Connections Vol.7 No. 1

New York City College of Technology

Fall 2014 Vol. 7, No. 1

2,548 Degrees Conferred at 74th Commencement Exercises Monique Ferrell Named Scholar on Campus City Tech Hosts LoopFest XIII New Chancellor at CUNY http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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Freshman Takes Bronze Medal in CUNY-wide Speech Competition

Editor-in-Chief Dale Tarnowieski

Conference Looks at Changing Nature of Brooklyn Waterfront

Contributing Editors Jewel Trowers Escobar Jessica Malavez Denise Sutton

Brooklyn Borough President Honored at BWNC Reception City Tech Is Site for de Blasio Press Conference

Connections is the online magazine of New York City College of Technology of The City University of New York, 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201-1909, Š 2014. All rights reserved.

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Graphic Designer Jamie Markowitz

2,548 Degrees Conferred at 74th Commencement Exercises “2,674 miles. By foot, by boat, by train, hungry and thirsty, hidden and in silence.

2,674 miles is the heroic journey my mother took with my sister in her arms in search of a better life. My mother’s plight gave me an opportunity at a life and an education that she never had,” City Tech’s 2014 valedictorian Maritza Lopez told a captivated crowd of approximately 5,500 fellow graduates, their families and friends.

As a child, Lopez helped her mother collect recyclable bottles to make ends meet. Her biological father was an abusive drug user who abandoned his family. Despite being ostracized by classmates as a “garbage collector,” despite the absence of her father, despite poverty, Maritza recalled that through it all her mother modeled strength: “So I held my head high; I am unashamed and undeterred. Being poor or homeless are not things that define who I am, but they are what made me self-reliant, hardworking and resilient.”

Lopez, who earned a baccalaureate degree in Health Services Administration, not only overcame her challenges, she excelled. Her story impressed and inspired City Tech’s 1,400 graduates attending the College’s 74th commencement exercises on June 3 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.

“The greatest gift I take away from being a student at City Tech is the luxury of understanding that I am not a product of my circumstances.

Instead, I can pave my own path,” said Lopez.

CUNY Vice Chancellor for Research Gillian Small brought greetings from Chancellor James B. Milliken and praised President Hotzler and City Tech faculty for their commitment to teaching as well as enhancing student participation in research. Lucas Almonte, City Tech SGA president, spoke about the importance of living in the present while preparing for what the future holds–after taking a “selfie” from the podium with the graduates in the background.

Dr. Cora Marrett, deputy director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), gave the commencement address, which began with a message of gratitude: “Thank you, City Tech graduates, on behalf of all Americans who stand to benefit from your education.”

Marrett led NSF’s mission to achieve excellence in U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education at all levels. And in her address, she emphasized the importance of technology and innovation to stay competitive in the global marketplace. “City Tech graduates expand the talent that contributes to a global storehouse of knowledge in an international realm with which we are inextricably linked,” said Marrett.

Stressing the importance of diversity, Marrett called City Tech a “beacon of opportunity” and said “the National Science Foundation is proud to be a partner with City Tech in diversity. It is by no means an elusive goal.

“With one foot in the present and one foot in the future, your knowledge is useful for

challenges not yet known. Thank you, City Tech graduates, for developing skills for now and the future, for our nation and beyond,” said Marrett.

President Hotzler acknowledged the Class of 2014 salutatorian (second in class) Milica Jevtic, who earned a baccalaureate degree in computer systems, and is a published author and international karate champion. Jevtic plans to pursue a doctorate that would allow her to combine her passions for technology, art, science and business.

Provost Bonne August presented the candidates for graduation and as soon as President Hotzler finished conferring their degrees, confetti in the City Tech colors of blue and gold rained down on the graduates, bringing a roaring cheer from the crowd.

Among the individuals who contributed to making this commencement a memorable day was soprano Teresa Parker, City Tech’s director of testing, who sang “The National Anthem” and Brian McKnight’s “Win.” City Tech Professor Rabbi Martin Garfinkle delivered the invocation, The Honorable Brian D. Obergfell, a CUNY Board of Trustees member brought trustee greetings, and David Barthold, president of the City Tech Alumni Association welcomed new graduates into the association.

For the first time in the history of the College, baccalaureate graduates (1,291) outnumbered associate graduates (1,257), which is the result of the addition of several new BS and BTech degree programs during the past ten years. http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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City Tech Hosts ‘LoopFest XIII’

In June 2014, the Department of Physics and the Center for Theoretical Physics at New York City College of Technology of The City University of New York hosted LoopFest XIII, the latest is a series of workshops designed to provide a forum to coordinate activities focused on the theoretical challenges from the Large Hadron Collider and the ultra-high experimental precision of a future International Linear Collider.

Scientists from the U.S., Europe and Asia participated in this international event.

Following the tradition of the series, LoopFest XIII focused on the technical aspects of recent advances in precision calculations for processes of interest in particle physics phenomenology.

Areas of particular interest included the potential of the Large Hadron Collider and International Linear Collider for precision measurements, and their role in searching for and disentangling physics beyond the Standard Model.

“Experiments at high-energy particle colliders,” says City Tech Professor Andrea Ferroglia, chairman of the local LoopFest XIII Organizing Committee, “seek to test our understanding of the behavior of elementary particles as well as to search for new and unexpected phenomena.

The job of a certain group of theoretical physicists is to use the mathematical models that they believe describe the behavior of elementary particles in order to predict on paper what experimentalist will see when they collide particles in the lab.

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The comparison between what is predicted through calculations and what is observed in experiments tells us if our understanding of fundamental laws of nature is correct or not. If calculations do not correctly describe what is measured in experiments, it means that the mathematical model we are employing is incomplete and that a new model is needed.

“The mathematical model we currently employ,” Ferroglia notes, “emerged in the early 70s and during the last 40 years survived a very large number of experimental tests. For this reason it became known as the Standard Model. In particular, the Higgs boson, whose existence was predicted by the Standard Model, was discovered in 2012 at Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The talks at the conference described recent predictions for processes measured at colliders, with a particular emphasis on processes measured by experiments carried out at the Large Hadron Collider.”

Two of the members of the Physics Department, Dr. Andrea Ferroglia and Dr. Giovanni Ossola, participated in several earlier LoopFest workshops and are part of the International organizers who brought LoopFest XIII to City Tech. City Tech’s LoopFest XIII Local Organizing Committee also included Professors Ilya Grigorenko, Darya Krym, Viviana Acquaviva, Justin Vazquez-Poritz and Roman Kezerashvili, chair of the College’s Department of Physics and director of the Center for Theoretical Physics.

New Chancellor at CUNY The City University of New York has a new chancellor. James B. Milliken, former president of the University of Nebraska, was named by the Board of Trustees to serve as CUNY’s seventh chancellor in January of this year.

Milliken headed the University of Nebraska system since 2004, but is no stranger to New York City. He earned his law degree from NYU in 1983 and spent several years in the city, serving with the Legal Aid Society’s Civil Division and then working as an attorney for international law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.

“I am honored and excited by this appointment to lead America’s premier urban public university,” Milliken said following his appointment. “CUNY today has a world class faculty, talented students, an outstanding reputation, rising enrollments, increased academic standards and the most diverse student body in the nation. It enjoys significant momentum and unlimited potential.”

Chancellor Milliken brings to CUNY an impressive record of extensive academic and administrative experience and a demonstrated record of success in working with students, faculty, alumni and community leaders to offer quality, affordable higher education.

Monique Ferrell Named Scholar on Campus Assistant Professor of English Monique Ferrell, City Tech’s 2014 Scholar on Campus, presented her lecture, “Screaming Mimis, Laughing Black Medusas, and Other Tales from the Yoke: An Introduction to the Creative Voice and Poetry Reading,” on April 7.

Ferrell has authored, coauthored or coedited five books: Lead, Follow, or Move Out of The Way: Global Perspectives in Literature and Film, Good Writing Made Simple, Unsteady, Black Body Parts, and Her Own Worst Enemy: The Eternal Internal Gender Wars of Our Sisters. Lead, Follow, or Move Out of The Way includes her short story “Go Brooklyn,” and Her Own Worst Enemy includes her original essay “Just Another Bitch on Reality Television: The Intentional Degradation of the American Woman.”

Additionally, Ferrell has a book chapter about actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the use of celebrity, and the modern day civil rights push for nationwide marriage equality in Star Power: On the Impact of Branded Celebrity.

Both her academic and creative texts enjoy adoptions at colleges, universities and high schools nationwide.

Primarily a fiction writer and poet, her writing has been anthologized or featured in leading creative writing publications: Out of The Rough: Women’s Poems of Survival, Rabbit Ears: Poems About Television, Token Entry: New York City Subway Poems, The Place Where We Dwell: Reading and Writing About New York City, Antioch Review, American Poetry Review, North American Review, Puerto Del Sol, Alaska Quarterly Review, Hurricane Alice, Valley Voices, New York Quarterly Review, African Voices,

Brownstone Review, Northeast, Lilith, Cimarron Review, and Quarterly West, among other publications.

Ferrell is also co-founder of 2 Bridges Review, City Tech’s first professional creative writing journal. She has read/performed at the New York Quarterly Reading Series, Barnes & Noble/Long Island Poetry Collaboration Reading Series, the Annual Poetry Festival on Governors Island, among other creative writing venues. She has also conducted creative writing workshops at Colorado Mesa University and Columbus State Community College. Pending/forthcoming projects include a third collection of poetry titled Attraversiamo, a short fiction collection of nine inter-woven stories titled Impetus, a poetry anthology titled Carrying On and Making Noise About It, and a collaborative essay on the various incarnations of the famed Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson titled “The Seduction Deduction: Erotica, Intellect, and the Transformation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.”

Brooklyn Borough President Honored at BWNC Reception In observance of Black History Month in February 2014, the Black Women’s Networking Committee at City Tech hosted a reception for Honorable Eric Adams, new Borough President of Brooklyn.

