News

BMCC Team Wins Outstanding Field Research Category in Biodesign Challenge Summit 
A BMCC student team, Psychology major Irina Nissen and Engineering Science major Elim Soto, has been named Outstanding Field Research Winner at the Biodesign Challenge Summit 2023 held June 22 and 23 at the Parsons School of Design, The New School and the Museum of Modern Art. The BMCC team, guided by Social Sciences Professor Elizabeth Wissinger, competed with 44 teams from four-year colleges around the world. Their project, “Mydeco: Mycological Decomposition,” addresses textile waste and the release of microfibers into the air and waterways. To remedy that, the women are proposing a textile recycling process using a type of plastic-eating mushroom. L-R: 2023 Biodesign Summit winning student team; Irina Nelson (with Professor Elizabeth Wissinger in middle) and Elim Soto 

Math Department’s Data Science Program Prepares Graduates for High-Demand Careers in Science, Business and More
The BMCC Math Department now offers an Associate of Science (A.S.) in Data Science degree program that links to the B.S. in Applied Mathematics program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. Efforts to develop the new degree program were led by Math Professor Annie Yi Han and started with an NSF-funded curriculum development project led by Math Professor Glenn Miller. Graduates of the Data Science program will meet the workforce demand for applicants with programming as well as analytic skills—a gap created by the dramatic growth of data used in science, business, government and other fields.

2023-2024 SGA Officers and Senators Sworn Into Office at July 5 Inauguration Ceremony
The BMCC Student Government Association (SGA) election results are in, and new student leadership for the 2023-2024 SGA term has been sworn into office. Officers include Jennifer Marquez, President; Dan Lin, Vice President; Maximilian Rodriguez-Situ, Treasurer, and William Aparicio, Secretary. The 2023-2024 Senators are Joely Castillo, Kazi Mehzabin, Sephora Dieujuste, Namira Oishe, Djibrilla Hamani and Zakaria Serroukh. The ceremony took place on July 5 in Richard Harris Terrace at the College’s Chambers Street campus. 

TV Jamaica’s All Together Sing Competition Winning Choir Visits BMCC
Members of the Manchester High School Choir from Mandeville, Jamaica visited BMCC and conducted a campus tour and visit with President Anthony E. Munroe on July 28. The student choir, which had earlier performed on Fox 5 News, were the winners of the All Together Sing Competition hosted by Television Jamaica.

Making Headlines

Former SGA President Carlene Hunte-Nelson’s shares inspiring story about returning to college as an adult
July 11, 2023—St Vincent Times

Did You Know?

Announcements

A Message From the Chancellor: CUNY Lifting New York; 2023-2030 Strategic Roadmap We recently proudly unveiled CUNY Lifting New York – our strategic plan to transform CUNY by 2030. This detailed roadmap will help ensure that our ever-changing University is growing with purpose, achieving significant milestones and continuing to embody the ideals consistent with its 175-year history.

To create this roadmap, a collective community process led by a steering committee convened more than 140 campus leaders and 2,000 community members in town halls and listening sessions over the course of 18 months to identify shared opportunities and challenges across all 25 campuses. Their lively and thoughtful discussions brought about this shared vision that will increase CUNY’s impact as an engine of upward social and civic mobility and help strengthen the state and city we all love so much.  To read more about the full plan, visit the CUNY Lifting New York website.

New and Improved BMCC Bookstore Opens
BMCC has teamed up with Follett Higher Education, the industry-leader in collegiate retail, to provide a new bookstore for the College community. Students who wish to purchase Summer II course materials, books and other BMCC merchandise can do so online or at the bookstore’s 199 Chamber Street campus location. Visit the online BMCC bookstore here. 

Apply for CUNY Start's JUMPStart Program
The application timeline for CUNY Start’s JUMPStart program is July and August 2023. JUMPStart is a partnership between CUNY Start and Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP). The program was created to guide the academic transition of students required to complete corequisite courses during the first year. JUMPStart program participants will be enrolled as matriculated students, at “less than part time” status, in both CUNY Start (either in Math Start (MS) or English Start (ES) and one 3 credit course concurrently in the same semester. For more information, contact mathstart@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Office of Public Affairs Seeks Faculty and Staff Experts for Media Opportunities The Office of Public Affairs is seeking faculty and staff who are comfortable speaking to the press and having their work or research pitched to outside media sources, when it is relevant to today's news cycle. Also, in an effort to make a reporter's search for experts more seamless, Public Affairs is working to redesign its faculty and staff experts’ website.

Members of the media will be able to scan the college's experts' list and connect with a faculty or staff member's short biography that includes a headshot, some stand-out credits and compelling evidence of expert insight.

Are you a potential BMCC Expert?

• Does your work at BMCC offer unique insight into today’s news headlines?  
• Are you a faculty or staff member who has spearheaded a unique and successful student program or service, and you have insight to share about that process?  
• Does your funded research, recently released book or article, academic contribution or other work provide a fresh perspective on gender and racial equity, the economy, environmental justice, STEM discoveries, innovative workforce training, immigration, health care, societal forces and other issues trending in the general news?
• Do you have expertise specific to community college student success, the culture and future of community colleges, and related topics that are the focus of higher education trade publications?

Mandatory considerations include:

• Are you available by cell phone at any time (within reason) outside of work hours and are you willing to respond promptly?
• Are you comfortable being on camera, speaking in a podcast or being quoted in an article, and do you consider yourself an easy-to-follow spokesperson who enjoys breaking down complex issues for a general audience?
• Is your faculty page updated to showcase your recent accomplishments?   
• Does your faculty page include a recent photo, and if not, would you be willing to provide one or take part in a quick photoshoot for a recent head shot?

If you are interested, please send a brief email responding to the above points to publicaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu by August 1, 2023. We look forward to hearing from you.

Councilmembers Marte and De La Rosa Support Programming at BMCC
In the New York City budget passed on June 30, District One Councilmember Christopher Marte (shown above with Early Childhood Center Executive Director Cecelia Scott-Croff) awarded $9,000 in discretionary funding to the BMCC Early Childhood Center to staff evening and weekend hours at the center and purchase supplies and materials. Also included in this year’s budget was a $15,000 grant from District 10 Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa to support BMCC’s Project Impact at the CUNY in The Heights location. This is the second year of funding from both Council Members.

Enrollment

Summer/Fall 2023 Advisement and Registration is Open
Faculty and staff, please encourage students to talk to their advisor to discuss their academic progress and registration. Things to know: CUNY’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate has been lifted. Proof of vaccination is not required to enroll in college classes. All students must meet with their advisor before registering. Students can register on CUNYfirst or meet with a Panther Station Specialist on Zoom. When choosing classes on CUNYfirst, students should pay close attention to the class meeting mode (in-person, online or hybrid), as well as the class session (15, 8 or 7 weeks). For more information, visit the Registration page or contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Remind Students: CUNY Start Information and Registration Session July 13
BMCC will host an information and registration session for the Fall 2023 CUNY Start program on July 13 via Zoom. CUNY Start is an intensive and affordable semester long program for incoming BMCC freshmen who need developmental skills courses as indicated by their Proficiency Index. BMCC CUNY Start offers both hybrid (in person and online class sessions) and online classes and offers several different class times to meet student needs. All classes meet in real time (whether they are in person or online). For more info, visit the webpage.

Human Resources

CUNY Extending Annual Leave Carryover Deadline to December 31
CUNY will extend annual leave carryover days from August 3, 2023 to December 3, 2023.  Annual leave balances in excess of the cap will be deducted from the employee's accrual balance on December 31, 2023.

Sports and Wellness

BMCC Athletics Fall Tryout’s Coming in August

Eight BMCC Student-Athletes Selected For 2022-23 CUNYAC Winter/Spring Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll

20 BMCC Student-Athletes Garner 2022-23 Academic All-Region 15 Team Honors

Fawzia Kheir Named Second Head Coach Of BMCC’s Men's and Women's Cross-Country Program

Check out the upcoming game schedule on the BMCC Athletics page Learn more about BMCC’s recreation schedule, including the fitness center and swimming pool.

Calendar

Roads to Success Youth Leadership Summit
July 14

National Safety Council CPR/AED & First Aid Training
July 19

International Admissions Information Session
July 20

Writing Center Workshop: Interpreting vs. Retelling
July 24

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FOLLOW BMCC

@BMCC is produced and published by the Office of Public Affairs.

Faculty and staff: Submit items for consideration in an upcoming @BMCC to publicaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu by 12 noon, Wednesday.