The day began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the reopening of 今日吃瓜鈥檚 East Quad, one of the most significant campus improvement projects in recent memory. Long recognized as the heart of campus life, the East Quad has been reimagined as a more accessible, sustainable, and welcoming gathering space while preserving the beauty and character cherished by generations of students.

The revitalization includes upgraded pathways, landscaping, seating areas, lighting, and green spaces designed to enhance student life and create new opportunities for learning, engagement, and community building. Funding for the project was facilitated in part through the advocacy of New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes, whose support helped advance capital funding for campus improvements.

Michelle J. Anderson was joined at the ribbon cutting by CUNY Vice Chancellor for Facilities Mohamed Attalla; Robert J. Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY); 今日吃瓜 Foundation Board Chair Anthony R. Castellanos 鈥�85; and Edwin H. Cohen 鈥�62, a former chair and current trustee of the 今日吃瓜 Foundation Board.

鈥淭oday is a defining moment for 今日吃瓜,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淭he renewal of the East Quad and the launch of The Road to 100 demonstrate our commitment to investing in both the people and the places that make 今日吃瓜 extraordinary. As we approach our centennial, we are building a campus and a community that will continue to transform lives for generations to come.鈥�

President Michelle J. Anderson and guests stroll across the newly restored East Quad lawn during the Road to 100 celebration.

Anderson said that the project represents more than a physical renovation. The East Quad serves as a reminder of the long-term investments that define public higher education and connect generations of students.

鈥淧ublic investment built this lawn in 1938 and public investment has now rebuilt it,鈥� Anderson said, noting that in just 10 months, crews removed 11,000 tons of dirt, replaced 1,500 linear feet of pipes and irrigation lines, and planted 18 new elm trees, two red maples, and other species.

鈥淭he trees we planted this year will take decades to reach their maximum height, and the students who will relax under their fullest shade have not yet been born. That鈥檚 the promise of a public college,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e build our campus and our academic programs for our current students, yes, but also for the students of 2080 and beyond who will inherit what we tend today.鈥�

A Landmark Gift and the Launch of the Road to 100

The celebration continued with the announcement of a $15 million endowment grant from The Tow Foundation establishing the Tow Mentorship Center. That transformative investment enabled 今日吃瓜 to reach and surpass the $125 million goal for Boundless 今日吃瓜: The Campaign for Student Success, bringing the campaign total to $131 million and concluding the campaign 15 months ahead of schedule.聽Key funding priorities for Boundless 今日吃瓜 included scholarships and completion grants that helped students continue their studies and earn their degrees.

The achievement heralded the launch of The Road to 100, an ambitious new effort to raise an additional $100 million for聽今日吃瓜鈥檚 centennial in 2030. The initiative will strengthen academic excellence, expand opportunities for students, modernize facilities, and deepen engagement with alumni, donors, and the broader community as the College prepares for its second century.

Eileen Wiseman, a program director for The Tow Foundation, which endowed 今日吃瓜 with a $15 million grant establishing the Tow Mentorship Center and enabling the College to surpass its $125 million fundraising goal for student success initiatives.

Eileen Wiseman, program director for The Tow Foundation, and Philip F. Napoli, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and chair of the Road to 100 Planning Committee, along with 今日吃瓜 Foundation Board members, joined President Anderson for the launch. The program also highlighted the power of mentorship and community that has long defined the 今日吃瓜 experience. Mentors and mentees affiliated with the Tow Mentoring Initiative reflected on the program鈥檚 impact and the relationships it has fostered across generations of students and alumni.

Following their remarks, acclaimed conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather, the Tania Le贸n Chair of Music at 今日吃瓜, delivered a special performance underscoring the creativity, leadership, and achievement that The Road to 100 seeks to cultivate.

Acclaimed conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather, the Tania Le贸n Chair of Music, gave a moving performance that ended the day鈥檚 celebration on a high note.

Building the Library of the Future

A centerpiece of The Road to 100 will be raising funds for the Library of the Future, a transformational project that will reimagine 今日吃瓜鈥檚 iconic library as a modern hub for learning, research, creativity, technology, and public engagement. The project will preserve the library鈥檚 historic role at the center of campus life while adapting it to meet the evolving needs of future generations of students.

