News

Live from New York, BMCC Music Students Performed on Saturday Night
Eleven students from the BMCC music program showcased their talents before a live audience of millions when they performed as backup singers for the English singer-songwriting sensation Raye, during her musical guest appearance on the April 6 episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL) on NBC. The students who sang backup as Raye performed her hit songs, “Escapism” and “Worth It,” are members of the BMCC Chamber Singers.

BMCC Joins College Leaders in Washington D.C. to Advocate for Nation’s Hispanic Serving Institutions
BMCC President, Dr. Anthony E. Munroe, and Director of Government Relations Doug Israel joined college leaders from across the United States in Washington, D.C. to advocate for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as part of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Annual Capitol Forum in Washington D.C.  On April 10, the BMCC team met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Representative Adriano Espaillat and Representative Daniel Goldman as well as staff from the Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Highlighting positive outcomes from BMCC’s Conexiones program—funded through a Title V HSI grant from the U.S. Department of Education—BMCC made the case for increased investment in the federal budget for HSIs, an expansion of the PELL grant program to increase access to higher education for low-income and DACA students, and other legislative priorities.

Barry Goldwater Scholarship Winner Vivian Chavez Sets Her Sights on a Career in Environmental Biochemistry
Vivian Chavez earned an A.S. in science in December 2023 at BMCC, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She took part in biological research through BMCC’s partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust, and after a referral by BMCC Science Professor Christine Priano, completed a 10-week research project at the Biofilm Research Center at SUNY Binghamton. Recently Ms. Chavez was awarded the prestigious Barry Goldwater scholarship for her junior and senior years in college, up to $7,500 each year, or $15,000 total.

Over 50 Out in Two Scholars Inducted into Cohort Program Known for Academic Excellence and Community Service
The Spring 2024 Out in Two Award Ceremony took place April 10 in RHT. Speakers included Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Erwin Wong; Vice President for Student Affairs Marva Craig and Vice President of Enrollment Management Sanjay Ramdath. Alumni remarks were delivered via pre-recorded video by Niv Yoself, a former Out in Two scholar who is currently out of the country. Yoself is a 2023 graduate of BMCC with an Associate of Science degree in Financial Management. Senior Academic Advisor and Coordinator of the Out in Two program Maria Ramirez put the event together. Fifty-five students were inducted into the program, known for its welcoming cohort model and commitment to academic excellence and community service.

Close to 600 Students Attend Spring Job Fair
The BMCC Center for Career Development hosted the 2024 Spring Job Fair on April 10 in the gymnasium at 199 Chambers St. More than 90 employers were on hand to accept resumes and meet with the nearly 600 students who attended the event. "The Spring 2024 Job Fair provided students with a vast array of employment opportunities that were suited to meet their professional as well as professional goals,” said Driada Rivas, Interim Director of the Center for Career Development. “The engagement and energy level were thrilling. It was a very proud moment. Seeing our students shine is what it is all about." 

Tech Equity Day Brings Together Industry Experts and Students Who Aspire to Enter IT Careers
The BMCC Tech Equity Project—part of the CUNY Tech Equity Initiative and led by Computer Science Professor Mohammad Azhar—along with the BMCC Tech Learning Community, presented Tech Equity Day on April 3 in the Fiterman Conference Center. The all-day program of sessions and panels was supported by sponsors including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Google. A panel on cybersecurity was led by members of the BMCC IRT department. A panel on women in the IT field showcased three BMCC alumnae and three others engaged in successful IT careers. 

Student Exhibition Showcases Painting, Digital Imaging, Photography, Sculpture and More The Art Foundations program in BMCC's Music and Art Department and the Shirley Fiterman Art Center are excited to present an annual exhibition that features the artwork of close to 300 student artists working in a wide range of mediums. An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, April 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Shirley Fiterman Art Center. The exhibition will be on view through Saturday, May 11. Shown: Artwork by Isabel Iainez from Professor Siobhan McBride's Art 270 class.

WAC Day Highlights Discussion and Writing as Tools for Student Success
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Day, held April 3, featured guest speaker Ted Hadzi-Antich, founder of the Great Questions Project and a professor at Austin Community College, as well as a faculty panel and panel of students discussing their experience in writing intensive courses. Learn more about BMCC WAC here.

BMCC Hosts Cheongsam Show
On April 8, as part of Asian Heritage Month and in association with the Chinese Culture Association Club, BMCC hosted a Chinese Cheongsam show with performers from the New York Cheongsam Association in Richard Harris Terrace. “Cheongsam” or “zansae,” also known as “the qipao” and sometimes referred to as “the mandarin gown,” is a Chinese dress worn by women and inspired by the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. See a complete list of Asian Heritage Month events here.

Making Headlines

BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe discusses BMCC’s involvement in a program that helps Black male students move on to top four-year colleges
April 8, 2024—WABC-7’s Here and Now

Michelle Hernandez named Assistant VP for marketing, communications and public affairs
April 5, 2024—The Chronicle of Higher Education

Student Success Story

Announcements

Modern Languages Student Symposium April 17 The BMCC Modern Languages Department will host its fifth annual student symposium on April 17 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. in Room S-341 at 199 Chambers St.  The event will also feature a musical performance from singer, percussionist and ethnomusicologist Aracely Sánchez (shown left), at 5 p.m.  Read more about the symposium’s scheduled events here.

