News

BMCC Computer Science Major Abdoulaye Diallo Named Prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Scholar
Computer Science major Abdoulaye Diallo has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKC). Diallo is one of 90 high-achieving community college students nationwide to receive this competitive scholarship. The scholarship provides up to $55,000 per year in “last dollar” funding—after institutional aid—allowing Cooke Scholars to complete their bachelor's degrees with minimal debt. BMCC President Dr. Anthony E. Munroe and his cabinet surprised Diallo with the news during a morning meeting in the President’s conference room. “Being the first in my family to attend college, this recognition from JKC means everything,” Diallo said.  Originally from Dombe (Aiguel), a small village in Guinea, Diallo described his academic journey as filled with challenges due in great part to limited access to formal education. In his personal statement, he wrote, “My parents, while loving and supportive, did not have the tools or knowledge to guide me through an academic path they themselves never knew.”

Five Music Students Win Trinity Church Choral Scholars Program Scholarships
Five BMCC Music and Art students — Dylan Jalet LaBella, Shaina Louis, Josue Tejada, Gabriel Kerolle, and Grace Tyson — have won scholarships to the Trinity Church Choral Scholars program for the 2025–2026 academic year. Each winner will participate in, be trained by, and perform regularly with the St. Paul’s Chapel choir, receiving a stipend of $8,000 to $10,000.  Over the past nine months, BMCC music program faculty and staff have been preparing the students for their auditions through vocal training, fine-tuning their repertoire, improving stage presence, and enhancing their sight-reading abilities. This is BMCC’s third year of participation in the Trinity Choral Scholars program. Learn more about the program here.

BMCC Spring Film Festival Showcases Student Productions
BMCC’s Cinema Arts Club hosted the Spring 2025 Film Festival on May 4 in Theatre 2 at 199 Chambers Street. The festival, which takes place each spring and fall semester, showcases films made by current BMCC students. More than 130 people—students, families, and friends—attended the event, which kicked off with a red-carpet photo call and pizza. Around 70 films of various genres, including documentary, fiction, and animation, were submitted. Fifty-three of those films were screened in the competitive portion of the festival, where a panel of judges picked winners in various categories.

BMCC Hosts Delegation from Education and Culture Committee of Finland’s Parliament
BMCC hosted a distinguished delegation from the Education and Culture Committee of the Parliament of Finland on May 13 in Fiterman Hall. The delegation, which was led by Chairperson Tuula Haatainen, was comprised of eight members of Parliament. Ambassador Jarmo Sareva, Consul General of Finland in New York and a member of the Advisory Board of the Office of Diplomatic Engagement and Training, and staff from the Consulate General of Finland in New York facilitated the visit. The group exchanged insights with BMCC leadership, faculty, and staff about the educational systems in Finland and the U.S.; discussed best practices; and explored prospective collaborations.

President Munroe and BMCC Representatives Visit Cardinal Hayes High School
On May 12, BMCC President Dr. Anthony E. Munroe, Vice President of Enrollment Management Dr. Sanjay Ramdath, Director of the Urban Male Leadership Academy (UMLA) Dr. Ashtian Holmes, and various members of the Enrollment Management team visited Cardinal Hayes High School in The Bronx to speak with juniors about the transformative opportunities available at BMCC. President Munroe shared his personal story of growing up in The Bronx and his journey to becoming one of the leading college presidents in the country — showing students firsthand what’s possible with determination, education, and vision. The team also highlighted BMCC’s various articulation agreements with prestigious HBCUs such as Morehouse College, Bowie State University, and Clark Atlanta University, along with our study abroad programs supported by CIEE grants, which open doors for students locally and globally. 

BMCC Professors Win CUNY Book Completion Awards
Music and Art Professor Sarah Madole Lewis and English Professor Tracy Bealer have won CUNY Book Completion Awards. Each has received $7,500 to develop their research projects into publishable book manuscripts. Professor Lewis is working on “Sarcophagi as Family Tombs in the Roman East,” while Professor Bealer is working on “Girl Detectives and Gothic Femininity: The Major Novels of Megan Abbott.”

Making Headlines

Criminal Justice Professor Shirley Leyro interviewed about the impact of the recent immigration enforcement actions on immigrants, their families, and communities
LATiNAS/CUNY TV—May 13, 2025

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Awards 90 Community College Transfer Scholarships
Diverse Issues in Higher Education—May 14, 2025

Did You Know?

BMCC will host a Lavender Graduation and Pride Month brunch on May 30.

Announcements

Student Affairs Seeks Staff Production Assistants for 2025 Commencement Ceremony on June 4
The Office of Student Affairs is seeking staff members who can serve as Production Assistants at the College’s 60th Commencement Ceremony, June 4, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn. Staff members who would like to participate should inform their supervisors so they may anticipate departmental staffing needs. To sign up as a Production Assistant, visit this registration page. The ceremony will also be Livestreamed. For more information about BMCC’s 2025 Commencement, visit the event webpage.

Shirley Fiterman Arts Center—Susan Weil:About Time—Opens June 5
The Shirley Fiterman Art Center announced its upcoming exhibition Susan Weil: About Time, a solo show of more than 50 works by artist Susan Weil. This exhibition spans her career from 1949 to the present, and is the first institutional solo presentation of her work in New York City. Time, both literally and metaphorically, is a central theme that threads its way through her more than 70-year practice. Weil cultivated a unique vision that moved back and forth between paper and canvas, traditional materials and experimental techniques, figuration and abstraction, exploring throughout the ever-shifting elements of time, movement, and language. The exhibition opens with a reception on June 5 and will be open until August 9. Also, Susan Weil and Vincent FitzGerald will hold a conversation on June 7 at 11 a.m. Weil and FitzGerald, publisher of limited-edition artist books and prints, will discuss their many collaborations.

BMCC Continuing Education 2025 Open House, May 28 and 29
BMCC’s Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development will host a series of information sessions showcasing the wide range of courses the Center offers. Individuals interested in starting a career in Information Technology, Diplomatic Affairs, Cyber Security, or the Cannabis industry are invited to attend on May 28 and 29 at 25 Broadway in Manhattan. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with faculty and advisors who can answer questions and provide insight. Professionals looking to upskill, earn certifications, or explore new career pathways are also welcome. The event will include campus tours and information about tuition and financing. Click here to choose and enroll in an information session. For more information, email ace@bmcc.cuny.edu or call (212) 346-8410.

Handshake: Student Career Connection Available
Handshake is BMCC's premier career services platform, connecting students and alumni with a wealth of opportunities. Whether an individual is searching for internships, part-time jobs, full-time positions or simply exploring career paths, Handshake is a good resource. Job or intern seekers can claim their profile to showcase skills and experience and gain access to thousands of job postings and other resources. Handshake also allows individuals to register for career events, schedule appointments with career advisors and receive personalized job recommendations. Handshake is a one-stop shop for launching a career! BMCC community members with questions about Handshake can contact Director of Career Development Robert Earl at rearl@bmcc.cuny.edu.

LinkedIn Learning Platform Now Available LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform designed to assist users with improving business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. The LinkedIn Learning video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by industry experts allows users to learn at their own pace. Available courses include Developing Presentation Skills, Learning Time Management Skills, How to Be An Effective Leader, QuickBooks Tutorials for Accountants, Adobe Creative Cloud Tutorials Web/Fashion Designers, AutoCad Tutorial for Engineers, Scripting Languages for the Application Developers and more. For more information, contact Leticia Dinkins, Instructional Computer Services Manager, at the Learning Resource Center, at ldinkins@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Enrollment

Summer and Fall 2025 Advisement and Registration Available Now
Faculty and staff, please encourage students to talk to their advisor to discuss their academic progress and registration. 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

Register Now for Spring 2025 Professional Development Trainings
College Resources, Professional Development and Learning (PDL), in the office of University Human Resources provides professional development opportunities for Spring 2025.

• PDL Spring Courses: Provided through the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), these courses range from $75 to $150 per person and require supervisory approval. Register online.
• DCAS Open Enrollment: Citywide training is provided in cultural awareness, management, technology and more.
• Campus On-Site Training Requests: Custom training sessions can be requested through DCAS.

For full details, please refer to the Spring 2025 Professional Development Opportunities Catalog. CUNY employees who participate in professional development outside of PDL’s offerings are asked to log those activities on the Professional Development Tracking Form. Questions can be sent to University.Training@cuny.edu. 

Sports and Wellness

Panthers Compete at NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship

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

Storytelling Lives: PAC NYC
May 21

Life Dance/Biodanza Series
June 2

Connect with BMCC

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