Professor Mary Alice Browne introduced Borough President Adams, who is a City Tech alumnus and a 20-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, where he rose to the rank of captain. Adams also co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care with the goal of improving the NYPD’s community relations and raising funds for worthy neighborhood causes.

Adams retired from the NYPD in 2006 to represent Brooklyn in the NY State Senate, marshaling a diverse coalition in support of his candidacy. In the

Senate, he quickly became a leader on workers’ rights and quality of life and public safety issues. In particular, Adams effectively organized support against the NYPD’s controversial Stop and Frisk policy and on behalf of gun control.

Adams began his remarks at the City Tech reception by saying that as the Borough President he is “here to serve and not be served.” This sentiment reverberated throughout his talk and extended to some advice for students: “We need classrooms without walls and a campus without borders where students go out into the community and serve. Giving back to the community helps develop the full person.”

Adams also spoke with passion about what Black History Month meant to

him. “Black History Month is about humanity. Look under the fingernails of any immigrant in Brooklyn and you can see the dirt from climbing the mountain of hope and opportunity.” Adams said he wants to bring that hope and opportunity to all Brooklyn residents.

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Hospitality Management Students Help Stage ‘Taste of the NFL’ More than 90 students from City Tech’s hospitality management program volunteered to assist many of the nation’s top chefs at the 2014 Taste of the NFL held at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on February 1. Hospitality Management Professor Joanne Jacus organized and coordinated the students’ participation.

The department also acknowledged the work of Substitute Instructor Rosa Abrieu, former assistant director of food and beverage at the Crowne Plaza Times Square, for doing more than her share to shape City Tech’s participation in the Taste of the NFL event.

Since 1992, each NFL team city has sponsored a food station at the annual foodfest highlighting the cuisine of that city – from New Orleans Creole and San Francisco seafood to sides of beef from Texas. The event was established to help eliminate hunger in each of the NFL cities, with an emphasis on food banks located in a given year’s Super Bowl host city. Taste of the NFL has raised more than $14 million over the years and provided support for food banks that help feed 37 million Americans.

“In view of the important supportive role that so many City Tech culinary and pastry arts students played in the 2014 Taste of the NFL event,” says Hospitality Management Professor Mark Hellermann, “the department was invited to host its own food station.

With the help of numerous students and department Chair Elizabeth Schaible, we were able to offer visitors a unique dish – Cayuga Corn Cakes with Maple Crème

Fraiche and Micro-Greens – featuring food products from New York State.

“Every phase of their preparation for and participation in Taste of the NFL,” Hellermann concluded, “greatly contributed to the students’ learning experience. They worked alongside some of the nation’s most accomplished chefs and also helped make a contribution to helping feed countless individuals and families who are undernourished. They were very proud to be a part of such a worthwhile effort.”

This tribute to the role played by the City Tech students came from Chef Jackson Lamb, Culinary Volunteer Coordinator, Taste of the NFL: “I’ve volunteered with the Taste of the NFL for the past 14 years, ten

of them serving as the Culinary Volunteer Coordinator. This year, we recognized that your program at New York City College of Technology had not only culinary students, but hospitality students as well. Because of this, we were able to put your students into our event, performing prep the day before, prep the morning of the event, staffing the food booths, and staffing a good majority of our front of the house positions. The real troopers were the ones that returned Sunday morning after the event to help me clean up and organize our equipment.

Your professors that I worked directly with, including Joanne Jacus, Mark Hellerman, Liz Schaible and Rosa Abreu, were inspirational to their students and to us.”

City Tech Is Site for de Blasio Press Conference In December 2013, City Tech hosted Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s press conference announcing the appointment of Dean Fuleihan as the next NYC Budget Director. Mr. Fuleihan brings many years of experience formulating and managing large and complex budgets, a skill that the Mayorelect said will serve the City well. Fuleihan made clear his commitment to the progressive agenda of the Mayor-elect, which includes addressing income inequalities, the lack of affordable housing and the necessity of investing in education, from pre-K to college. The mayorelect repeated his pledge to increase funding to CUNY and praised City Tech for its unique and essential contribution to educating a high-tech workforce for the City.

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Conference Looks at Changing Nature of Brooklyn Waterfront Major players in Brooklyn waterfront development, academics and policymakers turned out in March 2014 for a conference sponsored by City Tech’s Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center (BWRC) and City College’s University Transportation Research Center at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

“Has the Brooklyn Waterfront Gone Global – Again?” focused on the waterfront’s rich history and, in particular, the ways the global reach of the waterfront has changed over time. City Tech’s Professor Richard Hanley, conference co-organizer and director of the BWRC, spoke about the role of the waterfront in terms of its past, present and future: its global role before the Civil War and during the Industrial Revolution, the recovering waterfront today, and the challenge of sea-level rise and climate change in the waterfront’s future.

“Container ships almost killed the Brooklyn waterfront. But now that Brooklyn is a global brand, and the borough has experienced a renaissance, it is an open question whether its reborn waterfront will once again have a global reach, and if it does, what will that look like?” said Hanley.

Dr. Russell Hotzler, president of City Tech, presented opening remarks and described the BWRC as a place that produces research that “inspires an expanded view of the world in which we live,” and where coursework has been developed for students not only at City Tech but at institutions across the country.

Richard Hanley, City Tech/BWRC and Daniella Romano, Brooklyn Navy Yard

Conference speakers included Marc Levinson, author of The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger; Prithi Kanakamedala, curator, Brooklyn Historical Society; Philip Orton, Stevens Institute of Technology; Mary Habstritt, industrial and

Poet Cornelius Eady Was Guest Speaker at 2014 Literary Arts Festival

City Tech’s 33rd Annual Literary Arts Festival in April 2014 featured guest speaker and poet Cornelius Eady, the author of seven volumes of poetry, including Kartunes, Victims of the Latest Dance Craze (for which he received the Lamont Poetry Prize of the Academy of American Poets), BOOM,

BOOM, BOOM: A Chapbook, The Gathering of My Name (a Pulitzer Prize nominee), You Don’t Miss Your Water, the Autobiography of a Jukebox, Brutal Imagination (a National Book Award in Poetry finalist), and Hardheaded Weather. He is the recipient of Guggenheim, Rockefeller and NEA fellowships, as well as founder of Cave Canem Foundation, a nonprofit organization for black poets. In addition to reading his work, Eady performed with two members of his band, “Rough Magic” – Concetta Abbate on violin and Charlie Rauh on guitar. City Tech’s Literary Arts Festival is a long-standing tradition that also celebrates student writing along with student readings and performances.

maritime historian; and Michael Marrella, NYC Department of Planning. Roland Lewis, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, moderated panel discussions with Regina Myer, Brooklyn Bridge Park; Thomas Epting, Uncommon Goods; Thomas Outerbridge, SIMS Metal Management Municipal Recycling; Christopher Tepper, Industry City; Alan Washington, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership; Elizabeth Yeampierre, Uprose; Andrew Genn, NYC Economic Development Corporation; and John Liantonio, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

In May, the Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center hosted a Breakfast Talk on + Pool, a proposal for the world’s first water-filtering, floating pool. The talk featured guest speakers Carl Persak, naval architect for the project, and Dong-Ping Wong, a founding member of + POOL. The goal of + POOL is to build a floating pool in the East River along the Brooklyn Waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park that will filter East River water. With no added chemicals or additives, the layered filtration system would incrementally remove bacteria and contaminants to ensure clean, swimmable water that meets both city and state standards. + POOL could be open as soon as 2016.

Robots, Big Data, and a Lot of Sweat In March 2014, the Department of Architectural Technology hosted public lectures by Jonatan Schumacher, director of advanced computational modeling, and Justin Nardone, associate of research and development at Thornton Tomasetti. Using the office’s recent work, including an interactive sculpture competition entry as its lens, the lectures explored the role of the Advanced Computational Modeling group and how it situates itself within the studio as a whole.

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Humanities Department ‘Works in the Works’ Presentations

Victoria Lichterman

The Department of Humanities at City Tech staged a number of “Works in the Works” presentations during late 2013 and the spring 2014 semester.

These included “Sex, Murder, and Communication in Italy: The Case of Amanda Knox,” a talk by Professor Denise Scannell late last year. This presentation shifted the focus from the debate over Knox’s innocence or guilt to a subtle communication phenomenon, which, for many, manifests itself in the performance of Italian identity and culture.

In February 2014, Professor Victoria Lichterman, presented on the research and events that have informed a Reader’s Theatre script, “Genocide Prevention: Can It Be Taught?” which she wrote. The script itself was designed to be presented by high school and college students, and is a teaching tool that may be used by teachers for a performance event or in the classroom, by human rights organizations and by fundraising organizations.

In March, a presentation by Professor Cathy Santore titled “La Nuda” focused

on Titian’s Renaissance painting “Venus of Urbino.” The prevailing view argues that it was painted to celebrate the marriage of the Duke of Urbino, and that it served an edifying purpose. When examined in the light of contemporary correspondence, inventories and texts, an alternative view must be considered. Santore’s presentation placed the work firmly in its cultural context, and showed that the image’s enduring legacy extended long beyond the century in which it was created.

Professor Christopher Swift presented “Space Walk” in April, noting that “No matter how reliable the transits that quantify topography or permanent the stars that orient our headings, our experience of space is never neutral. The radical changes to cartography that occurred in the Renaissance produced an unshakable faith in spatial uniformity. However, geometric space is abstract and cannot account for layers of ideology, perspective, and memory that saturate our experience of the environment.”

Finally, Professor Ahnee Sharon Freeman presented on “Hiding in Plain Sight: Unsung Women Innovators in Jazz” in May. Jazz, according to the late jazz giant and pianist Billy Taylor, Freeman noted, was “America’s Classical music.” However, most of the books written on this topic usually chronicle the careers of male jazz musicians, and the presentation looked at the music and careers of four female musicians: the pianists Lil Hardin Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams and Dr. Valerie Capers, and trombonist Melba Liston. Between them, they worked with everyone from the legendary Duke Ellington to Motown!

