Annual report 24-2025 by Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership

The world needs leaders who are globally minded, rigorously grounded in the social sciences" social science, and ready to tackle the pressing challenges of our time. At the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, we are dedicated to lifting leaders, preparing students to lead across industries, sectors, and communities while developing bold solutions to inequity and injustice.

Our students come from communities historically excluded from power — 85 percent are people of color, half are immigrants and first-generation college students, and most are from lower-income neighborhoods. They arrive determined to make change and bring perspectives shaped by lived experience.

Through exceptional education, mentorship, and real-world opportunities, the Powell School gives students the tools to take power responsibly, challenge inequity, and lead with purpose. They are prepared not only to navigate a complex and shifting policy landscape but to expand the horizons of those they serve and transform the systems around them.

The Co-Chairs and The Dean

Dear Colin Powell School Community,

We share this annual report at a moment of remarkable transition and continued progress for the Colin Powell School. In June, Dean Andrew Rich departed to become the 17th president of Franklin & Marshall College, concluding six years of transformative leadership. During his tenure, Dean Rich led efforts that expanded the School’s reach and deepened its impact, always with a focus on student success and public purpose.

Under his leadership, the Powell School launched several initiatives that have become central to our identity, including the Office of Student Success, the Moynihan Center,

and the Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice Institute.

This past year saw the launch of the Social Mobility Lab, a pioneering hub for research, teaching, and experimentation about what drives social mobility. Dean Rich oversaw a nearly 40% increase in enrollment, expanded our faculty, introduced new academic programs, built meaningful partnerships across sectors, and led a capital campaign that raised more than $85 million. These accomplishments reflect not only Dean Rich’s vision and dedication, but also the generosity and belief of the many supporters who stand with us in advancing our mission.

Indeed, it is thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our alumni, donors, and partners that the Powell School has grown into the largest academic division at City College, now serving more than 4,000 students. Your investment in our work — your belief in the power of education to lift leaders and shift power — has enabled everything we’ve achieved.

This annual report reflects the tangible impact of that support. The programs, partnerships, and outcomes you’ll read about in these

pages are a testament to what is possible when a community comes together with shared purpose. Our retention rates are climbing, our fellowship programs are multiplying, and our students are securing career-starting jobs.

We are especially proud of our students and alumni, whose stories reflect the values of the Powell School in action — leadership, resilience, service, and an unwavering commitment to social justice. They are not only earning degrees; they are building organizations, shaping policy, mentoring others, and transforming their communities. Their accomplishments remind us that the School’s mission is not confined to the classroom — it lives on in the work they do every day, across the city, the nation, and the world.

Even amid the broader challenges facing higher education — challenges that disproportionately affect our students — our faculty and staff continue to lead with wisdom, resilience, and deep commitment. The stories highlighted in this report — of research that informs public policy, of mentorship that changes lives, of perseverance in the face of challenge — are the heart of the Powell School.

As we look ahead to the School’s next chapter, we remain grounded in the values that General Colin Powell championed: leadership, service, and inclusion. These principles continue to shape our work and our vision for what’s possible in public higher education. And we move forward with deep appreciation for all who make this work possible.

With gratitude and best wishes,

Kevin Foster Interim Dean, Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership

Linda Powell Co-Chair, Colin Powell School Board of Visitors

Marco Antonio Achón Co-Chair, Colin Powell School Board of Visitors

Sonia Sotomayor Receives 2025 Colin L. Powell

Distinguished Leadership Award

On April 7, 2025, the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York was honored to present the 2025 Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award to United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The ceremony celebrated Sotomayor’s extraordinary career and lifelong commitment to justice, integrity, and service — values central to the legacy of General Colin L. Powell, CCNY Class of 1958.

The award recognizes leaders who have reached the highest levels in their fields and exemplify the leadership traits General Powell championed: humility, pragmatism, common sense, and a deep belief in public service. These values are inscribed in Powell’s famous “Thirteen Rules of Leadership,” which culminate in the phrase memorialized on the award medallion: “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.”

Justice Sotomayor, a Bronx native, is the first Latina appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and earned her law degree from Yale Law School, where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. Her career has spanned roles as a New York County assistant district attorney, a partner at Pavia & Harcourt, and appointments to the federal bench by Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton before joining the Supreme Court in 2009, appointed by President Barack Obama.

In a moving conversation with Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Maria Hinojosa, Justice Sotomayor spoke directly to students and alumni in the room. Touching on themes of family, identity, and perseverance, she shared a message of hope and accountability.

“I have the faith that the General had — that you will have the power to make a better world than we have. That you will figure out from our mistakes what to do in a different way… You show us that there are still young people interested in changing the world.” — Justice Sotomayor

The Distinguished Leadership Award event was conceived by Marco Antonio Achón, co-chair of the School’s Board of Visitors and global head of Corporate Banking at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking. The evening was made possible through Santander’s generous support.

General Powell’s leadership wasn’t about commanding attention—it was about giving it. It wasn’t about prestige — it was about purpose. The Colin Powell School is one of his most

enduring acts of leadership. It is where potential meets purpose. Where voices that might have gone unheard are being prepared to lead—with courage, integrity, and vision. — Marco Antonio Achón

“Justice Sotomayor embodies the essence of effective leadership, and she is a role model for generations of young people who aspire to be change-makers.” — Dean Andrew Rich

City College President Vince Boudreau, and CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez each highlighted Justice Sotomayor’s deep commitment to service, integrity, and equality, as well as her close ties to New York and CUNY. The evening stood as a joyful celebration of a trailblazing jurist and the enduring influence of General Powell’s vision to lift leaders, shift power, and transform

AccountAbility Sustainability Lab

The Colin Powell School has launched the AccountAbility Sustainability Lab (S Lab), an initiative designed to prepare students for careers in sustainability, corporate responsibility, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership. The lab is made possible by a fouryear commitment of financial and in-kind support from AccountAbility, a leading global advisory and standards organization. The S Lab will offer an immersive learning experience that integrates academic study, applied research, and professional mentorship to equip CCNY students — particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds — with the skills and experience needed to

drive meaningful environmental and social impact.

At the core of the initiative is the S Lab Fellowship, a year-long, credit-bearing program that combines academic coursework with handson industry engagement. Fellows will participate in a three-credit fall course led by Colin Powell School faculty and AccountAbility experts, exploring topics such as sustainability strategy, ESG measurement and reporting, and emerging global issues. In the spring, students will complete a capstone project designed in partnership with AccountAbility, applying classroom learning to real-world challenges. Fellows will also receive financial stipends, mentorship from AccountAbility professionals, and priority consideration for paid summer internships.

“The AccountAbility Sustainability Lab equips our students with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience needed to excel in the fastgrowing field of ESG and sustainability.”

— Dean Andrew Rich

Together, AccountAbility and the Colin Powell School are investing in the future of sustainability leadership — combining academic excellence with purpose-driven action to shape a more just and resilient world.

Nelson Mandela Initiative for Social Change

The City College of New York (CCNY) and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) have joined forces on the Nelson Mandela Project for Social Change, a global initiative designed to bridge divides and cultivate new generations of values-based leaders. The partnership was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed by CCNY President Vince Boudreau, Colin Powell School Dean Andrew Rich, and UNSSC Director Jafar Javan.

The project — developed in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg — builds on Mandela’s philosophy of leadership grounded in empathy, resilience, and dialogue. It will foster collaboration across academic institutions, civil society, and global organizations to train leaders equipped to promote inclusion and social change.

At CCNY, the project will be housed within the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership and led by Richard Stengel, former Under Secretary of State and longtime collaborator of Nelson Mandela. Stengel, who worked with Mandela on his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, reflected

“Producing effective leaders for positive social change is one of the great challenges of our time, and I’m honored and humbled to lead this effort inspired by Mandela's own heroic journey.”

— Richard Stengel, Lead for Nelson Mandela Initiative for Social Change

The initiative’s launch follows UNSSC’s inaugural gathering in Turin, Italy, which united founding academic partners from Argentina, Lebanon, Singapore, Spain, and South Africa. CCNY now joins as the U.S. institutional anchor.

Supporting this effort is Jafar Javan, the recently retired UNSSC Director, who has joined the Powell School as a Leader-in-Residence. Javan will teach a graduate seminar on “Leadership in Global Justice,” mentor international affairs students, and advance the Mandela Initiative he helped conceive.

“Together with our academic partners, we aim to build a cohort of changemakers and provide spaces for dialogue and consensus-building so essential to good governance and thriving democracies.” — Jafar Javan, Retired UNSSC Director

Health Justice and Leadership

In Spring 2025, the Colin Powell School launched a groundbreaking interdisciplinary minor in Health Justice, created in response to the inequities laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program equips students with the knowledge and skills to address complex health challenges at the intersection of policy, society, and community well-being.

Drawing from departments across the college, the minor invites students from all majors to explore topics such as health disparities, biomedicine, the social determinants of health, and global health systems. Courses span disciplines including Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, Sociology, and Latin American and Latino Studies, with opportunities for applied learning through partnerships, research, and community-based projects.

Led by Professor Irina Carlota (Lotti) Silber and featuring expert instructors such as Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, the Sternberg Family Professor of Leadership and former NYC Health Commissioner, the program deepens students’ understanding of how structural inequalities shape health outcomes — and how interdisciplinary collaboration can advance health equity.

The Health Justice minor is part of a larger effort supported by a $500,000 planning grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to establish the Health and Opportunity Leadership Institute (HOLI) at The City College of New York. HOLI aims to cultivate a new generation of leaders in public health, medicine, health policy, and public affairs, particularly from historically marginalized communities. It seeks to develop innovative solutions to entrenched challenges such as healthcare affordability, homelessness, child poverty, and racial inequities — while preparing students to lead with empathy and purpose.

“Our times require fresh approaches and different ways of organizing groups for purpose — particularly groups of people spanning different lived experiences and generational boundaries. Essential to this project are new leaders who can imagine and forge connections across seemingly disparate realms, such as improving health and unlocking economic opportunity.”

— Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, Sternberg Family Professor of Leadership and HOLI Founding Director

In its initial six-month planning phase, HOLI consulted with external experts to assess program design, partnerships, and sustainable funding models. The following phase will focus on three goals: supporting current health leaders in advancing equity and opportunity; incubating transformative projects; and developing the next generation of health and opportunity leaders.

HOLI will collaborate closely with the CUNY School of Medicine and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy to strengthen the healthcare workforce pipeline. It will also interface with the new Health Justice minor and certificate program, offering students paid internships, fellowships, specialized courses, and mentorship opportunities — laying the foundation for a more just and equitable health future.

Keith Haring’s Apocalypse Series

The Colin Powell School is proud to be the new home for Keith Haring’s Apocalypse series, a poignant and powerful collection of thirty original prints that grapple with themes of mortality, resistance, and renewal. Created by the artist in 1988 during the height of the AIDS crisis and featuring prose by William S. Burroughs, the series captures a raw and evocative snapshot of a defining moment in queer and activist history.

This landmark gift from the Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation marks a milestone in CCNY’s growing efforts to connect students with influential works of art that prompt dialogue around identity, justice, and expression. The complete set, including the captions, will be displayed in campus spaces to inspire discussion among students, faculty, staff, and alumni, especially members of the CCNY and CUNY LGBTQ+ communities. The art will also be available for loaning to other CUNY campuses for display, particularly but not

exclusively, in their respective LGBTQ+ student centers and campus art museums.

“This an extraordinary series and an artifact of the pain, loss, and activism that characterized the height of the AIDS crisis. We hope it will inform discussion and debate on campus, and that the series will serve as inspiration to generations of students, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community.” — Elliot Leonard, Founding Trustee of the Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation

The exhibit was officially unveiled on March 4, 2025, during an event titled Art, Activism, and the 1980s. The program featured a keynote address by Brad Gooch, author of Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring, and a powerful original poem by CCNY alumnus Brad Walrond, written in response to the artwork.

Watch the full recording here.

Impact through Strategic Investment

$450,000 Grant Renews Santander Finance Fellowship

Santander has renewed support for the Santander Finance Fellowship at the Colin Powell School with a $450,000 grant, extending the initiative through 2028. This funding marks a 50% increase from the original $300,000 grant awarded in 2021 and underscores Santander’s continued commitment to advancing equity and representation in the financial services sector. The fellowship supports students from underrepresented backgrounds with essential financial training, professional mentorship, and

access to exclusive networking opportunities. Since its inception, the program has increased its annual cohort from 12 to 20 students. Fellows receive personalized guidance, practical experience, and exposure to industry leaders who help them prepare for meaningful, long-term careers. Fellowship alumni have gone on to build successful careers at top firms including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Santander itself. The renewed funding also enables the continuation of the Finance Bootcamp, which trains more than 200 students annually in entry-level financial skills and serves as a vital bridge to the fellowship program.

“This program serves as a model for how early interventions and targeted investments in education can create lasting impact. It is important work for Santander, and it is beautifully aligned to Gen. Powell’s imperative to the School that we prepare our students

for internships and

careers.”

— Marco Antonio Achón, Global Head of Corporate Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, and Co-Chair, Colin Powell School’s Board of Visitors.

$490,000 Mellon Grant Launches Environmental Justice Project in the South Bronx

The Colin Powell School has received a $490,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to launch SUSTAIN-NYC: Storytelling for Urban Sustainability and Transformation, a bold, interdisciplinary environmental justice initiative focused on the South Bronx. Led by Assistant

Professor of Anthropology Prash Naidu, alongside co-investigators Deborah Cheng and Yana Kucheva, the project partners with South Bronx Unite to document the environmental injustices affecting Mott Haven and Port Morris — neighborhoods where industrial activities, heavy traffic, and waste facilities have led to disproportionately high rates of respiratory illness and poor air quality.

This groundbreaking project takes a humanitiesbased approach to climate and environmental justice, placing community voices and histories at the center of efforts to imagine more equitable futures for New York. Through storytelling, community engagement, and interdisciplinary scholarship, SUSTAIN-NYC will highlight the lived experience of environmental inequality — and the transformative potential of local knowledge. A key component of the project is the co-creation of an interactive digital platform with South Bronx Unite, allowing community members to share their experiences and contribute to environmental justice efforts.

At its heart, the project challenges conventional

models of sustainability by asking: Whose stories shape our policies? And how do we center justice in planning for urban futures?

“The Mellon Foundation’s support is a powerful validation of our belief that humanities-driven research can play a pivotal role in addressing climate justice, SUSTAINNYC is about lifting up the narratives that too often go unheard — those of communities on the frontlines of climate change and environmental risk.” Assistant Professor Prash Naidu

Anonymous Faculty Gift Supports Students and Rebuilds Mentorship Culture

A generous gift from a long-serving Powell School faculty member is helping the school address critical student needs and reinvigorate research mentorship disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The anonymous donation establishes three new funds: the Precarious Student Support Fund ($50,000), the Faculty/Student Support Fund ($72,000), and the WELCOME Program Student Support Fund ($24,000).

The gift will provide emergency grants to vulnerable students, particularly DACA and undocumented individuals; offer stipends for faculty-student research collaborations; and support students ineligible for traditional financial aid.

“This gift is extraordinarily well-crafted to provide direct support to some of the places where it is most needed at the Colin Powell School. It reflects the generosity of a faculty member who knows our students well and believes deeply in our mission.” Dean Andrew Rich

“As a long-time CCNY faculty member, as well as the offspring of two CUNY graduates–one a refugee from World War II Europe–I find inspiration in the words of Dr. Horace Webster, the first president of the Free Academy, CCNY’s forebear: 'The experiment is to be tried, whether the children of the people, the children of the whole people, can be educated.'

I have seen it happen! Through this gift, I hope to ensure that both the most vulnerable and the most skilled students have access to support and greater opportunity for excellence.”

— Anonymous Donor

Colin Powell School Expands Public Service Career Hub with Petrie Foundation Support

In June 2024, the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation renewed its support for the Colin Powell School’s Public Service Career Hub, an initiative that has become a cornerstone of the School’s mission to prepare students for meaningful careers in public service.

Launched in 2022 with a generous grant from the Petrie Foundation, the Hub has already reached more than 3,000 students through workshops, events, and trainings. Over 900 students have benefitted from one-on-one career coaching, while nearly 150 have secured public service internships — collectively contributing more than 43,000 hours of civic engagement. Alongside the 350 internships facilitated through the Colin Powell Career Fellows program, these experiences create a powerful bridge between academic study and professional impact.

With renewed funding, the Hub will expand mentorship opportunities, strengthen partnerships with employers, and provide stipends, networking events, and tailored programming to ensure that more students can pursue public service pathways.

The program’s impact has been recognized across CUNY. Maya Gutierrez, Director of the Public Service Career Hub, received the 2025

Best Practice Award for Experiential Learning — Successful Programs from the Career Services Association of CUNY (CSAC) for the Career Fellows Paid Internships Program. The award honors exemplary experiential learning initiatives that provide students with meaningful, hands-on experience. The program has been praised for its innovative design, inclusivity, and measurable impact on student success.

“It represents an opportunity to develop public service-oriented career services that provide a road map to internships and careers in social justice organizations and across government and public service,”

Maya Gutierrez, the Hub’s founding director

By placing students in paid internships aligned with their academic and professional interests, the Hub fosters exploration and long-term career growth — particularly for first-generation college students majoring in the social sciences. With the Petrie Foundation’s continued support, the Public Service Career Hub will build on this momentum, helping even more students transform their education into lasting public impact.

“Too often, students, especially first-generation students, don’t know where to look or even how to think about careers in public service. The Career Hub provides a roadmap and the support needed to pursue careers in social justice organizations and across government and public service.” -

Cass Conrad, Executive Director of the Petrie Foundation

Renewed Commitment in the Face of Adversity

Over the past year, higher education has faced significant headwinds. With widespread changes in national policies affecting areas from research funding, admissions policies, and curricular initiatives across the country. At the Colin Powell School, these changes have presented real challenges — but they have also highlighted the resilience and creativity of our faculty, who continue to uphold our mission of civic engagement, equity, and academic excellence.

Ouafaa Hmaddi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Business. Hmaddi was leading a $500,000 NSF-funded research project with co-PI Alex Lewis of the Alvarez School of Business at UTSA, aimed at addressing critical gaps in entrepreneurial resource mobilization — particularly for historically marginalized communities. In April, the sudden termination of NSF funding, prompted by federal policy changes, halted data collection mid-process and resulted in the loss of key research assistants. Through quick action and institutional support, Hmaddi secured CUNY Bridge Funding matched by CCNY, allowing her to restart the project and rehire her team. She is now pursuing additional foundation-based support from the Spencer Foundation to sustain the work.

Despite the setback, the project’s long-term vision remains clear: to develop a comprehensive database of nearly 15,000 regional economic experts and a “FundMatch” digital platform designed to connect underserved entrepreneurs with appropriate funding sources.

“Without continued support, this critical infrastructure for understanding and remediating search

frictions in the mobilization of financial capital for underserved entrepreneurs remains at risk, potentially perpetuating the very inequities the research seeks to address.” Ouafaa Hmaddi

The impact of shifting funding priorities has also been felt in the Department of Psychology, where a nearly $1 million NSF grant — awarded through the CUNY Advancement in Undergraduate STEM Education (CAUSE) initiative — was unexpectedly withdrawn this spring. The threeyear grant, developed in partnership with the Office of Experiential Learning and Borough of Manhattan Community College, aimed to diversify the psychology research pipeline by supporting Hispanic, low-income, and other underrepresented students. The initiative planned to offer a semester-long learning community, hands-on lab experiences, faculty mentorship, and summer internships to prepare students for graduate study and long-term research careers. Despite the setback, faculty remain committed to advancing this mission and identifying new funding opportunities to keep the initiative alive.

Across departments, these challenges underscore both the fragility and resilience of academic research in a changing landscape. Even amid funding cuts and shifting policies, the Powell School’s faculty continue to demonstrate leadership through adaptability, innovation, and an unwavering dedication to the communities they serve.

Our Impact by the Numbers

STUDENTS AT POWELL SCHOOL

WOMEN

Asian

Black

MEN

TOTAL MAJORS

PAID INTERNSHIPS

220 FELLOWS

STUDENT SUCCESS GUIDE PEER MENTORS

13 peer mentors more than 200 students served

Students in the peer mentorship program have a 9.3 percentage points lower stopout rate.

White

$1.4M Total spent (2024-2025)

300 Students in Internships

80,000 Internship hours

POWELL SCHOOL REACHES WIDE AND DIVERSE AUDIENCES

At a Glance

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Centers and Institutes

The Moynihan Center stands apart as a distinctive force within the Colin Powell School, building a dynamic society of fellows that spans undergraduate students, early-career academics, midcareer professionals, and senior public service leaders. What makes the Center unique is its integrated approach — multiple fellowships that interact through weekly seminars, collaborative events, and shared mentorship, creating an intellectual community that bridges critical thinking with civic engagement.

Cultivating Tomorrow's Public Service Leaders

The Moynihan Public Service Fellowship — also referred to as the Moynihan Undergraduate Fellowship — draws promising students from across all divisions and majors at City College, recognizing that effective public service requires diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary thinking. Through comprehensive professional development, mentorship, and direct internship matching based on students' passions and career aspirations, the undergraduate program provides up to $20,000 in financial support while connecting fellows with government agencies, elected offices, and policy organizations — with many securing permanent positions directly from these placements.

Public Service Pathways

The Moynihan Center's comprehensive internship program provides fellows with transformative experiences in government and public service organizations. Through carefully matched placements with more than 50 partners, students gain hands-on experience while contributing meaningfully to public service initiatives.

Public Service Fellow alumnus Miguel Arias exemplified this impact at the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, serving as a bridge between Brooklyn residents and city agencies. He tackled complex constituent affairs, coordinated communication between City Hall and the Parks Department, and embraced community

Moynihan Fellows and mentors at the Spring mentorship event

engagement through local parades and events, pictured below. Miguel's exceptional performance led to a full-time job offer, and he now continues his public service career there.

Miguel joins two other students from the 2024

Investing in Civic Renewal

cohort who received full-time return offers from their internship sites. When polling 2024 internship supervisors, 84% said their Moynihan intern either exceeded or far exceeded their initial expectations and 100% said they would host a Moynihan intern again.

The Moynihan Center was thrilled to receive multi-year awards from The Tow Foundation and Ford Foundation to support the Moynihan Public Service Fellowship.

These transformative partnerships have enabled the expansion from a one-year to a two-year fellowship model, doubling the financial support from $10,000 to $20,000. Beginning in fall 2025, second-year Moynihan Public Service Fellows will complete specialized courses each semester, including Truth and Politics and Civic Innovation Lab. Students will also complete a second funded summer internship.

Our Events

Throughout the year, the Moynihan Center hosted a wide range of programs featuring leading scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. Events included mentorship gatherings with public service leaders to discussions on pressing civic and global issues.

• Sex-Based Medicine: Helpful or Harmful? with Moynihan Public Scholar Angela Saini and experts from Princeton, NYU, and Harvard.

• The Crisis of the Constitution, moderated by Dr. Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins.

• The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy with Dr. Michael Beckley.

• A talk and photo exhibit on Conflict Art in the Congo during Congo in Harlem Week with Dr. Tatiana Carayannis.

• A discussion with members of the European Parliament following the United Nations Summit of the Future.

Through this robust programming, the Moynihan Center established itself as a vital forum for examining democracy, policy, and global affairs while providing fellows with direct access to leading voices shaping contemporary public discourse.

“New York wouldn't be who we are today without our Dominican community. Through this first of its kind arts and cultural center, New York will celebrate and preserve the history of the Dominican Republic as well as the countless contributions Dominican Americans have made to help shape our Northern Manhattan community into what it is today.”

– Governor Kathy Hochul

The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute (CUNY DSI) stands as a national leader in advancing research, education, and cultural equity for people of Dominican descent. Through groundbreaking initiatives that blend scholarship, arts, and community engagement, the Institute continues to illuminate Dominican and Latino contributions to American history and public life.

A Landmark for Cultural Equity: New Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture

In August 2024, on the day of the Dominican Day Parade, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced a historic $12.5 million to the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute (CUNY DSI) to support the creation of the first-ever Dominican Cultural Center and Museum in New York City. Located in Upper Manhattan's Inwood neighborhood, this transformative space will celebrate the Dominican experience through arts, culture, and the historical legacy of a people whose contributions have significantly shaped U.S. historiography and the cultural landscape.

Governor Hochul’s investment completed the $38.5 million needed to build the facility, the result of a coordinated fundraising effort led by U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat. He was joined by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, New York State

Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, New York City Councilmembers Shaun Abreu, Carmen De La Rosa, Amanda Farías, Oswald Feliz, Chris Marte, and Pierina Sanchez, as well as New York State Assembly member Manny De Los Santos.

“This investment will enable CUNY DSI to create a center that celebrates the rich history and traditions of the Dominican Republic, whose people represent the largest immigrant group in both our city and University."

— CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez

The Center will include five galleries, a 200-seat theater, a Spanish-language children’s library, and the first Dominican oral history archive in the U.S. More than a building, it is a national model for honoring Dominican, Latino, and immigrant contributions to American society.

Art as Healing, Resilience, and Belonging in Washington Heights

In partnership with New York-Presbyterian’s Northern Manhattan Recovery Fund, and with a grant of nearly $400,000, CUNY DSI launched a community-based mural initiative to bring large-scale public art to the streets of Washington Heights. The murals will serve as both neighborhood landmarks and visual narratives that reflect the stories, struggles, and hopes of local residents, particularly people of Dominican and Latino ancestry.

Rooted in collaboration with local artists and residents, the murals will promote post-pandemic

healing, strengthen social bonds, and contribute to the revitalization of the urban environment. More than beautification, this initiative is an act of cultural storytelling and empowerment, transforming everyday walls into platforms for visibility, celebration, and pride. Ultimately, the murals will become part of an “Art Walk” leading to the Heritage & Culture Hub, where The People’s Theater: Centro Cultural Inmigrante, the Dominican Cultural Center and Museum, and other cultural institutions will converge in Washington Heights. This project highlights the collaboration between academia and the community in service of the public good.

The CUNY Cultural/Historical Legacy Initiative (CHLI) — Shaping Education for Generations

With over $800,000 in federal funding, the CUNY Cultural/Historical Legacy Initiative (CHLI) is a bold education initiative transforming how Dominican and Latino/a/x contributions are represented in American classrooms.

Led by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute (CUNY DSI) in partnership with the NYC Department of Education, CHLI delivers historically accurate, culturally affirming curricula and enrichment programs for K–12 students — reaching educators and learners across New York and beyond. CHLI’s multifaceted programming includes the development of teacher training workshops, illustrated children’s books, and short documentaries that spotlight historically significant but often overlooked figures in Dominican history, such as cultural activist Normandia Maldonado, independence heroine Rosa Duarte, pioneering neurologist Dr. Juan Taveras, freedom fighter Gregorio Luperón, and Juan Rodríguez, New York’s first non-Indigenous settler and immigrant of Dominican descent.

In addition, CHLI supported paid internships for high school students through CUNY DSI’s Bridge to College program, offering real-world experience in historical research and archival work. Thanks to the leadership of Congressman Adriano Espaillat, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, CHLI exemplifies how federal investment can expand educational equity, enrich public understanding, and inspire pride among new generations of learners.

“I am thrilled to receive such an important grant that will allow us to work even more closely with the next generations who, now more than ever, need to know about the contributions of their ancestors and their parents to U.S. society, so they continue on the same path.”

— Dr. Ramona Hernandez, Director, CUNY DSI

Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice (LDSJ) — a joint initiative of the Colin Powell School and the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies — is training and supporting a new generation of social justice leaders. Through fellowships, education, and public programming, LDSJ equips organizers, educators, and advocates to build power, strengthen movements, and advance equity in communities across the nation.

A Year of Growth and Impact

2025 was a year of extraordinary expansion for LDSJ. Committed to cultivating the next generation of public service leaders, the institute recruits, develops, and connects organizers and advocates working at the forefront of social justice movements. Rooted in movement history, community, and strategy, LDSJ equips fellows to build power and create solutions for the most pressing challenges of our time.

This past year, LDSJ’s fellowships flourished, its public programming expanded, and its team grew significantly. Specializing in fellowships for movement leaders at every stage — from

emerging organizers to seasoned veterans — LDSJ graduated 129 new fellows, all of whom reported gaining essential skills, tools, and frameworks for leadership and sustainability. Public programming also reached new heights, engaging thousands through lectures and panels on topics ranging from collective care to progressive powerbuilding. This record growth was fueled by LDSJ’s dedicated staff, which more than doubled last year, strengthening the institute’s capacity and impact.

Revitalizing the Social Change Fellowship

Among the new team members, Deputy Director of Fellowships Anjali Rodrigues is revitalizing LDSJ’s Social Change Fellowship — a transformative

year-long program for undergraduates aspiring to become community organizers. Anjali joined LDSJ full-time in January 2025, bringing more than fifteen years of experience in education and leadership training.

Growing up as one of the only students of color in predominantly white schools, Anjali discovered the transformative power of educators who believed in her — an experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to leadership development and social justice. She has taught in K–12 schools in Boston and Brownsville, New York; led organizing and storytelling workshops for national groups such as the Sunrise Movement, March For Our Lives, and Vital Voices; and founded the WARMTH Fellowship, a program for young femmes of color centered on storytelling, peer coaching, and community care. Drawing on this experience, she is reimagining the Social Change Fellowship to give students an authentic introduction to movement work and help them explore organizing as a viable career path.

A Renewed Path for Emerging Organizers

Beginning this fall, the fellowship will launch with a refreshed structure. The journey starts with Leadership, Organizing, and Action — a course developed by Harvard professor and lifelong

organizer Marshall Ganz — where students learn foundational skills in storytelling, strategy, and collective action. Completion of the fall course opens eligibility for the competitive Social Change Fellowship, which pairs the spring course Social Movements in U.S. History with field experiences and immersive retreats that bring classroom learning to life. The program culminates in a paid 10-week summer internship, paired with mentorship and advanced movement-building training.

Together, this sequence offers students a rare opportunity to explore organizing as a career, gain hands-on experience, and join a growing pipeline of social justice leaders — all while developing a strong sense of identity, agency, and community.

Looking Ahead

LDSJ is poised to build on this momentum, continuing to cultivate a diverse and dynamic network of movement leaders directly connected to the issues they seek to change. Grounded in rigorous training, real-world experience, and community commitment, the institute strengthens not only individual leaders but the movements they advance. Carrying forward City College’s founding mission — to educate the children of the people, not just the privileged few — LDSJ stands ready to shape a future where the next generation of organizers leads with strategy, purpose, and unwavering dedication to social justice.

Launched in Spring 2024, the Social Mobility Lab is a groundbreaking initiative at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, designed around one core purpose — to discover and accelerate new pathways to opportunity for students, families, and communities. As the only initiative of its kind based within a public college, the Lab stands as a national model for how higher education can advance economic mobility through data-driven research, storytelling, and real-world experimentation.

Advancing Research and Real-World Solutions

At its foundation, the Social Mobility Lab seeks to understand what works in helping people move up the economic ladder — and how those lessons can be scaled for broader impact. In its first year, the Lab awarded competitive research grants to nine faculty and student teams across the CUNY system, representing disciplines from economics and sociology to education and public policy. The selected projects explore key drivers of social mobility — from the influence of neighborhood conditions and access to childcare, to the intersections of religious identity, race, and immigration status. By focusing on these lived realities, the Lab’s grantees are building a clearer, evidence-based understanding of the barriers

and opportunities that shape educational and economic outcomes.

“We believe the only reason to study social mobility is to create more of it."

—

Bob McKinnon, Director of the Social Mobility Lab

The Inaugural Social Mobility Summit

In April 2025, the Lab hosted its first annual Social Mobility Summit, a vibrant gathering that showcased the research of its inaugural grantees alongside inspiring student stories and new

collaborative partnerships. The event celebrated CCNY’s legacy as one of the nation’s greatest engines of upward mobility — where education, equity, and opportunity intersect.

The Summit also introduced the Lab’s growing network of partners and unveiled a new slate of programming designed to connect data with lived experience. Through interactive panels and storytelling sessions, participants explored how institutions like the Colin Powell School can translate insights from research into tangible strategies for student success and community empowerment.

Transformative Partnerships and Philanthropy

The Social Mobility Lab’s momentum has been powered by visionary support from philanthropic and corporate partners who share its mission. A transformative $2.5 million gift from the Friedman Family Foundation provides vital funding for both the Lab and the Colin Powell Career Fellows Program, which offers paid internships, mentorship, and career coaching for students pursuing public service pathways.

In addition, Kyndryl U.S., a global technology company, became the Lab’s inaugural corporate sponsor, contributing $50,000 to support programming that links academic research with practical solutions. These partnerships not only

expand the Lab’s reach but also demonstrate how cross-sector collaboration can fuel upward mobility on a systemic scale.

Building a National Model

Through faculty-led studies, student-led research, public events, and pilot interventions, the Social Mobility Lab is already shaping what could become a national model for how public institutions can drive opportunity. Its approach combines rigorous inquiry with storytelling, policy engagement, and practical experimentation — ensuring that data is never just theoretical but translated into action.

As it continues to grow, the Lab aims to serve as a hub for innovation, research, and collaboration — connecting scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and students who share a commitment to expanding access to opportunity.

To learn more about the Social Mobility Lab scan the QR code below

Please visit our website here.

View highlights from the 2025 Summit here.

Highlights of Major Events

This year's Rick and Susan Goings Conversations in Leadership Series featured distinguished individuals who have charted unconventional paths and demonstrated extraordinary resilience in pursuit of purpose-driven leadership. Through their personal stories, each speaker offered valuable insights on navigating challenges, embracing service, and leading with integrity.

On September 10, MSNBC President Rashida Jones joined the Colin Powell School for the year’s first Rick and Susan Goings Conversations in Leadership event. In a conversation moderated by Susan Porcaro Goings, Jones reflected on her journey from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to one of the most powerful roles

in broadcast news. She spoke candidly about impostor syndrome, the importance of authenticity, and embracing one’s identity to succeed.

Jones also discussed balancing a high-powered career with family life, learning from mistakes, and navigating the rapidly evolving media landscape — particularly as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry.

Throughout the conversation, Jones emphasized resilience, adaptability, and self-trust as key to growth in any profession. Her reflections offered students and emerging leaders valuable insight into building meaningful careers while staying grounded in their values.

Watch the full conversation here.

MSNBC PRESIDENT RASHIDA JONES KICKS OFF CONVERSATIONS IN LEADERSHIP SERIES

Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy-winning actor Beau Bridges joined the Colin Powell School on October 24 for an engaging and heartfelt Conversations in Leadership event. In a discussion moderated by Susan Porcaro Goings, Bridges reflected on his remarkable seven-decade career in film, television, and theater, offering stories that illuminated both his craft and his character.

He spoke about the challenges of playing complex roles, the lessons learned from his legendary father, Lloyd Bridges, and the lasting influence of basketball coach John Wooden, whose mentorship philosophy continues to guide him. Bridges discussed the importance of humility, perseverance, and emotional intelligence in navigating life’s uncertainty — qualities he believes

define great leadership as much as artistic success.

Quoting John Wooden, Bridges left the audience with a lasting message: “Don’t worry about what the other team brings — just worry about yourself and what you bring.”

Throughout the conversation, Bridges encouraged students to pursue their passions fearlessly, to learn from missteps, and to stay grounded in their values. He emphasized that fulfillment comes not from accolades, but from authenticity and meaningful connection with others.

Closing with John Wooden’s timeless words, Bridges emphasized that true leadership begins with selfawareness and emotional intelligence.

Watch the full conversation here.

FORMER AMBASSADOR JULISSA REYNOSO ON PUBLIC SERVICE AND GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

On April 21, the Colin Powell School welcomed Ambassador Julissa Reynoso, former U.S. Ambassador to Spain, for an inspiring Conversations in Leadership session. In a wideranging discussion moderated by Dean Andrew Rich, Reynoso traced her journey from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx and ultimately

to the global stage as a lawyer, public servant, and diplomat.

A proud New Yorker, Reynoso reflected on how her family, faith, and upbringing in a “communal society driven by need” inspired her dedication to public service. She shared how her work on

“Start local. Volunteer in your community.

That’s where you learn about diversity, the globe, and the great potential of America.”

Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign reinforced the importance of showing up, building trust, and cultivating relationships.

Reynoso encouraged students to take risks, stay open to learning, and believe in the power of public institutions to create positive change. She reminded them that being from New York

City is the greatest degree they could have — and urged them not only to “show up,” but also to “stay,” underscoring the value of patience and long-term commitment in pursuing meaningful work in public service.

Watch the full conversation here.

TWENTY YEARS OF RAGE: FROM ANTI-GLOBALIZATION TO TRUMPISM

On November 11, the Powell School hosted its annual Stanley Feingold Lecture on American Politics, featuring Professor Carlo Invernizzi Accetti, Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of the Moynihan Center. His sweeping talk, “Twenty Years of Rage: From AntiGlobalization to Trumpism,” traced the political

turbulence of the 21st century — from mass protests and institutional distrust to the rise of populist anger.

Over the past two decades, the West has witnessed waves of mass protest and collective frustration: from the anti-globalization movement of the early 2000s to the rise of Trumpism, passing through Occupy Wall Street, Brexit, the #MeToo movement, and the anti-vaccine protests during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Professor Invernizzi Accetti, despite their diverse actors and goals, these outbursts share a common thread: growing anger toward institutions.

Framing this era as a reaction to the optimism of the post–Cold War moment, Accetti explored how the early 1990s — a period of extraordinary faith

— Julissa Reynosa

in liberal democracy — gave way to two turbulent decades marked by social fragmentation, the deterioration of community, and an epidemic of loneliness, all fueling rage-driven populism.

The talk was followed by a discussion with Amana Fontanella-Khan, Opinion Editor at The Guardian US. The event opened with remarks from Feingold alumna Anita Altman and concluded with

reflections from Karen Feingold, Stanley Feingold’s daughter.

The lecture offered timely insights into America’s current political challenges and the deeper social forces shaping democratic life today.

Watch the full conversation here.

STERNBERG FAMILY LECTURE in Public Scholarship

On March 5, the Colin Powell School hosted its 11th Annual Sternberg Family Lecture in Public Scholarship, featuring Anna Makanju, Vice President of Global Impact at OpenAI. In conversation with Sternberg Family Professor of Leadership Dr. Dave Chokshi, Makanju explored the intersection of technology, governance, and global policy — examining the challenges and responsibilities that come with emerging technologies, and how policymakers, companies, and institutions can navigate their rapid development.

Drawing on her experience in both government and the private sector, Makanju discussed the

implications of artificial intelligence for democracy, misinformation, and security. She reflected on ways in which institutions like OpenAI are working to ensure that AI serves the broader public good while mitigating its potential risks.

Makanju’s talk highlighted both the promise and peril of AI’s global influence, urging thoughtful collaboration between technology leaders, policymakers, and educators to safeguard democratic values and human creativity in an increasingly automated world.

Watch the full conversation here.

ANNA MAKANJU ON AI AND GLOBAL IMPACT

Timeline of Public Events

SUROWITZ SEMINAR

UCLA neuroscientist Dean Buonomano on How the Brain Tells Time

PROGRESS AND PRIDE

Evolution of LGBTQ+ Rights

Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal

FORGING YOUR PATH: FIRST GEN TO ENTREPRENEUR

A Conversation with Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn

BLOOMBERG LAB

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

Liz Weikes inagurates the new Bloomberg terminal space in CCNY' Cohen Library in NAC building

ACADEMIC FREEDOM TEACHING COALITION

Dmitry Dubrovskiy, Research Fellow and Lecturer, Charles University, Felix Kaputu, Seyed Masoud Noor, Homeira Qaderi, Research Assistant and Lecturer, Yale University, Verónica Zubillaga, Mellon Visiting Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago

THE FUTURE OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

Featuring Dr. Michael Beckley, Moynihan Public Scholar and Tufts University professor, and Dr. William (Bill) Kristol, Editor-atlarge of The Bulwark.

SOCIAL MOBILITY LAB

INAUGURAL SUMMIT

The first cohort of grantees supported by the lab presented research exploring various facets of social mobility

THE CRISIS OF THE CONSTITUTION

Featuring Dr. Zephyr Teachout and Dr. Julie Suk from Fordham Law, alongside Dr. Aziz Rana from Boston College. Moderated by Moynihan Public Scholar Dr. Daniel SteinmetzJenkins

ADVANCING SCIENCE/ THEORY DEVELOPMENT VIA OPEN SCIENCE ADVERSARIAL COLLAB

Speaker: Lucia Melloni, Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Research Professor, New York University School of Medicine

CONVERSATIONS IN LEADERSHIP

MSNBC President Rashida Jones on Trusting Your Journey. Conversation with Susan Porcaro Goings

STANLEY FEINGOLD LECTURE SERIES ON AMERICAN POLITICS

Carlo Invernizzi Accetti on Twenty Years of Rage: From Anti-Globalization to Trumpism. Moderated by Amana Fontanella-Khan

ART, ACTIVISM, AND THE 1980S

An unveiling of Keith Haring's Apocalypse Series, featuring Brad Gooch, author of Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring

EDWARD I. ALTMAN DISTINGUISHED LECTURE IN ECONOMICS

Speaker: Brian Ruane, BNY Global Head of Clearance and Collateral Management

JPMC CONFERENCE

JP Morgan Chase Financial Health Conference

C40 CITIES

Speaker: Caterina Sarfatti, A presentation on the C40 Cities and their role in combating climate change

FUTURE OF EU-US RELATIONS

A panel discussion featuring Moynihan Center Leader-inResidence Klaus Welle, Anthony Teasdale, Dr. Anu Bradford, and Dr. Sheri Berman.

CAPITALISM AND ITS DISCONTENTS

A panel featuring Dr. Adam Tooze, Dr. Branko Milanović, Dr. Nancy Fraser, and Moynihan Center Public Scholar, Dr. Clara Mattei.

UNDERSTANDING

LINDA MCMAHON

Secretary of Education in an Age of TrumpMania

Will AI be a Force for Good? Harnessing Innovation in Public Interest

Speaker: Anna Makanju

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

AI and Access: Shaping the Future of Higher Education with Dara Byrne, Dean of the William E. Macaulay Honors College

CONVERSATIONS IN LEADERSHIP

Julissa Reynoso — A New Yorker on the World Stage — Diplomacy, Law, Service Conversation with Dean Rich

TRANSPORTATION POLICY IN NYC

Nicole Gelinas presents on New York City's transportation policy for Moynihan fellows

CONVERSATIONS IN LEADERSHIP

Beau Bridges on Bridging Worlds Defining Your Own Path

BRAZIL BEYOND GROWTH: ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REVERSE MIGRATION

A discussion of Return from the World

COLIN L POWELL DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARD

2025 Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award presented to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

LALS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION

CHILDREN OF A MODEST STAR BOOK TALK

Authors Jonathan Blake and Nils Gilman discuss their book.

SEX BASED MEDICINE: HELPFUL OR HARMFUL?

Featuring Dr. Catherine CluneTaylor, Princeton University, Dr. Anais Hausvater, NYU Langone Health, and Dr. Sarah Richardson, Harvard University. Moderated by Moynihan Public Scholar Angela Saini.

THE DEAN OF NEW THINGS: BRINGING CHANGE TO CUNY AND NEW YORK CITY

Dean Emeritus of the CUNY School of Professional Studies John Mogulescu discusses his memoir with Dean Andrew Rich

Alumni Creating Change Across Sectors

With nearly 10,000 graduates over the past decade, Colin Powell School alumni are transforming their fields and communities with purpose, insight, and an unwavering belief in justice. They are educators, advocates, executives, organizers, and public servants — and each carries forward the School’s mission in their own distinctive way. This year, we highlight alumni whose leadership and vision have helped expand what’s possible for our students and deepened the School’s impact at every level.

Born in Haiti and raised in Harlem, Nica Genestin ʹ22 embodies resilience and determination. After beginning her studies at Borough of Manhattan Community College, she transferred to City College, where she found her calling in political science. With guidance from mentors at the Colin Powell School, Nica secured internships at the Social Science Research Council and Democracy Corps, experiences that deepened her commitment to civic engagement and advocacy.

Her journey — from an immigrant and firstgeneration student to a professional in higher education — is a testament to perseverance and purpose. She credits the Colin Powell School for helping her find her path and build confidence as a leader. Today, she serves as Program Coordinator at Barnard College’s Vagelos Computational Science Center, supporting the integration of computational approaches across disciplines. With her first law school acceptance, Nica plans to pursue a legal career in social justice and employment law while continuing to uplift others through mentorship and community engagement.

BEYOND STATUS: ALUMNI UPLIFT IMMIGRANT STORIES THROUGH FILM

Powell School alumni Ricardo Anez Carrasquel ʹ20 and Ronnie James ʹ19 are featured in “Beyond Status”, a short film by CUNY’s Initiative on Immigration and Education. As Black undocumented students, Anez Carrasquel and James share deeply personal reflections on resilience, identity, and the pursuit of education amid systemic barriers. Their advocacy now extends beyond the classroom: James serves as Director of Community Engagement at the UndocuBlack Network, championing the rights of Black immigrants; Anez Carrasquel is Pre-Career Program Associate at Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice, running the Social

Change Fellowship for CUNY undergraduates. Their stories are a testament to how education can be both a refuge and a catalyst for societal change. Watch the film here.

FROM HAITI TO HIGHER ED: NICA GENESTIN’S JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

DAVID ROSNER ’68: CHRONICLING THE COSTS OF INEQUALITY

Columbia University Professor David Rosner

ʹ68, a leading historian of public health, recently published Building the Worlds That Kill Us: Disease, Death, and Inequality in American History (Columbia University Press, 2024), winner of the 2025 Columbia University Press Distinguished Book Award. Co-authored with Gerald Markowitz, the book examines how historical and structural injustices — from colonialism and slavery to

industrialization and climate change — have shaped public health in the U.S. and beyond.

Through the lens of disease and death, Rosner and Markowitz reveal how social, political, and economic inequalities have determined who lives long, healthy lives and who does not. Their work underscores that unequal outcomes are a choice, and that a more just, equitable health system is possible. A critical voice in health equity, Rosner offers a powerful call to action for policymakers, educators, and advocates

CLOSING THE OPPORTUNITY DIVIDE: MD MIAH’S PATH TO FINANCE AND TECH

First-generation graduate MD Miah ʹ24, a Bangladeshi-American economics major, has turned his lived experience into a mission for financial equity.

Raised in the Bronx, Miah’s commitment to financial literacy was sparked by the economic challenges his family faced. At CCNY, he sharpened his skills through

student leadership and data-driven research.

Now a full-time Financial Analyst at JPMorgan Chase, he plans to pursue a master’s in business analytics and continue building a career in fintech. Miah credits CCNY for providing him with the knowledge and network to navigate the finance world, and his mentorship work through the Year Up program highlights his commitment to paying it forward and uplifting others from underserved communities.

’18: BUILDING JUSTICE THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

A proud Latina and firstgeneration college student, Diana Perez ʹ18 used her double major in economics and mathematics to confront inequality and empower communities. At CCNY, she was involved in multiple student-led initiatives that deepened

her commitment to economic justice. After graduation, she co-founded Radiate Consulting NY, a worker-owned cooperative that offers culturally responsive consulting and services to mission-driven organizations. Through Radiate, Perez helps institutions implement inclusive practices, build organizational equity, and support grassroots leaders. Her work exemplifies how entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool for social change.

DIANA PEREZ

LYNNE

Lynne Scott Jackson, alumna of the MIA Program and founder of Millynneum Marketing, was honored by PRSA-NY with the Big Apple Excellence in Mentoring Award. A celebrated communications strategist and educator, Scott

Jackson has shaped award-winning campaigns for global brands and advocacy organizations alike. At CCNY, she now serves as a distinguished lecturer and Director of Industry Relations, Internships, and Professional Development in the Ad/PR Program. Her impact is far-reaching: mentoring hundreds of students and young professionals, she has become a trusted advisor and role model for generations of aspiring communicators.

Powell School alumni Paola Martinez ʹ16 and Mohammed Alam ʹ14 were named to City & State’s “Who’s Who in Government Relations” list for 2025. Mohammed Alam is an Associate at Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP, where he is part of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. He represents clients across the construction, financial, and

cannabis industries, as well as educational institutions and government entities.

Paola Martinez is the Director of Government Relations at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. She originally joined the organization in 2019 as Director of Social and Community Services, where she launched an on-site social services program that distributed meals and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a brief tenure at SUNY, she returned to Catholic Charities in 2022 to oversee strategic program development and special initiatives, expanding access to food, affordable housing, and support services for refugees and immigrants.

Hannah-Sophie Wahle, a 2012 Colin Powell Fellow and political science graduate, has built a career in global humanitarian work. Inspired by her parents’ peacekeeping and pastoral care work, she cofounded a cultural startup in Colombia and later supported refugee programs in the Middle East. She now serves as a Programme Analyst at UN Women and a UN Innovation Fellow, advancing gender equality through AI and data visualization.

Her time at the Colin Powell School, especially as a Fellow, shaped her understanding of how political systems affect communities and prepared her to address gender inequality and refugee rights.

SCOTT JACKSON ‘17 RECEIVES EXCELLENCE IN MENTORING AWARD

ALUMNI IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: PAOLA MARTINEZ AND MOHAMMED ALAM

HANNAH-SOPHIE WAHLE’S GLOBAL IMPACT

INVESTING IN GLOBAL LEARNING

Camden Malone ʹ23, a graduate of the Master’s in International Affairs program, has dedicated his career to advancing global health, climate action, and human rights. Inspired by a pivotal conversation with Dr. Jean Krasno, he studied abroad in Senegal and pursued internships with global NGOs — experiences that shaped his path to becoming a Global Health Policy Associate at the United Nations Foundation. There, he collaborates with the World Health Organization and serves as co-chair of Amref USA’s Associate Board, championing equitable access to health care worldwide.

Malone credits the Colin Powell School’s MIA program for providing both the academic foundation and mentorship that prepared him for a career in diplomacy and global advocacy.

He emphasizes that meaningful change begins with individual action and believes that public institutions must adapt to meet global challenges through collaboration and inclusion.

Through a generous gift and strategic partnership, Malone helped launch a high-impact collaboration between the Colin Powell School and the United Nations Foundation. This initiative enables graduate students to complete 300-hour paid internships in global policy, diplomacy, and multilateral advocacy. Supported by the Career Fellows Paid Internship Program, five students joined UNF teams in Spring 2025, contributing to projects advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, youth engagement, and international peace and security.

“Camden understands how crucial access is — not just to education, but to experience. His support helps ensure that students from every background can step into global leadership roles with confidence and purpose.” Maya Gutierrez, Director of the Public Service Career Hub.

This year, the Colin Powell School launched its first Alumni Mentorship Program, connecting 29 students and recent graduates with 29 alumni mentors across a variety of industries and disciplines. Over three months, participants engaged in structured mentorship, career conversations, goal-setting, and professional networking. The program officially began with a virtual orientation on February 7, where mentor-mentee pairs were introduced and set expectations for their time together.

Supported by the J. Bruce Llewellyn Alumni Program, the initiative strengthens the Powell School’s commitment to long-term alumni engagement and career development for students.

LAUNCHING THE POWELL SCHOOL ALUMNI MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

CAMDEN MALONE ‘23:

Empowering Student Success

From prestigious fellowships to national competitions and transformative internship programs, Colin Powell School students continue to lead with purpose and ambition. Their accomplishments this year reflect the power of access, mentorship, and mission-driven education.

BLOOM ENERGY INNOVATION FELLOWSHIP COMPLETES SECOND YEAR

The Bloom Energy Innovation Fellowship has completed its second successful summer, providing a fully immersive internship and leadership experience for CCNY students in the fields of sustainability, clean energy, and innovation. The competitive fellowship is hosted by Bloom Energy, a Silicon Valley-based company known for its commitment to clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions.

This past year, nine students from The City College of New York were selected from over 150 applicants to participate in the program. During the summer, they traveled to California to intern in departments such as Information Technology,

Customer Installations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Human Resources, and more. Beyond technical training, the program emphasized professional development, teamwork, and values-driven innovation.

Workshops and cohort-based learning opportunities were designed to help students explore their identities as change agents, while also building the technical and communication skills needed in today’s energy sector. By bringing CCNY students into a high-level industry environment, the Bloom Fellowship exemplifies how strategic partnerships can expand career pathways and leadership development for students from underrepresented backgrounds — including for four program alumni who received and accepted full-time job offers from Bloom.

KHADIJA MAQSOOD AND KRYSTAL MOREL ARE THIS YEAR’S MPA PUBLIC SERVICE PARTNERS FELLOWS

The MPA Program has named Khadija Maqsood and Krystal Morel as this year’s Public Service Partners (PSP) Fellowship recipients. Each will be paired with a partner organization for a year-long professional development experience. Maqsood will join the

Partnership for After School Education (PASE), while Morel will work with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development, focusing on programmatic and policy-driven initiatives.

The PSP Fellowship provides MPA students with hands-on experience aligned with their career goals, equipping them with transferable skills, specialized knowledge, and a deeper understanding of impactful work in government and nonprofit sectors.

MOODY'S PROGRAM KICKS OFF

In Feb 2025, the Powell School’s inaugural cohort of Moody's Fellows visited Moody's headquarters to launch their semester-long, one-credit course. Fellows had the opportunity to meet Christine Elliott, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, and ask her about her career trajectory, insights on succeeding in corporate America, and the importance of mentorship.

This program introduces Moody’s Fellows to social science-focused roles within corporate America through collaboration with Moody’s Corporation. The hybrid format combines self-study, in-person learning, and personalized coaching, allowing students to explore fields such as community impact, corporate sustainability, government relations, marketing, communications, and human

resources. Throughout the semester, students accessed curated resources, practiced essential career skills, and engaged in discussions with mentors about career pathways in corporate and public sectors.

CASE FELLOWS COMPLETE NATIONAL ADVANCEMENT INTERNSHIPS

Seven students were selected for the inaugural cohort of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Advancement Fellowship, designed to help students explore a career in the advancement of higher education — a field that includes fundraising, alumni relations, advancement services, and communications and marketing —

through training and internship placements. As part of the program, students interned at top institutions including MIT, NYU, Iona University, Cornell, Stockton University, and Albert Einstein School of Medicine.

The year culminated in a national conference in Washington, D.C., where students connected with professionals in alumni relations, fundraising, marketing, and communications.

SELECTED FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES CORPS PROGRAM

Fairuz Omar Raya, a political science major and journalism minor, was one of just 20 students nationwide selected for the New York Times Corps, a mentorship program for emerging journalists. As part of the third cohort, Raya is paired with Jeanna

Smialek, who covers the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy, and will meet with her several times a year for career guidance and mentorship. A graduate of Bronx High School of Science, Raya has also participated in the NBCU Academy and the Inner Circle Journalism Fellowship, quickly establishing herself as a standout voice among student journalists.

FAIRUZ RAYA

TARANNUM RAHMAN EARNS CUNY WOMEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP

Tarannum Rahman, a junior majoring in international studies and psychology, was awarded an internship in the office of State Senator Julia Salazar through the CUNY Women in Public Service program, a competitive program open to all CUNY students.

The CUNY Women’s Public Service Internship Program is designed to assist CUNY students seeking to develop job skills for a career in public service. The Program is coordinated by the Edward T. Rogowsky Internship Program in Government & Public Affairs in collaboration with designated officers at each of the University’s colleges via the Office of Careers and Industry Partnerships of the Office of Academic Affairs.

NOREEN AHMED RECEIVES ACRP ACCESS FOR STUDENTS TO CLINICAL RESEARCH TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP

Colin Powell School senior Noreen Ahmed has been awarded the ACRP Access for Students to Clinical Research Training (ASCRT) Scholarship. This scholarship supports students pursuing careers in clinical research. Funded through ACRP’s cycling challenge and selected by the ACRP Diversity Advisory

Council, the scholarship aims to increase diversity in the field.

A psychology BA/MA student on the research track, Ahmed aspires to contribute to clinical research that addresses healthcare disparities and improves patient outcomes in underserved communities.

KATHRYN GIOIOSA NAMED A 2025 TRUMAN SCHOLAR

Kathryn Gioiosa, a political science major in the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, made history this year as the first City College student ever to receive both the 2025 Harry S. Truman Scholarship and the 2025 Udall Scholarship. She is one of only 54 students nationwide selected as a Truman Scholar and one of 55 chosen as a Udall Scholar — an extraordinary dual recognition of her leadership and commitment to public service.

The highly competitive Truman Scholarship is the nation’s premier award for aspiring public service leaders, providing funding for graduate study, leadership training, and federal internship opportunities. The Udall Scholarship,

RAFATH GNABODE AMONGST 2025 FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES

Economics senior Rafath Gnabode has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to pursue a Master’s in Economics at École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay. Her studies will focus on how economic policy shapes development in emerging economies, especially her home country, Benin.

Reflecting on her time at the Powell School, Gnabode credits the community with shaping both her academic path and personal growth.

“The support and encouragement I received pushed me to aim higher and keep going, even when the outcome wasn’t clear.”

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a prestigious international exchange initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, it offers recent graduates, graduate students, and young professionals the opportunity to conduct research, pursue graduate study, or teach English abroad for an academic year.

SYDNEY ROY SELECTED AS JEANNETTE K. WATSON FELLOW

Sydney Roy, a political science major and freshman at the Powell School, is among 15 undergraduates from 12 New York colleges selected as a Jeannette K. Watson Fellow. The highly competitive three-year fellowship provides recipients with unprecedented personal, professional and cultural immersions in the United States and abroad. Combined with close mentoring, Watson Fellows expand their vision, develop their potential, and build the confidence

and perspective to do so for others.

Roy will be interviewing with The Century Foundation, Tides Advocacy, and AFS Intercultural Programs, which hosts the United Nations Youth Assembly Conference, in hopes of interning with several of these organizations throughout her fellowship. Fully-funded summer experiences with leading organizations in New York City and around the world are also part of the program.

Roy plans on a career as a lawyer or public policy researcher, “primarily to be an advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves,”

Faculty and Staff Highlights

At the Colin Powell School, faculty and staff lead by example, through transformative research, dedicated teaching, global engagement, and deep service to students and community. This year’s achievements reflect the breadth and impact of their contributions across disciplines.

YANA KUCHEVA PART OF INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM IN INNOVATIVE $1M DOE-FUNDED CLIMATE PROJECT TO TACKLE EXTREME HEAT

Sociology Professor Yana Kucheva is part of an interdisciplinary team awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help New York City’s most vulnerable communities prepare for extreme heat. Led by CCNY atmospheric scientist Jimmy Booth, the Climate Lighthouse Project brings together experts from the CUNY Schools of Architecture, Engineering, Science, and Public Health.

Part of the DOE’s Climate Resilience Centers and the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, the project partners with DOE’s

Brookhaven National Laboratory to turn complex climate data into practical tools that strengthen community resilience. Working closely with local organizations, the team aims to ensure these tools meet real-world needs and help residents stay safe during extreme heat events.

Kucheva was also featured in The City for her insights on basement housing units. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida’s 2021 floods, which claimed the lives of 13 New Yorkers — 11 in basement apartments — experts have renewed calls for safer, legal basement housing. Kucheva highlighted the need for policy reform to ensure that affordability never comes at the cost of safety for vulnerable residents.

PROFESSOR YOCHANAN SHACHMUROVE REPRESENTS CCNY ON GLOBAL STAGE

In June of last year, Professor Yochanan Shachmurove joined Nobel Laureate and CUNY Graduate Center Professor Paul Krugman as guest speaker at the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School in Warsaw, Poland. The institution links five “Copernican” disciplines, and houses the doctoral programs within the colleges of the Toruń, Olsztyn, Lublin, Cracow and Warsaw. Professor Shachmurove presented his lecture “The Green Economy, Innovation and Exports” and participated in a panel discussing the “Future of Europe” alongside Professor Krugman and

Professor Konrad Raczkowski, Vice Chancellor of Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School.

As part of their agenda in Poland, Professors Shachmurove and Krugman also met with the president of Poland, Andrzej Duda. Among the topics discussed were the ongoing impact of the

pandemic, the accelerating Sino-American rivalry, Beijing’s tacit approval for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the economic repercussions of the Ukraine-Russia war on Poland, issues facing the Euro and the Polish Zloty, Polish fiscal policy, and defense spending. The meeting also included the Chief Economic Advisor to the President of Poland.

PROFESSOR DEIDRE ANGLIN CONTINUES TO MAKE STRIDES IN RESEARCH ABOUT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Professor of Psychology

Deidre Anglin, whose research on the social determinants of health has earned her several grants and honors, recently received an expansion of the Black, Race and Ethnic Studies Initiative (BRESI) grant to collaborate with Guttman Community College’s Dr. Karla Fuller, a molecular biologist. Together they are developing a two-course sequence of community college

biology classes with embedded computational and genomics data science (CGDS) curricula that prepare students for research and future studies through real-life context and peer-led teamwork.

The research project seeks to use CDGS to understand the genetic mechanisms influenced by social determinants of health. The partnerships with community colleges that have a high proportion of Hispanic and African American students will enhance reach to underrepresented minorities who may otherwise not have access to CGDS curricula.

This past year, Psychology professor Ed Vessel received both the 2024 Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering (JFRASE) and a 2026 Osher Fellowship from the California Academy of Sciences.

Vessel’s research connects art, neuroscience, and machine learning to explore how people respond to aesthetic experiences. With JFRASE support, he’s building AI models that can predict how individuals perceive beauty and mood

through art. The Osher Fellowship supports a new project analyzing how conservation photography influences public attitudes on climate change, in partnership with UCSF and the Academy’s Big Picture initiative.

Vessel also co-authored a paper on how human perception links with emotional responses — “The Perceptual Primacy of Feeling: Affectless visual machines explain a majority of variance in human visual visually-evoked affect” — in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The research challenges conventional understandings of machine vision and highlights the uniquely human aspect of affective perception.

ED VESSEL EARNS DUAL HONORS FOR RESEARCH ON ART AND THE BRAIN

GREGORY DUFF MORTON CELEBRATES PUBLICATION OF NEW BOOK

Assistant Professor Gregory Duff Morton celebrated the release of his first book, Return from

the World: Economic Growth and Reverse Migration in Brazil. The work investigates why many Brazilian industrial workers are choosing to leave cities and return to rural farming communities despite rising wages, challenging assumptions about economic mobility and modernity. A campus book launch in March drew students, colleagues, and guests to explore the powerful questions raised by Morton’s research.

In September, Professor Morton discussed the significance and goals of the Dominican Cultural Historic District project in an interview featured on Spectrum Noticias NY1, the Spanish-language sister channel of Spectrum News NY. This coverage is particularly impactful, as it reaches New York City's Spanish-speaking community, shedding light on the project's cultural importance and its potential to enhance the local heritage landscape.

Professor Irvin Schonfeld has co-authored a groundbreaking new book, Breaking Point: Understanding Occupational Depression and Burnout, with Dr. Renzo Bianchi. The book reexamines the popular notion of burnout, revealing that what is often labeled as burnout is, in fact, depressive in nature.

Drawing on more than a decade of research, Breaking Point unravels the complex connections between work, depression, and burnout. Schonfeld and Bianchi warn of the dangers

of mislabeling depressive conditions as burnout — including misdiagnosis, inadequate treatment, and overlooked suicidality.

Accessible to both researchers and the general public, the book provides a clear path forward for individuals and organizations. By recognizing the depressive roots of burnout, employers, human resources professionals, and occupational health specialists can better support employees, refer them for appropriate treatment, and address the workplace conditions that contribute to psychological distress.

IRVIN SCHONFELD RELEASES BOOK ON UNDERSTANDING OCCUPATIONAL DEPRESSION AND BURNOUT

SHANELLE MATTHEWS RELEASES GROUNDBREAKING COMMUNICATIONS GUIDE

Distinguished Lecturer in Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Studies Shanelle Matthews was recognized this year for her visionary contributions to social movements and narrative change. Named to the Curious 100 by the Eames Institute, Matthews joins a select group of leaders celebrated for using curiosity and creativity to confront urgent global challenges from climate change to systemic injustice. Honored in the “Storytellers” category, she stands out for her interdisciplinary approach to advancing narrative power for left social movements and for cultivating spaces where inquiry fuels transformation.

As a lecturer and thought leader, Matthews equips students, organizers, and movement leaders with frameworks to contest ideological power and

reimagine the systems that shape daily life. Her work reflects the Eames legacy of design and curiosity as tools for problem-solving and social imagination.

This year also marked the release of Matthews’s new book, Liberation Stories: Building Narrative Power for 21st Century Social Movements (The New Press). The book explores how movements like Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, climate justice, and queer and trans resistance have strategically harnessed storytelling to reshape public consciousness. Bringing together insights from leading activists, scholars, and artists, Liberation Stories serves as both a reflection on the past two decades of transformative organizing and a practical guide for building a more just and inclusive future through the power of narrative.

MATT REILLY AND STEPHANIE BARNES CO-AUTHOR CHAPTER ON “AMERICANIST ARCHAEOLOGY” FOR BOOK CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF ARCHAEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Professor Matthew Reilly and Administrative Specialist Stephanie Barnes from the Department of Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Programs co-authored a chapter entitled “The Archaeology Plantation: Racial Violence and the Making of

Americanist Archaeology,” for the book 100 Years of Archaeology at the University of Michigan: Essays on the Past, Present, and Future of the Discipline. Their contribution focuses on the use of enslaved labor in early archaeological excavations in the United States, pointing to the history of scientific racism in the field and its lingering consequences in the present. The archival research that led to the publication highlights the joint efforts of faculty and staff of the Colin Powell School.

BOBBY DERIVAL APPOINTED POWELL SCHOOL’S FIRST CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Bobby Derival, Executive Director of the Colin Powell School’s MPA Program, has become the school's first Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). In this role, Derival will oversee staff development, budgeting, workflow management, and strategic initiatives. He will also lead new programs and partnerships, working closely with the Dean to ensure the school’s success.

Since joining CCNY in 2020, Derival has revitalized the MPA Program by redesigning the curriculum, attracting top-tier instructors, and supporting students. His leadership extends to

broader initiatives, including strategic planning and staff development, which are central to the school's goals of enhancing social mobility, fostering belonging, and supporting student success.

In his new role, Derival is excited to contribute to the school's mission on a larger scale.

"I am thrilled to be taking on the expanded responsibilities of CAO at the Powell School. A critical throughline in my professional journey has been serving my community to the best of my abilities. In this regard, I could not dream up a better opportunity to grow my relationship with the amazing people at the Powell School and support their efforts to realize our mission to uplift students."

PRESIDENT’S 2025 FACULTY AND STAFF SERVICE & EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Each year, The City College of New York presents the President’s Faculty and Staff Service & Excellence Awards, also known as the STAR (Service, Teamwork, Action, Results) Awards, recognizing full-time employees who have served at least a year and demonstrated exceptional leadership, collaboration, and results. A number of Powell School faculty and staff were honored:

STAR (Service, Teamwork, Action, Results) Award

Ana Guerrero, HE Assistant in the Department of Economics and Business, for her exceptional contributions, collaborative spirit, and dedication to the campus community.

President’s Award for Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Service

Karen Struening, Adjunct Associate Professor of Political Science.

Provost’s Award for Outstanding Teaching Waleed Sami, Assistant Professor of Psychology.

Longevity Awards

10 Years: Carlo Invernizzi Accetti (Political Science), Yana Kucheva (Sociology), Jessy Perez (Dominican Studies)

15 Years: Marta Bengoa Calvo (Economics and Business), Eric Fertuck (Psychology)

20 Years: MC Binz-Scharf (Economics and Business), Tiffany Floyd (Psychology)

45 Years: Sherrie Baver (Political Science)

Retirees - Joseph Berechman (Economics and Business), Jack Levinson (Sociology), Maria Moran (Academic Advisement)

2025 STAFF AND FACULTY AWARDS: HONORING A COMMUNITY OF MENTORS

At our May 15 end-of-semester luncheon, we gathered to celebrate not just the end of another academic term, but the people who made it extraordinary. The 2025 Colin Powell School Awards recognized those whose teaching, mentorship, and service inspired others to grow and thrive.

Faculty Teaching Award

Robert Melara, for exceptional instruction and academic leadership

Adjunct Teaching Award

Siobhan Pokorney, for her lasting impact in the classroom

Staff Service Award

Nathalie Delpeche (posthumously), whose warmth and spirit continue to inspire

Mentoring Awards: Deborah Cheng, Maya Gutierrez, Matthew Reilly, and Hawai Kwok, for guiding students toward opportunity and confidence

Together, these awards speak to the vibrant ecosystem of support that defines the Powell School community.

Shaping Public Conversations

Our faculty continue to shape national and international discourse, contribute to cutting-edge research, and offer public insights on critical social, political, health, and environmental issues. Below is a sampling of recent achievements, publications, and media appearances by members of the Colin Powell School.

CARLO INVERNIZZI-ACCETTI DISCUSSES THE EVOLVING MEANING OF FREEDOM ON THE BRIAN LEHRER SHOW

narratives have shaped the meaning of "freedom." His insights also appeared in The Guardian, where he challenged populist critiques of higher education, advocating for its role in fostering democratic citizenship. He is the author of the forthcoming book 20 Years of Rage: How Resentment Took the Place of Politics.

Listen to the full discussion here.

DAVE CHOKSHI DISCUSSES PUBLIC HEALTH IN A VARIETY OF VENUES

Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of the Moynihan Center, Carlo Invernizzi Accetti, appeared twice on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show — once to analyze the state of American democracy and again to explore how political Dr. Dave Chokshi, Sternberg Family Professor of Leadership, is helping to reshape public health dialogue. He has published a number of articles and appeared in a number of venues speaking about various public health issues. Read some of them below:

For the NY Daily News, Dr. Chokshi speaks on how New York can ease child poverty.

For the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dr. Chokshi argues that Democrats need a “Children’s Platform.”

For NBC News, Dr. Chokshi speaks on syphilis being at its highest levels since the 1950s and ways in which experts are tackling the issue.

For NEJM Catalyst, Dr. Chokshi speaks on “Public Health and Care Delivery — a Common Destiny.”

For Aspen Ideas, Dr. Chokshi speaks on “From Measles to Maternal Health: Strengthening Partnerships Between Healthcare and Public Health.”

On the podcast America Dissected, Dr. Chokshi speaks on the connection between public health and healthcare.

Across all platforms, Chokshi advocates for systemic change to reduce health disparities, including stronger healthcare-public health partnerships and child-focused policies.

DEIDRE ANGLIN’S RESEARCH FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Professor Deidre Anglin’s research into social determinants of health and the ties between race and psychosis was prominently featured in a lengthy article in the New York Times Magazine, “America’s Hidden Racial Divide: A Mysterious Gap in Psychosis Rates,” published on December 3.

The article documents that “As a growing body of research reveals, Black people in the United States suffer the hallucinations and delusions of psychosis — the voices that seem to emanate from outside a person’s head, the visions, the paranoias, the breaks with common reality — at a rate roughly twice that of white people. In Europe, racial disparities regarding psychosis are yet wider. Even after researchers control for socioeconomic factors and address issues of diagnosis, the alarming racial gaps remain.”

TERESA LÓPEZ-CASTRO AND SALON MAGAZINE EXPLORE THE ROLE (OR LACK THEREOF) OF TRAUMA IN ADDICTION TREATMENT

Psychology professor Teresa López-Castro has been quoted in Scientific American and Salon, in article on addiction treatment and trauma, which highlights the

importance of addressing co-occurring and underlying traumatic experiences in addiction treatment. The article highlights Professor López-Castro’s randomized control trial that studies the impact of providing patients with both trauma and relapse-prevention treatment at once.

OMNIA KHALIL’S RESEARCH ON CAIRO’S URBAN GEOGRAPHY PUBLISHED

Professor Omnia Khalil’s research has been featured in the Middle East Research and Information Project and The Funambulist Magazine. Her studies, titled “Securitizing the Urban Geography: Cairo Between Destruction and Construction” and “Cairo’s Incarcerated Geographies,” delve into the complex interplay of security, urban development, and spatial politics in Cairo.

Khalil examines how state-led urban landscape initiatives serve as a channel to increase control through securitization, all while leading to the displacement of communities and the transformation of public spaces. Her work highlights the lived experiences of Cairo’s residents amidst these shifting geographies, shedding light on the socio-political dynamics at play in one of the world’s most populous cities.

Read the articles here.

ADEYINKA AKINSULURE-SMITH ADDRESSES SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN SUDAN FOR NPR

Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies Adeyinka Akinsulure-Smith was quoted by NPR in a story addressing the dire circumstances of Sudanese refugees in Chad, including the acts of sexual violence that they have faced. Professor Akinsulure-Smith brings attention to

the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, explaining that "In certain armed conflicts, sexual violence is used to humiliate the ethnic, racial, religious group as a means of destroying them. And also to serve as a warning, you know, this is what we do to your people. This is what we do to your women, who are often the most vulnerable."

Read the article here.

NORMA FUENTES-MAYORGA AND THE LALS PROGRAM CELEBRATED BY CUNY TV

In October, in commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, CUNY TV’s Shades of U.S. did a special segment featuring Latinos whose works celebrate the diversity and strength of

their culture and history. Professor Norma Fuentes-Mayorga was among those featured, highlighting the impact of her work and leadership as the Director of the Latino American and Latino Studies (LALS) Program.

MARTA BENGOA NAMED NON-RESIDENT FELLOW AT ORF AMERICA

Marta Bengoa has been appointed as a NonResident Fellow at ORF America, one of India’s leading think tanks focused on U.S. policy analysis, based in Washington, D.C.

Watch the full segment here.

goods — on global trade dynamics. Particular attention is given to how these policies are reshaping developing economies, from Southeast Asia’s potential manufacturing resurgence to the challenges faced by commodity-dependent nations in Latin America and Africa.

In a newly published piece for ORF America, Bengoa examines the far-reaching implications of recent U.S. trade policy shifts. The analysis explores the impact of newly announced tariffs — including 25% on Canadian and Mexican imports, 10% on Canadian oil, and 10% on Chinese

The piece also delves into global supply chain reorganization, projected GDP impacts, and broader shifts in international trade relationships. Additionally, it considers the effects on American consumers and businesses, while exploring India’s unique position in this evolving landscape.

Read the article here.

NICHOLAS RUSH SMITH ON LUX CAPITAL RISKGAMING PODCAST ON THE POWER OF GAMES FOR EDUCATION

Professor Nicholas Rush Smith joined Danny Crichton and Laurence Pevsner on the Lux Capital Riskgaming podcast to discuss the power of games in education.

Having participated in one of their risk simulations in December — a deep dive into the business

challenges of EV transition — Smith gained firsthand insight into the obstacles American and European companies face.

On the podcast, they explore how games enhance learning, the role of emotion in play-based education, and why interactive curricula are often the most effective.

Listen to full conversatin here.

EDUARDO ALBRECHT PUBLISHES BOOK ON THE ROLE OF AI IN GOVERNANCE

In the book Political Automation, Eduardo Albrecht explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in governance, focusing on policing, national security, and international peacekeeping. The book examines how AI is reshaping political power, challenging traditional institutions, and forcing governments to adapt to rapid technological change.

More than an analysis of AI’s impact on policy, Political Automation offers practical responses to these shifts, urging global leaders and citizens to rethink governance in the digital age. Albrecht calls for new frameworks to ensure accountability and representation as political decisions become increasingly automated.

An expert in policy analysis and emerging technologies, Albrecht has led multidisciplinary political risk projects and teaches in the Powell School’s MIA program.

DIRECTOR OF SOCIOLOGY KATHERINE CHEN QUOTED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

In August, Sociology Professor and Department Chair Katherine Chen was quoted in The New York Times about why Burning Man tickets didn’t sell out. Chen is an expert on the topic, author of Enabling Creative Chaos: The Organization Behind the Burning Man Event, which won the 2011

Read the article here.

Outstanding Book in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research Award from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA). It also earned Honorable Mention for the 2011 Max Weber Award from the Organizations, Occupations, and Work (OOW) section of the American Sociological Association (ASA).

Read the article here.

Departments and Programs

Across the Colin Powell School, our departments and academic programs are where transformative learning begins. This year, students and faculty extended their reach beyond the classroom — partnering internationally, shaping leadership in nonprofit sectors, and opening new pathways into global careers.

OUR THANKS TO ERIC ALDRICH, STATE DEPARTMENT DIPLOMAT IN RESIDENCE

In July 2025, the U.S. Department of State eliminated the Diplomat in Residence (DIR) program, which was established in 1965 to guide and mentor students interested in public service careers abroad.

In 2002, at the encouragement of then Secretary of State Colin Powell, the Colin Powell Center at CCNY became the institutional home of the DIR serving the northeastern region — and the DIR has been stationed here ever since.

Over the past year, the Powell School was honored to host Eric B. Aldrich a career diplomat with nearly two decades of experience in foreign service, with postings in Iraq, Taiwan, China, Fiji, and Panama, among others, focusing on refugee coordination and humanitarian operations.

As DIR, Aldrich worked directly with CCNY students and others across the region, providing a bridge to careers in diplomacy and advancing the State Department’s long-term goal of building a more diverse foreign service. His presence on campus was an inspiration to a new generation of students to consider global service as a powerful avenue for impact, and he will be missed.

LALS PROGRAM HOSTS CULTURAL EXCHANGE CLASS WITH ARGENTINIAN COLLEGE UNIVERSIDAD DE SAN MARTIN

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Program at CCNY partnered with Argentina’s Universidad de San Martín for a virtual cultural exchange, bringing

together 40 students across three continents. Led by Professor Irina Carlota (Lotti) Silber and Argentine anthropologist Professor Silvina Merenson, students in LALS 10200: Latin American and Caribbean Civilizations explored the critically acclaimed film Roma, using it as a lens to unpack gender roles, class structures, and Latin American identity. Discussions flowed fluidly between English and Spanish, creating a truly bilingual learning experience.

Beyond film analysis, students shared reflections on their social and political realities: Argentine

students spoke about occupying their campus in protest of budget cuts, while CCNY students reflected on the political climate in the U.S. Breakout rooms gave students space to build

cross-cultural relationships and draw meaningful parallels in their lived experiences. The class exemplifies how virtual connections can lead to powerful global exchanges.

MPA PROGRAM AND PASE DEVELOP LEADERSHIP IN NONPROFIT SECTOR

On March 22, the Colin Powell School MPA Program, in partnership with the Partnership for After School Education (PASE), hosted the final presentations and graduation ceremony for the latest cohort of the Emerging Leaders Program.

This initiative trains professionals working in youth-serving organizations to take on leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. The culminating event showcased powerful presentations from participants and highlighted how thoughtful leadership development can directly enhance equity, improve youth outcomes, and build stronger organizations.

Through this partnership, the MPA Program extends its mission of social change into local communities — equipping early-career professionals with tools, support, and credentials to lead with vision and impact.

POWELL SCHOOL ADOPTS CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE INSTITUTE PROGRAM TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE DIALOGUE

The Powell School is taking a significant step toward promoting a culture of inclusion and dialogue by implementing the Constructive Dialogue Institute’s (CDI) Perspectives program Launched at the start of the fall semester, this initiative equips students, faculty, and staff with practical skills for engaging in meaningful conversations across differing values and perspectives. The program addresses how to foster a sense of community and dialogue among people with diverse points of view.

The CDI Perspectives program offers a timely solution to help the Powell School community

engage in constructive, respectful conversations. The initiative is being scaled across the school’s 4,000 students, along with faculty and staff. Senior managers, department chairs, and instructors are already participating, and the program will be integrated into key courses this fall, including the Introductory Psychology course, Bridges to Success, as well as various fellowship programs. Powell School Chief Administrative Officer Bobby Derival is overseeing its implementation, ensuring this effort supports the school’s broader mission of preparing students to engage with critical social issues.

POLITICAL

SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT

SECURES GRANT FOR DEMOCRATIC STATE VIOLENCE

Following a workshop on Democratic State Violence, the Powell School’s Political Science Department has secured new funding. The team — led by Political Science Professor and Director of the Master's Program in International Affairs Nicholas Rush Smith and his colleagues Lahoma Thomas at Toronto

VISUAL NEUROAESTHETICS (VISNA) LAB OPENS

The Visual NeuroAesthetics (VisNA) Lab, led by Eugene Surowitz Assistant Professor of Psychology Ed Vessel, recently celebrated its new home at CCNY with a "Lab-Warming" event. After nearly a year of preparations, the VisNA team welcomed colleagues and friends to their new space in Marshak 806.

Metropolitan University and Kanisha Bond at Binghamton University — received a $70,000 Insight Development Grant from Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The grant will fund research assistants for the next phase of the project and pave the way for applying for larger SSHRC funding opportunities.

The VisNA Lab is dedicated to the study of the psychological and neural basis of aesthetic experiences, such as when a person is aesthetically “moved” by visual art, poetry, architecture, music, or natural landscapes. Much of the research relies on brain imaging (fMRI, EEG) and behavioral techniques, as well as computational tools (e.g. machine learning), measurements of physiology, and eye tracking.

This spring, the Colin Powell School launched the Brazil Seminar, a new interdisciplinary practicum exploring contemporary Brazilian society through the lens of culture, politics, economics, and social movements. The course is a collaboration between the Department of Anthropology and

Interdisciplinary Programs and the Portuguese Studies Program, and is taught by Dr. Regina Castro McGowan.

The seminar opened with a lecture by Ambassador Adalnio Ganem, Consul General of Brazil in New York, setting the tone for a rich series of conversations that bridge scholarship and realworld engagement. This semester’s distinguished lineup includes diplomats, artists, activists, professors, and public intellectuals from both Brazil and the U.S., offering diverse perspectives on a rapidly evolving nation. Highlights include:

• Dr. Monica Villela Grayley, UN spokesperson: Portuguese Language as Political Capital

BRAZIL SEMINAR LAUNCHES WITH AMBASSADOR GANEM AS INAUGURAL SPEAKER

• Natalia de Campos, artist and activist: Art and Political Resistance in Brazil from the 1960s to the Present

• Dr. Carolina Câmara Pires: Environmental Racism and Favela Displacement

• Suleima Sena, Brazilian sports journalist: Brazilian Women in Soccer: Overcoming Prejudice

THE COLIN POWELL SCHOOL PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FELLOWSHIP

The inaugural cohort of 15 undergraduate international human rights fellows from across CCNY was selected through a highly competitive process. Under the leadership of human rights advocate Gouri Sadhwani, this fellowship prepares students to tackle some of the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Fellows will participate in monthly seminars and gain practical experience through paid internships with leading organizations. These opportunities will equip them with the skills to effectively address fundamental rights violations and to advance social and environmental justice. Seminar topics will cover critical areas such as the UN framework, civil and political rights, and economic and social rights.

With over 25 years of leadership in the human rights sector, including roles with Amnesty

International USA and global coalitions for justice and peace, Sadhwani brings unparalleled expertise to the program. She will guide fellows in becoming advocates, organizers, and experts with a global perspective.

“This fellowship responds to the urgent need for leaders who can champion dignity and freedom worldwide. It empowers students to drive progress and inspire lasting change,”

— Debbie Cheng, Director of Fellowships and the Office of Student Success.

Seventy-five years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, much work remains to be done. This fellowship rises to the challenge. With many students — particularly those from the global South — bringing personal connections to these critical issues, the program aligns closely with the Colin Powell School’s mission to cultivate impactful leadership.

2025 Commencement

On May 29, the Colin Powell School celebrated more than 1,000 new graduates — a record number — at a joyful commencement ceremony at the historic United Palace Theater in Washington Heights. The event featured keynote remarks from Cristina Jiménez Moreta, co-founder and former executive director of United We Dream, the nation’s largest immigrant youth-led network, and a stirring valedictory address by Jennifer Zingone, who urged classmates to pursue their passions with courage and purpose.

Jiménez Moreta, who came to the United States from Ecuador at age thirteen as an undocumented immigrant, has been a driving force in building a powerful, youth-led movement for immigrant rights. Under her leadership, United We Dream helped shape national conversations on immigration and played a pivotal role in advancing DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), transforming the lives of thousands of undocumented young people.

Just days before the ceremony, Jiménez Moreta released her memoir, Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear into Pride, Power, and Change, which chronicles her journey from undocumented student to national organizer. Her story, like those of the graduates she addressed, is one of resilience, advocacy, and the power of showing up for change.

CLASS OF 2025 VALEDICTORIAN JENNIFER ZINGONE

A senior majoring in political science and legal studies, Jennifer Zingone grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where her family’s century-old grocery store — Zingone Bros. — served as more than a business; it was a neighborhood gathering place. Watching her parents run the store, Jennifer saw how food connects people and builds community, but she also witnessed the inequities embedded in the food system itself. These experiences inspired her enduring passion for agricultural policy, sustainability, and food justice.

At the Colin Powell School, Jennifer has translated those early lessons into a purpose-driven career path in public service. Through internships and fellowships with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the Sierra Club, The Farmlink Project, and the NYC Mayor’s Offices

of Climate and Environmental Justice and Urban Agriculture, she has explored the intersections of policy, equity, and climate action. As an Undergraduate Fellow at the Moynihan Center, she has also deepened her foundation in ethical reasoning, dialogue, and civic leadership.

After graduation, Jennifer will move to Trentino, Italy, to work on a family farm, where she’ll gain firsthand experience with sustainable agriculture and the balance between tradition and innovation. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in gastronomy at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, continuing her mission to advance global food equity and sustainable development.

“The support I received throughout my time at the Powell School reminded me that I am never alone, and that’s what real community looks like. Public service isn’t just about policy; it’s about people showing up for each other.”

CLASS OF 2025 SALUTATORIANS

AISLINN BASS-ADAMS

Aislinn “Ash” BassAdams was born in Western Australia, and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa before immigrating to the United States in 2011. They are graduating with a BA/MA in psychology with a research concentration, completing their joint Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis focusing on the mental health effects of climate change on young people. A student of the Macaulay Honors College, Bass-Adams is also a former Resident Assistant of the Towers at CCNY and a Climate Policy Fellow.

Bass-Adams’s own journey shaped their commitment to immigration advocacy in the United States, including their internship at the Casa Alitas shelter on the Southern Border in Arizona, where they worked with asylum-seekers from across the globe fleeing persecution and conflict. Today, Bass-Adams is proud to call New York City home and plans to pursue doctoral studies in Psychology after graduation. In the future, they hope to support fellow immigrants and develop innovative approaches to address climate-related mental health challenges.

SAMANTHA CAJAMARCA

Samantha Cajamarca is a first-generation Latina student from Queens, New York. As the eldest child in an immigrant household, Samantha developed a strong sense of responsibility and advocacy from an early

age, experiences that continue to inform her commitment to service and equity.

At CCNY, Samantha participated in the Colin Powell Fellowship in Leadership and Public Service, where she explored the intersections of health policy, civic engagement, and social justice. She also served in leadership roles within the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA+), and contributed to research initiatives at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, focusing on improving healthcare access for historically underserved populations.

Samantha is passionate about advancing health equity, addressing systemic barriers in healthcare, and uplifting marginalized communities. She plans to pursue a career in medicine, with the goal of combining clinical care with advocacy to create more inclusive and compassionate healthcare systems.

MOHAMMED HASAN

Mohammed Hasan is a firstgeneration college student born in Bangladesh and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Driven by a commitment to address climate challenges, Hasan, a double-major in political science and international studies, has actively sought opportunities to advance climate solutions. His focus on global climate governance took shape during a study abroad experience in Amsterdam.

Upon returning to New York, Hasan engaged deeply with policy through a Climate Policy Fellowship at the Colin Powell School, where he received mentorship from an industry expert and

supported fellow undergraduates. Expanding his expertise, Hasan interned at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on critical minerals policy, contributing to the green energy transition, and later with the New York League of Conservation Voters, evaluating environmental issues and political endorsements.

Hasan is currently interning with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, assisting with the implementation of a major carbon reduction initiative. Aspiring to become a legislative analyst for environmental agencies, nonprofits, and NGOs, Hasan plans to pursue a master’s degree in environmental policy, public administration, environmental science, or urban planning.

SUN WO KIM

Sun Wo Kim immigrated from South Korea at the age of five and is graduating with a major in economics.

Through his academic and professional experiences, Sun Wo has developed a deep commitment to legal access and economic justice, shaped by participating in fellowships and honors programs such as the Semester in D.C. Program, Moynihan Public Service Fellowship, Colin Powell School Research Mentors Fellowship, Honors Program in Legal Studies at the Colin Powell School, CUNY Futures in Finance Fellowship, S Jay Levy Fellowship for Future Leaders, Edward T. Rogowsky Government and Public Affairs Program, Ernst & Young Mentorship Program, and the CCNY Honors Program. An engaged member of our campus community, he also serves as Captain of the CCNY Lacrosse Team.

This summer, he will return to Washington, D.C. as a Summer Scholar with The Century Foundation’s

Economics team, contributing to research on unemployment insurance modernization. After graduation, he hopes to pursue paralegal roles and attend law school, with the goal of advancing labor protections and expanding economic opportunity for underserved communities.

ANDREW WILLIAMS

Andrew Williams is a second-generation Jamaican-American born and raised in Queens, NY. As a psychology major minoring in chemistry on the pre-med track, Williams has always been fascinated by the complex interactions between various neural structures and the underlying biochemistry that guides them. Such curiosity has encouraged Andrew to pursue various research opportunities ranging from perceptual load theory at the Colin Powell School to pediatric brain tumor research in Perth, Australia. While Williams is certainly scienceoriented, he remains aware of the importance of cultural competence which has led him to pursue opportunities related to community outreach and engagement, such as the Jeannette K. Watson fellowship and an internship with the Los Padres Forest Watch in Santa Barbara, California.

These experiences have helped shape Andrew’s resolve to become a physician who seeks to truly understand his patients, remaining aware of the importance of one's cultural identity. After graduation, Williams seeks to apply to medical school and bring together the insights, perspective, and knowledge he has obtained throughout his time at the Colin Powell School to become a leader and visionary in the field of medicine.

This year, in addition to the Colin Powell School’s own Valedictorian and Salutatorian, the top honors for all of CCNY also went to Colin Powell School students. The Class of 2025 Valedictorian is Eilyn Zuniga Marquez, and the Salutatorian is Andrew Williams.

ZUNIGA MARQUEZ

The Bronx resident arrived in the U.S. as a teenager in 2018 with knowledge of English grammar but unable to speak the language fluently. She took ESL classes during the two years that she attended Liberty High School Academy for Newcomers before enrolling at CCNY. In addition to the unprecedented experience of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marquez would face other challenges at CCNY, including culture shock and financial stress.

But she credits the SEEK program and Colin Powell School Office of Student Success for seeing her through. Hailed as a stellar student, she made the Dean’s List every semester and received the SEEK Sophomore of the Year Award for her first-year academic performance, in addition to her active involvement (both in-person and virtually) in campus and community activities. Marquez also received the Debra Kennedy Sterling Silver Award, and the Outstanding SEEK Graduate of the Year Award.

She plans on using her BA/MA in psychology, which meets the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports’ educational requirement for certification as a substance use counselor, to, among other things, help ameliorate mental health issues in the community. She’s interned with RevCore Recovery Center, conducting counseling sessions with patients diagnosed with substance use disorder.

Honoring Lives of Purpose and Service

This year, the Colin Powell School community mourned the loss of four extraordinary individuals whose legacies have shaped our mission and touched countless lives. We remember their enduring contributions to education, public service, and justice — and their deep commitment to our students and to the better world we strive to build. Among them is Alma Powell, whose partnership with our founding chair, General Colin Powell, and lifelong dedication to children and community uplift continue to inspire our work.

Alma Powell, the wife of General Colin L. Powell, passed away on July 28th, 2024. In a moving statement released in late July, Powell School Board Chair Linda Powell and her siblings, Michael and Annmarie, called their mother “the grounding force of our family.” They went on to say, “During childhoods marked by constant moving to new homes, we always felt secure, because

home was wherever she stood. She was an exemplary role model for us and for the world. She served our country, alongside our father, with intelligence and grace. We will miss her terribly but take comfort in the fact that she had a life so well-lived and is reunited with our father.” The Colin Powell School community extends our condolences to Linda, Michael, Annemarie, and the entire Powell family.

Professor Jacques Fomerand

A beloved educator in the Master’s in International Affairs (MIA) Program, Professor Jacques Fomerand passed away unexpectedly on November 4, 2024. Over decades of teaching, he guided students through the intricacies of the United Nations system, global politics, and peacekeeping operations with deep expertise and a generous spirit.

In Spring 2024, Professor Fomerand was honored with the Colin Powell School Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. A memorial event held on

May 7, 2025 brought together faculty, alumni, and students to celebrate his life, scholarship, and mentorship. “He was quite simply a wonderful influence in his students' lives,” said MIA Program Director Nicholas Rush Smith. His legacy endures in the students he inspired and the community he helped build.

Nathalie Delpeche

The Powell School mourns the loss of Nathalie Delpeche, Operations Director for Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice Institute (LDSJ), who passed away in March 2025. A founding member of the LDSJ team, Nathalie brought heart, joy, and care to everything she did. Her work behind the scenes anchored the Institute and supported the people within it — always with grace, purpose, and style.

A woman of deep faith, a devoted mother and grandmother, and a true community leader, Nathalie’s presence extended far beyond her job. She gave of herself selflessly, whether through meals prepared for neighbors, park cleanups,

Congressman Charles B. Rangel

On Memorial Day, we honored the life and legacy of Congressman Charles B. Rangel, a civil rights trailblazer, decorated war veteran, and legendary representative of Harlem who served an extraordinary 46 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African American to chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Rangel was a master legislator and tireless advocate for equity, justice, and opportunity.

Over his 23 terms in Congress, he authored and championed landmark legislation including the Affordable Care Act, Earned Income Tax Credit,

or advocacy for breast cancer awareness. Her life was a quiet, powerful testimony to service, and she is deeply missed by her colleagues and friends.

the full tribute

and the Empowerment Zone program, among many others. His work transformed lives — expanding access to healthcare, education, and jobs for working families across the nation.

Deeply connected to The City College of New York, Congressman Rangel served as Statesmanin-Residence following his retirement and later founded the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative (RIWI) at CCNY in 2022 to expand pathways to modern infrastructure jobs in upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

The Colin Powell School proudly carries forward his vision through both the Rangel Initiative for Public Service and RIWI. His extraordinary leadership and lifelong dedication to public service will continue to inspire generations of civic and community leaders.

Leadership, Vision, and Impact: Board of Visitors in Action

MARCO ANTONIO ACHÓN NAMED CO-CHAIR OF THE POWELL SCHOOL BOARD OF VISITORS

This spring, the Colin Powell School proudly named Marco Antonio Achón as co-chair of its Board of Visitors. A longtime advocate for the school and architect of some of its most inspiring new traditions, Achón now steps into a formal leadership role alongside Linda Powell at a moment of transformative momentum for the School.

A respected financial leader and Global Head of Corporate Banking for Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Achón first joined the Board of Visitors in 2019 at the invitation of General Colin Powell himself. Since then, he has deepened Santander’s partnership with the School and helped shape some of its most impactful initiatives, including the launch of the Colin L. Powell Distinguished Leadership Award, an annual celebration of public service and moral courage.

“Marco Antonio Achón believes in this School’s mission to his core,” said Dean Andrew Rich. “His

energy, vision, and generosity have expanded what’s possible for our students — particularly in the worlds of finance and leadership. As co-chair, he brings a global perspective grounded in an unwavering belief in our students' potential.”

Under Achón’s leadership, Santander has supported dozens of students through the Santander Finance Fellows program, opening doors to careers many had not imagined could be within their reach. His approach is both strategic and deeply personal, rooted in a belief that talent exists in every community, and that institutions like City College must be engines of social mobility.

“Over time, I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary impact this School has on young people with drive and purpose. I’m honored to serve as co-chair and help guide its next chapter.”

In his new role, Achón will work closely with co-chair Linda Powell and the Board to shape the school’s strategic direction, expand its partnerships, and deepen its mission of preparing the most diverse student body in the country to lead across sectors.

FORGING YOUR PATH: SHAHARA AHMAD-LLEWELLYN SHARES HER JOURNEY FROM FIRSTGEN STUDENT TO ENTREPRENEUR

In an inspiring small-group conversation with students this spring, Colin Powell School Board of Visitors member Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn reflected on her extraordinary journey from first-generation college student to successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. Raised in

Philadelphia, Ahmad-Llewellyn assumed a caregiving role for her younger siblings at age 15 after the passing of her mother — an experience that forged the resilience, budgeting skills, and sense of responsibility that would shape her path forward.

Determined to create her own future, AhmadLlewellyn described how she worked every single day for five years to save $25,000 — enough to start her first business. That step launched a lifelong career as a business leader and changemaker. She emphasized to students the importance of having a clear vision, investing in long-term assets, and knowing your value

— particularly for women and people of color entering male-dominated spaces and offered valuable advice to students interested in exploring entrepreneurial careers.

“You don’t need to have all the answers on day one. But you do need to believe in yourself enough to begin.”

The Colin Powell School proudly welcomed Sunil A. (Sunny) Misser, CEO of AccountAbility, as the newest member of its Board of Visitors. Misser brings a wealth of experience from the sustainability, governance, and strategy sectors, leading a global firm that supports organizations advancing ethical leadership and the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda.

Earlier this year, AccountAbility and the Colin Powell School launched the Sustainability Lab (S Lab) — a first-of-its-kind initiative to promote cross-sector leadership on urgent issues such as

climate justice, corporate responsibility, and inclusive economic development. The S Lab will equip students with the knowledge and tools to lead in sustainability and ESG.

Misser joins a 25-member board that provides strategic counsel, strengthens external partnerships, and champions the school’s mission to lift leaders and shift power.

SUNNY MISSER: GLOBAL ESG LEADER JOINS POWELL SCHOOL BOARD OF VISITORS

Anonymous

$18,900,000

New York Life Insurance Co.

$10,600,000

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

$9, 625 ,200

The Leon Levy Foundation

$7, 960 ,000

Colin L. Powell and Alma Powell

$7, 728 ,304

Anonymous

$5, 800 ,000

The Starr Foundation

$5, 000 ,273

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

$3,850,000

The Ford Foundation

$3,838,044

Josh S. Weston

$3,407,994

William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust

$3,335,000

The Charles and Ann Johnson Foundation

$3,310,158

Eugene Surowitz

$3,200,000

David M. Rubenstein

$3,000,000

Anonymous

$3,000,000

Marc and Lynne Benioff / Salesforce Foundation

$2,600,050

Friedman Family Foundation

$2,500,000

Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis

$2,500,000

Fulvio V. Dobrich and Margaret F. Mudd

$2,315,375

Open Society Foundations

$2,250,000

Anonymous

$2,188,447

Anne and Bernard Spitzer

$1,965,136

Seymour (Sy) and Laurie Sternberg

$1,960,000

The Rudin Foundations, Inc.

$1,815,000

Dalio Foundation, Inc.

$1,600,000

Jin Roy Ryu

$1,550,000

Novo Foundation

$1,531,000

Stephen A. Schwarzman

$1,500,000

Estate of Marvin M. Kristein

$1,428,986

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

$1,375,000

Viola Foundation

$1,360,000

Carnegie Corporation of New York

$1,157,500

Fundraising and Development

We are deeply grateful to the donors, foundations, and corporate partners whose generosity sustains the mission of the Colin Powell School. Your support allows us to expand opportunities, strengthen student success, and ensure that every student — regardless of background — can lead with purpose.

Amid significant federal cuts to higher education this year, your partnership has never been more vital. Philanthropic support helps us protect access, sustain excellence, and invest in programs that prepare our students to meet the challenges of a changing world.

Every contribution — large or small — advances our shared commitment to equity, leadership, and opportunity, carrying forward General Powell’s enduring vision: to lift leaders, shift power, and transform society for the better.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

$1,150,000

The Rick & Susan Goings Foundation

$1,125,000

Thomas L. Blair

$1,090,600

Robert B. Catell

$1,050,000

Estate of Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg

$1,050,000

The Annenberg Foundation

$1,000,000

Embassy of Kuwait

$1,000,000

Government of the Dominican Republic

$1,000,000

Martin J. Granoff

$1,000,000

Hushang Ansary

$1,000,000

Eugene M. Isenberg

$1,000,000

Korea Foundation

$1,000,000

The Ronald & Jo Carole Lauder Foundation

$1,000,000

United Arab Emirates

$1,000,000

Santander Bank, N.A.

$952,220

The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation

$890,698

The Jerome J. Levy Foundation

$884,201

Heising-Simons Foundation

$875,000

Thomas W. Smith Foundation

$845,000

The Giving Back Fund

$669,044

Democracy Fund

$650,000

The Teagle Foundation

$635,000

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

$617,000

Ambassador Beatrice and Anthony Welters

$580,510

Anonymous

$501,600

Anonymous

$500,000

MCJ Amelior Foundation

$500,000

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation

$500,000

NBC Universal International Group

$500,000

The Robert M. Bloch Trust

$500,000

The Tow Foundation

$500,000

LIFETIME DONATIONS OF $100,000 TO $499,999

AccountAbility

Achelis and Bodman Foundation

Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn

American Association of University Women

Anonymous

Charlotte Beers

Bloch Family Foundation, Inc.

Bloomberg Philanthropies

Nicholas F. Brady

The Charles B. Wang International Foundation

Columbia Business School

Compton Foundation

Trammell Crow

Lynn Dantzker

Darby Foundation

Jane Dolkart

Estate of Beatrice S. Baum

The FAR Fund

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Friedman & Rubin PLLP

Fund for Social Change

Liane Ginsberg

Norman Glick

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

The Government of the State of Qatar

Bahaa Hariri

Jack S. Hoffinger

Trevor G. Houser

The Howard Gilman Foundation

Ichigo Foundation

InfoUSA

Marjory Jacoby & Jack Krumholz

William J. Janetschek

JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Leonard Kahn

Korea Society

Howard H. Leach

Leonard Litz Foundation

The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation

Donald B. Marron

Dan and Debby McGinn

National Philanthropic Trust

The New York Community Trust

The New York Presbyterian Hospital

Oak Foundation

Linda M. Powell

Charles H. Revson Foundation

Robert Sterling Clark Foundation

David Rockefeller

John F. Rogers

David K. Rosner

Herbert R. Rubin

Eric Schmidt

Lillian R. Schneider

Bernard L. Schwartz

The Estate of Marilyn W Seskin

Harold M. Spielman

Stavros Niarchos Foundation

Stoneman Family Foundation

Theodore L. Cross Family Charitable Foundation

Turner Construction Company

UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

University of Houston

Daphne and Stuart Wells

John C. Whitehead

William J. Clinton Foundation

William S. Paley Foundation

Paul Wyler

Stephen A. Wynn

Katsuhiko Yoshida

Paul Wyler

Stephen A. Wynn

Katsuhiko Yoshida

LIFETIME DONATIONS OF $500 TO $99,999

Julian J. Abreu

Marco Antonio Achón

Nancy Adler

Lincoln N. Ajoku

Arlene Alda

Berrin Altan

Lewis J. Altfest

Anita Altman

Stan M. Altman

Edward I. Altman

American Express Foundation

American Sociological Association

Randy Andrews

Stephen J. Anen

Lydia Arnold

Ahilan T. Arulanantham

Association of College and University Educators

Laurie Atkins

Jane H. Bachner

Carl Bailey

James A. Baker

Virginia Baker

Barberry Rose Management

Scott Baum

Baumol Family Foundation

Ronald H. Bayor

Evon W. Beckford

Anthony V. Belli

Jill E. Bellinson

Rita F. Benzer

Estate of Mary N. Berberich

Benjamin S. Bergman

Paul B. Bergman

Bernard Herold & Co., Inc.

Alan Bernikow

Stuart A. Bernstein

Nadia J. Bernstein

Gayle Binion

Marie C. Binz-Scharf

Regina Biscoglio

Jeannie Blaustein

Rebecca Block

Dennis Blum

Ron Blumer

Boston Research Center

Richard Boucher

Vincent G. Boudreau

Louis A. Bradbury

Brewster Family Foundation

José Briones

Bristol Myers Squibb

Bert E. Brodsky

David M. Brown

Kevin R. Brown

Lorrai ne A. Brown

Paul F. B urger

Dana M. Burr

Mary Bush

Cafe One

Thomas A. Caffrey

California Calls

Archie J. Calise

Katherine Canavan

Barbara H. Cane

Carnegie Council

Monica Carsky Kennedy

Paul D. Casowitz

Castle Harlan Inc Catchpoint Cengage Group

Central Florida Jobs with Justice

Vint Cerf

Yiu Dai Chan

Charitable Aid Foundation America

Charitable Ventures of Orange County, Inc.

Youl N N. Chen

Deborah Cheng

Shawn A. Chin-Chance

Chinese for Affirmative Action

Karen Chowske

Margaret H. Cifrino

Rodger Citron

The City College Fund

Estelle Clements

Michael T. Cohen

Colby College

Cynda Co llins Arsenault

Colonial Druggists of Westport, Inc.

Columbia University American Assembly Funds

Commercial Mortgage Securities Association (CMSA)

Communication Workers of America

Community Learning Partnership

Matt Conlin

Conoco Phillips Company

Joyce R. Coppin

Ashley C. Cotton

George E. Covucci

Lester Crown

Alex Crumbley

Eduvigis Cruz-Arrieta

CUNY Law School

CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies

The Dana Foundation

The Daniel & Eleanor Kane

Family Foundation, Inc.

John J. Danilovich

Carol J. Danish

Darryl and Leslye Fraser

Charitable Fund

Rachelle B. Dattner

David & Lucille Packard Foundation

David & Minnie Berk Foundation Inc.

David Ertel Award Fund

The David Kosh & Ruth Kosh Foundation

Gabriella de Beer

Decoded Advertising LLC

Jason J. Despain

Detention Watch Network

Mariano Diaz

Phylipp Dilloway

Lisa Director

Dominicanos USA

Paul J. Donahue

Dow Jones & Co

Austin J. Dowling

Walter J. Doy le

The Draizin Foundation

Millard S. Drexler

Deborah L. Drucker

Kenneth M. Duberstein

John G. Duffy

Samuel E. Ebbesen

Edward Flower Living Trust

Margot T. Elkin

Emerald Cities

Collaborative, Inc.

Tony Eng

Estate of Stanley Engelstein

Equitable Foundation

Tammy M. Erickson

Ernst & Young Foundation

David Ertel

Robert A. Esnard

Estate of Harold M. Spielman

Donald Evans

Faith in Action Alabama

Marjorie Feder

Joel C. Feffer

Dan L. Fenstermacher

Warren H. Fishbein

Natalie K. Fisher

Justine Fleischner

Anne A. Forrester

Kevin R. Foster

Arthur Fox

Steven J. Fraidstern

Robert A. Friedman

Eric J. Friedman

Muriel L. Frischer

Dafna Fuchs

Futures Unbound

G.S. Humane Corp

Morris Gadol

Gregory J. Gagnon

Ann-Marie Gardner

Mark D. Gatanas

Ellie Gelman

Anjali George

Georges Lurcy Charitable & Educational Trust

Iris Geva-May

Leslie Gibson

LIFETIME DONATIONS OF $500 TO $99,999

Joseph Gildenhorn

Lauren Goglick

Erika Goldberg

Ronald S. Goldbrenner

Cleonis Ellen E. Golding

Constance E. Golding

Serra Goldman

Estate of Jacob Goldstein

Peter J. Goodman

Robert Gordon

The Gottesman Fund Graduate Center

Francoise G. Graf

Pamela Graham

Greater New York

Hospital Association

Vartan Gregorian

Ehud Grofman

Marc Grossman

Sandra Guylay

Abraham I. Habenstreit

The Hand Family Trust

Ayelet Haran

Billy L. Harbert

Harris Connect, Inc.

Benjamin Harris

Gerald Harris

Luisa Hassan

Marla Hassner

Myra Hecht

The Helene Foundation

Robert Henderson

Rita V. Hirsch

History Channel/A+E Networks

James Hixon

Linda R. Hoffman

Margaret Holen

Bradley Horn

Linda Huganir

William D. Hughes

Human Impact Partners (HIP)

Humanities Division City College

Hunter College

Immigrant Legal Resource Center

The Inner Circle Inc. Institute for Training and Development Intuit

The Jack Miller Center

Janene D. Jackson

Melissa Jacobs

Jewish Community Relations Council

Michelle L. John

John and Marcia Price Family Foundation

Estate of Frances A. Johnson

Frances Johnson

Joan Jones

Margaret L. Jones

Martha Jones

Vernon E. Jordan

The Joseph and Claire Flom Foundation

Joseph Drown Foundation

Katherine Kahan

Asher S. Kahn

Zachary A. Kahn

Joyce E. Kaiser

Majlinda Kamberi

Stanley Kane

Robert Kaner

Kaneshanathan Family Foundation

Kaplan Thaler Productions

Rochelle Kaplan

Irwin D. Karp

Stuart Z. Katz

John G. Kester

John Khoury

In-soon Kim

Henry A. Kissinger

Joann M. Kleiman

Klein Family Foundation

Cara Klein

Joan Klein

The Kleiner Perkins Family

Bruce E. Knoll

David H. Koch

Michael Koester

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co.

Ted Koppel

Koret Foundation

Alfred D. Kornfeld

Steven Kossak

Daria Kostyannikova

Jean E. Krasno

Nikola Krneta

Frances Krogstad

Kasim Kurd

Hawai Kwok

Bobby C. Lawyer

Lazard Freres & Co., LLC

The Leo J. and Celia Carlin Fund

The Lerner Foundation

Virginia Letourneau

Robert J. Leverte

Allan Levine

Hilary Levine

Lauren V. Levine

Jerome L. Levinrad

Laurie J. Levinson

Jeffrey S. Levinton

Sandra and Jack Levitt

Jacqueline Lewis

Younghee Limb

Eric Liu

Bernard Loeffke

The Henry Luce Foundation

Helen M. Ma

MacMillan

Christopher J. Major

Bissal Malakar

Nancy Mandell

Walter Mankoff

Lucy March

Stacey Marti

Mary Jane Shackelford Trust

Milton L. Masur MD

May & Samuel Rudin Family Foundation Inc.

Mayshad Foundation

Marianna K. McCall

Sybil V. McCarthy

Karen M. McClellan

Donald H H. McCree, Jr.

McDermott Will & Emery

Noel J. McDonald

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter

Tiffany McGriff

McGuire Woods

Darryl L. McLeod

David Mechanic

Medtronic

Winline Mei

Michael H. Mellen

Rajan Menon

Lekha Menon

The Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation

Michigan State University

Milbank LLP

Norman R. Milefsky

Josh Millstein

Andrea Mitchell

Marty O. Mohr

Thomas E. Molner

Catherine Monk

Moody's

Robert I. Morrison

Harold J. Moskowitz

Daniel Moss

Lynda S. Mounts

Dee Dee A. Mozeleski

Brian Mueller

Jeff Muller

Gregory Munves

National Domestic Workers Alliance

National Immigration Law Center

National Network of Abortion Funds

Andrew Natsios

NC State AFL CIO

Nederlander Productions

Jack Needleman

Netflix Foundation

New Philanthropy

The New York

Psychoanalytic Society & Institute, Inc.

New York University

Esther T. Newman

Blake Newton, III

Nehr Nimmanahaeminda

Jan Nolte

Eric Nonacs

Roberta Nusim

Peter O'Malley

OKI Data Americas, Inc.

Olatilewa Folami

Fredric D. Olefson

On Campus Marketing LLC

Pamela R. Ostrager

France Owarish

Leslie Paik

Panama Street Project

Anastasiya Panas

Maurice Paprin

Paramsothy Parthipan

Anne Patterson

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Stephen S. Pearce

Pediatrics 2000 II P C

Sunjlee D. Pegram

Arlene K. Perkins

Alvin Perlman

Douglas Peterson

Maureen Phillips

Joseph A. Pika

Andrea Pincus

Kevin A. Plank

Planned Parenthood

Texax Votes

PNC Financial Services Group

Jan R. Polatschek

Bryan Pommer

Linda M. Powell

Lisa Pownall-Gray

John Price

Richard T. Prins

Joan P. Pritchard

Kerry S. Propper

Ann S. Ramsay-Jenkins

Charles B. Rangel

Reed Smith

Reinhardt Family

Foundation Trust

Judith V. Reppy

Resilient Strategies

Harry Rhoads

The Rhodebeck Charitable Fund

Madeline Rhum

Andrew Rich and Joel Allen

Daniel and Nancy Rich

The Richard Ravitch Foundation

Milton Riseman

RLJ Equity Partners

The Robin and Gary Jacobs Family Fund

Robinson Family

Charitable Trust

Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Inc.

ROK Mission to the UN

Elihu N. Root

Ropes & Gray LLP

David Rosenberg

Whitney Ross

Judy P. Roth

Richard A. Rubin

Mario Sacouto

Robert Saginaw

The San Francisco Foundation

Michael Sapnar

Jennifer Sass-McManimon

Patricia Scala

Ciro J. Scala

Paul E. Scheid

Scholarship Foundation of the NSA

Irvin Schonfeld

Sandra Schpoont

Thomas J. Schwarz

Herbert C. Seignoret

Service Employees

International Union (SEIU)

Andrew O. Shaw

Robert C. Sheehan

Showing Up for Racial Justice

C. Shubert

Howard J. Silver

Darren Silver

Mara L. Silverman

Brett Silverstein

Ruth J. Simmons

Charles C. Simpkins

Allan J. Slovin

Gregory Smiley

Nicholas R. Smith

Theodore Sonde

Gillian M. Sorensen

Joseph Spallina

Zanwil Sperber

Standard Chartered Bank

Stanford University

Craig R. Stapleton

Patricia Stapleton

The Statue Foundation, Inc

Doron Steger

Zina Steinberg

Frederick P. Stern

Charles C. Stewart

Barbra Streisand

Robert Sugarman

Francis X. Taylor

Gerald Terstiege

Texas Civil Rights Organization

Texas Organizing Project

Barbara Thacher

Plimpton

Linda Kaplan Thaler

Naftali Thomas

Tides Foundation

Herman Tocker

Tom and Edwina Johnson Foundation

Lydia Tom

Christopher Torres

Triago

The Trust of Andrew Freund

Jacob Tuber

United Campus Workers

Southeast - CWA Local

United We Dream Network

United Women of Color

University of California, Los Angeles

The University of Chicago

The University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Notre Dame

University Of Texas

University of Texas at Austin

Urge

Cem Uyar

Cornelis T. van Aalst

Ricardo Queiroga Vasques

The Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. Family Charitable Fund

Vienna Baptist Church

Deborah L. Vietze

Sergio Villaverde

Paul L. Wachtel

Jennifer R. Wallach

Barbara Walters

Chun Biao Wang

Mark Warner

Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Wayne State University

We the People

Joseph D. Webster

Elizabeth Weikes

Eric D. Weitz

Weitz & Luxenberg PC

Wesleyan University

The WhyNot Initiative

Kevin Willenson

John S. Willian

Audrey K. Wilner

Skye Wilson

Wish-Wise Foundation

Suk M. Wong

Hanson Wong

Alexandra Woods

David Wright

Earle Yaffa

Larry Yermack

Edward J. Yodowitz

YPO New York City Chapter, Inc.

The Zankel Scala Family Foundation

David Zwillinger

Marco Antonio Achón Global Head of Corporate Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking. Co-Chair

Board of Visitors

Shahara AhmadLlewellyn Commissioner and Philanthropist

James A. Baker, III Former Secretary of State

Thomas L. Blair Chairman, Blair Companies

Vince Boudreau President, The City College of New York

Robert B. Catell ‘58 Chairman, AERTC, Stony Brook University

Peggy Haberstroh Cifrino

Former Principal Assistant to General Colin Powell

Martin Cohen ‘70 Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Cohen & Steers, Inc.

Cesar Conde Chairman, NBC Universal News Group

Samuel Ebbesen ‘61 General (USA), Ret.

Kevin Foster Interim Dean, Colin Powell School

Richard J. Henley ‘78 President and CEO Healthcare Strategic Solutions, LLC

Trevor Houser ‘07 Partner, Rhodium Group

Richard M. Krasno Executive Director Emeritus, William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust

Sunil A. (Sunny) Misser CEO, Accountability

Linda Powell Executive Vice President, National Board, SAG-AFTRA Co-Chair

David M. Rubenstein Co-Founder, The Carlyle Group

Stephen Schwarzman Chairman and CEO, The Blackstone Group

Manan (Mike) Shah ‘94 Partner, Milbank LLP

Sy Sternberg ‘65

Retired Chairman and CEO New York Life Insurance Company

Liz Weikes Managing Director and Wealth Partner

J.P. Morgan Wealth Management

Beatrice Welters Philanthropist

Fareed Zakaria Host, Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN