https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/ en https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/ccny-physicists-uncover-electronic-interactions-mediated-spin-waves Groundbreaking research by physicists at The City College of New York is being credited for a novel discovery regarding the interaction of electronic excitations via spin waves. The finding by the Laboratory for Nano and Micro Photonics (LaNMP) team headed by physicist Vinod Menon could open the door to future technologies and advanced applications such as optical modulators, all-optical logic gates, and quantum transducers. The work is reported in the journal Nature Materials. The researchers showed the emergence of interaction between electronic excitations (excitons – electron hole pairs) mediated via spin waves in atomically thin (2D) magnets. They demonstrated that the excitons can interact indirectly through magnons (spin waves), which are like ripples or waves in the 2D material’s magnetic structure. “Think of magnons as tiny flip-flops of atomic magnets inside the crystal. One exciton changes the local magnetism, and that change then influences another exciton nearby. It’s like two floating objects pulling toward each other by disturbing water waves around them,” said Menon.   To demonstrate this, the Menon group utilized a magnetic semiconductor, CrSBr which the group had previously shown to host strong light-matter interaction (Nature, 2023).  Post-doctoral fellows Biswajit Datta and Pratap Chandra Adak led the research along with graduate students Sichao Yu and Agneya Dharmapalan in collaboration with the groups at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, University of Chemistry and Technology – Prague, RPTU - Kaiserslautern, Germany and NREL, USA.  “What is especially exciting about this discovery is that the interaction between excitons can be controlled externally using a magnetic field, thanks to the tunable magnetism of 2D materials. That means we can effectively switch the interaction on or off, which is hard to do with other types of interactions,” said Datta.  “One particularly exciting application enabled by this discovery is in the development of quantum transducers - devices that convert quantum signals from one frequency to another, such as from microwave to optical. These are key components for building quantum computers and enabling the quantum internet.” said Adak, another lead author of this work. The work at CCNY was supported by U.S. Department of Energy – Office of Basic Energy Sciences, The Army Research Office, The National Science Foundation and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Citation: Datta, B., Adak, P.C., Yu, S. et al. Magnon-mediated exciton–exciton interaction in a van der Waals antiferromagnet. Nat. Mater. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02183-0    Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:40:12 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/ccny-physicists-uncover-electronic-interactions-mediated-spin-waves https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/cuny-iie-releases-literature-guide-immigration-centered-stories The City College of New York-based CUNY-Initiative on Immigration and Education (CUNY-IIE) released its PK-12 Immigration Literature Guide, a selection of 100 recently published PreK-12 books that showcase the transformative power of immigration-centered stories. The guide is organized into four sections based on age range: early childhood and elementary picture books; upper elementary chapter books; middle school; and high school. Each sub-section presents brief summaries of 25 books and highlights five authors to show the people behind the stories. “This collection offers an entry point into the humanization of immigration, introducing readers to resilient characters, courageous journeys, and acts of solidarity, while confronting racism, xenophobia, and healing from trauma,” wrote the authors, Rosa Angela Calosso of the CUNY Graduate Center and Cecilia M. Espinosa of Lehman College, in the introduction. The guide features several authors who presented at the recent PK-12 Immigration Literature Conference, which celebrated the works, writing, and stories of immigrant communities and their authors. The theme of the conference, “Storytelling for Visibility, Understanding, and Transformation,” reflected the organizers’ commitment to amplifying the voices of these communities. As the attendees united in opposition to harmful and hateful anti-immigrant policies and book bans, they also explored immigration through a range of perspectives in recently published books curated for the occasion. Author Edwidge Danticat, Wun Tsun Tam Mellon Professor of the Humanities in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University, served as keynote speaker. The attendees also heard from four distinguished children's and young adult authors: Sonia Guiñansaca, Areli Morales, Emma Otheguy and Ly Tran. Ten breakout sessions led by educators, social workers, librarians, and community leaders covered a variety of topics, including: “Books as Bridges: How Elementary Students Use Literature for Advocacy;” “Teaching about Religious Diversity with Picture Books for All Ages;” and “The Power of Story: Supporting Immigrant Youth Mental Health Through Literature.” “The conference welcomed over 300 people to CCNY’s Great Hall to celebrate immigrants and authors who center immigration in a time of anti-immigrant discourse, policies and programs,” said the conference organizer, Professor of Bilingual Education & TESOL Tatyana Kleyn. “It allowed us to uplift immigrant voices through storytelling and come together in community as we centered joy as an act of resistance.”  