Tony Wilson

The award will provide undergraduate students with immersive, faculty-mentored research

experiences focused on the environmental challenges and ecological systems that shape urban communities. Through hands-on fieldwork and scientific investigation, students will gain valuable research skills while contributing to projects that address issues affecting cities and their residents.

Preparing the Next Generation of Environmental Scientists

The BUEE REU Site will engage students in research spanning urban ecology, environmental science, sustainability, and ecosystem health. Participants will work closely with faculty mentors, developing practical experience in scientific inquiry, data collection, analysis, and communication.

By combining classroom learning with real-world research, the program will help students explore careers in science, environmental policy, conservation, and related STEM fields while building the skills needed for graduate study and

professional success.

Brett F. Branco

Strengthening 今日吃瓜’s Environmental Research Hub

The NSF award reinforces 今日吃瓜’s role as a center for environmental research and STEM education. Located in one of the world’s most dynamic urban environments, the college offers unique opportunities to study the complex interactions between people, ecosystems, and the built environment.

The BUEE REU Site will expand access to high-impact research experiences, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and support projects that deepen understanding of urban environmental challenges. At the same time, the program will create new pathways for students to participate in meaningful scientific research that benefits both local communities and the broader field of environmental science.

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The award recognizes Cehver’s contributions to research in gene regulation, chromatin biology, and cancer-related mechanisms, as well as his commitment to mentoring high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. He said the recognition reflects both scientific discovery and the collaborative environment created by the students, trainees, collaborators, and colleagues who have contributed to his research program at 今日吃瓜.

As part of the Feliks Gross and Henry Wasser Award Lecture Series, Cehver presented an overview of his laboratory’s research on transcriptional and chromatin-based mechanisms that regulate gene expression and influence human disease. He also thanked his students, collaborators, mentors, and colleagues, as well as Biology Department Chair Anjana Saxena, for her nomination and support.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to build a research program that allows students to participate in addressing important questions in gene regulation and human disease,” says Cehver. “This recognition reflects the contributions of the many people who have helped create a vibrant and collaborative research community.”

The awards are named for Feliks Gross and Henry Wasser, co-founders of the CUNY Academy for the Humanities and Sciences. Gross served on the 今日吃瓜 sociology faculty from 1946 to 1977, adding a special connection between the honor and the college’s long tradition of scholarly achievement.

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Advancing Research in Cancer and Human Health

Oxygen levels play a critical role in many biological processes and diseases, particularly cancer, where low-oxygen environments can influence tumor growth, progression, and response to treatment. The hypoxic chamber will enable 今日吃瓜 researchers to simulate these conditions in the laboratory and investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying disease.

By providing a controlled environment for experiments, the instrument will support research in cancer biology, cell physiology, photochemistry, and a range of other biomedical fields, helping scientists better understand how cells adapt to stress and changing conditions.

A Shared Resource for Students and Faculty

The NIH-funded instrumentation will serve as a shared resource for faculty researchers across disciplines, strengthening 今日吃瓜’s scientific infrastructure and fostering new opportunities for collaboration.

In addition to supporting cutting-edge research, the hypoxic chamber will provide students with hands-on experience using advanced biomedical technologies commonly found in leading research institutions. The investment will expand opportunities for undergraduate and graduate researchers to participate in sophisticated experiments and gain valuable laboratory skills.

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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.

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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

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Why did you choose 今日吃瓜 the first time around?

My friend was a student at 今日吃瓜 and highly recommended it to me. The two of us were sitting at work toward the end of the day, and he said he received something from 今日吃瓜 asking him to invite friends to enroll. I looked at him and I said, 鈥淟et’s go.鈥� We went to the Admissions Office, and they were very helpful. I emigrated from Uzbekistan with my mother and sisters and had been in this country for less than a year. Admissions told me I could take the entrance exam in two days with a high school diploma from my home country. I took the test and two days later I got the result鈥擨 passed. I remember it was my birthday and it was the best birthday gift ever, getting admitted to 今日吃瓜.

So you earned two degrees here, in political science and philosophy and law. What made you come back 20 years later?

