CUNY Groups
The CUNY Contemplative Network
In 2005 Professor of English Geri DeLuca and Associate Professor of Education David Forbes were awarded a Program Development Fellowship from the Center for Contemplative Mind and Society of Northampton, Massachusetts. The project was entitled, "A Lotus Grows in Brooklyn: Nurturing a Contemplative Educators' Network on an Urban campus of Public Higher Education." Since then, with the benefit of the grant and in cooperation with the Center for Contemplative Mind and Society, they:
- established contemplative-based courses in their respective programs, English and school counseling;
- instituted a yoga course in the Department of Kinesiology;
- formed a study and support group of CUNY-wide professors practicing contemplative pedagogy that met on a regular basis at Brooklyn College;
- conducted bi-monthly meditation sessions open to all members of the Brooklyn College community;
- presented with colleagues on contemplative pedagogy practices in higher education at the 3rd Annual CUNY Conference on General Education at Queens College (May 2007);
- initiated, organized, and presented at two CUNY-wide "Mindful Learners" conferences in higher education at the CUNY Graduate Center, each with approximately 40 participants (April 2006 and April 2009);
- organized a screening of the PBS film The Buddha, with the director, David Gruber, as guest speaker, at the CUNY Graduate Center (October 2010);
- presented the CUNY Mindfulness Speakers Series at the CUNY Graduate Center, fall 2011, fall 2012, and fall 2013; and
- appeared in interviews in stories covering contemplative pedagogies in education in issues of the Buddhist magazine, Shambhala Sun.
CUNY Campus Contemplative Contacts
- CUNY Contemplative Urban Law Program: Victor Goode
- Brooklyn College: Konstaninos Alexakos
- Brooklyn College: David Forbes, affiliate faculty
- CUNY Graduate Center: Ken Tobin
- CUNY School of Public Health: May May Leung
- Hunter College: Tracy Dennis
- Kingsborough Community College: Rick Repetti
- Lehman College: Stephen Redenti
- Queens College: Rikki Asher
- Queensborough Community College: Alexandra Tarasko
