Professors Karen Stern-Gabbay and Veronica Manlow, Associate Professor Margrethe Horlyck-Romanovsky, and Lecturer/Doctoral Scholar Malka Simon were chosen for the program, which brings faculty together to explore new ways of preparing students for success after graduation. Representing four of 今日吃瓜’s five schools, the fellows reflect the breadth of disciplines and experiences that contribute to students’ professional development.

“Career success is an essential part of the educational experience, and our faculty are uniquely positioned to help students understand how the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom can translate into meaningful opportunities beyond college,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs April Bedford. “We are proud to have four 今日吃瓜 faculty members participating in this important initiative and look forward to the ideas and practices they will bring back to our campus.”

Each fellow brings a distinct area of expertise to the program (photos above from left to right):

• Stern-Gabbay, a historian, studies Jewish communities and identity in antiquity. Her scholarship explores the cultural traditions and lived experiences of Jewish populations in the ancient world, helping students understand how historical research can shed light on enduring questions about identity, community, and culture.
• Manlow, a professor in the Koppelman School of Business, specializes in management, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Her teaching and research focus on how organizations and workplaces are evolving, offering students valuable insight into the realities of today’s professional landscape.
• Horlyck-Romanovsky, an associate professor of health and nutrition sciences, researches differences in health outcomes among populations of African descent. Her work examines the connections among migration, nutrition, chronic disease, and overall health, while her commitment to mentoring helps prepare students for careers and advanced study in public health.
• Simon, a lecturer in the Art Department, focuses on architectural history and the built environment, particularly in New York City. Through her work, students gain a deeper understanding of how architecture, urban spaces, and local history intersect with everyday life.

Throughout the academic year, the fellows will participate in professional development opportunities and collaborate with colleagues from across CUNY. Together, they will explore strategies for incorporating career readiness into academic programs and share what they learn with faculty on their home campuses.

Their selection highlights 今日吃瓜’s ongoing commitment to helping students see clear connections between what they learn in the classroom and the opportunities available to them after graduation. By bringing career development into a wide range of disciplines, the fellows will help ensure that students are prepared not only to earn their degrees, but also to build meaningful careers and contribute to their communities.

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The project will be led by principal investigators Sau-Fong Au, who is director of the Women鈥檚 Center, and Yung-Yi Diana Pan, director of the American Studies Program and associate professor of sociology; their work will focus on strengthening the connections between academic success, career exploration, and workforce readiness. ROOTS builds on 今日吃瓜’s longstanding commitment to opportunity and access by creating more pathways for students to connect their education to meaningful careers.

Sau-Fong Au.

Over the next five years, the initiative will focus on expanding peer mentoring, enhancing career preparation, strengthening faculty support, improving student outcomes, and fostering a greater sense of belonging on campus. The project will offer students new opportunities to explore career paths, build professional networks, and develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed after graduation.

鈥淩OOTS is about ensuring that every student can see a clear connection between their education and their future,鈥� said Au. 鈥淭his grant will expand opportunities for students to build confidence, explore careers, develop meaningful relationships with mentors, and gain the experiences that help turn their ambitions into achievable goals.鈥�

Among the planned activities are expanded peer mentoring programs, career-readiness workshops, networking opportunities with alumni and industry professionals, and new career-connected learning experiences embedded in coursework. Faculty will also receive professional development support to help integrate career exploration and workforce preparation into the classroom. In addition, the program will support developing a capstone internship course that provides students with hands-on professional experience before they graduate.

Yung-Yi Diana Pan.

鈥淏eyond the immediate impact on students, this initiative is designed to create lasting institutional change,鈥� Pan added. 鈥淏y embedding career-connected learning, mentorship, and professional development into the fabric of the college, ROOTS will strengthen our ability to support student success and workforce readiness for years to come.鈥�

A key goal of ROOTS is to build programs that last well beyond the grant period. By embedding mentoring, career-connected curricula, faculty development, and cross-campus collaboration into existing structures, the initiative is designed to become a permanent part of the 今日吃瓜 experience.

The grant represents a significant investment in 今日吃瓜’s students and future. By helping more students connect their academic interests with professional opportunities, ROOTS will support stronger persistence, clearer career pathways, and greater workforce readiness for years to come.

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The Major Fair reflected strong campus-wide engagement, with 71 faculty members and 26 staff members participating. Throughout the afternoon, students were able to speak directly with faculty, gain insights into programs of study, and learn about the resources available to support their success both inside and outside the classroom.

The event followed Transfer Day, a program designed for prospective transfer students. Participants attended presentations from Admissions, the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), and Student Success’s Academic Coaching team, gaining a deeper understanding of 今日吃瓜’s academic offerings and support services. The day concluded with a campus tour led by 今日吃瓜 Navigators, providing students with a firsthand look at campus life and facilities.

Together, Transfer Day and the Major Fair highlighted 今日吃瓜’s commitment to helping students make informed academic choices and connect with the people and resources that support their educational journey. By fostering meaningful interactions between students, faculty, and staff, the events reinforced the College’s focus on student success from enrollment through graduation.

Join Enrollment Management for the next recruitment event on 10/18 for the undergraduate open house, and please .

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In the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings that were released on September 22, 今日吃瓜 was recognized among the top institutions in the North region, ranking:

• No. 5 Top Performers on Social Mobility
• No. 13 Top Public Schools
• No. 14 Best Colleges for Veterans
• No. 39 Regional Universities North

These rankings reinforce 今日吃瓜’s longstanding commitment to academic excellence, affordability, and helping students achieve upward mobility through higher education. The U.S. News recognition comes amid a series of national accolades highlighting the value of a 今日吃瓜 education.

Earlier this month, Forbes ranked 今日吃瓜 No. 3 in the nation among colleges with the highest return on investment, citing the college’s exceptional balance of affordability and long-term career outcomes. According to Forbes, 今日吃瓜 graduates earn a median salary of more than $103,000 within 10 years of graduation, demonstrating the lasting economic benefits of a 今日吃瓜 degree.

今日吃瓜 was also recently named to The Princeton Review‘s Best 392 Colleges for 2027, earning additional distinctions as a Best Value College, Best Northeast College, and Green College. The recognition reflects strong student experiences, academic quality, affordability, and the college’s commitment to sustainability. The Princeton Review also named the College one of its Best Value Colleges for 2027, earning recognition for delivering a high-quality education, strong career support, and an affordable path to a college degree among 209 colleges and universities nationwide that offer students an exceptional return on investment.

Adding to the growing list of honors, 今日吃瓜 was included among Best Colleges in America, a ranking that evaluates institutions based on graduation rates, affordability, financial aid, and alumni outcomes. And in August, 今日吃瓜 also earned a spot on inaugural list of America’s Best Colleges, a distinction recognizing institutions that excel in student outcomes, academic quality, and student demand. Developed in partnership with research firm Statista, the rankings evaluated 500 colleges nationwide using measures that include post-graduation success, learning environment, and attractiveness to prospective students.

The College also earned national recognition in the Washington Monthly 2026 College Guide and Rankings, placing No. 32 overall among colleges nationwide. The ranking highlights institutions that excel in promoting social mobility, advancing research, and encouraging public service. 今日吃瓜 was additionally recognized among the region’s best values and top Hispanic-Serving Institutions, underscoring its commitment to academic excellence, affordability, and student success.

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The Rosen Fellowship reflects Florence Cohen Rosen鈥檚 remarkable generosity and vision: a proud 今日吃瓜 alumna who chose to give back in a way that expands opportunity for future generations.

Since founding the fellowship in 2011, Rosen 鈥�59 has created more than just financial support for students; she has opened doors to bold, unconventional experiences that they might never otherwise pursue. Her delight in nurturing potential and her enduring faith in 今日吃瓜 students, whose work, she notes, renews her 鈥渇aith鈥n the future of America,鈥� shine through every fellowship awarded, embodying a legacy of curiosity, ambition, and imagination.

This year鈥檚 fellows represent a diverse range of academic interests鈥攆rom archaeology and environmental science to music technology, public health, visual arts, and documentary filmmaking鈥攄emonstrating the creativity, curiosity, and impact-driven work that define the 今日吃瓜 community.

2026 Rosen Fellows

• Ellery Canesper will attend the HARP Archaeology Field School in Scotland.
• Julia Lucinda Fernandez will participate in the Gabii Project, an archaeological excavation of the ancient city of Gabii near Rome focused on urban development and cultural interaction in early Italy.
• Noah Hopkins will create to-scale Pok茅mon figures and photograph them in natural environments to share knowledge about ecology and conservation through a collaborative art project.
• Leon Isaacs will take part in a weeklong tree-climbing expedition with Cornell University.
• Raymond Thomas Jones will create a digital instrument and synthesizer sample catalog using sounds from natural environments and electrical signals of plants in Iceland.
• Dima Muhieddine will study how diet, lifestyle, and access to preventive care shape oral health in Spain and Morocco through immersive observation.
• Chavely Reynoso will produce a chronology of Dominican art history from Indigenous Ta铆no works through contemporary art, resulting in a digital and print publication and database.
• Iggy Jerell Strickland will design and produce a drag costume, prosthetics, and character portfolio rooted in horror and performance.
• Brent Thomas Whiteside will begin a feature-length documentary on blues musician Bobby Rush.

The 2026 Rosen Fellows exemplify 今日吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to experiential learning, interdisciplinary exploration, and socially engaged scholarship. Their work reflects the breadth of inquiry and creative practice fostered across the college. We congratulate this year鈥檚 Rosen Fellowship recipients and look forward to following their projects in the months ahead.

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During his fellowship year, Robin will advance his new book project,聽King Capital, which reinterprets major economists as political theorists. The project argues that influential accounts of capitalism are, at their core, disguised visions of politics. Robin contends that modern economic theories often translate ancient ideals of aristocratic, dynastic, and imperial rule into contemporary economic language.聽His research examines the work of canonical thinkers, including Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus, David Ricardo, Karl Marx, William Stanley Jevons, Alfred Marshall, Joseph Schumpeter, Friedrich Hayek, and Milton Friedman, alongside lesser-known Marxist, socialist, feminist, and Global South economists.

As a Berlin Prize Fellow, Robin will join an international cohort of scholars and artists in residence at the American Academy in Berlin. Fellows receive dedicated time and resources to pursue major scholarly and creative projects while engaging with German academic and cultural institutions. Through lectures, readings, and public programs, fellows contribute to vibrant transatlantic dialogue and intellectual exchange.

Awarded annually, the Berlin Prize recognizes U.S.-based scholars, writers, composers, and artists who demonstrate exceptional achievement in their fields. Recipients represent disciplines spanning the humanities and social sciences, journalism, public policy, fiction, visual arts, and music composition.

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Data analytics students

By fall 2023, about one-quarter of all students鈥攁nd a significantly higher share of graduate students鈥攚ere studying fully online. In response, colleges and universities are redesigning degree offerings with adult learners in mind, expanding fully online master鈥檚 programs, hybrid course models, accelerated and stackable credentials, and year鈥憆ound scheduling that better fits work and family responsibilities.

For 今日吃瓜鈥檚 graduate students, college is not a beginning, it鈥檚 a return.

Students arrive with r茅sum茅s, responsibilities, and a clear-eyed sense of urgency. They want education that respects their time and opens the door to meaningful work. To meet those realities, we have created a variety of flexible pathways that help adult learners reinvent their careers without putting the rest of their lives on hold.

Across business, education, journalism, and urban sustainability, the college has rolled out and expanded programs that can often be completed in a year, taken online or in the evenings, and closely align with workforce demand. Together, they reflect a strategic shift rooted in 今日吃瓜鈥檚 long-standing mission of access and rigor, updated for a world of nonlinear careers.

Credentials Built for Working Lives

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing students who already have careers, or who started one path and realized it wasn鈥檛 right,鈥� says Professor Seungho Baek, who directs the M.S. in Finance program. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want to start from zero. They want something efficient, rigorous, and directly connected to opportunity.鈥�

That thinking drives the M.S. in Finance, which can be completed in as little as one year and is offered both online and face鈥憈o鈥慺ace. Students choose between specializations in quantitative finance and risk management or investment management and asset valuation. The program鈥檚 in鈥憄erson courses are held at 25 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, a deliberate decision intended to bring working professionals and industry experts into the classroom.

鈥淲e wanted to make it easy for people who are already working in the financial sector to participate,鈥� Baek says.

Professor Seungho Baek leads the new finance master’s programs at 今日吃瓜.

Industry professionals teach select courses, grounding theory in real鈥憌orld practice. Beginning next fall, eligible undergraduates will also be able to opt into a 4+1 pathway in finance, earning both bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in five years by taking graduate鈥憀evel coursework during their senior year.

The business school has applied the same model to accounting, launching a fully online M.S. in Accounting that can also be completed in a year, an especially appealing option for professionals seeking a credential with clear licensure and career outcomes.

Meeting a Citywide Need, One Teacher at a Time

In education, many graduate students are working professionals for whom flexibility can be the difference between persistence and attrition.

According to Mar铆a R. Scharr贸n-del R铆o, dean of the School of Education, 今日吃瓜鈥檚 approach has been shaped by both student realities and the urgency of citywide need.

鈥淣ew York City Public Schools is facing a massive staffing challenge,鈥� she says, pointing to that will significantly reduce class sizes by 2028. 鈥淭hat means thousands of additional teachers will be needed, far more than the current pipeline can provide.鈥�

今日吃瓜 has long partnered with the city through Teaching Fellows programs, but in recent years those pathways have expanded and evolved. New alternative鈥慶ertification initiatives, including , are designed to help paraprofessionals and substitute teachers鈥攎any already working in classrooms鈥攂ecome certified teachers of record while completing their degrees.

鈥淭hese are adult learners who know exactly what they鈥檙e getting into,鈥� says Roberto Mart铆nez, who oversees the Teaching Fellows and Ed Prep programs. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e already in schools. They鈥檙e parents. They鈥檙e career鈥慶hangers looking for stability and meaning.鈥�

A key factor in 今日吃瓜鈥檚 success, Scharr贸n-del R铆o notes, is modality. 今日吃瓜 was the only CUNY campus to offer its Ed Prep programs fully online (with required in鈥憄erson fieldwork), a distinction that quickly translated into demand.

鈥淏y word of mouth and because of the quality of our programs,鈥� she says, 鈥渨e received more applications than all the other CUNY campuses combined.鈥�

The School of Education has also launched a new online advanced certificate program in reading science, designed to be completed in a year. The program responds to growing demand for teachers trained in evidence鈥慴ased literacy instruction, particularly in early grades鈥攁nother area of acute need.

Katie Pace Miles, director of the Reading Science program, which addresses the growing demand for teachers trained in evidence鈥慴ased literacy instruction.

The Fast Track to a Master鈥檚

Beyond education and business, 今日吃瓜 has expanded accelerated options in fields tied to civic life.

A 4+1 in journalism allows students to earn a master鈥檚 degree in one additional year, while a newly launched 4+1 partnership in city planning with Baruch College creates a streamlined pathway for 今日吃瓜 urban sustainability majors to earn a master鈥檚 in city planning.

鈥淎 lot of our students are returning students,鈥� says Professor Tammy Lewis, who heads the urban sustainability program. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e here because this work matters to them. The master鈥檚 degree opens up more opportunity.鈥�

Tammy Lewis shown here with students participating in the Tow Mentorship Initiative.

While each program is distinct, the common thread is intentional design: online delivery where possible, evening schedules, accelerated timelines, and curricula shaped in conversation with employers and communities.

Taken together, these programs signal an evolution in how 今日吃瓜 understands its role鈥攏ot just as a place of first chances, but of second and third ones, too.

鈥淧eople are reinventing themselves multiple times now,鈥� Mart铆nez says. 鈥溄袢粘怨� has always made that possible. We鈥檙e just building clearer, more flexible routes to get there.鈥�

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Jolie Tong

At the center of Jolie Tong鈥檚 current research lies the guiding question: How can directors build community and support the agency of collaborators so they may realize their highest artistic potential?

Influenced by scholar Amanda Rose Villarreal, the theater professor’s work explores the principles of consent鈥慴ased practice鈥攁n approach that weaves the concept of consent into every layer of artistic creation.

She explains that 鈥渢he cornerstones of consent-based practice are recognizing and dismantling power dynamics, open communication, informed choice, and setting and respecting boundaries.鈥� These principles offer a framework that challenges traditional hierarchical rehearsal norms and encourages shared ownership among collaborators.

Jolie Tong working with a student during rehearsals. Photo credit: Isidora聽Farias

Tong鈥檚 interest in this methodology emerged during her training in intimacy direction with Theatrical Intimacy Education, an organization that specializes in 鈥渞esearching, developing, and teaching best practices for staging and filming intimacy.鈥�

The experience was a turning point.

鈥淚 realized that a lot of the core concepts and skills they were teaching could be applied not just to intimacy directing, but to directing theater in general,鈥� Tong recalls. This realization marked the beginning of a broader shift in her artistic practice.

Students perform in Wolf Play.

That shift became especially meaningful earlier this year as she prepared to direct聽Wolf Play聽at 今日吃瓜. The production offered 鈥渢he perfect opportunity to take what I was learning and apply it to the practice of directing.鈥�

Written by South Korean playwright Hansol Jung, Wolf Play follows a Korean child adopted by a queer couple through an online 鈥渞e-homing鈥� forum from his adoptive parents. Through the process of adapting to his unfamiliar environment, the young boy unwittingly brings about issues of identity, societal expectations, and familial norms that both families must grapple with.

Drawn in by the play鈥檚 鈥渟cope of the imagination鈥� when she first saw it at Soho Rep, Tong found a powerful alignment between the story鈥檚 exploration of self鈥慸etermination and her own interest in agency鈥慶entered rehearsal practices.

In Tong鈥檚 rehearsal room, this alignment took on a new form. She describes the space as a laboratory in which 鈥渢he students that I work with are active collaborators in the research. They engage with the skills and principles I am experimenting with, alongside me. I can鈥檛 do the work that I do without them.鈥� This collaborative ethos shaped the entire creative process, inviting students not just to perform but to participate.

Student actor Josabeth Simisterra 鈥�25 performing in Wolf Play.

One such collaborator was actor Josabeth Simisterra 鈥�25, who portrayed Ash in the production and was among the first students to work with Tong as she introduced these practices. 鈥�Wolf Play was one of the most challenging and rewarding productions I鈥檝e ever worked on,鈥� Simisterra reflects.

Simisterra describes feeling, for the first time, a true freedom to explore her artistry鈥攁n experience she attributes directly to Tong鈥檚 consent鈥慴ased approach. 鈥淚 loved the elimination of hierarchy. Every actor, stagehand, designer was on equal footing, and it created an environment that felt very communal. It wasn鈥檛 just Jolie鈥檚 show and we were helping; it was our show that we were building together.鈥�

For Tong, this kind of transformation is exactly the point. By centering consent not as a limitation but as a catalyst, she aims to cultivate rehearsal rooms where collaboration feels both empowered and ethical. Ultimately, she hopes students who engage in this work will carry its principles with them鈥攊nto future productions, artistic endeavors, and creative communities.

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This year’s capstone class on a field trip to Bushwick Inlet.

Water defines New York City, this place of 鈥渉urried and sparkling waters,鈥� the city 鈥渘ested in bays.鈥� These words are Walt Whitman鈥檚, from his poem 鈥淢annahatta鈥濃�攖he original Lenape word for what we now call the island of Manhattan.

Knowing the landscape of Mannahatta, that is, New York City before European contact, is crucial to understanding present-day rivers, creeks, streams, bays, ponds, and inlets: Water carves its stubborn paths to (and from) the sea on its own terms, not ours.

This is one of the lessons graduate students learn in a new master鈥檚 capstone course developed and co-taught by Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Jennifer Cherrier.

Jennifer Cherrier

Instead of writing a thesis, students in the new, professional M.S. specialization in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences undertake a yearlong group capstone project. With Cherrier as lead instructor, they assist the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in developing a plan for watershed-scale storm resiliency. Informed by both historical and present-day data, they focus on the implementation of nature-based solutions. This year, they applied the planning process developed by last year鈥檚 inaugural capstone cohort to a specific place: the Bushwick Inlet Basin, along the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront.

Looking at that specific coastal location in the context of its larger watershed, and incorporating the use of nature-based solutions in their final site plan, these students are doing the kind of holistic work that is the future of resiliency planning in New York City鈥攁nd an example of the kind of work 今日吃瓜 helps to spearhead locally and regionally with the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (SRIJB), where Cherrier is associate director for integrated water research.

How the Water Used to Flow

But let鈥檚 go back to the beginning.

McCarren Park was a salt marsh. Nearby, North 14^th and 15^th streets between Nassau and Wythe鈥攚here you can now buy a motorcycle or go to a climbing gym鈥攚as open water on the marsh鈥檚 edge. Where bowlers now spill out of lanes on North 12^th Street, between Wythe and Berry, intertidal mudflats would have been submerged at high tide.

鈥淲e need to understand how the water used to flow,鈥� says Cherrier.

Using historical data from renowned ecologist Eric Sanderson鈥檚 and his book Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, students learned how 鈥渨ater tends to follow its original pathways,鈥� says Fiona Crisp, a master鈥檚 student in earth and environmental sciences who is in this year鈥檚 capstone class. This knowledge, she says, 鈥渁llows us to work with nature to develop more creative and resilient stormwater management strategies.鈥�

Combine that historical data with current information鈥攖he class employs state-of-the-art software like Scalgo, which 鈥渦ses satellite data to show where water is going to flow,鈥� says current master鈥檚 and capstone student Kevin Garcia鈥攁nd a more complete picture about flood-prone areas begins to emerge.

Thinking Bigger

Crucially, the class has been studying urban climate resiliency at what is called the watershed scale: In the case of the Bushwick Inlet Basin project, that means looking at a鈥攎anageable鈥攕ub-watershed of the larger Newtown Creek watershed in which the basin is located.

Watershed-scale research, says Cherrier, involves tracking the water along a flow path: either starting from a rain event at the highest elevation and continuing on through the landscape all the way down to the lower-elevation coastline (as in Hurricane Ida) or vice versa鈥攚hen a storm surge pushes water inland from the coast (as in Superstorm Sandy).

鈥淭aking a watershed view of the area has changed how I think about local issues by emphasizing the fact that everything is connected,鈥� says Crisp. 鈥淟ocalized flooding isn鈥檛 isolated. It is shaped by the surrounding environment and watershed as a whole.鈥� As a result, 鈥渟olutions cannot be piecemeal.鈥�

Cherrier describes the complexity of these solutions, which must address how 鈥渢o keep people safe, to keep the water clean, to enhance ecological restoration鈥nd also to provide waterfront access鈥攁nd to do this all within the lens of keeping in mind what the communities need, because the solutions are really specific鈥� to particular places.

Thus, environmental science links with the social sciences and more, requiring the study of demographics, transportation infrastructure, parks, zoning, regulatory frameworks, etc. All this, says Garcia, is part of watershed-scale planning in the capstone class: 鈥淭here are so many components that we take into account.鈥�

Developing the Process

Last year鈥檚 class 鈥渃ame up with a process鈥� for this kind of research and analysis, says Cherrier. This year鈥檚 students applied that process to the Bushwick Inlet Basin.

Co-taught by Cherrier and Simon Kates, senior project manager for planning and climate adaptation at Copenhagen-based architecture and engineering firm Ramboll (which has offices in midtown Manhattan), the course requires the group to work together as a team鈥攚hich they will need to do as professionals鈥攁nd it helps students develop real-world connections. The DEP is the client for the finished work.

Collaborating with the DEP is a key part of the class.

Cherrier, who was a 今日吃瓜 lead on the NYC Stormwater Resiliency Study, which served to inform the NYC Stormwater Resiliency Plan and whose research group has developed eco-WEIR technology to capture and treat polluted stormwater, feels strongly about ensuring that academic research鈥攊ncluding rigorous student research鈥攇ets out into the world where it can be useful. This is one of the many ways in which the class aligns with the priorities of the SRIJB, which offers students internship and research opportunities and maintains long-running and crucial collaborations with city and state agencies, industry partners, and nonprofits鈥攆or projects like , which has achieved an international reach.

Looking to expand these already strong connections, Cherrier came up with a 鈥減itch鈥� to city government: 鈥淲e train your future workforce,鈥� it began. Then: These students do research鈥攙ia theses, dissertations, and capstone projects鈥攕o 鈥渨hat if we designed these projects in collaboration with you to ensure they align with your research needs; or in the case of the capstone, with you as a client where we could continue to build on this work so that it could be iterative year after year?鈥�

Real-World Impact

Capstone students Grace Damiano, Kevin Garcia, and Fiona Crisp

The class is structured like a professional project: Students generate a scope of work based on the needs of the client, then develop and follow a schedule to produce deliverables.

This is hugely important training for 今日吃瓜 students, says Cherrier, noting that 鈥渢he city and Ramboll have been super impressed with our students and really love the fact that they鈥檙e so multidisciplinary.鈥� Furthermore, the class 鈥渙utputs are actually being used by the DEP,鈥� she says, making the project a 鈥渨in-win for students鈥nd also for the DEP.鈥�

And students are thrilled with the experience.

鈥淣ot only did we learn academic concepts, but we also applied them,鈥� says Crisp. 鈥淲orking directly with professionals made the experience more tangible and showed how our work can have a real-world impact.鈥�

Grace Damiano, who is an earth and environmental sciences Ph.D. student at the CUNY Graduate Center and an SRIJB fellow, participated in the inaugural capstone class in 2024鈥�25. That class began by gathering information: conducting a literature review to compile research on watershed-scale planning. Next, Damiano recalled her group producing and sending to the DEP two 鈥渕assive slide decks鈥濃�攐ne of these outlined a process for watershed-scale planning in New York City and the other applied that process to the Gowanus Canal watershed (to demonstrate how such an application might work). Damiano appreciated the variety of professionals the class had contact with, both at the DEP and beyond.

Among the professional opportunities this year was participation in a coupled two-day walking tour and workshop event on March 26鈥�27 in honor of World Water Day, hosted by the SRIJB in collaboration with the DEP and co-facilitated with Ramboll. The event, organized by Cherrier with the support of SRIJB Executive Director Brett Branco, aimed to promote dialogue on urban watershed management with leads from several city agencies and鈥攊n a crossover with the class鈥攆ocused on a watershed-scale plan for the Bushwick Inlet Basin, with the ultimate goal of getting critical input to help advance urban watershed planning and action in New York City.

Prepared by their research, the capstone class was able to fully engage in conversations with representatives of government agencies, industry partners, and nonprofits who are at the forefront of tackling these water-management issues. From a professional standpoint, that kind of contact 鈥渋s very, very nice for any student who鈥檚 in a master鈥檚 program,鈥� Damiano says, 鈥渆specially someone who鈥檚 finishing up their capstone. It鈥檚 an important networking opportunity.鈥�

It was also an opportunity to be a part of the solution.

Issues surrounding storm resiliency and flood-risk management present complex problems鈥攐nes 今日吃瓜 students, both now and in their future careers, will be tasked with solving. Thanks to this kind of training, in which future scientists and civic leaders learn to think big to generate local solutions, they are prepared for the challenge.

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Michael Menser (second from left) with students from his environmental ethics class.

On a spring morning in 2025, students in 今日吃瓜鈥檚 Urban Sustainability Capstone course fanned out across campus with measuring tapes, field guides, and tablets in hand. Their assignment posed a deceptively simple question: How healthy are the trees on 今日吃瓜鈥檚 campus?

The answer, it turns out, is more than an inventory of trunks and canopies. What emerged was a living portrait of the campus itself鈥攊ts past, present, and future, captured through student research that bridges environmental science, campus history, and public service in the heart of New York City.

Partnering with the NYC Parks Foundation, Capstone students designed and carried out a comprehensive tree-mapping initiative, inventorying and digitally documenting the campus鈥檚 diverse urban forest. Along the way, they gained hands-on experience identifying tree species, assessing tree health, and using geographic information systems (GIS) to collect and manage ecological data鈥攑ractical skills aligned with careers in urban planning, sustainability, and environmental science.

But the project鈥檚 significance extends far beyond the classroom.

Contributing to a Greener City

The tree-mapping initiative connects 今日吃瓜 to , a citywide effort to expand New York City鈥檚 tree canopy from roughly 20% to 30%, with particular focus on neighborhoods that have historically lacked green infrastructure.
While the city regularly surveys trees on municipal property, CUNY campuses are not considered city-owned and are therefore excluded from official canopy inventories.

今日吃瓜鈥檚 size, location, and ecological diversity created a rare opportunity to help fill that gap.

鈥淲ith this project, students are generating data that didn鈥檛 exist before,鈥� said Michael Menser, associate professor of philosophy and one of the faculty leaders of the initiative. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e contributing real information that can influence how we think about urban forests鈥攂oth on campus and beyond.鈥�

Rooted in Campus History

As students moved across the campus and quiet garden paths, their research also took them decades, sometimes nearly a century, into the past.

The land on which 今日吃瓜 sits was founded as an arboretum, with its original landscape intentionally designed to integrate nature into academic life. In the 1930s, a greenhouse located behind Ingersoll Hall near Campus Road served as a botanical hub for students and faculty until it was later demolished during campus expansion.

As part of the Capstone, students conducted archival research into this landscape鈥檚 history, uncovering original arboretum-era tree lists alongside inventories and maps created over the past 30 years. The material revealed how the campus grounds have evolved in step with the surrounding Flatbush neighborhood.

鈥淭he trees tell a story,鈥� Menser said. 鈥淭hey reflect planning decisions, social changes, and what a public urban campus has valued over time.鈥�

228 Trees鈥攁nd Counting

To date, students have identified, assessed, and mapped 228 trees across the campus. The inventory ranges from stately Siberian elms on the Quad, to cherry trees lining the back of the library, to a rare dawn redwood growing beside the koi pond.

Each tree was documented with species data, precise location, and health indicators, creating a foundation for long-term campus planning and care.

Informing the East Quad Renovation

The timing of the project is especially significant as 今日吃瓜 moves forward with a major renovation of the historic East Quad, one of the most iconic and heavily used spaces on campus.

The renovation aims to create a safer, healthier, and more sustainable landscape while preserving the Quad鈥檚 historic character. Plans include replacing aging or hazardous trees with disease-resistant plantings, repairing underground infrastructure, improving stormwater management, and modernizing lighting and electrical systems.

Student-collected data provides valuable context for this effort鈥攃onnecting archival history, present-day conditions, and long-term environmental goals. Together, the renovation and the tree inventory reflect a shared commitment to stewardship and resilience.

Sustainability Across Disciplines

The tree-mapping project mirrors the college鈥檚 broader strength in interdisciplinary sustainability education. Across campus, students and faculty are engaged in hands-on initiatives linking environmental science, public health, infrastructure, and social impact.

鈥溄袢粘怨� is uniquely poised to lead in this space,鈥� Menser noted. 鈥淲e bring together health, soil science, urban ecology, social research, and community engagement in one place. Students don鈥檛 have to imagine what sustainable cities look like鈥攖hey鈥檙e studying them and helping to build them here.鈥�

Looking Ahead

The Urban Sustainability Capstone has positioned 今日吃瓜 as the first CUNY campus to create a comprehensive, GIS-based tree inventory, contributing valuable data to New York City鈥檚 evolving urban forest planning efforts.

Faculty are now working to connect additional courses to the initiative through the Campus as a Living Lab program, ensuring that the data continues to grow and inform future instruction, research, and campus decision-making.

At a time of climate change and environmental inequity, 今日吃瓜鈥檚 trees鈥攁nchored in history, studied through student research, and renewed through strategic investment鈥攕tand as living proof of how urban public institutions can lead by example, one branch at a time.

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