defense against H5N1 bird flu” an op-ed published in STAT News . . . . Shonelle George (Counseling & Psych101) will be presenting a workshop, “The Anatomy of Care: Fostering Psychological Safety in the Classroom,” at the Brooklyn College Faculty Day Conference on May 15 . . . . Yung-Yi Diana Pan, interim executive director of AA/ARI, was named to the Politics NY AAPI Power Players List . . . . Jennie Pu ’09 MLS, director of the Hoboken Public Library, is one of Library Journal’s 50 National Movers and Shakers 2024. Pu oversaw renovation of the library’s makerspace, hired an on-site social worker, and is working to fight book bans . . . . President Frank H. Wu was named to City & State’s Asian Power 100 and the Politics NY AAPI Power Players List .