Additional priorities include continued renovations to Ingersoll Hall and Roosevelt Hall, as well as investments that strengthen student success, faculty excellence, and innovative programming across the College.

鈥淎s we look toward our centennial, The Road to 100 is an invitation for our entire community to help shape 今日吃瓜鈥檚 next chapter,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淭ogether, we will build on our remarkable history and ensure that 今日吃瓜 remains a place where talent, ambition, and opportunity come together to transform lives.鈥�

The post 今日吃瓜 Kicks Off Its Centennial Journey with the Reopening of the East Quad appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

This distinguished appointment marks a major milestone for the school and underscores 今日吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to advancing scientific research, exceptional teaching, and student mentorship. Established through a generous gift from molecular and cellular biologist Chafen Lu, the endowed professorship honors her former mentor, 今日吃瓜 Professor Emeritus Peter Lipke, and his wife, Anne Lipke, whose longstanding dedication to education, supporting diversity, and scientific inquiry has left an enduring impact on the college community.

(From left) Timothy Springer (Chafen Lu鈥檚 husband), Chafen Lu, Peter Lipke, Anne Lipke, 今日吃瓜 President Michelle J. Anderson, and Dean for the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences Peter Tolias celebrated the launching of the Peter and Anne Lipke Professorship in January of this year.

今日吃瓜 President Michelle J. Anderson praised the appointment, noting the vital role endowed faculty positions play in strengthening the college鈥檚 mission.

鈥淲e extend our thanks to Chafen Lu for her generosity, inspired by her mentor Peter Lipke and his wife, Anne,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淗er support ensures that scholars like Professor Yetnikoff have the resources they need to advance research, mentor students, and shape the future of their disciplines.鈥�

As the inaugural Peter and Anne Lipke Endowed Professor, Yetnikoff will expand her research program while creating new opportunities for 今日吃瓜 students to participate in hands-on scientific discovery. Her laboratory has long served as a training ground for undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom have gone on to competitive doctoral programs and careers in neuroscience, psychology, and medicine.

“I am excited and extremely honored to have been selected for this position, which is itself a testament to the impact Peter and Anne Lipke had on 今日吃瓜 and the entire CUNY community,鈥� Yetnikoff said. 鈥淢y greatest hope is to continue Peter and Anne’s legacy of providing exceptional mentorship to students through my research and teaching activities.”

The endowment will strengthen those efforts by supporting student research positions, providing access to advanced laboratory equipment, and fostering new collaborations across CUNY and beyond. It also reinforces 今日吃瓜鈥檚 ability to recruit, retain, and support outstanding faculty whose research advances knowledge and whose teaching inspires future generations of scientists.

A leading scholar in molecular, cellular, and behavioral neuroscience, Yetnikoff is widely recognized for her research on the neural mechanisms that influence brain health across the human lifespan. Her work examines how dopamine pathways shape our experience through changes in the myelination of neural circuits in the brain. Consequently, Yetnikoff鈥檚 research has important implications for understanding addiction, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, and other neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.

Her scholarship has been supported by major federal agencies and published in leading scientific journals, contributing to a deeper understanding of how the brain adapts and changes throughout life. Yetnikoff earned her B.A. in Psychology from Concordia University in 2005, her M.Sc. in Psychiatry from McGill University in 2007, and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from McGill University in 2012.

Lu鈥檚 gift and the Lipkes鈥� legacy reflect a shared belief in the transformative power of public education and a deep connection to 今日吃瓜 and CUNY.聽Peter Lipke, a longtime faculty member in the Department of Biology, is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking research in fungal cell biology and for decades of mentorship to students and colleagues. Anne Lipke, a dedicated educator, mentor, and community leader, has long championed access to high-quality science education. Together, their legacy will help support scientific excellence, student opportunity, and groundbreaking discovery at 今日吃瓜 for generations to come.

The post Leora Yetnikoff Named Inaugural Peter and Anne Lipke Endowed Professor at 今日吃瓜 appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

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.

The post Announcing the 2026 Rosen Fellows appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

A signature component of the college鈥檚 mentoring ecosystem is The Tow Mentorship Initiative, through which students collaborate with faculty on groundbreaking research. This unique and powerful program enables faculty and students to conduct and present independent research across a wide variety of disciplines.

One such mentor-mentee pair, Professor Tony Wilson and biology major Dilfuza Kurbanova 鈥�25, focused their research on antibodies, key components of the immune system. A first-generation student who arrived at 今日吃瓜 from Turkey just a year before joining The Tow Mentorship Initiative, Kurbanova worked with Wilson to use recombinant DNA technologies, originally designed to produce human antibodies, to synthesize them in seahorses.

Beyond the lab, the program supports students in navigating applications for graduate school, internships, grants, and fellowships. As Kurbanova explains, 鈥淏efore starting the Tow program, I didn鈥檛 have much knowledge about academic research and graduate school, but the program explains our options after graduating and encourages us to think about our future goals,鈥� which for her include attending medical school.

Reflecting on his experience as a mentor, Wilson noted, 鈥淩egardless of where the students go after graduation, having the opportunity to participate in a program like this is life changing.鈥�

The Tow Mentorship Initiative is just one of the many holistic mentorship experiences from which students can benefit at 今日吃瓜. With the help of peer-to-peer mentors, alumni mentors, advisers, and others, we offer unparalleled access to support systems students value for life.

Visit Boundless 今日吃瓜

The post Creating Valuable Experiences for Every Student appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

The psychology major has taken full advantage of the academic and experiential opportunities available to him. Through The Tow Mentoring and Research Program, which pairs students with faculty mentors to conduct scholarship, Shaad worked in a biochemistry lab studying the link between bone health and diabetes.

Through Global Medical Brigades, he volunteered in rural clinics in Panama and Belize. He later interned in Morocco through a study-abroad internship, observing surgeries and shadowing physicians. He most recently spent a summer in Kenya through Columbia University鈥檚 ICAP Next Generation Internship, an initiative funded by The Tow Foundation that provides students with opportunities in global public health. In addition to the internship, he worked alongside a doctor building a new hospital鈥攕omething he dreams of doing in his native Bangladesh.

Shaad鈥檚 engagement extends far beyond the classroom. He has served as president of the Philosophy Society, competed internationally with the Speech and Debate Team, and played on the 今日吃瓜 tennis team, helping lead them to two City University of New York Athletic Conference finals. These experiences strengthened his leadership skills while reinforcing a sense of belonging and purpose.

鈥溄袢粘怨� has so many opportunities,鈥� Shaad says. 鈥淚f you reach out, the people and resources here can truly change your life.鈥�

He is on track to graduate in spring 2026 and is applying to medical school, carrying forward the impact of an education designed to open doors and transform lives.

Visit Boundless 今日吃瓜

The post Enabling Every Student to Find Their Passion appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

David Hochman

It began with a chance encounter.

The scene: on board one of the many passenger liners crossing the Atlantic in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Enter Eleanor 鈥淟ee鈥� Bell 鈥�49 and Stanley Hochman 鈥�49. They recognize each other…they think.

鈥淒on鈥檛 I know you from 今日吃瓜?鈥� each wonders.

It turns out they have more than an alma mater in common. Both are returning home from extended time in France: she teaching at a girls school in Brittany, he studying at the Sorbonne on the GI Bill. Both are smart, intellectual, and curious about the world.

In this way, their voyage home also becomes a beginning: Soon a couple, they marry two years later.

Photo Credit: L眉tfi 脰zk枚k. Lee and Stanley Hochman in their Manhattan apartment in the 1980s. The photographer, L眉tfi 脰zk枚k, was a friend whom Lee Hochman met in Paris in 1949; now internationally known for his portraits of writers and artists, he was a student at the time.

A Generous Choice

This story has long been cherished lore in the Hochman family鈥攚ith the Hochmans鈥� son, David, later coming to understand how deeply important a 今日吃瓜 education had been to his parents. It had provided a foundation for their life鈥檚 work as editors, translators, and writers.