CUNY-IIE envisions educators across New York State and beyond, using its new Immigration Literature Guide to foster deep, meaningful classroom conversations that highlight our shared humanity. “This guide and conference couldn’t have come at a more crucial time,” said CUNY-IIE Project Director Daniela Alulema. “Our educators need the resources and spaces to build community, support one another, and proudly uplift immigrant stories and storytellers.” Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:18:16 -0400 /news/cuny-iie-releases-literature-guide-immigration-centered-stories https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/konig-family-establishes-endowed-grove-school-engineering-scholarship-honoring-patriarch The family of William F. Konig, Jr. (1934 – 2018), an outstanding scholar-athlete from The City College of New York’s Class of 1955 who went on to pursue a successful career as an engineer and inventor, announces an endowed scholarship in his memory in the Grove School of Engineering.   The William F. Konig, Jr. Scholarship, will support a student in the Grove School’s Department of Electrical Engineering. A standout pitcher and the 1954 Frederic Kramer Baseball Award MVP at CCNY, Konig had been offered three contracts by minor-league clubs before earning his B.S. in EE from the Grove School. He rejected all the contract offers on the advice of his parents, neither of whom had attended college but who strongly believed in the value of education.   Konig then attended Columbia University where he received his master's in EE before going to work for the U.S. Department of Defense designing radar and sonar systems. In the mid-1970s, he was one of three inventors of the first portable “Ophthalmic Ultrasound B-Scan”, a pioneering non-invasive device used to detect abnormalities behind the eye. It uses sound waves to measure and produce detailed images of the human eye. Today, the device is routinely used in most optical exams.  The endowment is the second gift in Konig’s memory by his family to The City College in two years. In 2023, his daughter Susan Konig donated $25,000 to CCNY’s baseball program for equipment, uniforms, and transportation.  “He had a lot to thank City College for, including the exciting time that he had with baseball there,” said Ms. Konig. “It was a very important part of his life. He had success with the invention and he had success with the baseball, and it was just an exciting time in his life. “The new endowment honors our father and, hopefully, it will help other engineering students and, or, baseball-playing students get relief from some of the tuition bills because he was one of them once.”  In addition, the endowment, according to Konig, is designed to highlight the transformative powers of a CCNY education. “I want students to see how he went from a very poor beginning and through City College, our father was able to transform his life with a lot of hard work.” Today, CCNY remains a leader in social mobility nationally. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. Summing up her father’s twin passions, Konig said: “he’d always wanted to be an engineer. It was kind of in his blood and he was building things as a child. And he was a baseball fanatic as well, not only watching but playing, too.” Wed, 26 Mar 2025 21:46:33 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/konig-family-establishes-endowed-grove-school-engineering-scholarship-honoring-patriarch https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/spitzer-school-architect-jerome-haferd-receives-major-honors Professor and architect Jerome Haferd of The City College of New York’s Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture is the recipient of two honors, a fellowship from United States Artists and  selection by the 2025 U.S. Pavilion to participate in the upcoming Venice Biennale.     Fifty artists and collectives make up the 2025 USA Fellow cohort. The national award chose awardees based on their groundbreaking artistic visions and unique perspectives within their field. The fellowship is awarded through a year-long peer-led selection process in the disciplines of Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, and Writing. Each awardee will receive a $50,000 unrestricted cash award. Additionally, the Fellows will receive access to a variety of professional services and field resources allowing for a deepened impact on their practice and supporting their essential roles in society.     Artists were chosen from 21 states, spanning the most nascent to mature stages of careers. Deeply rooted in notions of origin and belonging, the 2025 cohort examines a breadth of lived experiences and cultural histories, engaging their communities in dialogues both past and present while charting paths for their collective futures.   Haferd is founder of Jerome Haferd Studio, an award-winning Harlem-based architecture and design office. In addition to Haferd’s fellowship, his studio will be one of 52 selected to participate in the 2025 U.S. Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The theme of this year’s U.S. pavilion is “Porch: An Architecture of Generosity” which complements the Biennale’s theme “Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective. American finalists, individuals and practices from around the country, will install a "window" of a giant porch-like installation around the pavilion in the Giardini at the Biennale. Faculty adjunct member Pedro Cruz Cruz, current BArch student Gabriel Moyer Perez, and BArch alumni Violet Greenberg assisted in the Venice installation, which includes a series of interviews and a physical installation for the porch “window.”   Haferd’s community-driven practice designs projects nationwide including public artworks and cultural infrastructure. Haferd is one of only 2% of Black licensed architects in the U.S. and currently co-directs the Harlem Place, Memory & Culture Incubator at the Spitzer School of Architecture. The exhibit “Generative Histories Harlem” is recently showcased at the Spitzer School and is up through April 10. Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:48:57 -0400 Thea Klapwald /news/spitzer-school-architect-jerome-haferd-receives-major-honors https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/spitzer-school-architecture-names-former-governor-eliot-spitzer-honorary-chair The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at CCNY announced that Eliot Spitzer, one-time governor and twice-elected attorney general of New York, has been given an honorary chair to the Dean’s Advisory Council of the school bearing his parents’ names.   “I am delighted to welcome Eliot Spitzer to my Advisory Council,” said Marta Gutman, Spitzer School dean. “Like his parents, he brings a lifelong commitment to public education. As Mr. Spitzer told me, ‘Few things are more important than providing a public, low-cost education to those who want to learn, work, and move all of society forward.’”   Spitzer was born and raised in New York. He graduated from the Horace Mann School, Princeton University, and Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the “Harvard Law Review.” After clerking for Federal District Court Judge Robert W. Sweet, Spitzer practiced at Paul, Weiss and then joined the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. While there, he rose to serve as chief of the Labor Racketeering Unit and successfully prosecuted some of the most senior members of the Gambino organized crime family.   After several years in private practice, he was elected attorney general of New York in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002.  His prosecutions in the areas of financial fraud, environmental protection and civil rights set a new standard for law enforcement, and in 2002 “Time Magazine” named him "Crusader of the Year." “60 Minutes” dubbed him the "Sheriff of Wall Street," and the “Financial Times” named him "Man of the Year."   He was elected governor of New York in 2006. His administration restructured New York’s educational and healthcare finance systems. Since 2008, he has served as an anchor on CNN's prime time show 'In the Arena," hosted “Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer” on Current TV, taught as a professor at CCNY and been a regular contributor to “Slate Magazine.” He now runs Spitzer Enterprises, a real estate development firm founded by his father.     THe Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture Dean’s Advisory Council Members Eliot Spitzer, Honorary Chair Joseph Fleischer, B.S.  ’65, B.Arch  ’66, co-chair Carlos Cardoso, B.S.  ’92, co-chair Venesa Alicea-Chuqui, B.Arch  ’05 John Cetra, B.Arch  ’76 Alan Hantman, B.S.  ’65, B.Arch  ’66, MUP  ’79 Edmund Hollander Joan Krevlin Carol Kurth, B.Arch  ’81 Fern Lan Siew, M.L.A  ’15 Jonathan Marvel Nancy Ruddy Frank Sciame, B.S.  ’74 Adi Shamir-Baron Charles Shorter Claire Weiss Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:12:50 -0400 Thea Klapwald /news/spitzer-school-architecture-names-former-governor-eliot-spitzer-honorary-chair https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/ccny-science-dean-susan-perkins-earns-top-aaas-honor Dr. Susan L. Perkins, the Martin & Michele Cohen Dean of Science at The City College of New York, is one of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s new 2025 Fellows. Dating back to 1874, the honor is bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. The AAAS Council cited Perkins “for distinguished scientific contributions in the fields of evolutionary biology and parasitology as well as for advancing scientific knowledge in the public through education, outreach, and administration.”  It elects Fellows deliberately and carefully to preserve the honor attached to this recognition. A microbiologist with expertise on protozoan parasites that cause malaria, Perkins has served as CCNY’s Science Dean since January 2020. Her tenure has been marked by her keen focus on student success, commitment to research, and building community. "City College is such a unique and special place," she said. "We have a dual role of conducting extensive, important research across so many fields of science and mathematics while also playing pivotal roles in promoting social mobility for so many New York City students." Funded research in the Division of Science has grown under her tenure and reached $100 million this past year.  Perkins also has been a driving force behind making CCNY’s Gaming Pathways Program, and in bringing the Post Bac Health Professions program to fruition. It prepares students who want to go into the health professions but spent their undergraduate careers with other goals. In tandem with all the administrative work that she has accomplished, she’s continued with her own research and taught classes in parasitology and Disease and history. Prior to her current position, Perkins was Curator and Professor of Microbial Genomics at the American Museum of Natural History. Perkins and the other new Fellows will be recognized during the annual Fellows Forum June 7 in Washington, D.C. About the American Association for the Advancement of Science AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science as well as Science Translational Medicine, Science Signaling (a digital, open-access journal), Science Advances, Science Immunology and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes nearly 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Wed, 19 Mar 2025 22:51:44 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/ccny-science-dean-susan-perkins-earns-top-aaas-honor https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/jafar-javan-colin-powell-schools-newest-leader-residence-brings-international-development Longtime United Nations executive, international development expert, and educator Jafar Javan joins the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership as a Leader-in-Residence on April 1. As a Leader-in-Residence, Javan will mentor and advise students enrolled in the master’s degree program in international relations, and teach a course on “Leadership in Global Justice.” Javan will also work closely with Colin Powell School leadership on the Nelson Mandela Project for Social Change, which he conceived and helped to launch during his tenure as director of the United Nations Systems Staff College. “Jafar and I came to know each other last year, when the Colin Powell School became the higher ed anchor for the UNSSC’s Nelson Mandela Project for Social Change, an innovative and timely endeavor to bridge societal polarization,” said Andrew Rich, the Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean of the Colin Powell School. “Jafar conceived this program for the United Nations, and he has been directing its launch there. We are thrilled that he will be joining us as a Leader-in-Residence.” The Colin Powell School-based U.S. component of the Mandela Project is led by Richard Stengel, who served as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs during the Obama Administration, and is a former editor of TIME magazine. Stengel collaborated on Mandela’s bestselling 1995 autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, which became the basis for his own 2010 New York Times bestseller, Mandela's Way: Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage. “The Nelson Mandela Program for Social Change, which launched under Jafar’s leadership at the UNSSC, has developed into an active network of universities across the world to develop learning offerings in leadership inspired by the values and achievements of Mandela,” said Stengel. “As a member of this network, CCNY’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership welcomes Jafar Javan’s new contribution to this important initiative.” “One of the thrills of working in the Colin Powell School is the ability to work with world-leading professionals like Jafar,” said Associate Professor of Political Science Nicholas Rush Smith, the director of the M.I.A. program. “Having him teach a leadership course for our students will help the master's program in international affairs achieve our mission of fostering the next generation of global leaders.” During his more than three-decade career in the United Nations system, Javan specialized in policy formulation for community development, empowerment and social participation, training, and education, as well as post-conflict reconstruction and recovery. He retired earlier this year as director of UNSSC, where he was previously deputy director and head of programs. He also served as director of policy support and program development for the Bratislava, Slovakia-based United Nations Development Programme’s Regional Development Centre for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. “I am looking forward to being a member of the Colin Powell School community, and to contributing to building a cadre of young leaders who are committed to change through social and political engagement and activism,” said Javan. Launched in 2023, the Leaders-in-Residence program brings together leaders in their fields who impart their wisdom and experience to Colin Powell students through teaching and mentoring. Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:57:56 -0400 /news/jafar-javan-colin-powell-schools-newest-leader-residence-brings-international-development https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/grove-schools-nywea-chapter-best-city Since 1929, the New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA), an organization of water quality professionals, has served the public by promoting sustainable water quality management through science, education, and training. This year, it’s awarded The City College of New York student chapter first place for outstanding performance among NYWEA college affiliates.   Comprising some 40 undergraduate and graduate students in CCNY’s Grove School of Engineering, the chapter was recognized at NYWEA’s 97th annual meeting in mid-Manhattan for its unrivaled approach to promoting knowledge about sustainable water quality management.  “We organize trips, seminars, workshops, and various events throughout the year,” said Krish Ramalingam, research director in the CCNY-NYCDEP Applied Research Program in the Grove School’s Department of Civil Engineering, and a chapter advisor. “Additionally, we engage in activities hosted by the NYWEA Metropolitan Chapter; offering CCNY students to network, continuing education, professional growth, leadership development, and connection to the professional water environment community. We are active on social media platforms also.”  Examples of CCNY-NYWEA Chapter trips include an outing to Governors Island in fall 2024, where they toured the Billion Oyster Project work site. They learned about the organization’s mission to restore New York Harbor and its water quality initiatives.    Also, in exploring broader water-related sustainability efforts, the chapter toured the Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility, a solid waste recycling center, and The Solaire, a LEED-certified residential building featuring its own wastewater treatment system and green roof.  In addition to field trips, the chapter provides professional development opportunities for students. Last December, professionals from Hazen and Sawyer led a resume workshop with CCNY-NYWEA to help students prepare for the oncoming job application season. More recently, the chapter hosted an alumni panel. It informed students about various career paths within the water and environmental fields, as well as how to strengthen their professional networks.   “Our chapter’s primary goal is to bring awareness of the immense potential that is available in the field of environmental engineering as it caters to students with multiple backgrounds including chemical, mechanical and bio-medical,” said Ramalingam. “Working in this field addresses questions and help innovate solutions that are existential in nature for our planet.”    Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:44:10 -0400 Jay Mwamba /news/grove-schools-nywea-chapter-best-city https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/ccny-celebrates-womens-history-month-2025 The City College of New York celebrates Women’s History Month with a multitude of events including a movie screening and lectures. Below is a list of this year’s events. The Jewish Studies Program in the Division of Humanities and the Arts will host a screening of the documentary film “93Queen” on Tues., March 11 at 12:30 p.m. in the NAC, Room 5/202, and pizza will be served. For any questions, email Amy Kratka at akratka@ccny.cuny.edu . The Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at CCNY's Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education presents "HerVerse: Celebrating Women’s Voices" on Thurs., March 13 from 6-7 p.m. at the CWE Auditorium. For more details and to RSVP, click here. The Black Studies Program, in the Division of Humanities and the Arts, and the CUNY Graduate Center presents "Choreographies of Survival: A Black Feminist Climate Conversation" with Tao Leigh Goffe, an associate professor of Africana, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at Hunter College, and Emily Raboteau, award-winning writer, climate activist and professor of English at CCNY. The talk takes place on Wed., March 19 from 6-8 p.m. in The Skylight Room at the CUNY Graduate Center. Register here. The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture is hosting “Chelina Odbert, Toward a Just Public Realm: Gender Equity in the Built Environment,” which is part of the spring 2025 Sciame Lecture Series, "Still Making Space for Gender," on Thurs., March 20 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Sciame Auditorium. The Alumni Association of CCNY, Student Life and Leadership Development in the Division of Student Affairs, CCNY Athletics and CCNY Gender Resources presents "A Portrait of Leadership and Empowerment: Panel Discussion" on Thurs., March 20 from 6-8 p.m. in the NAC Ballroom. Four panelists, including CCNY alumna Kyesha Ruffin, founder and CEO of Science in the City Inc., will be speaking. RSVP here. Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:13:49 -0500 Ashley Arocho /news/ccny-celebrates-womens-history-month-2025 https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/news/stem-educators-discuss-career-opportunities-ccny-school-education-panel Professionals from scientific and educational organizations shared their insights and experiences on a Science Engagement Career Panel, coordinated by the Science Learning and Public Engagement major in the School of Education at The City College of New York. Displaying a photo of herself as a toddler on the beach, Marieke Bender, an environmental educator at the Battery Park City Authority, acknowledged growing up as a “huge nature nerd” who wanted to work outside, so she studied environmental science. Marrying her love of the outdoors with her interest in New York City history, Bender eventually became a tour guide at Central Park. In her current position, she leads nature outings and field trips for diverse audiences, and creates lesson plans and design curricula for multiple programs. She also noted that she is looking to hire a seasonal team of educators. The renowned mathematician and retired professor Chaim Goodman-Strauss, who is now the outreach mathematician for the National Museum of Mathematics, said that MoMath, as it is known, “offers exciting programs for undergraduates and recent graduates passionate about mathematics.” Among them are: the Real Operational Outreach Training (ROOT) summer program for undergraduates majoring in math or a related field; the Exponent Fellowship for graduating math majors seeking professional experience in math outreach and education; and the Centroid Fellowship for graduating math or STEM majors interested in museum administration, and the intersection of math and education. Mayra Sanchez, an environmental educator at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, graduated from Hunter College with a dual degree in chemistry and environmental science, focusing on earth science systems. She then worked at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center before becoming a program manager and lead educator for the City Parks Foundation’s CityParks Green Girls program for girls and gender nonconforming students. She is also a member of the NASA Earth to Sky program’s Team New York City, serving as an informal educator in the city’s metropolitan area.  The event was co-sponsored by the City College Academy for Professional Preparation, the City College Initiative to Promote Academic Success in STEM, and the Division of Science and its Biology Department.  Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:07:40 -0500 /news/stem-educators-discuss-career-opportunities-ccny-school-education-panel