Real Estate and Banking Leaders, and Award-Winning Songwriters to be Honored at "Invest in a Future" Gala, May 18 BMCC and the BMCC Foundation will host the 2017 Gala, “Invest in a Future,” with proceeds benefiting the BMCC Scholarship Fund. The evening's Honorees are Carol Britton, Chief Operating Officer for Corporate Services at BNY Mellon, and Jeffrey Gural, Chairman of Newmark Knight Frank. Special Guest Star Honorees are Oscar® and Grammy® winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Cindy Hsu, an Emmy Award-winning anchor and reporter at CBS 2 News, will be the emcee. Tickets are $300 for BMCC faculty, staff and recent alumni (2007–2016). For more information, to purchase a ticket or reserve a table, please contact the BMCC Office of Development at (212) 220-8020 or click HERE.

BMCC Hosts 52nd Commencement with Largest Graduating Class in the College's History
BMCC will confer more than 4,300 associate degrees during morning and afternoon Commencement ceremonies at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza in Manhattan, on June 2. Surpassing last year's record number of graduates, this will be the largest graduating class in the college's history. BMCC President Antonio Pérez will present the 2017 BMCC President’s Medal to U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat in the morning, and to film producer and co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, Jane Rosenthal, in the afternoon. The morning Commencement Valedictorian is Computer Science major Olasubomi Ayomide Efuniyi and the afternoon Commencement Valedictorian is Psychology major Paulina Malinowska.

BMCC Community Gathers for Middle States Town Hall
A Middle States Town Hall meeting for the BMCC community was held May 9 in Theatre 2.  The purpose of the meeting was to update students, faculty and staff on the status of the College’s Middles States Commission on Higher Education institutional self-study. “This Middle States Self Study process reflect a tremendous amount of work by over 100 faculty and staff,” said BMCC President Antonio Pérez. “The committees, organized around the seven standards, evaluate what’s working well, and what we need to improve upon as an institution.”

BMCC Hosts CUE Conference to Share Strategies for Student Success
The CUNY Coordinated Undergraduate Education (CUE) Conference 2017 was held May 5 at BMCC’s main campus and Fiterman Hall. The conference theme, "Accelerating Progress, Accelerating Equity: Improving Student Success in Developmental and Gateway Courses" was reflected in breakout sessions, a keynote address by Katie Hern, Director of the California Acceleration Project, and Plenary by Steven Hinds, Director of Chicago’s Active Learning in Adult Numeracy and Mathematics. "One of the University’s highest priorities and certainly BMCC’s highest priority is improving student success,” said BMCC Provost Karrin E. Wilks. "This conference is a great opportunity to learn from what other colleges are doing, proven practices that address those priorities."  

L-R: Anthony Watson, TaNitra Watson, Eileen Pérez, Antonio Pérez

MEOC Gala Raises More Than $39K 
On May 3, the Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC) Gala, "Celebrating 50 Years," raised more than $39,000. Held in Harlem’s Alhambra Ballroom, the event featured Honorees Antonio Pérez, President of BMCC, and Charles Rangel, Retired U.S. Representative. The Gala’s Distinguished Guest was H. Carl McCall, Chairman of the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees. "I must say that I was humbled and extremely appreciative of all the support MEOC received for our 50th Anniversary Celebration,” said Anthony Watson, Executive Director of MEOC. "It was filled with laughter, great stories and some impactful speeches. We hope to continue impacting and serving our community for another 50 years."

Out in Two Program Inducts Largest Class in its History
BMCC welcomed 72 students to the Out in Two scholarship program with an Induction Ceremony held May 8 in Richard Harris Terrace at 199 Chambers Street. "It is my honor to congratulate, challenge and thank you,” Provost Karrin E. Wilks told the inductees. “The world needs smart, tenacious leaders to make a difference in our communities and make the world a better place.” The program, founded by BMCC President Antonio Pérez in 1999, provides tuition scholarships and requires participants to complete volunteer activities.

BMCC Showcases Student-Mentored Research Projects
The BMCC Annual Research Symposium (BARS) was held Wednesday, May 10 at BMCC’s main campus. Hosted by the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Research, the event showcased student-mentored research projects in biology, biochemistry, engineering, the social sciences and other areas. Keynote speakers were Victoria Arango, Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University and Charles Vörösmarty, Founding Director of the Environmental Sciences Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center. In other sessions, BMCC students shared their research through oral presentations and in poster sessions.

BMCC Students Attend NYC Council Hearing on CUNY Budget
BMCC students and staff joined peers from CUNY campuses citywide on Friday, May 5 for a joint hearing of the City Council's Finance and Higher Education Committees. The hearing was focused on the Mayor's proposed CUNY budget and co-chaired by Council Members Julissa Ferreras and Inez Barron. CUNY leadership testified at the hearing on the needs of the university system. Pictured L-R in the City Hall Rotunda: Douglas Israel (BMCC Director of Government Relations), Jacqueline Aguilar, Lizbet Ferrante, Michelle Murillo, Melissa E. Aponte (Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership), Danielle Blount, Harry Mars (Director of Student Activities and Leadership) and Sherrod Stanton.

Derfner Foundation Communication Center Open House
BMCC faculty, students and staff are invited to an open house on Tuesday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. showcasing the Derfner Foundation Communication Center in Room S-635 at 199 Chambers Street. The Derfner Foundation Communication Lab provides soundproof computer carrels and software through which participants can strengthen their confidence and skills with a variety of linguistic exercises. For more information, contact Professor Lee Ritchey at lritchey@bmcc.cuny.edu or (212) 220-7981.