BMCC Scholarship Manager Sussie Gyamfi Shares Expertise on Scholarship Panel On Thursday, April 11, BMCC Scholarship Manager Sussie Gyamfi shared her expertise on the Zoom panel, “Unlock Your Future With Scholarships.” Presented by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, the panel attracted over 125 registrants. “While grades are important, scholarships are often based on a range of factors such as financial need, campus activities, special talents and skills, and community involvement,” says Ms. Gyamfi. “Grades may be only part of the picture, and well-rounded students sometimes have an advantage over those with higher GPAs.” Visit Scholarships, Awards and Other Opportunities to learn more, or contact Sussie Gyamfi, scholarship@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Criminal Justice, Urban Studies Career Panel Discussion April 17
The BMCC Criminal Justice program, Urban Studies program and Center for Career Development will host a career event featuring a panel of distinguished speakers (shown above) starting at 5:30 p.m. on April 17 in Room N-452 at 199 Chambers St. The discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer session. To RSVP, click here.  Questions? Contact CTE Advisor Amy Rothenberg at arothenberg@bmcc.cuny.edu

Cafeteria closed for Spring Break BMCC’s MBJ cafeteria located on the second floor at 199 Chambers St. will be closed from April 22 through April 28 for Spring Break.

Join Now: 2024 Couch to 5K Step Challenge Leads Up to 5K on May 1
The Health Education Department and Division of Student Affairs are hosting a steps challenge from April 3 through April 29 that leads up to an in-person 5K that starts in the BMCC gym at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1 and is open to all members of the BMCC community. Learn more here. Register here.

Faculty and Staff Encouraged to RSVP for 2024 Commencement
Faculty and staff are encouraged to RSVP for BMCC’s 2024 Commencement Ceremony, which will take place at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Faculty and staff who are interested in sitting on the stage during the ceremony will be required to wear a cap and gown, which will also serve as an admission ticket to the ceremony. If you have yet to secure a cap and gown, please reach out to Jonathan Rosser via email at jrosser@bmcc.cuny.edu no later than May 1 for further assistance. To RSVP online, click here.

Encourage Student Filmmakers to Submit to BMCC Film Festival: Deadline April 28
The BMCC Cinema Arts Club will present the Spring 2024 BMCC Film Festival on May 5 in Theatre 2 at 199 Chambers Street.  Students can submit film projects of any genre— including animation and multi-camera studio TV production—through April 28.  For more information, contact Anastassios (Tassos) Rigopoulos at arigopoulos@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Encourage Students to Apply for BMCC Foundation Scholarship by April 21
Student applications for the BMCC Foundation Scholarship will be accepted through April 21. Eligible candidates receive up to $3,200 annually. To qualify, students must be matriculated, pursuing their first college degree at BMCC and maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Full-time student applicants should have completed a minimum of 12 credits by the conclusion of the Spring 2024 semester, while part-time students should have completed at least 20 credits by that time. Learn more here or contact Scholarship and Special Services Manager Sussie Gyamfi, sgyamfi@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Faculty and Staff Required to Complete Cybersecurity Training by April 30 BMCC faculty and staff are required to complete a 40-minute Cybersecurity Awareness Training course—available on Blackboard— designed specifically for CUNY, by April 30. The course covers various cybersecurity risks, such as phishing attacks, spam, protecting CUNY accounts, and best practices for safeguarding data. The course may be accessed from your CUNY Blackboard account’s home page by navigating to “My Organizations.” From there, you can view and complete the Cybersecurity Awareness Training. By completing the course, staff and faculty will be reducing CUNY’s cybersecurity risk. Faculty and staff who have questions or require further assistance regarding this training, can contact the IRT Service Desk at userservices@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Enrollment

Summer and Fall 2024 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: 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.

Human Resources

Gender-Based Violence Training Joins ESPARC and WVP Mandated Trainings

• The state- and CUNY-mandated Employee Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Course (ESPARC) and Workplace Violence Prevention Training (WVP) are available for the 2023-2024 academic year. All part-time employees, including adjuncts, as well as full-time employees must complete both trainings by May 31.
• The state- and CUNY-mandated Gender Based Violence Training (GBVT) is required for HR professionals and managers with at least one direct report. Full and part-time employees notified by email about GBVT must complete it by May 31.

Human Resources will host pre-recorded, two-hour ESPARC and WPV Zoom sessions. Visit here to view the dates through April 25. To schedule a Zoom training, contact Lori Mazzola at lmazzola@bmcc.cuny.edu and include the training date and time you want to attend.

Sports and Wellness

BMCC Baseball’s Peter Marino Receives CUNYAC Pitcher Of the Week Accolades 

Lin Li and Villarruz Receive 2024 All-Region 15 First Team Accolades; Trejo Named to All-Region 15 Sportsmanship Team

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

Calendar

Blackout Poetry Snack Break
April 15

BMCC Founders Festival Pop-up Market
April 16

Wellness Fun Fest
April 17

Academic Discovery Day: 18th and 19th Century Art
April 17

Connect with BMCC

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