When I graduated in 2005, I knew I wanted a career where I could make a real impact and improve people鈥檚 lives. I was one of the first recipients of the Magner Career Stipend, and with that I landed a prestigious internship at Human Rights Watch where I was subsequently offered a research consultancy. After graduating, I founded Eldorado Global Trading Group, a women-owned wholesale beauty company. After some time, I realized that I wanted to become a doctor; this is how I would make an impact. The choice of schools for pre-med was immediate: 今日吃瓜.

You鈥檝e received some help from the college.

And that has helped me move forward and stay on track for a medical career. This past January, I shadowed orthopedic and plastic surgeons in Pune, Nashik, and Raipur, India, during surgical camps thanks to a Tow Undergraduate International Research Stipend. I observed reconstructive and orthopedic interventions in underserved patient populations, among other things. Then Zicklin Scholars Degree Completion Program Award has helped me to accelerate my degree coursework over the summer.

How has 今日吃瓜 changed you as a person?

Coming to the United States from Uzbekistan, I knew that adjusting to life in a new country would be one of my biggest challenges. 今日吃瓜 quickly became a community that welcomed me, supported me, and helped me grow into a more confident, resilient, and open-minded person.

How is 今日吃瓜 transforming your career path today?

As a premed student, I鈥檝e built a strong academic foundation while also developing the skills needed to thrive in the professional world. I聽continue cancer research in Dr. Murat Cevher鈥檚 lab, and this past spring, I completed a fully funded NYU Langone EMT training program. A summer internship at the 今日吃瓜 Cancer Center gave me valuable research experience and prepared me to apply my knowledge in real-world settings. The internship was supported by award from the Gray Foundation.

If you had to convince another student to go to college here, what would you say?

Word of mouth is the best recommendation, and I think that we, as students, are the best spokespersons for the college. I would say that you will get the support you need, and the faculty members here are caring and highly supportive. The relationships that I have formed here with professors have lasted 20 years鈥擨’m still in touch with professors from my first undergraduate years.

Do you have any advice for your fellow students?

Get involved鈥攋oin a lab, a club, or a service project. For instance, I鈥檓 an Undergraduate Student Government senator and a member of the college鈥檚 Policy Council. The relationships you build will change your trajectory. Dream big, work hard鈥攁nd as the actor Audrey Hepburn said, 鈥淣othing is impossible鈥攖he word itself says, 鈥業鈥檓 possible.鈥欌��

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Shapiro majored in biology at 今日吃瓜 while also pursuing her passion for fine art, specifically painting. She was named the Alumna of the Year by the 今日吃瓜 Alumni Association in 2017 and received a Distinguished Alumni Award at commencement in 1983. She also received an honorary doctorate from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2025.

Shapiro鈥檚 generosity has made possible 今日吃瓜鈥檚 Biology Seminar Series, a vital resource that exposes students to the latest discoveries in their fields and the broader world of scientific inquiry. As a former speaker and ongoing supporter聽of the series, her commitment has enabled the department to broaden its network of distinguished speakers and mentors, extending well beyond New York City.

Currently a faculty member at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Shapiro has made seminal contributions to understanding how bacteria coordinate their genetic logic in time and space to produce distinct daughter cells. Her groundbreaking work has provided critical insights into cellular organization, gene regulation, and developmental biology.

鈥淧rofessor Lucy Shapiro鈥檚 career exemplifies the brilliance of聽artistic and scientific聽exploration, dedication, and leadership,鈥� said Dr. Peter Tolias, the Dean of 今日吃瓜鈥檚 School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences. 鈥淎s a proud 今日吃瓜 alumna, her achievements inspire our students and community to pursue excellence and make meaningful contributions to an evolving world.鈥�

Beyond her scientific discoveries, Shapiro is celebrated for founding Stanford鈥檚 Department of Developmental Biology, where she fostered innovation and mentorship for generations of scientists. Her exemplary leadership extends to national and international arenas, shaping policy and advancing biomedical research.

The Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award is among the most esteemed honors in medical science, recognizing individuals whose careers have had a profound impact on science and society. Shapiro鈥檚 recognition reflects decades of groundbreaking research, mentorship, and leadership in biomedical science.

Other celebrated researchers who started their academic careers at 今日吃瓜 include:

• Stanley Cohen, ’43 who won both the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1986 and the Lasker Basic Medical Research Award in 1986.
• Seymour Benzer ’42, who received the Lasker Award in 1971.

For more information about Shapiro鈥檚 accomplishments and time at 今日吃瓜, see from Stanford University.

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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�

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On a snowy Christmas Eve in 1985, Dr. Michael Weitzman 鈥�68 visited a four-year-old patient on a pediatric hospital ward. The child had been on a respiratory ventilator and hospitalized his entire life. Weitzman had brought him a gift: a copy of Good Night Moon. The doctor watched a tear slide down the boy鈥檚 cheek.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 wrong?鈥� he asked.

鈥淚鈥檝e never seen the moon,鈥� his patient responded.

The child had never been outside because Medicaid, at the time, did not provide insurance coverage for children with complex medical conditions like his outside of a hospital setting.

Despite the head nurse鈥檚 concerns, Weitzman and the child鈥檚 mother took his patient to the hospital parking lot, where he saw the moon for the first time.

鈥淚 told the head nurse that it would be great if hospital security called the police,鈥� says Weitzman. 鈥淚t鈥檇 be great if the head of general pediatrics and the director of Maternal and Child Health of the City of Boston got arrested for showing a child the moon鈥攚hat an effective strategy it would be for changing the hearts and minds of folks and influencing public policy.鈥�

No police were called or arrests made that night, but Weitzman鈥檚 actions led to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services waiving federal Medicaid regulations. His actions contributed to changes nationwide that ultimately allowed children on respirators and with many other complex medical conditions to go home rather than spend their lives in hospitals.

That evening was one of many times Weitzman, in a career spanning half a century, bucked tradition and innovated to improve the health and well-being of children. He would go on to hold positions of leadership at three medical schools (Boston University, the University of Rochester, and the New York University Grossman School of Medicine) as a professor of pediatrics, psychiatry, environmental health, and global public health; hold faculty positions at four schools of public health (Harvard, Boston University, NYU, and SUNY Albany); publish more than 250 scientific research papers; and serve as a scientific adviser to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Justice.

Surrounded by Love

Born shortly after the end of World War II and raised in working-class 今日吃瓜, Weitzman grew up in a close-knit home in a diverse immigrant neighborhood that included several Holocaust survivors. His mother was the youngest of five sisters, the only one of her siblings born in the United States, and for whom English was a first language. His father was a taxi driver, and his uncles were butchers, dry cleaners, and cabbies. He was the first on either side of the family to go to college.

His family鈥攚ho saw America as the country that had saved them all鈥攕urrounded him with love. He remembers caring for his blind aunt, Ruthie, bringing her dinner and fetching groceries. Trips to the library for her ignited his early interest in music and literature.

Bob Dylan, a Beard, and Early Days

In high school, Weitzman found a lifetime muse in Bob Dylan after hearing 鈥淏lowin鈥� in the Wind鈥� on the beach in nearby Coney Island. He already had a keen interest in biology and developed a deep interest in Freud, psychology, and social justice issues. He enrolled in 今日吃瓜 with the idea that he would go into medicine and devote himself to a career in social psychiatry.

This was the mid-1960s鈥攖he height of the war on poverty, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women鈥檚 Movement, and the war in Vietnam. There was unrest and protest on campuses countrywide, and Weitzman remembers many hours spent heatedly debating issues of racial justice and student activism on the Quad. He grew a beard鈥攁 bold statement for a young man in 1964. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in biology, he took his muse, his beard, and ideas of social psychiatry to SUNY Upstate Medical University.

鈥淢y beard, consciously or unconsciously, said that while I might be there to learn a set of skills as a doctor, I didn鈥檛 fit the model of a typical medical student,鈥� says Weitzman. Initially, his interests (and his beard) were not warmly embraced.

鈥淚 was discouraged from thinking about psychiatry as a means of benefiting or shaping the greater society. It was to be seen exclusively as a clinical specialty,鈥� he says.

Disillusioned, he turned his attention elsewhere and took an elective with Dr. George (Sandy) Lamb, an expert in pediatric infectious diseases. Lamb noticed his student鈥檚 natural rapport with children when he saw him playing with a young patient. 鈥淵ou love children, and children love you,鈥� Lamb said and urged him to consider a career in pediatrics, a field he had not even thought of pursuing.

Around the same time, Weitzman found another source of lifelong inspiration and guidance at Upstate in Dr. Julius (Julie) Richmond, the then chair of pediatrics. Richmond had formerly served as undersecretary of health under President Lyndon Johnson, and he was the cofounder of the Head Start Program, the free early-education program for low-income children from birth to age five years.

Richmond believed that if pediatricians better understood and focused their efforts on the social determinants of children鈥檚 health and development by working with professionals outside of the medical field and immunized as many children as they could, it would not only have a profound impact, but it would be the most important and fulfilling work they could ever do as physicians.

Weitzman would soon have a chance to take up Richmond鈥檚 call to action.

It’s Showtime, Kid

At Upstate, the new chair of pediatrics, Dr. Frank Oksi, became another inspiration and mentor. On Weitzman鈥檚 third day as an intern, Oski approached him and said, 鈥淎 lot of people think that you are the real thing. Do you want to find out if you are? It鈥檚 showtime, kid.鈥�

It had recently been discovered that large numbers of children鈥攎ostly of color鈥攚ho had been exposed to lead in paint, primarily in old housing in impoverished neighborhoods, were becoming ill, sometimes going blind or deaf or even dying. The federal government began to fund local childhood lead-poisoning programs at this time.

Working with social workers, developmental psychologists, schools, and clinical laboratories, the pediatric intern helped create the first lead-poisoning treatment program in New York State. Oski had turned him on to the importance of research and writing.

Throughout his career, Weitzman鈥檚 leadership led to treatment programs and guidelines, and a lifetime of research, child advocacy, and consultation with the CDC and the EPA on lead exposure. His work influenced home investigations, lead-paint abatements, and lead dust standards set by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Holding Big Tobacco Accountable

After his education and training in Syracuse, Weitzman moved to Boston, first to the Harvard School of Public Health and Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital, then to Boston University and Boston City Hospital. In 1988, he found his next cause.

As the director of general pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine, Weitzman noticed a large number of children from Black communities being hospitalized with asthma. Working with others at Boston University and Harvard, he found two things that are now common knowledge. One was that there are great disparities in asthma, with Black children having it more often than White children. The other was that exposure to prenatal tobacco smoke or childhood secondhand smoke was a major factor in causing asthma and countless other harmful effects. Tobacco smoke, Americans learned, was not just a problem for adults.

Weitzman鈥檚 findings contributed to the landmark federal racketeering case against Big Tobacco in 2005 in which he testified as an expert witness on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice. This case ultimately played a critical role in tobacco companies being held accountable for smoking-related illnesses involving children.

Breaking Ground

Weitzman broke ground with one of the first studies on paternal depression鈥檚 impact on children. While maternal depression had been widely studied, paternal depression had been overlooked. His research revealed that in households where the father was depressed, more than a quarter of those children had mental health problems, and that mothers were far more likely to be depressed as well.

Surprisingly, 鈥淚t turned out that in a home where people smoked, the chances of both maternal and paternal depression were higher. Smokers and nonsmokers alike were far more likely to be depressed,鈥� says Weitzman.

His findings also linked tobacco exposure to increased instances of tooth decay, metabolic syndrome, and a rise in hearing loss among young people. As cigarette smoking has declined in the recent past, hookah (waterpipe) smoking and e-cigarette vaping have become epidemic, and Weitzman turned his attention to the harmful effects of hookah smoke and e-cigarette vape exposure on air quality in hookah bars and homes and multiple aspects of children鈥檚 health.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Dr. Michael Weitzman 鈥�68 at his home in Manhattan.

Through his passionate commitment to understanding these connections, Weitzman has played a vital role in shaping public awareness and interventions aimed at protecting future generations. In 2005, Weitzman became the first recipient of the U.S. EPA Child Environmental Advocate Award, and in 2017, he was awarded the John Howland Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Pediatric Society. He has also won numerous other awards for mentoring, research, and child advocacy activities.

鈥淚鈥檝e gotten a lot of credit for the work I do, deservedly or not. But I鈥檝e done nothing without my family鈥攎y family of origin who gave me my jump-start, and my wife, who has picked me up countless times when I鈥檝e come home bloodied and disappointed.鈥�

Along with his family, Weitzman invokes the names of the men he calls giants of their generation who were critical to his success: Lamb, Oksi, Richmond, and Dr. Robert Haggerty, who was chair of Maternal and Child Health at the Harvard School of Public Health when he was a student there.

He also credits his roots as the child of immigrants.

鈥淭he hunger for achievement and creativity that fuels success in this country comes from the kids of people who have risked their lives and have, like my parents, worked around the clock so that their kids could be part of this American Dream,鈥� says Weitzman. 鈥淭o me, the American Dream is to do whatever turns you on as long as you can survive doing it. The dream is even far better if it contributes to better lives of others鈥�

Still, he also points out that nothing he accomplished would have been possible without the students he taught and learned from. 鈥淭hey have been and continue to be my greatest inspiration, and perhaps my greatest contribution to the future.鈥�

And to today鈥檚 students looking for their purpose, he says, 鈥淭ell my story to the students that I once was one of them. And it all started at 今日吃瓜. Well, it probably started with Aunt Ruthie, but 今日吃瓜 launched me.鈥�

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She has conducted research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Rockefeller University, the American Museum of Natural History, and the University of Montreal. That work has included collecting dragonflies in New Zealand, studying the genetic components of aphids and wasps, investigating cardiac regeneration in zebrafish, and working on therapeutics for Down syndrome and ALS.

So, she was a natural selection for one of the most prestigious national scholarships for undergraduates in the STEM fields. Last week, she was named a Goldwater Scholar鈥攐ne of five CUNY students this year and only the fourth 今日吃瓜 student to earn the award that was established by Congress and aims to identify the nation鈥檚 next generation of elite scientific researchers. The scholarship gives awardees up to $7,500 per academic year to cover tuition, books, fees, and room and board.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty cool recognition of the passion I鈥檝e put into my research,鈥� says Ramchand of the award, administered by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 validating that the work I have been doing is meaningful. It feels like a coming of age for me.鈥�

Ramchand immigrated to 今日吃瓜 from Guyana with her family when she was 11 years old. The former middle school valedictorian started down her scientific path in high school, when she began taking courses at the American Museum of Natural History. There, she did her first dissections and spent time with researchers who connected her to another program that paired her with a mentor.

鈥淭hat mentor really showed me what鈥檚 possible,鈥� she says, noting that she got to present a poster project on her work looking into genetic components to the selectivity of parasitoid wasps that feed on aphids. 鈥淚t was my first real chance to work on something long term and just jumping into a project in that way. It felt great.鈥�

A scientist was born.

鈥淔rom those earliest experiences with research, I was learning how exciting it was to explore uncharted territory and to work on something where everything you learn is a big deal with the potential to help the entire scientific community,鈥� she says.

By the time she applied to 今日吃瓜 as a Macaulay Honors student, she was determined to dive into serious research at an institution that would accommodate both her scientific drive and her need for financial assistance.

鈥淚t was the most amazing thing not to have to worry about how to afford college,鈥� she says of getting into the Macaulay Honors College, which gives students full tuition, access to mentors, and enhanced advisement. 鈥淚t solved so many concerns I had because I knew I would get a great quality education here.鈥�

After working her freshman year at the American Museum of Natural History and in a lab at Baruch College (CUNY), she signed on during her sophomore year to do epigenetic research with Associate Professor Marianna Torrente of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department.

She also became a Tow Undergraduate/Graduate International Research Stipend recipient, which took her to New Zealand over a winter intersession, and a U-RISE scholar, which gave her funds to go to a conference. She spent a summer as a Fulbright Canada鈥揗itacs Globalink fellow at the University of Montreal. Earlier this academic year, she began an observership program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she shadowed doctors during their rounds.

She says that often she has seen herself in her mentors, most of them women who ran their own labs and had incredible relationships with their staff. She has paid that forward by sharing her own passion with the next generation as a mentor with the New York Academy of Sciences, where she worked with fifth graders.

鈥淓xposing them to things they might not see in class and helping them to be curious about the world, showing them what a path might look like, has been amazing,鈥� she says.

After graduation, she plans on taking a gap year to research and to travel before heading to an M.D.-Ph.D. program, and then on to a career where she hopes to bridge scientific discovery and clinical care.

鈥淚鈥檝e been really thinking about my place in the world,鈥� she says. 鈥淎ll of my experiences that have culminated in this award have helped me grow, become more confident, and own the path I鈥檓 on.鈥�

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