Lisa Kasper Joins BMCC as Director of Admissions and Outreach BMCC welcomes Lisa Kasper, Director of Admissions and Outreach in the Office of Enrollment Management. Kasper will be responsible for developing strategies to attract, recruit and enroll students to meet the College’s enrollment goals. She comes to BMCC from Ocean County College in New Jersey, where she served as Director of Admissions. She also held the position of Director of Admissions at Montclair State University, where she led a 30-member team to increase the size, academic profile and geographic diversity of the freshman class, and was a senior member of the Montclair State University Enrollment Management Team. Earlier in her career, Kasper was a college writing instructor. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Montclair State University and a Master of Arts in English and Comparative Literature at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and a weekend volunteer at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.

2017 Arts in Education Job Fair
On May 16 in Richard Harris Terrace at 199 Chambers Street, the BMCC Center for Career Development will present a job fair focused on professional opportunities in arts education. Representatives from arts education and cultural organizations across New York City will be on hand to talk about positions as Teaching Artists, Arts Administrators, interns and more. Professional attire is strongly suggested. Please register for more information or contact the BMCC Employee Relations Team, EmployerRelations@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Public Safety Presentation on Active Shooter/Hostile Intruder Awareness 
Public Safety will host a presentation by the NYPD Counter Terrorism Bureau, "Active Shooter/Hostile Intruder," at 10 a.m. on Tuesday May 16. All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend this 60- to 90-minute session in Richard Harris Terrace, 199 Chambers Street. Seating will be limited, so please RSVP to Ext. 8075.

Women’s Leadership Retreat Open for Applications 
BMCC students who identify as women are invited to apply for the free 16th Annual Student Women’s Leadership Conference and Retreat, “Women Leading and Women Rising,” June 9-11 at the Fairview Lakes YMCA Camp in Newton, New Jersey. The weekend is sponsored by the BMCC Women’s Resource Center and Sisterhood Society Club. Attendance is limited. Fifty students selected for the weekend will attend a Keynote address by Clarisa Romero, CEO and Founder of Mindful Consultants, at BMCC on Friday, June 9 and travel by bus to and from the camp. Applicants are invited to stop by S340 to fill out an application, or complete it online HERE by Friday, May 26. For more information call (212) 220-8166.

BMCC PLUS Program Surpasses Goal, Provides More Than 4,300 Volunteer Hours
According to Nereida Montijo, Assistant Director for Student Responsibility in the BMCC Office of Student Activities, students providing volunteer service through the Partners Lending Universal Support (PLUS) Program surpassed the PLUS goal of 4,000 hours this academic year by logging a total of 4,382.50 volunteer hours; 2,629 on campus and 1,753.50 off campus. As Partners, students complete volunteer activities. They attend workshops to build professional skills and leadership training in civic responsibility. For more information, contact the Office of Student Activities, Room S234 at 199 Chambers Street, or call (212) 220-8160.

BMCC Nursing Graduates to be Recognized in Pinning Ceremony The BMCC community is invited to cheer on graduates of the BMCC Nursing Department as they cross the stage in Theatre 1 at 199 Chambers Street on Wednesday, May 31 at 11 a.m. The Pinning Ceremony honors those who have successfully completed the rigorous Nursing program at BMCC, which provides courses in medical-surgical care, psychiatric nursing care, anatomy and other areas. The students also complete clinical rotations, working side-by-side with nurses, doctors, and medical students at public and private hospitals throughout New York City. Graduates earn an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Nursing, and are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (RNs).

Text/ure Exhibition Opens at Shirley Fiterman Art Center
The art exhibition “Text/ure” will open in the Shirley Fiterman Art Center (SFAC) 81 Barclay Street, with a reception on Tuesday, May 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. Curated by Kristen Frederickson with assistant curator Avery Curran, the exhibit will feature the work of 13 artists and celebrate texture and material, Frederickson says. The public is welcome to visit the SFAC from 12 to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call (212) 776-6237.

CUNY CUE Conference highlighted in article about remediation
May 10, 2017 — The Hechinger Report

Michael Clark, BMCC alumnus, is Student Speaker at CUNY Baccalaureate graduation
May 4, 2017 — CUNY Baccalaureate Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies

BMCC Professor Sophia Aidiniou featured for organ donor awareness efforts
May 4, 2017 — Campus News

Help Make a Difference
The BMCC Faculty/Staff campaign provides scholarship and emergency support to BMCC students, 90% of whom need financial assistance to reach their educational goals. By donating just $25 to $100, you can help the college raise over $80,000 for students. Here are three ways to give:

• Make a donation online.
• Text your donation to BMCC at (646) 876-2622.
• Send your check, payable to the BMCC Foundation, via interoffice mail to the Office of College Development, F1330. (Please note, you can designate your donation to your department.)

Free Honors Music Student Recital
May 12

Free Concert: A Liederabend in the afternoon 
May 13

Bach Cello Suites Concert
May 16

Pre-Health Career Workshop
May 17

	BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center Listings		Center for Career Development Events
	Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Events		Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development Events

Panthers Finish Regular Season With Loss to Nassau

Recreation Schedule Through May 25

@BMCC is produced and published by the Office of Public Affairs. Faculty and staff who wish to submit items for @BMCC can send them to publicaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu