Spring Letter to Faculty
April 7, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this e-mail finds you well and that you had the opportunity to enjoy a restful spring break. This month I write to share just a few of the new developments in Academic Affairs that occurred in March.
I am delighted to tell you that our CUNY 2020 grant for “The Healthcare Career Hub of Central and South Brooklyn: Brooklyn College, Kingsborough Community College, and Medgar Evers College Building the Workforce Ecosystem” has been funded. This $9.3 million grant provides over $3.1 million for renovations in labs and other campus facilities related to our biology and healthcare programs. I want to thank Professors Theodore Muth, Kathleen Axen and Maria Contel for providing critical information that contributed to the development of a winning proposal. We will be looking for additional funds to support programming as we build the partnerships that undergird this timely initiative.
The Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema Studies raised $125,000 in donations last month. $100,000 will directly support student thesis productions and $25,000 will contribute to getting the word out about Feirstein’s remarkable program. Feirstein also brought Academy Award film director Gus Van Sant (“Milk,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Elephant”) to campus to meet with students and Emmy and Tony award winning film and theater director Stephen Daldry (“The Hours,” “Billy Elliot,” “The Crown”) to mentor a student filmmaking team. Thanks for these significant accomplishments and initiatives goes to Feirstein’s Executive Director, Richard Gladstein.
The Koppelman School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) held its inaugural meeting on March 25 with 14 founding members, including Martin Sass, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of M.D. Sass, who was elected Chair. Another first in March for Koppelman was the start of the Dean’s Leadership Lecture, which featured Abby Joseph Cohen of Goldman Sachs. The KSB Research Seminar series also started last month. This series will feature some of the outstanding research projects of our faculty. The inaugural research seminar featured Professor Nadia Doytch with a presentation entitled “Does Transitioning towards Renewable Energy Accelerate Economic Growth? An Analysis of Sectoral Growth for a Dynamic Panel of Countries.” My thanks for these exciting new projects go to Dean Qing Hu and Associate Dean Merih Uctum.
The Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ken Gould, is funding an initiative for curriculum redevelopment aimed at decolonizing HSS curricula. The HSS Dean’s office is able to provide a stipend for each participating member of a Departmental Curriculum Committee or Interdisciplinary Program Steering Committee. Revised decolonized curricula including new and updated syllabi and degree requirements will be developed over the summer and submitted to Faculty Council for approval in the fall. I am very grateful to Dean Gould for the engaging and innovative design of this important program that will benefit students and faculty for years to come.
We are in the process of seeking funds to extend opportunities for online faculty development through the Center for Teaching and Learning. As you plan for the Summer, please stay tuned to our CTL’s weekly e-mail update to learn about opportunities to enhance your knowledge about course design, pedagogy, and online teaching.
I look forward to bringing you more news from Academic Affairs next month. In the interim, if I can assist you in any way, please contact Ronnie Khan to schedule a meeting or e-mail me directly. I look forward to hearing from you.
All best regards,
Anne Lopes
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