Modern Approaches to Attack an Ancient Disease In April 2014, City Tech hosted a presentation

by Professor of Medicine Issar Smith, associate director for programs and development, Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School/ Rutgers, whose research

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has focused on studying the genetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence to better understand the process by which the bacterium causes tuberculosis. The event was organized by Assistant Professor Davida Smyth, Biological Sciences.

Physics Club Presentation Looks at Falling into a Black Hole In its first event of the spring 2014 semester, the City Tech Physics Club presented a talk, “Falling Into a Black Hole,” by Professor Justin Vazquez-Poritz on what falling into a black hole would be like. Various effects of Relativity, such as how time freezes at the event horizon of a black hole, were illustrated with stories involving animated sequences.

According to Professor VazquezPoritz, there are three ways by which falling into a black hole could lead to a tragic ending and how two out of the three ways might be prevented. If, for example, one is able to survive the trip going inside a black hole, bizarre properties of space and time emerge, such as being able to travel backwards in time. He then discussed how the quantum vacuum could be used in order to escape from a black hole. The presentation concluded with a group discussion on plans for a free guided tour of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Canon USA-City Tech Panel Discussion on Counterfeit Electronic Products City Tech and Canon USA held an anticounterfeiting event at the College in May that focused on the manufacturing, sales and proliferation of counterfeit products, and how counterfeiting continues to impact both businesses and society. Engineering students made presentations and Canon set up a display of counterfeit products, which showed how difficult it is to “spot the fake.” During the event panel discussion, a group of experts highlighted the ongoing problem of counterfeit products while looking at specific actions key stakeholders are taking to help protect consumers.

Panelists included Chuck Westfall, technical advisor, Canon USA; Terrence Brady, chief legal officer, Underwriters Laboratories; Professor Masato Nakamura, Department of Mechanical Engineering, City Tech; Mary Beth Quirk, consumer affairs specialist; and Frank Cullen, Jr., executive director of U.S. Intellectual Property Policy, U.S. Chamber

of Commerce. City Tech Associate Provost Pamela Brown was the moderator.

“Most American consumers are unaware of the full risks associated with these potentially dangerous devices,” said Westfall. “Four in ten of the U.S. consumers surveyed don’t know counterfeit consumer electronics can harm them, and this lack of awareness leads to what Canon calls a ‘Confidence Trap.’

Based on Canon’s survey, consumers seem overconfident in their ability to spot a fake, and as a result are at risk of possible harm.”

City Tech student Pirvette Lee pointed out that “counterfeit tech carries significantly higher consequences than a fake Rolex or hastily copied handbag. A phony app can infect your devices with malware, opening the door for damage.”

Underwriters Laboratories’ Brady added, “The knock-off purse is an important crime, but the knock-off charger that can burn your house down or kill you is where our focus is.”

Counterfeiting and piracy also undermine economic development. According to the International Chamber of Commerce, the massive infiltration of counterfeit and pirated goods drains $1 trillion from the global economy and robs over 2.5 million jobs. While unsafe and ineffective products pose a risk to millions of consumers, governments, businesses and society are being robbed of hundreds of billions in tax revenues, income and jobs.

‘Chefs Celebrate City Tech’ Foodfest Attracts Nearly 180 Guests Nearly 180 guests attended the “Chefs Celebrate City Tech” foodfest hosted by the students, faculty and staff of the College’s Department of Hospitality Management in March 2014. More than 20 of the nation’s top chefs and restaurateurs provided tastings of signature dishes and desserts to the delight of all in attendance. Proceeds from the event will help fund scholarships for City Tech hospitality management students.

The star chefs and other participants, many of whom are City Tech alumni, who contributed to the tasting menu, included event chair Michael Lomonaco (Porter House New York), Alejandro Cantagallo (Union Square Events), Philip DeMaiolo (Pier Sixty and The Lighthouse), Feliberto Estevez (Gracie Mansion), Gilles A. Guillou (Club 101), Seth Harkavy (Waterfront Ale House), Michele Kelly (New York Cake Couture), Neil Kleinberg (Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant), Jason Kwintner (JW Marriott Essex House), Julian Niccolini (The Four Seasons Restaurant), Monica Ng (Sirio Ristorante at the Pierre Hotel), Charles Rodriquez (Print Restaurant), Martin Shapiro (Tribeca Grill), Anthony Smith

(The Cosmopolitan Club), Thalia Warner (Cakes by Thalia) and Professors Jean Claude and Louise Hoffman (New York City College of Technology).

Congratulations to the event chair Michael Lomonaco, a 1984 graduate of the College’s hospitality management program, and Elizabeth Schaible, department chair.

Other members of the event planning committee were Rosa Abreu, John Akana, Lynda Diaz, Karen Goodlad, Julia Jordan, Norma Khoury, Susan Lifrieri-Lowry, Susan Phillip, Glenylis Pineda,Omayma Stephan and Joanne Lewis-Jacus.

The department acknowledged the many contributions made by Jewel Escobar and the staff of the College’s Office of Development in the planning phase of the event, including the solicitation of participating chefs and restaurateurs, event promotion, ticket sales, securing items for the evening’s silent auction, and production of a Chefs Celebrate City Tech Journal and other graphics, designed

by Al Vargas and Omayma Stephan, Image/ Visual Communications. It is also grateful to Mr. Vargas for the filming and production of a video highlighting this highly successful event.

Auction items were provided by a number of the College’s generous corporate sponsors and donors, including TD Bank, Bread Depot, Extra Virgin Restaurant, Fornino and De Gustibus Cooking School. Auction items included roundtrip airfare for two; New York City weekends, including hotel accommodations, brunch and dinner for two, and tickets to a Broadway show; lunches, brunches and dinners at top New York restaurants; cooking classes; wine tastings; electronics; gift certificates; an assortments of fine wines and other gift baskets.

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City Tech Looks at ‘Women in the Military’ During Women’s History Month

‘Brother Outsider – The Life of Bayard Rustin’

Pictured left to right: C. Rodriguez; S. Rolon; K. Garcia; L. Almonte, SGA; S. Tabarsi;

E. Fludd, Veteran Support Services; L. Beatha; D. Wong; M. Delus.

City Tech’s Student Government Association partnered with the College’s Office of Veteran Support Services to host a “Women in the Military” forum during Women’s History Month in March 2014. Six guest speakers from Military Women in Power, an all-female veteran task force helping female soldiers and veterans and their families, spoke about some of the challenges facing women in the military today. The speakers shared their experiences as female soldiers and veterans, which included sexual harassment and assault, military sexual trauma, combat/post-traumatic stress disorder, and efforts to create an organization to advocate on behalf of other female soldiers and veterans.

Eric Fludd, from City Tech’s Veteran Support Services, said “college students who are also

veterans of the military have been through many difficult and challenging experiences, particularly for those who have been to war and have graciously served our country. They offer our college community at City Tech a unique, mature perspective on learning. There is much they have to teach us as they make their own way through college. It is now our duty to serve them as they have served us.” At the time, 244 veterans were enrolled at City Tech.

Also in March, City Tech hosted a special presentation, “Understanding the Needs of Our Veteran Students,” featuring guest speaker Jane Hammerslough, clinical coordinator of the Brooklyn Vet Center, Douglas George, LCSW, and Global War on Terrorism Liaison Dwayne Allen.

The College Council’s Committee on Students sponsored a free screening in April of Brother Outsider – The Life of Bayard Rustin.

The film is a documentary about the “lost prophet” of the civil rights movement.

On November 30, 2013, President Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Theatreworks and Clown Cloud Productions Present ‘Wing-Man’ The Department of Entertainment Technology’s Theatreworks Production, in collaboration with Clown Cloud Productions, presented Wing-Man, a multi-media one-man show created and performed

by Mark Gindick at City Tech’s Voorhees Theatre in March 2014. Direction was by West Hyler with projection design by Jason Thompson, choreography

by Danny Mefford, set design by Stephen Marsh, and animation design by Ryan Cushman. Sue Brandt, Professor of Production Management at City Tech, was the lighting designer.

Wing-Man was a laugh-out-loud hilarious and surprisingly poignant “one-clown show” that explored our obsession with social media.

In the tradition of Keaton, Chaplin, Irwin and Shiner, award-winning performer Mark Gindick

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wordlessly battled a series of unexpected 21st century obstacles.

Audiences knew they were in for something very different even before the show began since they were encouraged to keep their smart phones on.

That’s because the stage was transformed into one large video screen that became part of the production itself and was interactive with both the performer and the audience.

Not a word was spoken during the 90-minute comedy; instead, it was Gindick’s comedic talents and interplay with the audience that brought this romantic romp through the Internet to life.

City Tech Stages Two ‘Brooklyn Tech Triangle Tech U’ Panel Discussions City Tech, in collaboration with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, other Downtown Brooklyn colleges and more than 30 participating companies and incubators, was part of a week-long series of events in April to connect the tech, creative and academic communities in the Brooklyn Tech Triangle.

The week included a kick-off event that featured Etsy’s Chad Dickerson, Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of reddit, MakerBot’s CEO Bre Pettis, and Aaron Shapiro, CEO of Huge. City Tech hosted two panel discussions during which faculty and alumni presented on a range

of topics such as what it’s like to be an entrepreneur in the tech industry,

how technology can be used to create sustainable cities, and what impact bio-informatics is having on the health care industry.

The first panel discussion, “Advanced Technologies for Design & Construction,” looked at the next wave of technology for sustainable design and construction.

The second, “Startup 101,” examined what potential candidates should know about working in the entrepreneurial world. The panels consisted of experts in either the design and construction or entrepreneurial sectors.

NEH Fellows Host ‘End of Life Matters’ Forum City Tech’s National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellows hosted the “End of Life Matters: Cultural Competence and Dying” forum in April with guest presenters Professor Charlton McIlwain, New York University, and award-winning photographer Shannon Taggart.

McIlwain, author of Death in Black and White: Death, Ritual and Family Ecology and an expert in the development of the African American funeral home industry, asked “What does culture matter when we talk about dying and burial rituals?”

Starting with the slave trade and the migration of a West African culture of death, McIlwain explained, African American burial and grieving practices gained significant cultural meaning.

Even though West African culture was as diverse as its number of tribes, slaves adhered to the general characteristics of death rituals so as not to upset the connection between the living, the newly dead and the ancestors. In general, African American practices focus on kinship, status of the deceased, the body and the public nature of both the burial and mourning.

McIlwain believes that changes in or the derision of traditional African American death and burial practices contribute to the erosion of cultural meaning.

Shannon Taggart’s photography has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Forbes, Psychology Today and

many other media outlets.

She is the cofounder of the Observatory, an art and events space in Brooklyn.

Taggart grew up in upstate New York near the town of Lily Vale, which is known for its large Spiritualist Pictured left to right: Christine Thorpe, Mery Diaz, Shannon Taggart, Mary community.

Sue Donsky, Charlton McIlwain, Denise Scannell, Gwen Cohen-Brown Spiritualism gained popularity in the mid-1800s, fueled by the Victorian City Tech Professor Mery Diaz pointed out interest in communicating with the dead. that many in the audience were studying Once she had photographed the to work with diverse populations in allied Spiritualists, Taggart was inspired to study health; she asked both panelists what the beliefs and rituals of a Haitian Vodou the audience should take away from their group in her Brooklyn neighborhood. presentation. “We should focus on culture Taggart describes her work with the as opposed to rationality,” said McIlwain.

Spiritualists and Vodou practitioners as “Don’t question or be dismissive, rituals “navigating the line between art and that may not make sense to you have anthropology.” She showed photographs meaning for these people.” of mediums and those possessed Taggart agreed: “Be open-minded to engaging in “spiritual performance art,” other people’s beliefs. That’s what I try to claiming “both groups believe they are do with my photography. I want to open contributing to their community through a dialogue – to start a conversation – these healing rituals.” about differences.” http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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8th Annual City Tech Research Conference & Design Students;” George Tani, “The Mindfulness of Self Centering: The Ten Operating Practices of Service in the Architectural Office Course;” and Kathleen Falk, “Appreciative Inquiry to Best Nursing Thomas Johnstone Costas Panayotakis Practice for Working with Children of The 8th Annual City Tech Research Incarcerated Parents.”

Conference was held in May 2014, Also presenting were Christine featuring plenary speakers Costas Thorpe, “Channeling the Victoria Panayotakis on “Democracy Earle Matthews: A Social Worker’s Against Capitalism: 20th Century Impact on the Lives of African Lessons for a World in Crisis” and American Women from the 1900’s Thomas Johnstone on “To Infinity to the 21st Century;” Adnan Khan, and Beyond.”

Additional presentations featured “Secure Web Services for Energy Management of Wireless SensorPatrick OHalloran, “Hospitality based Smart Home in a Smart Grid Industry Certification As It Relates Environment;” Yu Wang and Xiaohai to Technology Integration;” James Li, “Study of Self-Optimization for Reid, “Exploring the Applications LTE Networks;” Michelle Barfoot, and Implications of Google “Biomimesis/Sculptures on Paper: Glass in the Hospitality Industry: Creating Fine Art with 3D Gaming Conduits or Barriers to Quality Technology;” and Angran Xiao, “An Service Delivery?” Anna Matthews, Information-driven Framework for “Meet Our Students: Cultural and the Integration of Multidisciplinary Linguistic Diversity in the NYCCT Dental Hygiene Program 2013-14 Product Development Activities.” The Academic Year;” Sharon Clarke, conference’s Organizing Committee “Using Printmaking Techniques to was chaired by Assistant Professor of Teach Metacognitive Skills to Art Mathematics Delaram Kahrobaei.

Hospitality Industry Roundtable Looks at ‘Getting Started in the Front of the House’ In March 2014, the first ever hospitality industry roundtable forum, “Getting Started in the Front of the House,” was held at City Tech.

The audience heard industry professionals chronicle their rise from entry-level positions to senior management within the industry. The forum was hosted by Professor Patrick O’Halloran (pictured) of the Department of Hospitality Management and sponsored by The Denihan Hospitality Group (DHG).

Guest speakers were Erika Frias of Edison NY Times Square, Kevin Mejia and Noel Nelson of Affinia Dumont, Ekland Skifteri of InterContiental Times Square, and Nicole Young of Sheraton NY Times Square. Members of the audience included Su Mui, Bentley Hotel, Dynia Mariano, Double Tree, and Carlos Santiago, Bear Dallis Associates. At the conclusion of the presentations an enlightened question-and-answer session took place.

Professor O’Halloran has more than 22 years experience in the hospitality industry in a variety of managerial positions. At City Tech, he teaches courses in Lodging Operations Management, Hospitality Accounting, Hospitality Marketing and Workforce Management in Global Marketplace, among others.

Victoria Earle Matthews Project Lecture The Health and Human Services Department at City Tech, in conjunction with the African American Studies Department, held its first Victoria Earle Matthews Project lecture in April 2014 on how gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation and class intersect to impact health and human services.

Dr. Alma Carten, professor and social worker from New York University, placed Matthews’ life into a broader historical context in her presentation “Making Connections: Social Work Practice in the 19th and 20th Centuries.”

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In her presentation, Dr. Carten emphasized the impact that reconstruction and Jim Crow laws had on Victoria Earle Matthews, shaping her passion for justice Dr. Alma Carter and a life-long commitment to racial and gender equality. Matthews participated in the founding of the Woman’s Loyal

Union, a civil rights organization that worked against racial discrimination and supported the anti-lynching crusade of the journalist Ida B. Wells. Carten expressed her concern that “social work is now drifting away from its mission.” In a nod to the values evident in Matthews’ life work, Carten urged students interested in human services and social work to bring activism back into the profession. “Solving social problems involves more than good intentions,” she said, “we have an obligation to lift as we climb and to improve the conditions of the oppressed.”

City Tech Faculty & Students Design Portable Devise to Monitor Air Quality According to an article by American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) senior staff writer John Varrasi that recently appeared online in Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights (LiveScience. com ), faculty and students at City Tech, inspired by the need to monitor air quality in polluted sections of the Brooklyn waterfront, have designed a portable device that monitors airquality conditions and transmits the data to a smart phone app. AirCasting detects nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity and pollen counts, and while not yet commercialized, its developers envision the AirCasting monitor having a range of applications – from a consumer device that tucks easily into a handbag to a system for helping government agencies monitor public safety.

With support from the New York Hall of Science, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the

U.S. National Science Foundation, City Tech has built 15 air monitors, which they tested with success in New York neighborhoods known for poor air quality and elevated rates of human respiratory ailments.

Andy Zhang, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology at the college, who designed the casing for the device, said there is interest in the air monitor from institutions in California, Colorado, and as far away as Poland, Hong Kong and China. A member of ASME, Professor Zhang – along with many students

Physics Department and Center for Theoretical Physics Host Seminar The Physics Department and Center for Theoretical Physics hosted a seminar, “Aspects of Non-equilibrium Many-body Phenomena in Quantum Matter and Light,” in April 2014. The seminar featured guest speaker and Princeton University Professor Manas Kulkarni. Nonequilibrium quantum and classical systems have been of tremendous interest both in fundamental and applied physics, he noted, adding that recent experimental breakthroughs in atomic, condensed matter physics and quantum optics have given birth to new paradigms for studying out-of-equilibrium quantum systems.

Understanding such phenomena requires an interdisciplinary approach uniting ideas from these diverse fields. In his talk, he addressed non-equilibrium aspects in both isolated and driven-dissipative systems and presented a nonlinear hydrodynamic theory of a strongly interacting Fermi-gas, which showed remarkable agreement with experiments.

on the design team – is now awaiting patent notification on the basic model.

The team plans to improve the monitor capabilities and expand applications, including one that could target terrorism by using bus- and subway-mounted devices to detect chemicals and other substances commonly used in the making of bombs.

Panel Discussion on ‘Justice & Sustainability in Restaurants’ City Tech hosted a panel discussion, “Justice & Sustainability in Restaurants,” in April. While awareness of the sustainable food movement around issues of animal welfare, organic and green foods is growing among restaurants and consumers, sustainable employment practices in the restaurant industry are still an invisible aspect of the conversation.

As part of the first-ever High Road Restaurant Week, restaurateurs, restaurant workers and food activists who are part of the NYC Restaurant Industry Roundtable – a coalition

that promotes high road labor practices – shared their experiences and challenges implementing sustainable employment practices and growing the high road movement in New York City.

Panelists at the City Tech event included Catherine May Saillard, owner of Ici farm-to-table restaurant, Colt Taylor, chef of One if by Land, Two if by Sea, George Constantinou, chef and co-owner of Bogota Latin Bistro, and Amy Chung, executive director of the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, with opening remarks by Letitia James, NYC Public Advocate. http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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City Tech Hosts Greater New York C.D.T. Study Group City Tech hosted a Greater New York C.D.T. Study Group’s Dental Clinic in March 2014. The event was organized by Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry Renata Budny.

The featured speaker was Casey Miller, C.D.T., a technical specialist with DENTSPLY Prosthetics with more than 21 years of diverse experience in the dental industry. Casey discussed how DENTSPLY Prosthetics has changed the allceramic category for the dental laboratory industry with the launch of Celtra DUO, zirconiareinforced lithium silicate (ZLS). His presentation included information on the material science of Celtra, design and milling systems that are Casey Miller compatible, and hands-on demonstrations of the stain and glaze process. Participants learned how their labs can be more efficient by eliminating the crystallization process and delivering CAD all-ceramic crowns with strengths of 370 Mpa.

City Tech Students Participate in Groundbreaking Advertising Research

Matthew Zagada

Library Screening of ‘The Loving Story’ City Tech’s Ursula C. Schwerin Library hosted a clip screening of “The Loving Story,” facilitated by a discussion

by Professor Kevin Maillard of Syracuse University Law School in May 2014.

The screening depicted the experience of Mildred and Richard Loving, who knew it was technically illegal for them to live as a married couple in Virginia because she was of African American and Native American descent and he was white. But they never expected to be woken up in their bedroom and arrested one night in 1958.

The documentary brought to life the Lovings’ marriage and the

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legal battle that followed through littleknown filmed interviews and photographs shot for Life magazine.

Kevin Noble Maillard is Professor of Law at Syracuse University and co-editor with Rose Villazor of Loving v. Virginia in a PostRacial World (Cambridge, 2012).

Professor Maillard focuses on family law, civil liberties and popular culture. He has written about and lectured on sex, race and family and teaches Family Law, Trusts & Estates, Adoption Law and Popular Culture. Originally from Oklahoma, he is a member of the Seminole Nation, Mekesukey Band.

Ben Miftari

Pedro Ferreira

City Tech ADGA students Matthew Zagada, Ben Miftari and Pedro Ferreira recently participated in UniWorld’s (UWG) research workshop known as Culture Labs. UWG’s Culture Labs partnership with City Tech offers students the opportunity to actively research culture and share the information learned with UWG clients, potential clients and other industry insiders.

The Culture Labs partnerships are designed to identify and cultivate the deep nuances that affect consumers’ daily decision-making process.

Jared Carethers, creative director, UWG Culture Labs, says that the partnership with City Tech has already produced groundbreaking data and content that has been used by the agency’s partners and clients.

“When you think about the heritage of our department as a hands-on education in creative problem solving, this partnership is an extension of the classroom,” said City Tech Professor Douglas Davis. “Relevance is key to delivering on that heritage and influences everything about the way we introduce design problems to students. It is a pleasure to see the fruit of our efforts within ADGA expressed through our students in the industry.”

Miftari, Ferreira and Zagada hit the streets of Brooklyn, where UWG is headquartered, to talk to people about the brands that speak to them and why. The team produced three brand reports, which focused on peer groups and brand identity, the influence of peer groups on brand choice and major influencers in New York City style.

student achievers Making their mark on campus and off

Freshman Takes Bronze MeDal in CUNY-Wide Speech Competition City Tech student Joell Gomez is exceptionally polite and highly attentive – qualities nurtured by a loving mother who came to America from the Dominican Republic before Joell was born and taught her children well.

While on the quiet side, Joell firmly believes that face-to-face interaction between people is preferable to the rapidly growing use of smart devices for everyday communication. His older brother, well aware of Joell’s preference, encouraged him to take a speech course at City Tech to strengthen his oral skills.

According to City Tech Department of Humanities Adjunct Lecturer Gail Leinwall, Joell was a terrific student, one who applied himself in an exemplary manner to every aspect of the speech course she teaches and went on to take first place in the department’s Annual Speech Competition in December 2013. That win took him to a CUNY-wide Student Speech Competition sponsored by The University’s League of Active Speech Professors and held at Kingsborough Community College in February 2014. He competed in the contest’s “Persuasive” category, where his presentation, “Disconnect,” earned him the Bronze Medal.

At the two competitions, Joell effectively argued that while smart devices are rapidly changing the way we interact, they are doing so at a price.

Suggesting that our attachment to such devices has become a kind of addiction, he began by citing a Daily News article that reports that the average smartphone owner checks the device 150 times a day, or once every 6.5 minutes. He added that an hlntv.com study says that nearly threequarters of American users are within five feet of their devices most of the time, and that a poll conducted by Time magazine

reveals that 50 percent of those surveyed admitted to sleeping with their devices next to them, a practice that contributed to interrupted sleep.

Joell went on to ask the judges to picture their waiting to cross a street. “As you’re waiting, you take out your smart device to check a text, or perhaps to check your Facebook/Instagram. Without even noticing, you begin crossing the street while looking down at your device. Next thing you know,

you’re waking up in a hospital bed. Turns out you were hit by a car.” He noted that more than 300,000 people are injured and 3,000 killed each year in accidents involving distracted drivers.

Joell reported that another study from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that 47 percent of the heaviest smart device users have subpar grades consisting of C’s or lower, are more likely to say that they are bored or sad or to get into trouble, do not get along well with their parents, and aren’t happy in school.

At the end of his presentation, Joell asked that people increase their disconnect from the world in which the overuse of smart devices has put them. “There’s a life out there that can have much to offer,” he concluded, “if you give it a shot.”

Noting that Joell exhibits a very positive perspective on new situations and people, Leinwall says that while his manner is a bit reserved, he worked hard in her class to develop his oral skills and to master the art and science of public speaking. He is an intelligent young man, she adds, who came to her class with the talent to succeed; she just helped him acquire the tools. At the podium, Joell is a force to be reckoned with, and the students, faculty and staff of the Humanities Department are very proud of him, and Leinwall proud to have been his instructor. http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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MORE student achieveRs

Ninth Edition of ‘City Tech Writer’ Now Online

The 9th edition of City Tech Writer, featuring distinguished undergraduate writing from across the disciplines, is now online at http://www. citytech.cuny.edu/files/academics/ctw9.pdf.

The fourteen disciplines represented this year are Mathematics, Biological Sciences, Vision Care Technology, English, Physics, Computer Engineering Technology, Human Services, Hospitality Management, Computer Systems Technology, Library, Speech, Psychology, Advertising Design and Legal Studies.

President Hotzler hosted a well-attended reception on May 1 to honor the thirtyeight students whose writing appears in the 2014 volume and their professors. The celebration featured a “sprint” through the 120-page journal with students reading brief excerpts of their essays on subjects ranging from number theory and data mining to the literature of Flannery O’Connor and Junot Díaz. Associate Provost Pamela Brown spoke about the importance of writing in all fields for advancement in the professions.

Since the journal’s first volume in 2006, English Department Professor Jane

Mushabac has served as editor-in-chief and Professor Lloyd Carr of the College’s Graphic Arts Program as art director. The cover design for the 9th edition was by Advertising Design & Graphic Arts students Kwame Asenso, Marc Padmore, Johnny Santana and Christian Santiago.

“City Tech writers take us to the mountains of Algeria, a Texas Interstate in a storm, a quasar 12 billion light years away, a Brownsville Community Board meeting, an airport in tropical Guinea Conakry, and a kitchen table where women from Barbados tell their stories,” says Mushabac.

She adds: “In Volume 9 we think about cross platform apps and ballpoint pens.

We read about film noir and Aristotle. We read about bioinformatics and cancer, cyber diplomacy and soft power. We consider online recruiters and how to get a job. We think about fathers and sons and mothers and daughters.”

Students Take First Place in The One Club Creative Boot Camp Competition City Tech Advertising Design & Graphic Arts students Elena Prokhortseva and Shayne Alexander participated on a team that took first place in The One Club’s Creative Boot Camp competition held at Macaulay Honors College/CUNY in January 2014. For the past four years, City Tech students have been on the first place teams.

The camp, co-sponsored by the New York City advertising agency giant BBDO, drew 90 students from a range of colleges and universities including Pratt, Fashion Institute of Technology/SUNY, School of Visual Art, and a number of CUNY colleges as well as Virginia Commonwealth University.

A major component of The One Club mission is to educate and inspire students and to benefit the next generation of “creatives” through scholarships, portfolio reviews, annual exhibitions and competitions. The

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One Club Creative Boot Camp is a diversity initiative with the goal of recruiting creative students from multicultural backgrounds who may not be aware of advertising or design as viable career options.

Led by creative directors and designers from across the U.S., The One Club Creative Boot Camp is an intensive four-day workshop that introduces students to the art of creating advertising for a client from initial concept through the final pitch.

City Tech Professor Douglas Davis gave an overview of advertising and the creative process to students on day one of the boot camp. Davis emphasized the importance of the competition for City Tech students: “This is the perfect opportunity for students to practice the conceptual skills they gain at City Tech. As one of the few public avenues into advertising, we strive to attain

parity with private schools. Access to competitions like this is key because they provide tangible evidence of parity despite the public/ private resource gap.”

Prokhortseva and Alexander were randomly assigned to a team of six and were given the option of choosing one of two “problems” presented to all teams. The team chose “Start Small, Think Big”– a campaign to help gain sponsors for small businesses using a vending machine concept.

The grand prize? Prokhortseva and Alexander won a highly coveted ten-week internship at BBDO during summer 2014, along with the other four members of their team.

MORE student achieveRs

Students Honored at JFEW Scholars Reception

In March 2014, City Tech hosted a reception for Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW) Scholars.

This annual event is a celebration of the achievements of student participants in the JFEW Scholars Program and an expression of the College’s appreciation for JFEW’s generous support.

Following introductory remarks by Kirsten Johansen (2nd year JFEW Scholar, Rad Tech) and those by Nazia Ahmad (1st year JFEW Scholar, Rad Tech), Artemis

Artoun (1st year JFEW Scholar, Dental Hygiene), Liliya Harelik (1st year JFEW Scholar, Dental Hygiene), and Miriam Herskowitz, (2nd year JFEW Scholar, Dental Hygiene), those in attendance heard from City Tech Provost Bonne August and Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Advancement Stephen Soiffer, JFEW Executive Director Elizabeth Leiman Kraiem, and Alena Kastin, the College’s JFEW program officer, all of whom commended the student scholars on their

academic achievement and the program for providing recipients with financial assistance to pursue their education and summer internships in their chosen fields.

The students expressed their gratitude to JFEW for the assistance provided and to their fellow JFEW Scholars for academic guidance and support. Many of the second year scholars, who graduated in June 2014, hope to return as alumni to offer professional development guidance to future generations of JFEW Scholars.

Students Present Solar Panel Battery Bank Charger Project at Engineering Expo Three City Tech students from the Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering Technology Department (ETET) – Vanassa Mejia, Amreen Akbar and Richard Cazales – presented at the 11th Annual NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers) Engineering Expo in White Plains, New York, in March.

Under the guidance of Professor Hamid Marandi, these three students presented their Solar Panel Battery Bank Charger project, which is a miniature scale of a large solar panel battery bank charger and can be used in homes for emergency power. The project uses solar panels to convert sunlight energy to electrical energy, which in turn charge

six rechargeable batteries with a maximum output of about eight volts. The solar panels are posted on a platform made out of ABS material that was 3D printed.

The solar panel’s function is to simply charge the batteries after finding the maximum light source. The rechargeable batteries will be able to handle two loads. First, they will be able to provide sufficient voltage for a USB Hub, which can be used as a source of charging phones and other devices. The second load is a DC motor, which is attached to a fan. This fan is connected to a switch, which will allow it to turn on or off, as well as to a potentiometer, which will vary the fan speed. http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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Five Students Win Prizes in City Tech’s Center for Theoretical Physics Competition On April 25, one of the first sunny days of the spring semester,16 City Tech students gathered in the Physics Department to compete in an all-day physics competition sponsored by the Center for Theoretical Physics and organized by Professors Roman Kezerashvili, chair of the department, Ilya Grigorenko, German Kolmakov, Darya Krym and Justin Vazquez-Poritz. Early on this sunny morning, these dedicated professors and eager students met on campus to work out the intricacies of matter, motion, energy and force.

Students chose physics problems from one of two tracks: mechanics or electricity and magnetism. They spent the morning working

on theoretical problems such as calculating the geostationary orbit of a GPS satellite or estimating how many helium-filled balloons would be needed to lift one’s weight.

After breaking for lunch, the afternoon was dedicated to figuring out solutions to experimental problems.

One student participant said the problems are good practice for what they might have to do as part of an internship interview or an interview for a full-time, permanent position in a technical field. He said that he was thankful to be able to put his participation in the competition on his résumé.

Professor Krym explained that “the experimental activities are designed

so that students cannot simply follow procedure – they must create the procedure. This is their introduction to research.” Kezerashvili agreed and said that “research can be very creative work in that we learn to apply our knowledge to something unfamiliar. And these are open-ended problems – we can infinitely improve the results. It’s important for students to learn this.”

Five City Tech students won prizes for their problem-solving skills: Elliot Raskin won first place ($200), Angela Oei and Joshua Grillasca shared second place ($150 each), and Alpha Bah and Mamadou Dione shared third place ($100 each).

Four City Tech Students Receive Prizes in ‘Making Work Visible Labor Arts Contest’ Four City Tech students received prizes in the Making Work Visible Labor Arts Contest. The winners were Malessa Henry, Owen Muller, Sadeysa Gonzalez and Tenzin Sherpa. Open to all CUNY undergraduates, the contest offered cash prizes in four categories: poetry, essay fiction/non-fiction narratives and art.

Malessa Henry placed second ($500) in the Fiction/Non-Fiction category with “Exhausted,” Owen Muller placed second ($500) in the Essay category with

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“Trust,” Sadeysa Gonzalez placed third ($250) in the Essay category with “The Unforgettable Smile,” and Tenzin Sherpa received an honorable mention ($100) in the Essay category with “The Beauty of NOHO Market.”

All entries focused on labor arts – visual art about work and workers, and art by working people. Labor arts are broadly construed to include photographs, posters, buttons, banners and flyers, as well as paintings, sculpture and other fine art by or about working people. Funded by the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, the contest aims to expand student engagement with the under-appreciated history of work and workers in this country, and to re-vitalize the study of labor history at CUNY.

FACULTY & STAFF Provost Bonne August Featured in PBS NewsHour Segment An interview with City Tech Provost Bonne August was included in a PBS NewsHour segment on P-Tech (Pathways in Technology Early College High School), a Brooklyn high school that has not yet graduated its first class, but is being closely watched for its approach to providing lowerincome students with college tuition and the special skills to get a job.

Now serving three classes of students, P-TECH continues to chart new territory in the reform of secondary and postsecondary education in the United States. As the first school in the nation that connects high school, college and the world of work through college and industry partnerships, it is pioneering a new vision for college and career readiness

and success. With a unique 9-14 model, the goal for its diverse, unscreened student population is 100 percent completion of an associate degree within six years. President Obama visited P-Tech some months ago and recently sang its praises again by announcing two more schools like it will be opened.

New Academic Integrity Officer Named In accordance with The City University of New York’s Academic Integrity Policy, and following consultation with the College’s elected faculty governance leader, Professor Peter Catapano, President Hotzler designated Professor Peter Parides as New York City College of Technology’s Academic Integrity Officer, beginning in January 2014. The Academic Integrity Officer serves as the initial contact person for faculty members should they need to report incidents of suspected academic dishonesty.

Professor Parides’ experience in matters of governance, academic dishonesty and student discipline are well established and his service is expected to be of great benefit to the College community.

City Tech Professor Illya Azaroff Honored by American Institute of Architects Illya Azaroff, an associate professor in the Department of Architectural Technology at New York City College of Technology, is recipient of the 2014 Young Architects Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The award is given to individuals who have shown exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the profession in the early stage of their architectural career. In particular, Professor Azaroff’s vision of the important role that architects have to play in disaster response

has opened up many opportunities for them and shown the public the incredible role architects play in planning for and responding to a wide range of risks. As the New York representative of the Young Architects Forum on the AIA New York State (AIANYS) board of directors, he has championed the interests of young architects and emerging professionals, encouraging AIANYS chapters to recognize and celebrate their efforts.

As a member of the board, Professor Azaroff co-founded and co-chairs the chapter’s Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee, which has led AIANY’s efforts, both before and after Superstorm Sandy, to re-imagine a more resilient and sustainable region. He has helped organize dozens of panels, lectures and workshops that have provided valuable information to the public and engaged the architecture community in planning for and responding to disaster.

Government officials, architects and planners participated in a tri-state conference he co-organized to discuss resiliency strategies in preparation for storm surge and other environmental disasters. http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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FACULTY

& STAFF

City Tech Professor Renata Budny Honored by National Association of Dental Laboratories Renata Budny, an assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at New York City College of Technology, was recipient of the 2014 Educator of the Year Award from the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL).

A graduate of City Tech’s associate degree program in dental laboratory technology, Professor Budny went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in management and a master’s degree in banking and finance from Dowling College. She has been in the dental laboratory profession for sixteen years and has received two certifications from the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology, and has also earned the title of Master Dental Technician from the American Society of Master Dental

Technologists and Fellowship from the Northeastern Gnathological Society.

Professor Budny is a member of numerous associations and societies. She has served as a president of the Greater New York CDT Study Group and has organized four-to-five dental seminars per year. In addition, she works closely with dental companies and lab owners to bring educational programs to the dental lab community.

Professor Budny has published articles in numerous magazines and journals, including the Journal of Dental Technology, Lab Management Today and Inside Dental Technology. In 2011, she was named one of the “Top 25 Women in Dentistry.” With all of this and more to her credit, NADL found her well-deserving of the 2014 Educator of the Year Award.

City Tech Professor Anthony Cioffi Honored

by American Society of Engineers and authored more than 100 Professor Anthony Cioffi, chair technical publications. He was of City Tech’s Department of Construction Management & responsible for creating the Met Civil Engineering Technology, Section Structures Group and is the 2014 recipient of the also served as the president of Thomas C. Kavanagh Service the ASCE Met Section.

Award, which is presented by With more than 25 years of the American Society of Civil engineering experience, mainly Engineers (ASCE) Metropolitan as a geotechnical engineer for projects encompassing highways, Section. This award recognizes a bridges, rail facilities, commercial civil engineer who has rendered Anthony Cioffi buildings and institutional exceptional service and facilities, Cioffi brings a wide dedication to the profession. range of knowledge to the Construction The award is named after Dr. Thomas Management & Civil Engineering Technology C. Kavanagh (1912-1978), a professor at Department and its students. He also has Penn State University, New York University substantial experience in the areas of project and Columbia University, as well as management, residential construction, a partner with the consulting firm of foundation engineering, prefabricated houses Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury. Kavanagh and modular retaining walls design. was actively involved with dozens of Professor Cioffi is the technical professional societies, helped to found the National Academy of Engineering, coordinator for the New York State

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Department of Transportation’s Joint Urban Manpower Program (JUMP).

He is a certified examiner for the American Concrete Institute and has been a judge for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Future Cities competition and is an ACE (Architecture, Construction, Engineering) Mentor.

For the past three years he has served as the secretary of ASCE Met Section and is currently president of the ASCE Lower Hudson Valley Branch of the Metropolitan Section. He is also very active in the ASCE project ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) Program where he serves as an assistant mentor to new faculty.

A City Tech alumnus, Cioffi received his A.A.S. degree in construction technology.

He went on to earn a B.C.E. degree and an M.C.E. degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College.

FACULTY

& STAFF

Professors Russo and Strickler Elected President and Vice President of National Federation of Opticianry Schools In February 2014, at the annual business meeting of the National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS) in Dallas, Texas, City Tech Professors Robert J. Russo and Kimberly Strickler Robert J. Russo were elected president and vice president, respectively.

The NFOS is an association of opticianry schools dedicated to facilitating the development of formal educational programs in identified areas of need, upgrading the standards of opticianry education, facilitating the exchange of teaching methods, working for the uniformity of formal education in opticianry,

and aiding other national opticianry associations in mutually beneficial ways.

Professor Russo is the chairperson of the College’s Department of Vision Care Technology.

Kimberly Strickler He is certified by the American Board of Opticianry, the National Contact Lens Examiners and the Opticians Association of America in Refractometry, and is licensed in the states of New York and New Jersey. He is a past commissioner for the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation, a past member of the board of directors of the Contact Lens Society of New York State, and past chapter president of New

York State Society of Opticians. He was named National Federation of Opticianry Schools “Educator of the Year” in 2009 and “Optician of the Year” by the New York State Society of Opticians in 2012.

Professor Strickler is the clinical dispensing, ophthalmic dispensing and fabrication coordinator in the Department of Vision Care Technology. She is certified by the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners, and is licensed in both New York State and Florida. Professor Strickler is past secretary of the National Federation of Optical Schools, a commissioner on the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation, as well as a member of the New York State Society of Opticians Education Committee for approving continuing education. She has lectured for both state and national organizations.

BEOC Director Honored by Brooklyn Borough President Jacinth Hanson, interim executive director of the SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center (BEOC), which is administered by City Tech, was honored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in March 2014 as part of his office’s Women’s History Month celebration.

Hanson was honored along with more than 20 other women who have made significant contributions to Brooklyn, including businesswomen, NYPD officers, firefighters, religious leaders, educators, musicians and elected officials.

In his opening remarks Adams said that “compassion is a gift that keeps on giving,

and no one knows that more than the women we are honoring today.” This is certainly true of Hanson who has been working in the field of education, training and workforce development for 28 years, serving Brooklyn directly for 16 years. As the interim executive director of BEOC, she leads an organization that offers tuition-free training to eligible New Yorkers to provide a pathway to lifelong learning, college access and economic self-sufficiency.

In Memoriam Timothy Driscoll Social Science Iem Heng Computer Engineering Technology Seaborn Barlow Jones III Computer Science Sonia Natiello Property Management

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FACULTY

& STAFF

Times Article Quotes Human Services Adjunct on Deplorable Conditions in Family Shelter

Hospitality Management Professor Advises Newlyweds on Best Summer Domestic Honeymoon Destinations Hospitality Management Professor Lynda Dias was one of a number of professionals recently quoted in a Wallethub.com study on the 100 best summer domestic honeymoon destinations for newlyweds. The study was based on 13 key metrics which collectively speak to the affordability, weather conditions, romanticism and activities that each location brings to the table. To view the full report, visit http://wallethub.com/edu/best-honeymoondestinations/4055/.

“Briefly,” said Dias, “honeymooners should consider using travel agents, who typically are excellent at getting upgrades and really can negotiate honeymoon packages! They are the experts!!!

“For those booking on their own, consider several destinations for their budget and price the entire package out first. Use Orbitz or Kayak (similar online booking engines will offer promo codes or points).

“Often hotels will partner with the airlines and will include transfers,” Dias went on to say. “Honeymoons become expensive when the budget does not include food, activities, taxes, etc. Be flexible in

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their travel dates and check out the events and ‘seasons’ in their destination, which will affect the price considerably.

“Most important, let hotels know you are celebrating your honeymoon; we love to celebrate momentous occasions with our guests. Hotels will often upgrade and send additional amenities.”

Lynda Dias has more than 20 years hospitality management experience, including serving in senior executive management positions in luxury hotels and providing consulting services to several internationally recognized lodging brands.

Professor Dias teaches Perspectives in Hospitality Management, Professional Alliances, Executive Housekeeping Principles and Hospitality Management Internship. She is the Scholarship Chair, Faculty Advisor to the Spoons Across America Club and a member of the Professional Development Advisory Council. She serves on the James Beard Foundation’s Scholarship National Selection Committee and on the Board of Trustees for Spoons Across America.

A February 28, 2014, New York Times article featured remarks

by City Tech Adjunct Associate Professor of Human Services Georgianna Glose, who is also executive director of the Fort Greene Strategic Neighborhood Action Partnership, on testimony recently given at a New York City Council hearing on conditions at family shelters.

For years, Professor Glose has urged the city to address problems at the Auburn Family Residence in Brooklyn, where state and city inspectors found more than 400 violations over the past decade. “I have to tell you,” said Glose, “that every single time we brought up the conditions in that facility, they painted. That’s it. And it went back to the same vermin and leaks and heating problems.”

In the face of New York’s mounting homeless crisis, Mayor de Blasio announced earlier this year that his administration is removing hundreds of children from Auburn in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and the Catherine Street shelter in Lower Manhattan, both of which have been repeatedly cited for deplorable conditions over the last decade. The mayor also vowed to improve services for the city’s swelling population of 22,000 homeless children.

FACULTY

& STAFF

Professor Mushabac Gives Eight Readings at CUNY Campuses During Spring 2014 Semester In April 2014, English Department Professor Jane Mushabac read her fiction at Brooklyn College’s “Symposium on Yiddish and Ladino: Jewish Languages Used by Women and Other Jews.” The event, a part of the Annual Frances Haidt Lecture Series, co-sponsored by The Wolfe Institute for the Humanities, the Departments of Judaic Studies, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies, Modern Languages and Literatures, English, Sociology, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, the Office of the President, and the Carol Zicklin Visiting Chair in the Honors Academy.

Professor Mushabac read a short story, “A Turkish Jew’s Tale: ‘Pasha,’” that has been published in both her original Ladino and English. Her reading was supported by a 2013-2014 Diversity Projects Development Fund grant, and was the sixth in a series of eight readings she did at CUNY campuses during the spring semester as part of her project, “Spanish, Mizrahi, and Black Jews: Diversity and the Jews.”

Jane Mushabac

Professor Mushabac’s writing has been published and produced widely and garnered many awards, from Mellon and National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships to a Leapfrog Press award for her novella, The Hundred Year Old Man. As 2011 Scholar on Campus at City Tech, she read her fiction at a public lecture; and she’s done readings and Q & A sessions for Spanish classes of mostly Latino/a

students as well as for literature and writing classes with students from all over the world. Her readings in California, Massachusetts and New York have included audiences of Rand Corporation Ph.D’s, of Spanish and French graduate students at California State University at Long Beach, of Colgate University Muslim and Jewish undergraduates, and Tufts University Phi Beta Kappa inductees.

Professor Concetta Mennella Honored at JFSA Annual Pre-Passover Program

Concetta Mennella and Albert Sherman

Professor Concetta Mennella, chair of City Tech’s Department of Law & Paralegal Studies, was honored in April at the City Tech Jewish Faculty & Staff Association’s annual Pre-Passover Seder held in the College’s Grace Gallery. All in attendance shared in a kosher meal of roast chicken and potatoes, soufflé and dessert as Rabbi Wax of Congregation Mount Sinai led a model 30-Minute Seder.

During the program, Professor Mennella was presented with

JFSA’s Special Appreciation Award in recognition of her “commitment and dedication to the mission of the association.” Introducing her, JFSA President Albert Sherman said that “she is a very dedicated and very appreciative of this organization. She never says no. This year we want to extend our appreciation to Professor Mennella in recognition of all the devotion she has given over the years and all the help received from her.” http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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Foundation corner From the City Tech Foundation Chair Looking back on the 2013-2014 Academic Year, so many moments served as vivid reminders of the challenges City Tech students face and the life-changing opportunities made possible for them by your gifts.

Perhaps one of the most defining of those moments came as I listened to a report by the College’s Office of Student Affairs outlining the difficulties so many students faced in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy which devastated the tri-state area in late 2012. The report spoke of students who were still digging through the rubble of their homes that were destroyed by the storm, resulting in the loss of virtually everything they and their families owned. But amidst these stories of destruction, we also heard of acts of generosity on the part of students who devoted their after-school hours and weekends to helping neighbors rebuild their homes and communities.

We were moved by a student who walked back and forth from his home in Harlem to City Tech’s Downtown Brooklyn campus because he didn’t have the funds for public transportation and did not want to miss his classes and by announcements about students who were selected to participate in once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunities at worldrenowned research facilities. We learned of students who volunteered their time to help stage a fundraiser to alleviate hunger throughout the region and of students who received high honors in regional and national competitions in digital design and theoretical physics Each story reflected a moment that assured us that the work of the City Tech Foundation is having real impact. What connected these stories are your contributions to the Foundation’s goal of advancing the College’s mission by seeking philanthropic support and by stewarding those resources for the long-term well being of the institution and by providing financial assistance to the College’s students, faculty and programs which cannot be otherwise funded.

June 3, 2014, arrived and we witnessed the bestowing of degrees on a record number of 2,548 students at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. We are proud to know that New York City College of Technology and the City Tech Foundation made a difference in the lives of these students who will be forever grateful for the support your gifts provided.

Thank you for your continued commitment and for your understanding that your support for today’s students means a better tomorrow for all of us.

Martin Jaffe ‘65 Chairman, City Tech Foundation

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City Tech Receives JFEW Grant

City Tech received a grant from the Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW), which is among the largest philanthropic gifts in the College’s history.

The grant established the JFEW Scholars program, which currently awards 40 scholarships to students in associate degree programs. The first year’s focus was on students enrolled in City Tech’s healthcare programs – nursing, radiologic technology and medical imaging, and dental hygiene.

City Tech’s JFEW scholars also receive mentoring their first year, a paid summer internship between their first and second year, and additional help preparing for employment during their second year through a series of professional development workshops and seminars.

This year the program was expanded to include 10 additional summer internships in STEM-related areas which include but are not limited to the sciences, engineering and architectural technology, applied mathematics, and bioinformatics.

Planned Giving

Contact the City Tech Foundation at foundation@citytech. cuny.edu for a free booklet on How to Make a Will That Works and Giving Through Gift Annuity. For information on remembering City Tech in your will, visit www.citytech.cuny. edu/aboutus/foundation/giving.shtml.

Foundation corner

Petrie Foundation Grant

With the generous support of The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, City Tech is able to provide quick response emergency grants to matriculated students in good standing with short-term financial emergencies. The Fund seeks to assist students so that they may continue their education at City Tech, rather than being

forced to take a leave of absence or to withdraw from school.

Through this support the College was able to assist students who are facing eviction and homelessness, in need of emergency assistance in paying for food, transportation and basic necessities due to unemployment, payment for utilities bills and shut-off notices, medical and dental bills for necessary procedures for students without health insurance, loss of books, clothing or other essential belongings, and travel home for illness or death in the immediate family.

An outreach effort sponsored by the City Tech Foundation continues to help the College supplement the funding available to assist those students who needed support to continue their course work.

2014 Departmental & Program Grants The City Tech Foundation is please to report that grants were awarded to the following academic and program departments:

City Tech Foundation Recruiting Board Members This is an exciting time for City Tech, with construction of a new academic complex beginning and student enrollment at an all-time high. As the Foundation addresses these and other challenges, it is looking for individuals with energy and commitment to join its Board of Directors.

If you are interested in Board membership, please let us know by

e-mailing foundation@citytech.cuny.edu and we will contact you with the next steps. If you are not interested but know someone who might be, please provide us with their contact information and let them know that we will be in touch with them.

Advertising Design & Graphic Arts African American Studies Architectural Technology Biological Sciences Business Dental Hygiene English Faculty and Student Poster Session Hospitality Management Humanities Law & Paralegal Studies Literary Arts Festival Nursing Physics Radiologic Technology & Medical Imaging Restorative Dentistry Student Affairs

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Foundation corner

2014 Best of New York Award Dinner Salutes Alumnus Allen Susser and College’s Major Partners figure in New American cuisine in Miami.

In addition to his skills as a chef, Susser is known for his humanitarian work. In 1992, he hosted a Hurricane Andrew relief effort that raised money for food and water for victims of the hurricane. Again, after Hurricane Katrina, he followed up on several initiatives to help the people of New Orleans and also organized efforts to raise money for the victims of the earthquake that devastated Haiti, among other relief projects. A longtime chairman of Taste of the Nation/Share Our Strength, Susser has helped raise millions for Top row, l to r: Martin Jaffe, City Tech Foundation; Allen Susser; James Claffey, Jr., Local 1 (IATSE); President South Florida’s needy.

Russell Hotzler; Dr. Robert Tribble, Brookhaven; Michael Lomonaco; Seated, l to r: Yves Busnel, Société Culinaire Susser’s many honors Philanthropique; Dr. Susan Singer, National Science Foundation; David Ehrenberg, Brooklyn Navy Yard. include an honorary doctorate of culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University; the City Tech honored corporate and other mission to develop skilled graduates ready Torch Award for Leadership from Florida partners at the 2014 Best of New York for the high-tech careers that increasingly International University; the James Beard Award Dinner in May at the New York define the global economy.

Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast; Hilton Midtown in Manhattan. City Tech The 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award the James Beard Foundation Humanitarian graduate Michael Lomonaco ’84, celebrity was presented to City Tech graduate Allen of the Year Award; the Zagat Survey for Best chef and managing partner, Porter House Susser ’76, president & CEO, Chef Allen’s Restaurant for Food in Miami for four years New York at Time Warner Center, was Consulting, and founding chef, Taste of the in a row; and Gourmet magazine’s Top Table Master of Ceremonies.

NFL, which has raised millions of dollars to Award in South Florida.

Honored this year were Brookhaven fight hunger.

First held in 1982, the Best of New York National Laboratory, Brooklyn Navy Yard Susser graduated from City Tech’s Award Dinner is hosted by the City Tech Development Corporation, International award-winning hospitality management Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees program. He earned a baccalaureate in chartered in 1981 to raise funds for the (IATSE) Local 1, National Science hospitality from Florida International College. Proceeds from the annual dinner Foundation, and Société Culinaire University, and worked in the kitchens help fund foundation-sponsored scholarships Philanthropique, all of which have long of Le Bristol Hotel in Paris and Le Cirque and other student financial assistance and partnered with the College in furthering its in New York before becoming a seminal professional development programs.

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Alumni News Class Act! Matthew MacCartney ’94

Alumnus Matthew MacCartney Wins Food & Wine Magazine Award

City Tech alum Matthew MacCartney ’94 received the 2014 Food & Wine magazine “People’s Best New Chef in New England” award for his work at Jamestown Fish restaurant. The People’s Best New Chef program, an annual contest now in its fourth year, honors talented up-and-coming innovators who have run their own kitchens for fewer than five years. The field of nominees included 10 chefs in 10 regions across America. The chef with the most votes in each region was named the People’s Best New Chef.

“I’m humbled and inspired,” said MacCartney, when asked what it meant to him to win the award, “To be put into that group was amazing – not only were we nominated by Food & Wine but we were ‘seconded’ by the people who voted for us, and that was a very good feeling.”

MacCartney earned a baccalaureate degree in hospitality management at

City Tech and studied at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies in Birmingham, England. He also earned a Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in 2002, and in 2008 was published in Wine & Spirits magazine.

MacCartney credits City Tech faculty with his introduction to some of the best chefs in the world: “At the time I enrolled in City Tech, the elite culinary programs weren’t sending their students to Europe for apprenticeships. My professors had connections at some of the greatest restaurants in Europe and had the confidence in me to push me to go to France and Italy. ‘Don’t worry about the language,’ Professor Francis Lorenzini told me ‘Just get over there and start working in the kitchen.’ From the beginning, my career was set through those connections.”

Once in Europe things progressed quickly for MacCartney. He was still a teenager during his first apprenticeship at the two-star Michelin Hostellerie de Levernois in Burgundy and during his second apprenticeship at the three-star Michelin restaurant Michel Guérard. The opportunities kept coming.

In 1993, the president of Slow Food, Carlo Petrini, asked City Tech to choose a student to represent the school and partake in a three-week, full immersion in Piedmont, Italy, to study the wine and food of the Langhe. “I was chosen along with nine other Americans from schools such as the Culinary Institute of America and Cornell. That was the trip that sparked my love of wine and I began studying the subject in depth,” said MacCartney.

MacCartney has worked at the world renowned Cibrèo in Florence, Italy, and in the dining rooms and kitchens of New York’s finest establishments such as Restaurant Daniel, Gramercy Tavern and Craft. At Craft, he served as beverage director beginning in 2001 and was voted Best Wine Director in 2003 by the readers of TimeOut NY. Leo Caproni, a retired City Tech professor and one of MacCartney’s mentors, introduced MacCartney to the world-famous wine expert Kevin Zraly. “Matthew was one of the most outstanding students I’ve ever had. His work at the college was A-number one,” said Caproni. And Professor Julia Jordan recalled that “Matthew was eager and thirsty for opportunities beyond the classroom; by generously volunteering at city-wide food and tasting benefits, he ‘rubbed elbows’ with chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and farmers. Those experiences also helped him envision his dream.”

MacCartney believes in giving back and has strong ties to his alma mater. As a first-year student, MacCartney volunteered by doing the coat check for the first Chefs Celebrate City Tech, a scholarship fundraiser that features a tasting menu created by leading chefs. Just a few months ago, he volunteered at the most recent Chefs Celebrate event as one of those leading chefs, where he interacted with hospitality management students working the event – no doubt inspiring the next generation of culinary super-stars.

In addition to his role as chef, MacCartney is a partner at Jamestown Fish and has been involved since its inception in December 2011. Jamestown Fish is a casually elegant Rhode Island restaurant serving a Europeaninspired seafood-based cuisine. In 2012 and 2013, Jamestown Fish won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, Rhode Island Monthly’s Best of Rhode Island in 2012, and numerous OpenTable Diners’ Choice awards.

“To be in such a small market in a small town, the odds were against us [to win the Food & Wine award]. But one of the things working in Europe taught me was that great restaurants can be in small towns, and, if you are doing a good job, folks will travel to you,” said MacCartney. http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni

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Alumni News

Exhibition and Talk by Internationally Recognized Alum Expressionist Painter

Samuel E. Vázquez

An exhibition of his paintings and a brief talk by City Tech ADGA graduate Samuel E. Vázquez ‘91 on what it was like to be one

of New York City’s top graffiti artists in the 1980’s and to have gone on to become an internationally recognized abstract

expressionist painter will be held at City Tech on Thursday, October 2, 2014. Time and venue to be announced.

Meyer & Associates Alumni Insurance Program The City Tech Alumni Association, in collaboration with Meyer & Associates, offers an Alumni Insurance Program as a service to graduates. The program provides a variety of attractively priced insurance products, most of which are available to alumni, students, faculty and staff, as well as their spouses, domestic partners, parents, children and siblings.

Plans include Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Long Term Care Insurance, Travel Insurance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection and Advisory Services.

For more information visit http://meyerandassoc.com/citytech or contact the program administrator at 800.635.7801.

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Alumni News

Defensive Driving Course In April 2014, the Alumni Association and Liberty Mutual hosted a discounted Defensive Driver course at City Tech. Twenty-three alumni, staff and others participated.

The Five O’Clock Club Membership

New Alumni Career Network Mentoring Program A new Alumni Career Network Mentoring Program officially kicked off in August 2014.

The program pairs City Tech students in their senior year with alumni who share similar career paths. If you are interested in volunteering as a mentor, please e-mail alumni@ citytech.cuny.edu to request an application.

Mentors will help students by guiding them through a critical stage in their college career, the time between their last months at City Tech and taking their first steps onto the career ladder. Students

will meet with their mentors on a one-on-one basis, giving them the opportunity to effectively engage with the latter in an informal setting outside of the classroom environment.

Students will be encouraged to connect with their mentors regularly via phone, e-mail, and even in meetings with them at their respective workplaces for networking/shadowing opportunities. The ultimate goal of the program is to teach students how to cultivate professional relationships and learn from established alumni in their chosen field of interest.

City Tech has arranged for you to have a FREE lifetime membership in The Five O’Clock Club, a national organization that helps people grow their careers or find new jobs and that is recognized as an authority on career management issues.

As a Five O’Clock Club Member, you will get LIFETIME Membership, a monthly magazine containing information on career development and job search, access to the Members Only section of the website, including all monthly magazines going back to 1999 and all worksheets for career and job development, access to both a 111-page Career and Job-Search Bibliography and How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search (a large download).

To get your free membership, go to fiveoclockclub.com/lets-get-started.

Complete the form and be sure to enter NYC College of Technology as the organization that referred you.

ALUMNI REUNION friday, october 17, 2014 The Alumni Association will host an 80’s-themed Alumni Reunion.

Time and venue to be announced.

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