In recognition of her decades of leadership and advocacy for individuals with autism, Fossella presented her with a proclamation declaring September 18, 2026, as “Dr. Joanne Gerenser Day” on Staten Island. ���ճԹ� congratulates Gerenser on this well-deserved honor and thanks her for her outstanding contributions to the autism community and to generations of ���ճԹ� students.

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For Lee, this work is not abstract; it’s personal.

“Born with a physical disability, I navigated the challenges of being a student with special needs both in Seoul, South Korea, and the United States,” she explains.

These experiences shaped her understanding of how family, school, and culture deeply influence the lives of children with disabilities—and how often their voices go unheard.

Her scholarship explores social inclusion in early childhood classrooms, the cultural dimensions of disability, and the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities. By centering real stories and personal narratives, Lee aims to challenge deficit‑based models and replace them with humanizing, culturally grounded understandings. Her work seeks to foreground the voices of individuals with disabilities and their families, voices often overlooked or misunderstood.

���ճԹ� students regularly encounter Lee’s research in her courses, where discussions center on disability, reflective practice, and inclusive teaching. In one of her recent articles, “,” she highlighted three former graduate students whose intersecting identities shaped their journeys as educators. Her findings reaffirm a message she hopes all students carry forward: They can be powerful agents of change.

Lee’s work resonates deeply with the ���ճԹ� community. Many students are first‑generation, multilingual, or navigating their own cultural identities; many are preparing to become educators themselves. Her research speaks directly to their lived realities: navigating educational systems that may not understand them, reconciling cultural beliefs about disability, and learning to advocate for themselves and their future students.

Ultimately, Lee hopes her work fosters more inclusive classrooms and more empathetic communities. By elevating the experiences of disabled individuals and their families, she invites all of us to reimagine what inclusion can, and should, look like.

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Data analytics students

By fall 2023, about one-quarter of all students—and a significantly higher share of graduate students—were studying fully online. In response, colleges and universities are redesigning degree offerings with adult learners in mind, expanding fully online master’s programs, hybrid course models, accelerated and stackable credentials, and year‑round scheduling that better fits work and family responsibilities.

For ���ճԹ�’s graduate students, college is not a beginning, it’s a return.

Students arrive with résumés, 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 ���ճԹ�’s long-standing mission of access and rigor, updated for a world of nonlinear careers.

Credentials Built for Working Lives

“We’re seeing students who already have careers, or who started one path and realized it wasn’t right,” says Professor Seungho Baek, who directs the M.S. in Finance program. “They don’t want to start from zero. They want something efficient, rigorous, and directly connected to opportunity.”

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‑to‑face. Students choose between specializations in quantitative finance and risk management or investment management and asset valuation. The program’s in‑person courses are held at 25 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, a deliberate decision intended to bring working professionals and industry experts into the classroom.

“We wanted to make it easy for people who are already working in the financial sector to participate,” Baek says.

Professor Seungho Baek leads the new finance master’s programs at ���ճԹ�.

Industry professionals teach select courses, grounding theory in real‑world practice. Beginning next fall, eligible undergraduates will also be able to opt into a 4+1 pathway in finance, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years by taking graduate‑level 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 María R. Scharrón-del Río, dean of the School of Education, ���ճԹ�’s approach has been shaped by both student realities and the urgency of citywide need.

“New York City Public Schools is facing a massive staffing challenge,” she says, pointing to that will significantly reduce class sizes by 2028. “That means thousands of additional teachers will be needed, far more than the current pipeline can provide.”

���ճԹ� has long partnered with the city through Teaching Fellows programs, but in recent years those pathways have expanded and evolved. New alternative‑certification initiatives, including , are designed to help paraprofessionals and substitute teachers—many already working in classrooms—become certified teachers of record while completing their degrees.

“These are adult learners who know exactly what they’re getting into,” says Roberto Martínez, who oversees the Teaching Fellows and Ed Prep programs. “They’re already in schools. They’re parents. They’re career‑changers looking for stability and meaning.”

A key factor in ���ճԹ�’s success, Scharrón-del Río notes, is modality. ���ճԹ� was the only CUNY campus to offer its Ed Prep programs fully online (with required in‑person fieldwork), a distinction that quickly translated into demand.

“By word of mouth and because of the quality of our programs,” she says, “we received more applications than all the other CUNY campuses combined.”

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‑based literacy instruction, particularly in early grades—another area of acute need.

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

The Fast Track to a Master’s

Beyond education and business, ���ճԹ� has expanded accelerated options in fields tied to civic life.

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

“A lot of our students are returning students,” says Professor Tammy Lewis, who heads the urban sustainability program. “They’re here because this work matters to them. The master’s degree opens up more opportunity.”

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 ���ճԹ� understands its role—not just as a place of first chances, but of second and third ones, too.

“People are reinventing themselves multiple times now,” Martínez says. “���ճԹ� has always made that possible. We’re just building clearer, more flexible routes to get there.”

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Spanning disciplines from business and computer science to the arts and education, the projects reflect a campus-wide commitment to preparing students for a rapidly evolving, AI-driven world. Funded initiatives extend across the Koppelman School of Business as well as programs in English, film, art, mathematics, education, academic affairs, and Student Affairs.

Integrating AI Into Business Education

Several faculty from the Koppelman School of Business are launching an interdisciplinary capstone course titled “The Integrated Edge: AI, Decision-Making, and Business Strategy.” The course will pilot in summer 2026.

The course addresses a long-standing challenge in business education: the “silo effect,” in which accounting, finance, economics, and management are often taught separately. The Integrated Edge instead requires students to apply all four disciplines simultaneously to analyze complex business problems—mirroring how decisions are made in real organizations.

Students will gain hands-on experience with professional AI platforms used in industry, including tools for forecasting, auditing, and financial analysis. The course also emphasizes a “human-in-the-loop” approach, teaching students to critically evaluate AI-generated outputs, identify potential biases or errors, and apply professional judgment.

Structured in four modules—economic forecasting, led by Professor Merih Uctum; AI-assisted auditing, led by Professor Frimette Kass-Shraibman; corporate finance, led by Professor Sunil Mohanty; and strategic integration, led by PI and Professor Carol Connell—the course culminates in a capstone project in which students analyze a real company using both traditional business frameworks and AI-supported insights.

By combining interdisciplinary thinking with responsible AI use, The Integrated Edge aims to equip students with the analytical, technological, and ethical skills needed for tomorrow’s business leadership.

Koppelman School of Business Interim Dean Myles Bassell is leading nearly 400 students from the Koppelman School of Business in “IBM’s AI Experiential Learning Lab,” a hands-on, 10-week program designed to immerse students in real-world artificial intelligence applications. Through the program, students work in multidisciplinary teams to design and develop AI-driven solutions using IBM’s enterprise technologies, including watsonx. Supported by IBM experts and industry mentors, students move from concept to prototype while tackling authentic business challenges.

Throughout the lab, participants build practical skills in generative and agentic AI, as well as responsible AI design, while producing portfolio-ready projects that enhance their career readiness. By the program’s conclusion, students will have completed AI solutions they can present to employers and will earn IBM-recognized digital credentials to showcase on LinkedIn and resumes. The initiative reflects Koppelman’s commitment to experiential learning, industry collaboration, and preparing students to lead in an AI-driven economy.

Bassell is also spearheading the broader “AI Literacy in Business Education: From Classrooms to Careers” initiative, which is being implemented in phases beginning in Fall 2025 and continuing through Spring 2026, with expansion planned for Summer 2026 and beyond. In Fall 2025 alone, Koppelman students completed approximately 700 IBM AI-related certificates, followed by more than 1,000 additional certifications in Spring 2026. These credentials were integrated directly into coursework through collaboration between Bassell and business school faculty.

Students earn certifications through IBM SkillsBuild in areas such as AI Literacy, Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals, Generative AI, Agentic AI applications, Enterprise Design Thinking, and Cybersecurity Fundamentals, among others. Each certification includes a verifiable digital badge, allowing students to clearly demonstrate their AI competencies to prospective employers.

Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Associate Professor Ngoc (Cindy) Pham is leading the “The semester-long weekly boot camp is designed to build applied and ethical AI fluency while preparing students for the evolving workforce.

The initiative combines hands-on workshops, industry perspectives, cross-institution collaboration, and digital badge recognition to help students develop both technical confidence and critical thinking skills.

Program highlights include weekly AI boot camps at ���ճԹ�, guest speakers and industry experts from IBM and other national AI practitioners, and a joint CUNY–NYU Tandon session hosted at NYU that helped launch a long-term collaboration. Students also take on leadership roles as moderators and event facilitators. Designed for scalability, the model aims to expand across CUNY while maintaining a strong focus on equity, access, and workforce readiness.

Matt Lentz, vice president at Monks and founder of the Enterprise Consulting Practice, speaks at an AI bootcamp hosted by NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering on March 12. The event was a part of the CUNY AI literacy and professional readiness series led by ���ճԹ� Associate Professor Ngoc (Cindy) Pham and focused on AI in enterprise consulting. (Top photo) In February, guest lecturer Conor Grennan—CEO of AI Mindset and New York Times bestselling author—headlined a lecture titled, “Artificial Intelligence & the Future of Work” that drew 118 participants.

Expanding AI to Student Support: Addressing Food Insecurity

���ճԹ�’s AI initiatives also extend beyond the classroom, applying emerging technologies to one of the most pressing challenges facing students: food insecurity.

Led by Associate Professor of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Laura Rifkin and building on the human-centered work of the campus food pantry staff—including Assistant Director of Student Support Services Nicole Cohen and Student Affairs—this effort will explore how AI can expand access to nutritious food in ways that are both practical and dignified. One approach under consideration is a smart vending system that would serve as an extension of the pantry, offering discreet, flexible access outside of traditional hours. By reducing barriers such as stigma, scheduling conflicts, and transportation challenges, the system could significantly broaden its reach while generating anonymized, real-time data on usage patterns and unmet need.

The initiative also examines how agentic AI can support pantry operations behind the scenes—analyzing trends, anticipating demand, optimizing inventory, and improving coordination of donations and purchasing. Guided by principles of transparency, human oversight, and bias mitigation, the work builds on the college’s strong track record of student-centered support while introducing scalable, data-informed solutions.

The effort comes at a critical moment. Food pantry use has grown fourfold in recent years, reflecting both rising need and the extraordinary commitment of staff working with limited resources. Across CUNY, approximately 110,000 students—about 40% of the system—experience food insecurity, yet only a small percentage access available support, often due to stigma or administrative barriers. By integrating AI thoughtfully into these services, the college aims to close that gap by strengthening student well-being to support academic success.

AI-Supported Professional Preparation for Early Childhood Teachers Working With Dual Language Learners

In the School of Education, Associate Professor Lulu Song is addressing a critical need in early childhood teacher preparation. Her project integrates AI into coursework to support future educators working with dual language learners, a population that represents nearly half of young children in New York State. Through structured assignments, students will use AI tools for research and problem-solving while learning to critically evaluate outputs for accuracy, bias, and credibility.

Additional projects include AI-supported learning studios in mathematics, interdisciplinary minors linking computer science with writing and finance, and research on ethical design and decision-making. Collectively, these initiatives highlight ���ճԹ�’s holistic approach to AI—one that blends innovation with responsibility, and technical skills with human insight.

Understanding AI: A Foundational Series for Faculty

Led by Karen Stern-Gabbay, professor of history and director of the Roberta S. Matthews Center for Teaching and Learning, and James T. Eaton, associate dean in the Provost’s Office, this workshop series will bring expert speakers to campus to guide faculty through key topics such as technological disruption, ethics, and curriculum design.

Open to both full- and part-time instructors, the program is designed to build confidence and shared understanding around AI in the classroom.

Faking It: A Global Workshop Series

AI’s cultural and creative implications are also a focus. Distinguished Professor of Film Alexandra Juhasz, in collaboration with filmmaker Nishant Shah, is leading “Faking It,” a global workshop series examining questions of authenticity, knowledge, and human connection in an AI-mediated world. With sessions planned in New York and Hong Kong, the project will explore how emerging technologies reshape storytelling, perception, and social relationships.

You can see all the projects listed here.

• Myles Bassell (Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship) – AI Literacy in Business Education: Scaling a Proven Model at the Koppelman School of Business.
• April Bedford (Academic Affairs) – Faculty AI Bootcamp: Developing Critical AI Literacy, Course Policies, and Pedagogical Innovation.
• Hui Chen (Computer and Information Science) – Human-in-the-Loop Just-in-Time AI Auto-Tutoring: A Pilot for CUNY Pathways Courses.
• Carol Connell (Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship) – AI, Decision-Making, and Business Strategy Integrated Capstone.
• James Eaton (Academic Affairs) – Understanding AI: A Foundational Series for Faculty.
• Alexandra Juhasz (Film) – Faking It: AI Education and Literacy.
• Devorah Kletenik – (Computer and Information Science) Designing With Ethics: Exploring AI-Enhanced Dark Patterns.
• Swan Kim (English) – Critical AI Literacy for the Public Good: A CUNY-Scalable Ethical Foundations Module Reaching All Incoming Students.
• Sandra Kingan (Mathematics) – AI-Supported Math Foundations Studio.
• Anjali Krishnan (Psychology) – Promoting Responsible AI Use in Skill-Based and Writing-Intensive Courses.
• Jennifer McCoy; Jonathan Zalben (Art, Conservatory of Music) – AI Initiative in the Arts.
• Martha Nadell and Hui Chen (English, Computer and Information Science) – Writing For the Future: An Integrated English/Computer and Information Sciences Minor.
• Hyuna Park and Katherine Chuang (Finance, Computer and Information Science) – Using AI Tools to Create Synergy Between Finance and Computer Science Education.
• Ngoc (Cindy) Pham (Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship) – CUNY AI Literacy and Professional Readiness Micro-Credential Series With Global Expert Partners.
• Laura Rifkin (Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship) – Addressing Food Insecurities.
• Lulu Song (Early Childhood Education/Art Education) – AI-Supported Professional Preparation for Early Childhood Teachers Working With Dual Language Learners.

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The conference, held during Caucus Weekend in Albany, New York, on February 13, convened leading practitioners across the fields of perinatal mental health, obstetrics, lactation support, and community health advocacy to explore comprehensive, equity-driven solutions to the ongoing maternal health crisis disproportionately impacting Black families. Caucus Weekend is a three-day legislative conference hosted by the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislators, bringing together thousands of New York political leaders. Now in its 55th year, the event celebrates the association’s legacy, honors members’ achievements, and reflects on its ongoing journey of advocacy and representation.

Shannon addressed critical reforms needed in medical education and clinical training across professions to ensure that equity and empathy are embedded as core competencies for the next generation of health and mental health providers. She also spoke to the panel on her early research demonstrating the importance of father involvement during the prenatal period. Known as the “magic moment,” this early emotional engagement of fathers establishes them and partners as essential contributors to maternal and infant well-being.

Shannon, the founding chair of the Early Childhood/Art Education Department, is a national leader in perinatal and infant mental health. With more than 30 years of clinical and research experience, her work centers on advancing equitable, relationship-based systems of care for parents and infants in under-resourced communities. She currently leads the Integrated Care Model for Perinatal Mental Health Initiative at ���ճԹ�, an interdisciplinary workforce development and service expansion effort funded by the ���ճԹ� borough president and the U.S. departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

Through this initiative, Shannon helped launch New York State’s first Integrated Care Model for Perinatal Mental Health Initiative, a comprehensive academic and community-based effort to address New York City’s maternal mental health crisis and expand access to culturally responsive care in under-resourced communities.  Shannon also co-founded and organized the college’s inaugural Perinatal Mental Health Summit last summer.

Joining Shannon on the panel were Amen Ayanru, program manager for the New York City Breastfeeding Warmline at Public Health Solutions; Cyrus O. McCalla, chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at One ���ճԹ� Health; and Robert T. Robinson, senior director of Intergovernmental Affairs at Community Health Center of Richmond.

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and published author who brings more than three decades of public-school teaching experience to her work with pre-service and in-service educators at the college. Known for her deep commitment to justice-rooted, heart-centered pedagogy, Noble integrates contemplative practices, mindfulness, and equity-focused approaches into teacher education.

Ah! A Heartbook for Teaching | Learning with Love invites educators to reconnect with love, presence, and compassion as essential foundations for teaching and learning. Blending reflective practices with lived classroom wisdom, the book addresses educator well-being, social-emotional learning, trauma-informed teaching, and community care—offering guidance for sustaining both teachers and students in complex educational environments.

Noble’s scholarship reflects ���ճԹ�’s mission to advance equity, educational leadership, and holistic learning. Her work contributes to ongoing conversations in teacher education around mindfulness, contemplative pedagogy, and the role of emotional and spiritual awareness in fostering just and humane classrooms.

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Bringing a child into the world is often seen as one of the most joyous moments in a mother’s life. But for many, moments of bliss are overshadowed by the silent, yet powerful, presence of perinatal mental health (PMH) disorders.

These conditions span a vast and often devastating spectrum of mood, anxiety, and related disorders that can take hold during pregnancy or within the first year postpartum—ranging from depression and anxiety to obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, and postpartum psychosis.

Their impact is not confined to mothers; they ripple outward, deeply affecting fathers, families, and the fragile foundation of early parenthood. What should be a time of love, bonding, and new beginnings can instead become a relentless battle against crushing stress, isolation, and despair.

At their most severe, these disorders do more than steal joy—they take lives.

According to a recent report by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths was attributed to mental health conditions. And when you add that Black women in New York City were on average nine times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their White counterparts, the ability to identify and intervene is nothing short of a matter of life and death in communities of color.

While there has been a growing awareness of the need to address PMH, the system to screen, diagnose, and treat remains fragmented and inconsistent. This is especially true in ���ճԹ� and other underserved communities, where educational and other resources are scarce.

A Powerful PMH Partnership

Antonio Reynoso and Michelle J. Anderson

To help make meaningful and lasting change in the neighborhoods it serves, ���ճԹ� connected with ���ճԹ� Borough President Antonio Reynoso and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop the first credit-bearing advanced certificate program in perinatal mental health in New York State. The program will educate and train mental health, health care, and early education/early intervention professionals to work with pregnant mothers and birthing parents.

In collaboration with Borough President Reynoso’s Maternal Health Task Force and experts from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a multidisciplinary team from ���ճԹ� developed innovative coursework on perinatal mental health to ensure a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to this important area of education.

“As one of the Borough’s longstanding anchor institutions, we are honored to partner with President Antonio Reynoso and his Maternal Health Task Force in this vital mission, and we deeply appreciate his steadfast support of the PMH program,” ���ճԹ� President Michelle J. Anderson said. “We are thrilled to develop this innovative curriculum, which seamlessly combines academic excellence with tangible, real-world impact. This initiative is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing compassionate, community-driven education and training that truly makes a difference.”

This spring, two pilot courses are underway, and the full certificate program will launch in the 2025–26 academic year.

The program’s coursework was specifically designed for licensed professionals or those pursuing careers in fields such as mental health counseling, social work, clinical and counseling psychology, midwifery, doula work, nursing, OB-GYN, and pediatrics, as well as in the area of early childhood/early intervention. The program presents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to transform academic learning into meaningful, real-world change.

Groundbreaking Curriculum

Haroula Ntalla, Jacqueline Shannon, and Michelle J. Anderson

This spring, Clinical Professor Haroula Ntalla led one of two groundbreaking pilot courses, Parent-Child Dyad Relational Health, a deep dive into the roots of mental well-being within the parent-child bond—beginning prenatally and extending through the child’s first year of life. The course explored how early relational experiences shape lifelong mental health, emphasizing the powerful connection between parents and infants.

The second pilot course, Biopsychosocial Aspects of the Perinatal Period, was co-taught by Nina Newman, and Ira Glovinsky ’68. This interdisciplinary course examined the intricate interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors that influence the perinatal experience—from pre-pregnancy through childbirth and beyond.

“Perinatal mental health is not just a ���ճԹ� issue—it’s a New York City crisis,” Ntalla said. “However, ���ճԹ� has been at the epicenter of alarming trends. Recent maternal mortality cases at ���ճԹ� hospitals underscore the urgent need for intervention, as mental health plays a significant role in these tragedies. Without proper intervention, these factors contribute to poor health outcomes for both mothers and their children, reinforcing cycles of trauma and instability within families.”

Professor Laura Rabin, who initiated the curriculum design with Rona Miles, said ���ճԹ�’s PMH curriculum directly addresses a public health crisis in perinatal care.

“Our goal is to improve maternal and child outcomes throughout New York City, and this program will enhance professionals’ clinical skills and help address maternal perinatal mental health problems, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) and substance use disorders,” Rabin said.

Ntalla and Associate Professor Jacqueline Shannon leveraged existing expertise from ���ճԹ�’s early childhood education and early intervention training and curriculum. They realized that mental health was often at the center of many of the issues they were teaching. The need for this specific curriculum became obvious, allowing them to build on the PMH curriculum design initiated by Rabin and Miles.

Shannon, who directs the PMH program, added: “We are excited to offer this specialized curriculum that not only bridges academic learning with real-world impact but also reflects our commitment to a compassionate, community-centered approach to perinatal care with a clinical focus on supporting maternal mental health across professions.”

Leading the Change

Keema Wiley and Georgina Gooden

Georgina Gooden and Keema Wiley were seemingly destined for the frontlines of early intervention and perinatal mental health advocacy.

Gooden moved to ���ճԹ� from Jamaica in 2015 to be closer to family. She had her son in 2018, and while living in Brownsville, she began paying closer attention to the struggles that mothers, including herself, and their families faced. She started volunteering, first as a community member, and then as a dedicated advocate.

As an Early Intervention Ambassador Assistant with United for Brownsville, Gooden found a platform to address early childhood disparities, particularly in accessing early intervention services for Black and Brown children. Her firsthand experience with the PMH issues in the New York City health system led her to enroll in the pilot courses offered in ���ճԹ�’s PMH program.

“I realized our voices, our lived experiences, could drive real change. The data supported what we already knew—our communities weren’t getting the same access to mental health resources,” Gooden said. “This is a crisis, and yet, until now, there were no structured graduate-level programs dedicated to tackling it. ���ճԹ� changed that.”

Now, as she also pursues her master’s degree in early childhood education from ���ճԹ�, Gooden is seeing the direct impact of her work. She follows expectant mothers through their pregnancies, gaining hands-on experience that connects research with reality.

“One of the most heartbreaking things is that many mothers are afraid to admit they’re struggling. They fear being judged because of the stigma, or worse, having their children taken away. The system isn’t built to support them—it’s built to punish them.”

A Different Kind of Front Line

Working as a trained doula, Wiley offers emotional, physical, and informational support to mothers and their families before, during, and after childbirth. She also works at United for Brownsville, serving as the Strategy and Improvement Manager and leading the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Equity Initiative while enrolled in ���ճԹ�’s PMH courses.

Wiley’s journey into maternal and infant health has been anything but conventional.

After graduating high school in 2009, she initially pursued college but was deterred by the financial burden. Instead, she enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2010. Over time, her interest in health care grew, leading her to explore midwifery. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she realized that becoming a nurse-midwife would place her on the front lines as both a soldier and a civilian—a challenge she wasn’t ready to undertake.

Instead, she discovered that the nursing prerequisites overlapped with public health, and she pivoted her focus.

Through her studies at Hunter College, she quickly honed in on maternal and child health. Her research was deeply personal—she had a smooth, uncomplicated birth experience in 2015, but many of her friends did not.

This stark contrast drove her to investigate how to improve birth outcomes for women who looked like her and shared her background. She recognized that too many mothers and babies in her community were suffering preventable complications, and she became determined to be part of the solution.

Wiley was introduced to the program at ���ճԹ� through a professional connection at United for Brownsville. Recognizing the importance of mental well-being during and after pregnancy, she eagerly enrolled.

Through her doula practice and public health initiatives, Wiley is working to normalize conversations about mental well-being during pregnancy and postpartum.

“There’s this expectation that pregnancy and new motherhood should be the happiest time of your life,” she says. “But for so many women, that’s just not the case. And if they feel like they can’t talk about it, they suffer in silence.”

A Summit for Innovation and Impact

Dr. Ashanda Saint-Jean

To spark real change and elevate awareness around the PMH crisis, ���ճԹ�—alongside Borough President Reynoso, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and United for Brownsville—hosted the college’s first Perinatal Mental Health Summit on April 4.

The groundbreaking event brought together over 200 attendees and a dozen leading voices in health and mental health, forming a powerful coalition to tackle one of the most urgent and overlooked issues in ���ճԹ�—and across the country.

The audience filled the space, united by a shared mission: to confront the perinatal mental health crisis head-on. The event, driven by the leadership of Shannon and Ntalla, didn’t just highlight the problem—it delivered real talk, real solutions, and real resources for families and care providers navigating these challenges every day.

The summit featured bold, thought-provoking discussions led by a lineup of interdisciplinary experts. At the heart of it was keynote speaker Dr. Ashanda Saint-Jean, M.D., a leader in the fight for maternal health equity. A board-certified OB/GYN, faculty member at New York Medical College, and a leader on both the New York City and New York State Maternal Mortality Review Boards, Dr. Saint-Jean brought her deep experience—and even deeper passion—to the stage.

Among those helping to bring the summit to life were Gooden and Wiley, who took on vital roles in organizing, marketing, and presenting.

“This isn’t just an academic exercise,” said Gooden. “This is about life and death. Mothers are dying. Families are being broken apart. For children, that’s their whole world. We need systemic change—and we need it now.”

���ճԹ�’s PMH Program At a Glance
The full certificate program will launch in the 2025–26 academic year.

• Yearlong, online synchronous program that offers six interdisciplinary perinatal health and mental health courses.
• 120 in-person clinical hours in the PMH field, which include hours of individual and/or group work with diverse individuals, in addition to case presentations, reflective practice, and supervision by licensed professionals.
• Graduates will be competitive candidates for employment within the broad perinatal field and will be prepared to take Postpartum Support International’s perinatal mental health exam.
• The ���ճԹ� curriculum team includes:
  • Associate Professor Rona Miles and Professor Laura Rabin
  • Assistant Professor Garumma Feyissa
  • Associate Professor Jacqueline Shannon
  • Clinical Professors Haroula Ntalla, Nina Newman, and Ira Glovinsky ’68, ’72 M.S.Ed.

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���ճԹ� Borough President Antonio Reynoso and ���ճԹ� President Michelle J. Anderson at Borough Hall on April 3.

To raise public awareness and drive meaningful change, ���ճԹ�, in partnership with ���ճԹ� Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the New York City Health Department, and United for Brownsville, hosted the Inaugural Perinatal Mental Health Summit on April 4. This landmark event featured more than a dozen interdisciplinary health and mental health experts and served as a crucial platform to address one of the most urgent health care challenges facing ���ճԹ� and the nation today.

The daylong event—spearheaded by ���ճԹ� and led by Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education/Art Education Jacqueline Shannon and Clinical Professor Haroula Ntalla—was attended by more than 200 people and highlighted the growing crisis, discussed tangible solutions, and offered resources to support families and health care providers alike.

“The inaugural summit on perinatal mental health exemplifies the strength of partnerships united by a common cause,” said ���ճԹ� President Michelle J. Anderson, who also participated in the event. “���ճԹ� Borough President Antonio Reynoso is a leader in tackling maternal health disparities and a vital ally in our mission to serve the community and improve health outcomes.”

���ճԹ� Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education/Art Education Jacqueline Shannon.

“We were proud to host this important event and provide a platform for experts from ���ճԹ�’s diverse communities to share the latest research, best practices, and real-world experiences in perinatal mental health,” Shannon said. “It also served as a bridge, fostering crucial dialogue between academia and frontline community-based professionals to drive meaningful change through innovation and collaboration.”

As one of the speakers, Ntalla emphasized the deeply troubling and tragic reality that each year, 700 women in the United States lose their lives due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. As alarmingly, around one in seven women experience postpartum depression—a condition that can have devastating consequences, not only for the mother’s health but also for her entire family, leaving enduring emotional and psychological scars that too often become intergenerational.

President Michelle J. Anderson and Summit keynote speaker Dr. Ashanda Saint-Jean

The event was ignited by thought-provoking discussions, spearheaded by a distinguished panel of experts. Among them was keynote speaker, Dr. Ashanda Saint-Jean, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN, and Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Also a faculty member at New York Medical College’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, co-chair of the New York City Maternal Mortality Review Board, and appointed member of the New York State Maternal Mortality Review Board, Dr. Saint-Jean is known for her ground-breaking work as an advocate for equitable health care for underrepresented minority women that champions a holistic, patient-centered approach. During her lecture, she highlighted that perinatal mental health issues are now the leading cause of maternal deaths. She also emphasized the severe lack of support systems, particularly for women of color in ���ճԹ�, urging immediate action and a reevaluation of current approaches.

(Left to right) Two students who are enrolled in ���ճԹ�’s pilot Perinatal Mental Health program courses, Keema Wiley and Georgina Gooden, participated in the Summit.

A day earlier on April 3 at ���ճԹ� Borough Hall, President Anderson joined Reynoso to unveil New York State’s first —an initiative overseen by Shannon and Ntalla —to address the growing need for specialized training in perinatal mental health.

In collaboration with Reynoso’s Maternal Health Task Force and experts from the New York City Department of Health, a multidisciplinary team from ���ճԹ� developed innovative coursework on perinatal mental health to ensure a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to this important area of education.

The ���ճԹ� team included:

• Associate Professor Rona Miles and Professor Laura Rabin, Psychology
• Assistant Professor Garumma Feyissa, Health and Nutrition Sciences
• Associate Professor Shannon and clinical professors Haroula Ntalla, Nina Newman, and Ira Glovinsky (’68, ’72 M.S.Ed.) Early Childhood Education/Art Education. 

This spring, two pilot courses are underway, with the first full cohort set to launch in fall 2025.

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���ճԹ�’s new advanced certificates in reading science (one for emergent readers and one for all grades) provide comprehensive knowledge to teachers on best practices of reading.

Katie Pace Miles, associate professor of early childhood education/art education

The two fully online programs address new requirements for literacy licenses that teachers need in New York State. The training also prepares teachers to improve literacy rates for historically underserved students—a gap that has only widened since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program owes much to the efforts of Katie Pace Miles, who has been instrumental in its launch. Miles is the co-founder and principal investigator of CUNY Reading Corps, which improves preservice teacher training and provides free high-dosage tutoring to historically underserved New York City students.

Enter The Literary Specialist

One of Miles’ former students, Rea Bowen ’21, ’24 M.S.Ed. took classes in what has now become part of these two new programs. Today, Bowen teaches at P.S. 40 George Washington Carver School in Bedford-Stuyvesant, ���ճԹ�.

We spoke with Bowen about her journey into teaching and why it’s crucial for educators to learn the science of reading.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I’m from the beautiful island of Grenada, known as the Isle of Spice in the Caribbean. I spent most of my youth there, from preschool to high school. I started teaching in Grenada first, in a program where they trained us to become teachers. Then I migrated to London and attended Uxbridge College for two years. I returned to teach in Grenada again in 2009. I came to live in the United States permanently in 2014.

What brought you to the States?

Living in the Caribbean, we had little to no knowledge about how to deal with children with special needs. That was my main focus because I wanted to understand how to reach them. They didn’t have the right facilities and experience in Grenada to work with them and meet their needs. When I was teaching, my brain kept ticking, and I wondered what could be done. I told my mother, “I’m not going to college here. I’ve got to go into the wide world. I’ve got to see what is out there for me.” And she said, “I don’t know where you’re going to get the money, but I don’t have it for you.”

I said, “It’s okay, God is going to provide. I’m going to work hard and save.” I was so fortunate that my aunt in England sent for me. When I saw how children, especially those with special needs, are dealt with in other countries, that opened up my eyes. But I needed to learn more.

When I learned about America’s federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, it made me feel so warm inside. It is up to educators to understand how we can meet students in the classroom. Moving to New York is when I knew I was about to get the ball rolling and really push.

What grade levels do you teach?

I’ve worked with kindergarteners and first- and second-graders for the past three years. Most of the time, the class will be mixed with all three. I worked for at least two years at the daycare center at Downstate Hospital in ���ճԹ�. I worked with one- and two-year-olds. It’s wonderful to see them develop through the different milestones.

I took reading science courses with Associate Professor Katharine Pace Miles, while earning my master’s degree, and I was teaching at a public school at the same time. As part of the course, we participated in Reading Corps. Learning the system used in Reading Ready and Reading Go! showed me why it was so difficult to read when I was a child in Grenada. To learn to read correctly, you need to be exposed to the printed letters and their sounds. Connecting them and graphing phonemes is critical. I have a big “sound wall” in my classroom and I do a lot of dictation.

Seeing a child finally “get it” when it comes to reading and understanding must be very fulfilling.

Oh yes. There was one student in particular during my first year of teaching who had been diagnosed with an intellectual disability. She couldn’t read at all. She couldn’t sound out letters. By the second year of tutoring, she had mastered phonics and was able to read at her grade level. She’s in third grade now, and I always check in on her. I’ll go on her lunch break and sit with her, let her pull out pieces of her work because I want to make sure that everything she has mastered is with her and she’s using it.

Students have to be able to read and understand what they are being asked to do, no matter the subject—whether it’s a science experiment, math problem, or social studies project. Teaching students to read, write, and comprehend should be a skill every educator has.

Read our full interview with Rea Bowen here.

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Cofounded by Associate Professor Katharine Pace Miles, Reading Corps, which includes tutoring programs Reading Ready and Reading Go! (formerly Reading Rescue), provides literacy intervention for students at the K­–2 level.

Bowen graduated with a double major in early childhood education teacher (birth to grade 2)—early childhood education teacher/special education and psychology, and later with an M.S.Ed. in early childhood education teacher [Birth-Grade 2]. Today, she teaches at P.S. 40 George Washington Carver School in Bedford-Stuyvesant, ���ճԹ�, and continues one-on-one tutoring through Reading Corps.

As the School of Education prepares to launch a pair of Advanced Certificate programs in reading science this fall, we spoke with Bowen, who was spending some time in Grenada this summer. She talks about what she gained at ���ճԹ�, the joy of helping struggling students succeed at reading, and why she thinks it’s crucial that education students of all disciplines make learning to teach literacy the proper way a part of their course work.

You’ve moved around a bit in order to attain your goal of becoming a special education teacher.

I’m from the beautiful island of Grenada, known as the Isle of Spice in the Caribbean. I spent most of my youth there, from preschool to high school. I started teaching in Grenada first, in a program where they trained us to become teachers. Then I migrated to London and attended Uxbridge College for two years. I returned to teach in Grenada again in 2009. I came to live in the United States permanently in 2014. Two years later, I started my education journey at Kingsborough Community College.

So you transferred to ���ճԹ�.

Actually, I came to ���ճԹ� first, but they encouraged me to go to community college and then return. I never regretted going to Kingsborough because it prepared me more than ever to be ready for ���ճԹ�. Then I came to ���ճԹ� to finish my undergraduate work in early childhood education. I had studied business and marketing at Uxbridge, but I also volunteered to tutor in schools. So teaching was never out of my zone; I always worked with children.

What brought you to the States to begin with?

Living in the Caribbean, we had little to no knowledge about how to deal with children with special needs. That was my main focus because I wanted to understand how to reach them. They didn’t have the right facilities and experience in Grenada to work with them and meet their needs. When I was teaching, my brain kept ticking, and I wondered what could be done. I told my mother, “I’m not going to college here. I’ve got to go into the wide world. I’ve got to see what is out there for me.” And she said, “I don’t know where you’re going to get the money, but I don’t have it for you.”

I said, “It’s okay, God is going to provide. I’m going to work hard and save.” I was so fortunate that my aunt in England sent for me. When I saw how children, especially those with special needs, are dealt with in other countries, that opened up my eyes. But I needed to learn more. I needed to get deeper into working with children with special needs. When I learned about America’s federal , I was so taken aback. It made me feel so warm inside. It is up to educators to understand how we can meet students in the classroom. Moving to New York is when I knew I was about to get the ball rolling and really push.

What grade levels do you teach?

I’ve worked with kindergarteners and first- and second-graders for the past three years. Most of the time, the class will be mixed with all three. I worked for at least two years at the daycare center at Downstate Hospital in ���ճԹ�. I worked with one- and two-year-olds. It’s wonderful to see them develop through the different milestones.

I took reading science courses with Dr. Miles while earning my master’s degree, and I was teaching at a public school at the same time. As part of the course, we participated in Reading Corps. The Reading Corps was helpful because I could reach out to them for the finer points of teaching their way, including the five pillars of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Learning the system used in Reading Ready and Reading Go! showed me why it was so difficult to read when I was a child in Grenada. To learn to read correctly, you need to be exposed to the printed letters and their sounds. Connecting them and graphing phonemes is critical. I have a big “sound wall” in my classroom, and I do a lot of dictation.

���ճԹ� is offering two new reading science advanced certificates.

Yes. One for emergent readers and one for all grades. They’re for post-master’s professionals and they address the new requirements for literacy licenses in New York State. The course work covers K–12. I have taken three courses that will be included in the program: Literacy Curriculum in Early Childhood, Practicum in Literacy for Struggling Readers and Writers: Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 2, and Literacy Assessment. My particular focus is learning to teach children with special needs.

Seeing a child finally “get it” when it comes to reading and understanding must be very fulfilling.

Oh yes. There was one student in particular during my first year of teaching who had been diagnosed with an intellectual disability. She couldn’t read at all. She couldn’t sound out letters. By the second year of tutoring, she had mastered phonics and was able to read at her grade level. She’s in third grade now, and I always check in on her. I’ll go on her lunch break and sit with her, let her pull out pieces of her work because I want to make sure that everything she has mastered is with her and she’s using it.

I highly, highly recommend that students in the School of Education take reading science courses, because literacy covers every subject in a school. Students have to be able to read and understand what they are being asked to do, no matter the subject—whether it’s a science experiment, math problem, or social studies project. Teaching students to read, write, and comprehend should be a skill every educator has.

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