Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson is the 2024 recipient of the CCNY Alumni Association's John Finley award. Seven outstanding CCNY alum are Townsend Harris Medalists.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the noted astrophysicist and bestselling author, is the 2024 John H. Finley Award recipient. The award is given out by the Alumni Association of The City College of New York for exemplary and dedicated service to the City of New York. Click here for details and registration information.
In addition, the association is honoring seven CCNY alumni for outstanding post-graduate achievement. They’ll receive the Townsend Harris Medal at the 144th Annual Alumni Gala, at 6 p.m. on Nov. 7 in the Great Hall of Shepard Hall, at CCNY.
The Townsend Harris recipients are:
- Victor Almanzar ’12; a military veteran turned actor, his credits include shows such as Homeland, Empire, Blue Bloods, Chicago PD and High Maintenance.
- Gary Calnek ’67; helped create the NYC career path for minorities in the Emergency Medical Service, EMT and paramedic ambulance workforce, and was pivotal in establishing the School Construction Authority.
- Dr. John Gordon Harold ’77; Professor of Cardiology at the Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute; Past President of the American College of Cardiology; Emeritus Trustee American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation and past consultant to the United Nations World Health Organization.
- Jolyon Naegele ’76; a veteran journalist and author, he later became an international peacekeeper with the U.N. Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) in 2003, and was the mission’s first coordinator for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
- Charles Powell ’71; previously a litigator in Civil Rights and constitutional law, he assisted in the development and establishment of South Africa’s first democratic constitution. He’s president and CEO of New Origins Development Corporation.
- Art Stevens ’57; a distinguished leader in the public relations industry, he is managing partner of The Stevens Group, a mergers and acquisitions firm for public relations Agencies.
- Gail Konstantin Purchia ’74; a senior vice president of Wealth Management with UBS, she was named on the Forbes SHOOK list of Top Women Wealth Advisors in 2020.
Named after CCNY founder Townsend Harris, the medal was established in 1933 by the Class of 1906. Each year, the Alumni Association honors up to seven alumni for outstanding postgraduate achievement in their respective fields at the organization’s annual gala.
“It’s our privilege to host the 144th Annual Alumni Gala and bring together our incredible community once again,” said David Covington, Executive Director of the Alumni Association.
“Each year, we are continually impressed by our community’s commitment to success, as we watch our alumni consistently reach new heights and conquer any obstacles in their careers. I look forward to welcoming everyone back to campus to gather and share a meal together while fundraising to support our programs including student scholarships, mentorship, and more.”
Click here for more information and to register for this year’s ceremony.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. 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. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e:
jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu