Humanities & the Arts Blog
CCNY has a rich history of GRAMMY® Award-winning alumni and faculty. Jazz musician alumni Dan Pugach ’11 was awarded a GRAMMY® for Best “Large Jazz Ensemble” for his album "Bianca Reimagined: Paws and Persistence" by the Dan Pugach Big Band, featuring Nicole Zuraitis, on which CCNY Masters of Music student Nitzan Gavrieli played piano and CCNY Masters of Music private instructor Pete McCann played guitar. Jon Rezin, a graduate of the Sonic Arts Center (SAC) in 2002, previously won a GRAMMY® for Best Musical Theater Album for his contributions to "The Bridgerton Musical" and… Read More »
On January 20, 2025 a cohort of students and professors from CUNY City College of New York arrived in Havana for a week of immersion in Cuban music and culture. The program was a series of exchanges and workshops with Cuban students and professors from El Instituto Superior De Las Artes (ISA). El ISA is Cuba’s premiere institution for the arts and has graduated many of its famous modern musicians. The cohort was a mix of ten undergraduate and graduate students of CCNY’s famed jazz program led by Suzanne Pittson, chair of the music department, and professors Ray Gallon and Mike… Read More »
Adjunct Professor David Cieri crafts the soundtrack of history in Ken Burns’s latest documentary The American Revolution
When Adjunct Professor David Cieri first moved to New York City, he was making a living playing piano at a dingy hotel on the Upper West Side. One night, while playing, he met Erik Ewers, a friendly-looking man who asked him about his plans for music. Cieri shared that he wanted to create music for documentary films, a pursuit that combined his two passions—music and history. Before leaving, Cieri recounts, Ewers gave him an impish smile, said little else, and left a note on the piano as he walked out—a torn-off piece of letterhead from Florentine Films with a phone… Read More »
CCNY alum Ingrid Griffith brings social justice and humanity to life on stage in Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed & Unbowed
“It was in my dormitory room during my freshman year of college. Normally, I would just exchange comments with my friends. This moment, I went into detail about growing up in Guyana and coming to the U.S. when I was 12 years old. There was silence in the room. No one was cutting me off. They just wanted to hear more. They were deeply engaged. I felt a power. I realized that an impactful story and performance asks for honesty, detail, and an open heart.” —CCNY English alum, actor, and playwright Ingrid Griffith
Griffith is a New York City… Read More »
On December 5, 2024 I walked into the NAC Ballroom twenty minutes late for the start of the CCNY James Baldwin Centennial Celebration symposium. Regardless, I was still greeted by friendly smiles and a festive ambiance. The day-long event was a joyous display of diversity and black empowerment, and the capstone event of CCNY semester-long celebration of Baldwin and his work. A captivating poster of Baldwin was displayed in the ballroom as a keystone of African American achievement, making me feel revitalized as an aspiring black author and researcher. This… Read More »
From Starbucks unions to autism research, CCNY alums reflect on the significance of their philosophy studies
The Philosophy Alumni Panel at CCNY on December 3rd not only offered a fascinating discussion on the transformational potential of philosophy, but it also clarified the essential role that philosophical thinking plays in influencing careers, individual lives, and society. The panelists, Brandi Alduk, Steven Hernandez, Simon Michelini, and Professor Pat Hope, demonstrate the profound impact of philosophical inquiry on activism, education, and personal growth. These alums discussed the role of philosophy in addressing social equality, neurodiversity ethics, and workplace disputes.… Read More »
Adjunct History Professor Rory Duffy teaches history in the classroom and through documentary filmmaking
Ever since his father took him to Gettysburg as a teenager Professor Rory Duffy has been captivated by history. Currently, alongside teaching United States history here at CCNY he concentrates much of his creative, intellectual energy on documentary filmmaking—investigating historical and contemporary social movements and presenting his findings in emotionally compelling ways. His latest picture, A Fragile Peace, already won Best Feature Documentary at the Crown Points Film Festival in Chicago at just the beginning leg of its festival circuit.
“Growing up,” Duffy recounts. “I… Read More »
H&A’s Academic Empowerment Workshops offer students practical tools for managing their courses and academic careers
Time management is a skill many of my students struggle with. When I brought my freshman composition class to one of academic advisor Kay Bell’s Academic Empowerment Workshops this past fall,, I had hoped they might pick up a few strategies to keep up with course deadlines. What I didn’t anticipate was how much I would learn alongside them.
During the session, Bell guided students through practical exercises, from identifying their biggest time-wasters to mapping out due dates for the rest of the semester. She encouraged students to explore tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and… Read More »
Victor Almanzar, CCNY alum, actor, and 2024 recipient of the Townsend Harris medal brings humanity to every role
Discovering a passion for acting
Victor Almanzar, a 2012 graduate of CCNY’s Theatre and Speech Department, never expected to become an actor. As an immigrant who landed in high school in Long Island City, he was placed in a drama class that didn’t initially resonate with him. A perceptive teacher saw potential in him and secretly enrolled him in the CAT Youth Theater after-school program. Almanzar’s first performance sparked a love for applied arts and storytelling, enabling him to process his environment and emotions in new ways.
After years of serving in the military,… Read More »
Amidst intense competition to secure fall publishing internships this semester, several Publishing Certificate Program (PCP) students demonstrated phenomenal talent and dedication, which allowed them to secure incredible placements at leading companies and organizations in the book publishing industry.
Congratulations to Shannon Rowe, Conor Johnston, Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares, Jennifer Martinez, Sunny Baumann, and Lacey Ballard.
Shannon Rowe, pursuing a B.A. in English, is currently working as a Communications & Events Intern at the National Book Foundation.… Read More »
Last Updated: 08/16/2024 12:02