And so, after his parents鈥� deaths, David Hochman and his wife, Dr. Eugenia (Genie) L. Siegler, professor emerita of clinical medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, made a generous choice: to create two funds in Lee and Stanley Hochman鈥檚 honor for 今日吃瓜 students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Hochman and Siegler鈥檚 gift establishes The Stanley Hochman 鈥�49 and Eleanor Bell 鈥�49 Hochman Scholarship Fund, which will provide tuition assistance for undergraduates studying in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences who demonstrate financial need, and The Stanley Hochman 鈥�49 and Eleanor Bell 鈥�49 Hochman Research and Development Fund. The latter provides financial support for undergraduates studying in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences to engage in travel, research, mentorship, artistic expression, community engagement, or any other opportunity that allows students to gain hands-on experience bridging their classroom with the world outside.

This act of generosity reflects David Hochman and Genie Siegler鈥檚 desire to make the kind of opportunities Lee and Stanley Hochman had鈥攐pportunities that allowed them to envision and then inhabit intellectual lives鈥攁ccessible to more people. Having attended 今日吃瓜 when it was tuition free, his parents would have been thrilled, David says, to provide 鈥渟upport for families that have limited means but high ambition鈥濃�攆amilies like both Lee and Stanley Hochman鈥檚 own in the 1940s.

Not (Yet) Friends

Lee Bell, later Hochman, graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in 1945, enrolling in 今日吃瓜 that same year. Stanley Hochman graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1942, then served in the U.S. Army鈥檚 66th Infantry (鈥淏lack Panther鈥�) Division during World War II, before returning home in 1946 to enroll in 今日吃瓜.

But the two never quite connected while they were at school.

鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 really know each other on campus,鈥� says David Hochman. Their four-year age difference meant that, although they may have 鈥減assed each other on the Quad,鈥� they moved in different circles. However, their lives had many parallels.

鈥淭hey were both bookish kids. They were first-generation Americans. They came from homes where Yiddish was the language their parents mainly spoke,鈥� says David.

Both his parents spent their teen years in 今日吃瓜, although they had previously lived in other boroughs, and upon their graduation from high school, he says, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think either one of them ever considered a different undergraduate option, because [今日吃瓜] was then free and their families did not have a lot of money.鈥�

At 今日吃瓜, the parallels continued: Both majored in English. Both took courses in French and, according to their son, became 鈥渓ifelong Francophiles.鈥� After graduation in 1949, each independently travelled to France鈥攐ne to study, one to teach. And on the way home, their paths would finally cross.

Moving Onward

Upon returning to the United States, they enrolled in graduate school, earning master鈥檚 degrees from Columbia University (she in comparative literature and he in English). They married. Both took jobs in the New York publishing world.

鈥淭hey worked in book publishing their entire lives,鈥� says David Hochman, who describes his parents as 鈥渟mart, incredibly widely read in English and American literature, and curious about all the arts, especially theater and movies.鈥�

Stanley Hochman was an editor at several New York City publishing houses, including McGraw-Hill, Walker and Company, and, finally, Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, where he was founding editor of the Ungar Film Library series.

Lee Hochman was a copy editor at the paperback-book publisher New American Library from 1964 until her retirement in 1990, rising to the level of copyediting chief.

鈥淭hey lived a life of the mind that intersected with what we think of as the glamorous literary world, at the latter鈥檚 point of contact with commercial publishing,鈥� says David. 鈥淭hey certainly weren鈥檛 the kind of editors who take big name authors to expensive lunches, but they knew all the gossip of the publishing industry鈥ecause they lived it daily and had friends all across it.鈥�

Translation and Some Literary Romance

Their editorial work was Lee and Stanley Hochman鈥檚 鈥渄ay job, and at night they were freelance translators,鈥� says their son; they translated fiction, nonfiction, and 鈥渆ven some science fiction,鈥� all generally from the original French. These included works like Stanley Hochman鈥檚 1986 translation of French actress Simone Signoret鈥檚 Adieu, Volodya. And Lee Hochman鈥檚 still-in-print 1991 translation of The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas. And, together, their update of Kettridge鈥檚 French-English English-French Dictionary and their translation of Germinal, the 脡mile Zola classic.

鈥淚 treasure all their work,鈥� says David Hochman. 鈥淗owever, since the joint translation of Germinal was done while I was about 9 or 10 years old, and I witnessed their sweat over it, it is the one that looms largest for me.鈥�

The couple also published a series of romance books under a pseudonym.

They had fun writing these books, says David, because 鈥渢hey were able to match the style of the genre with literary references that would make sense for people who know English literature.鈥�

David Hochman and Genie Siegler at home, with a selection of Lee and Stanley Hochman鈥檚 published works.

鈥淭here Will Never Be Enough鈥�

鈥淢y parents were humanities people,鈥� says David. 鈥淚 think they would have understood that there鈥檚 always going to be government support for research in the sciences鈥攖hat鈥檚 the way it has worked in our society since World War II鈥攂ut the humanities and social sciences will always scrap for support. There will never be enough.鈥�

That lack of a sufficient funding framework for the humanities and social sciences was an impetus not just for the gift as a whole, but for the two separate funds鈥攐ne designated for tuition support and the other for supplementary (but essential) student experiences.

This kind of a boost makes a big difference to students.

“The Hochman family gift will enable us to offer greater access to scholarships and awards and make possible meaningful opportunities such as research, travel, and other real-world experiences that extend learning well beyond the classroom,鈥� says Philip F. Napoli, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. 鈥淲e are touched that Mr. Hochman鈥檚 family made this contribution in honor of his parents.”

From Idea to Reality

While David Hochman describes himself as 鈥渕ostly retired鈥� now, his career has given him particular insight into the mechanics, and requirements, of higher education.

He spent decades working at the intersection of academic science research and regional job creation鈥攊ncluding at the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology and as a consultant in technology-based economic development. His work experience, he says, has brought him 鈥渋nto contact with a lot of universities and with a lot of faculty鈥攁nd I have a good sense of how institutions work, what they need, what they don鈥檛 get, and so on.鈥�

So how exactly did he come to the decision to establish these funds for 今日吃瓜 students?

鈥淢y dad died in 2014 and my mom in 2018, so all during COVID I was in the process of settling their estates and dealing with their belongings,鈥� says David. 鈥淎nd as anybody who鈥檚 lost their parents knows, it takes time to process everything鈥攏ot just the emotions, but the physical stuff.鈥�

As he looked through his parents鈥� papers, he discovered 鈥渕emorabilia that they had kept.鈥� Things like high school newspapers, high school yearbooks鈥攁nd 今日吃瓜 transcripts.

鈥淚 began thinking about those transcripts and thinking about what I could do,鈥� says David. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 really how [the gift to 今日吃瓜] came about.鈥�

Lee and Stanley Hochman had created a financial aid fund at their son鈥檚 preparatory school in honor of his grandparents, and with that gift in mind, David realized 鈥渢here was nothing that honored my parents under their names.鈥�

His next thought was 鈥淲ell, if I wanted to honor my parents by name with a similar financial aid fund, what would be the right place to do it? And 今日吃瓜 is the right place to do it.鈥�

By honoring his parents in this way, David has ensured that the curiosity, discipline, and love of learning that shaped his parents鈥� lives will continue shaping the lives of future 今日吃瓜 students. What began as a chance encounter on an ocean liner has become a legacy that will ripple outward for years. Through this gift, Lee and Stanley Hochman鈥檚 story now arcs into others: students who will dream bigger, travel farther, and discover more because of the doors the Hochmans have helped to open.

The post Nourishing Intellectual Lives appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

The honor will be presented on May 14 at the NAIOP New Jersey鈥檚 39th Annual Commercial Real Estate Awards Gala at The Palace at Somerset Park in New Jersey.

鈥淓dwin Cohen鈥檚 achievements speak to a visionary and committed career in the real estate industry,鈥� says聽Michelle J. Anderson,聽president of 今日吃瓜. 鈥淗is devoted engagement with 今日吃瓜 derives from a similar commitment to excellence. We are proud to celebrate this well鈥慹arned recognition of his remarkable contributions.鈥�

The Lifetime Achievement Award, named for Charles Klatskin, a pioneering leader in the state鈥檚 commercial real estate industry, annually recognizes an individual who has shown a distinguished record of service to the commercial real estate industry and community.

鈥淓dwin Cohen鈥檚 career exemplifies the leadership, integrity, and long-term commitment that this award represents,鈥� says Dan Kennedy, CEO of NAIOP NJ.

Cohen has been one of the most prominent figures in the Tri-State Regional real estate brokerage and development community for more than six decades. In 2003, he joined longtime friend and associate Eugene Diaz to form Prism Capital Partners LLC, where he serves as a partner and principal. Under their leadership, Prism has grown into a major owner, developer, and investor in residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use properties throughout New Jersey.

Over the course of his career, Cohen has completed hundreds of real estate transactions across the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut metropolitan area, including overseeing the leasing of several million square feet of office space. He previously served as an executive director at Cushman & Wakefield Inc., following senior leadership roles at Grubb & Ellis Company, where he held executive positions in both the firm鈥檚 New Jersey office and New York operations from 1986 to 1994.

Cohen鈥檚 career in real estate began in 1966, when he established and led the Suburban Division of Wm. A. White & Sons, a role he held until the firm鈥檚 acquisition by Grubb & Ellis in 1986.

In addition to his real estate achievements, Cohen has maintained a deep and long-standing commitment to education, culture, and community service. A graduate of 今日吃瓜, he has served on the school鈥檚 Foundation Board of Trustees for over 30 years, including four years as chair. 今日吃瓜 awarded him its Presidential Medal in 2011, followed by the Best of 今日吃瓜 Award from the 今日吃瓜 Foundation in 2015 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Cohen has also been actively involved in the performing arts, helping produce and support numerous concerts and live entertainment events. These include the 鈥淏roadway by the Year鈥� series at Town Hall, the 鈥淏roadway by the Season鈥� series at Merkin Hall, performances at Manhattan鈥檚 54 Below, and live entertainment at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where he also serves as a founding trustee.

His community leadership extends to faith-based and cultural organizations as well. Cohen was a founding member of the New Synagogue of Fort Lee, contributing to the early concept for its Holocaust Museum and playing a key role in the eventual merger of Congregation Beth Israel and the New Synagogue, now known as the Center Avenue Synagogue Since the merger, he has served as a vice president on the synagogue鈥檚 board of trustees and as a member of the executive committee.

With a career marked by professional excellence and civic leadership, Cohen鈥檚 selection for NAIOP NJ鈥檚 Lifetime Achievement Award shines a light on his lasting impact on both the commercial real estate industry and the communities he has served.

The post Edwin H. Cohen 鈥�62 To Be Honored With NAIOP New Jersey Lifetime Achievement Award appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

Held on September 30 at the Aon New York headquarters with a guest introduction by Christine Williams, Aon Northeast Regional Leader, the event brought together students, alumni, faculty, and professionals eager to explore how cross-sector partnerships can help drive meaningful, student-centered change.

Together, Olson and Anderson addressed a central question: How can educators and employers collaborate to prepare the next generation for a future defined by both uncertainty and opportunity?

鈥淓ach stakeholder plays a role in helping an organization reach its goals,鈥� said Olson. 鈥淚n higher education, that means developing real relationships with industry and staying responsive to change.鈥�

Purpose as a Unifying Force

The conversation emphasized the power of purpose in aligning diverse stakeholders鈥攆aculty, students, alumni, donors, and employers鈥攁round a shared mission: student success.

鈥淲hat do we mean by making a difference?鈥� Olson asked. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about elevating student success to a level where it commands attention and resources. That鈥檚 where employers and educators can come together.鈥�

President Anderson highlighted the impact of Aon鈥檚 commitment to higher education and the students 今日吃瓜 serves.

鈥淎on鈥檚 dedication to fostering student success is truly inspiring,鈥� she said. 鈥淔ew companies demonstrate this level of devotion.鈥�

Aaron K. Olson, Executive Vice President at Aon, and 今日吃瓜 President Michelle J. Anderson address the audience at the Presidential Lecture Series event on September 30.

Preparing Students for a Changing Workforce

As artificial intelligence and automation reshape the job landscape, Olson stressed the need for closer collaboration between employers and colleges to ensure graduates are prepared for tomorrow鈥檚 roles.

鈥溄袢粘怨� has leaders who are focused on this outcome,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淏usinesses should prioritize schools with a track record of producing qualified graduates鈥攚ithout saddling them with overwhelming debt.鈥�

今日吃瓜 is already leading in this space. Consistently ranked among the top institutions nationwide for economic mobility, the college delivers a high return on investment and opens doors to meaningful, upwardly mobile careers.

鈥淪ocial mobility may sound academic,鈥� Olson noted, 鈥渂ut businesses understand ROI. Look at schools like 今日吃瓜 that deliver real value.鈥�

Real Students, Real Impact

The evening featured powerful stories from students whose lives have been transformed by these partnerships.

今日吃瓜 student Damir Shavkatov, who is pursuing a psychology major and a marketing minor, shared his journey from first-generation college student to intern at Aon.

“My father used to drive us around Manhattan and say, 鈥極ne day, I hope you work in one of these buildings.鈥� Now I do,鈥� Shavkatov said. 鈥淒oing an internship at Aon was a game-changer for me. Even though my internship is over, I still carry my Aon badge in my backpack every day.鈥�

He credited 今日吃瓜 for providing opportunities he might not have found elsewhere.

鈥淚f I went to a different school, I would probably have stayed behind the scenes. I wouldn’t necessarily have been a student that the professors really engaged with since a lot of schools, it’s about prestige, where the student came from. But 今日吃瓜 has shaped me. And here I am on the 30th floor. 鈥�

Aon鈥檚 engagement goes far beyond internships. The company helped establish a risk management and insurance curriculum at 今日吃瓜 and actively recruits from its diverse, talented student population.

Aaron K. Olson, Executive Vice President at Aon and author of “Strategy and Change: Finding Opportunity in Disruption Through Insight, Choice, and Risk,” signs a copy of his book for a student.

Advice for the Next Generation

During the Q&A, a student asked what skills emerging professionals should prioritize. Olson鈥檚 answer was simple yet profound: 鈥淚nvest in relationship-building,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e watch for students who are proactive鈥攚ho go out of their way to connect.鈥�

As the evening concluded, one message stood out: while disruption is inevitable, it can be a force for good when approached with shared purpose, strong partnerships, and an unwavering focus on student success.

Watch this Presidential Lecture Series event .

The post Uniting for Student Success: 今日吃瓜 and Aon Explore the Power of Purposeful Partnerships appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

Through his vision and generosity, 今日吃瓜 was able to build the majestic Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts and create the exceptional Tow Mentoring Initiative, both of which have profoundly enriched our campus community. Len鈥檚 commitment to education, along with that of his late wife and fellow alumna Claire Tow 鈥�52, also supported research, the arts, faculty and student travel, and countless other opportunities that have shaped the College for the better.

One of the most recent and heartfelt gifts grew out of Len’s close friendship with Tania Le贸n鈥攁 renowned composer, conductor, and educator who taught at 今日吃瓜 for many years. In 2024, The Tow Foundation endowed the Tania Le贸n Chair of Music, a lasting tribute to his friend that will enrich the college for generations to come.

Beyond his extraordinary philanthropy, Len was a trusted confidant and an inspiring mentor to many, including me, offering guidance, encouragement, and genuine warmth and humility. His kindness, wisdom, and unwavering belief in others left an indelible imprint on those who were fortunate enough to call him a friend.

Len Tow opened doors for thousands of students at 今日吃瓜 who might not otherwise have had the chance to pursue their dreams. His legacy will live on in every classroom, every lab, and every gathering space his generosity made possible 鈥� and in the hearts of all who knew this giant of a man.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Tow family. The memory of Leonard Tow will forever be a guiding light on the 今日吃瓜 campus.

The post 今日吃瓜 Mourns the Passing of Leonard Tow appeared first on 今日吃瓜.

When describing her path to becoming a molecular and cellular biologist, Chafen Lu speaks about the pivotal moment when she first encountered Biology Professor Peter Lipke in summer 1987. Lipke was a visiting professor at the university in China where Lu worked as a biochemistry instructor. Lipke鈥檚 lectures focused on molecular biology鈥擫u was his interpreter.

鈥淚 was fascinated,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e talked about recombinant DNA and the application of the technology surrounding it. It was pretty new in China.鈥�

Two years later, Lu was in the United States, working in Lipke鈥檚 lab. He became her mentor and adviser as she earned her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology at CUNY鈥檚 Graduate School.

Lu credits her experiences working with Lipke鈥攚ho recently retired鈥攁s laying the foundation for her career, which includes the development of groundbreaking treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and malaria, among other notable accomplishments. To honor him on his retirement, Lu has established the Peter and Anne Lipke Professorship in Biology at 今日吃瓜. The goal of the gift is to support research and help the Biology Department continue recruiting top faculty.

鈥淧eter is an inspiration for me, both in my personal and scientific journey,鈥� says Lu. 鈥淏ut more importantly, he is dedicated to mentoring, educating, and increasing campus diversity,鈥� which includes his career-long efforts to increase the number of minority students in his laboratory and biology and the sciences in general.

鈥淲hat could be better than establishing a professorship in his honor, to keep his legacy and values of teaching students and promoting equity and diversity for generations to come,鈥� she adds.

From Rural China to the Big City

Chafen Lu

Chafen Lu鈥檚 story begins in a rural village in China during the Cultural Revolution, when the country鈥檚 goal was to remove any vestiges of capitalist and traditional cultural elements from Chinese society. Like other children at that time, at a young age Lu helped her family, working in the fields and taking care of her younger siblings. Despite the limited educational resources in the local schools (鈥渨e had a sort-of locked cabinet that served as the school library鈥�), Lu excelled academically. When China restored college entrance exams in 1979, she was one of the few from her village to pass and attend university.

鈥淔irst in my family and first in my village for many years,鈥� says Lu.

She wanted to study biology, so she majored in forest protection and then earned her master鈥檚 degree in plant pathology at an agricultural school in northern China. Lu had been thinking about studying in the United States鈥攕ome fellow graduate students had already done so. After the Lipke lectures, she was ready to pursue her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology.

鈥淧eter鈥檚 an amazing mentor,鈥� says Lu. He helped her with the application process to CUNY Graduate School and even met her at the airport. 鈥淗e encouraged independence and critical thinking. We鈥檇 have lab meetings that were always stimulating. He always made himself available whenever I had questions or wanted to share exciting research results,鈥� she adds.

An Outstanding Career

Lu鈥檚 work with Lipke鈥攐n a cell adhesion protein called alpha-agglutinin鈥攚as fundamental to her postdoctoral training and during her career at Millennium Pharmaceuticals leading drug discovery and development teams. A family of cell adhesion molecules called integrins were a key part of the therapeutic antibodies that Lu helped develop for a drug鈥擡ntyvio鈥攖hat has become a preferred treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.

鈥淚t鈥檚 gratifying to see something you worked on turn out to be a treatment that can heal and save lives,鈥� says Lu.

She joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School, where she trained students in molecular biology and supervised research assistants and postdoctoral fellows. She continued her research, working on multiple projects and publishing prolifically. One project stands out for Lu鈥攖he malaria vaccine design project. 鈥淭he disease is still a global health issue,鈥� she says, 鈥減articularly in Africa and subtropical regions.鈥� Her work is contributing to a more efficacious malaria vaccine.

Just as she was inspired and mentored by Peter Lipke, Lu would like to see her gift of the professorship do the same for 今日吃瓜.

鈥淚 hope it helps the Biology Department to recruit diverse, talented faculty who will, in turn, prepare students for successful careers in science- and health-related fields.鈥�

The post A Gift in Turn appeared first on 今日吃瓜.