(l to r, V. Mejia, R. Cazales, A. Akbar)

Engineers are always looking for a way to achieve maximum efficiency in their projects to benefit society. To that end, under the guidance of Professor Hamid Marandi, these three City Tech students presented their Solar Panel Battery Bank Charger project, which is a miniature scale of a large solar panel battery bank charger and can be used in homes for emergency power.

The project uses solar panels to convert sunlight energy to electrical energy, which in turn will charge six rechargeable batteries in series with a maximum output of about eight volts. The solar panels are posted on a platform made out of ABS material, which was 3D printed.

The panels can be rotated horizontally as well as vertically using two standard Servo Motors that are programmed using the Basic Stamp 2. The solar panels are connected to Analog/Digital converters in order to extract information from the solar panels.

The solar panel function is to simply charge the batteries after finding the maximum light source. The rechargeable batteries will be able to handle two loads. First, they will be able to provide sufficient voltage for a USB Hub, which can be used as a source of charging phones and other devices. The second load is a DC motor, which is attached to a fan. This fan is connected to a switch, which will allow it to turn on or off as well as a potentiometer, which will vary the fan speed.

Congratulations to these enterprising ETET students on their design as well as their presentation at a prestigious national expo. NSPE administrators will make award decisions later this summer.

City Tech Advertising Design & Graphic Arts students Elena Prokhortseva and Shayne Alexander participated on a team that won first place in The One Club’s Creative Boot Camp competition, held at Macaulay Honors College-CUNY from January 21-24, 2014. For the past four years, City Tech students have been on the first place teams.

“Start Small, Think Big” Campaign

The camp, co-sponsored by the New York City advertising agency giant BBDO, drew 90 students from a range of colleges and universities including Pratt, the Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY, the School of Visual Arts, a number of CUNY colleges as well as Virginia Commonwealth University.

A major component of The One Club mission is to educate and inspire students of the business and to benefit the next generation of creatives through scholarships, portfolio reviews, annual exhibitions and competitions. The One Club Creative Boot Camp is a diversity initiative with the goal of recruiting creative students from multicultural backgrounds who may not be aware of advertising or design as viable career options.

Led by creative directors and designers from across the U.S., The One Club Creative Boot Camp is an intensive four-day workshop that introduces students to the art of creating advertising for a client from initial concept through the final pitch. City Tech Professor Douglas Davis was invited to give an overview of advertising and the creative process to students on day one of the boot camp.

Davis emphasized the importance of the competition for City Tech students: “This is the perfect opportunity for students to practice the conceptual skills they gain at City Tech. As one of the few public avenues into advertising, we strive to attain parity with private schools. Access to competitions like this is key because they provide tangible evidence of parity despite the public/private resource gap.”

Prokhortseva and Alexander were randomly assigned to a team of six and were given the option of choosing one of two “problems” presented to all teams. The team chose “Start Small, Think Big”— a campaign to help to gain sponsors for small businesses using a vending machine concept.

The grand prize? Prokhortseva and Alexander won a highly coveted ten-week internship at BBDO this summer, along with the other four members of their team.

One Club is a professional organization for advertising professionals that was founded in 1975 and is based in New York. It is the world’s foremost non-profit organization for the recognition and promotion of excellence in advertising and design in all its forms.

City Tech (New York City College of Technology), of The City University of New York, is the largest four-year public college of technology in New York State and a national model for technological education. City Tech has an enrollment of nearly 17,000 students in 65 baccalaureate, associate, and specialized certificate programs.

Jamestown Fish Executive Chef and Partner Matthew MacCartney

“I’m humbled and inspired,” said MacCartney, when asked what it meant to him to win the award, “To be put into that group was amazing—not only were we nominated by Food & Wine but we were ‘seconded’ by the people who voted for us, and that was a very good feeling.”

MacCartney earned a B.Tech degree in Hospitality Management/Culinary Arts at City Tech and studied at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies in Birmingham, England. He also earned a Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in 2002, and in 2008 was published in Wine & Spirits magazine.

MacCartney credits City Tech faculty with his introduction to some of the best chefs in the world: “At the time I enrolled in City Tech, the elite culinary programs weren’t sending their students to Europe for apprenticeships. My professors had connections at some of the greatest restaurants in Europe and had the confidence in me to push me to go to France and Italy. ‘Don’t worry about the language,’ Professor Francis Lorenzini told me, ‘just get over there and start working in the kitchen.’ From the beginning, my career was set through those connections.”

Once in Europe things progressed quickly for MacCartney. He was still a teenager during his first apprenticeship at the two-star Michelin Hostellerie de Levernois in Burgundy and during his second apprenticeship at the three-star Michelin restaurant Michel Guérard. The opportunities kept coming.

In 1993, the president of Slow Food, Carlo Petrini, asked City Tech to choose a student to represent the school and partake in a three-week, full immersion in Piedmont, Italy, to study the wine and food of the Langhe. “I was chosen along with nine other Americans from schools such as the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and Cornell. That was the trip that sparked my love of wine, and, from then on, I began studying the subject in depth,” said MacCartney.

MacCartney has worked at the world renowned Cibrèo in Florence, Italy, and in the dining rooms and kitchens of New York’s finest establishments such as Restaurant Daniel, Gramercy Tavern, and Craft. He opened Craft in 2001 as the Beverage Director and was voted Best Wine Director in 2003 by the readers of TimeOut NY magazine.

Leo Caproni, a retired City Tech professor and one of MacCartney’s mentors, introduced MacCartney to the world-famous wine expert Kevin Zraly. “Matthew was one of the most outstanding students I’ve ever had. His work at the college was A-number one,” said Caproni. And Professor Julia Jordan recalled that “Matthew was eager and thirsty for opportunities beyond the classroom; by generously volunteering at city-wide food and tasting benefits, he ‘rubbed elbows’ with chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and farmers. Those experiences also helped him envision his dream.”

MacCartney believes in giving back and has strong ties to his alma mater. As a first-year student, MacCartney volunteered by doing the coat check for the first Chefs Celebrate City Tech, a scholarship fundraiser that features a tasting menu created by leading chefs. Just a few months ago, he volunteered at the most recent Chefs Celebrate event as one of those leading chefs, where he interacted with Hospitality Management students working the event—no doubt inspiring the next generation of culinary super-stars.

In addition to his role as executive chef, MacCartney is a partner at Jamestown Fish and has been involved since its inception in December 2011. He is also the restaurant’s wine director overseeing its 500-plus selection wine list. Jamestown Fish is a casually elegant Rhode Island restaurant serving a European-inspired seafood-based cuisine. In 2012 and 2013, Jamestown Fish won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, Rhode Island Monthly’s Best of Rhode Island in 2012, and numerous OpenTable Diners’ Choice awards.

“To be in such a small market in a small town, the odds were against us [to win the Food & Wine award]. But one of the things working in Europe taught me was that great restaurants can be in small towns, and, if you are doing a good job, folks will travel to you,” said MacCartney.

Jacinth Hanson, interim executive director of the SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center, which is administered by City Tech, was honored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on March 18 at Borough Hall as part of his office’s Women’s History Month celebration. Hanson was honored along with more than 20 other women who have made significant contributions to Brooklyn, and included businesswomen, NYPD officers, firefighters, religious leaders, educators, musicians, and elected officials.

“When I first heard that I had been nominated, I thought, ‘That’s nice,’ but when I got to the event and met the other women, I thought, ‘Wow, these are some great women doing meaningful work, and making a difference in Brooklyn.’ So, I was pleased to be recognized, but also honored to be included in such a fine group of women,” said Hanson.

In his opening remarks Adams said that “compassion is a gift that keeps on giving, and no one knows that more than the women we are honoring today.” This is certainly true of Hanson who has been working in the field of education, training and workforce development for 28 years, serving Brooklyn directly for the last 16 years. As the interim executive director of the SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center, she leads an organization that offers tuition-free training to eligible New Yorkers to provide a pathway to lifelong learning, college access and economic self-sufficiency.

Hanson has worked at all levels of training, from adult basic education to career and technical training, focusing on meeting people where they are and helping them connect to where they want to be. Hanson says that her “vision for Brooklyn is a borough where everyone has access to education and training, and the skills to gain employment that pays a livable wage.”

City Tech (New York City College of Technology), of The City University of New York, is the largest four-year public college of technology in New York State and a national model for technological education. City Tech has an enrollment of nearly 17,000 students in 65 baccalaureate, associate, and specialized certificate programs.

Major players in Brooklyn waterfront development, academics and policy-makers turned out for a conference sponsored by City Tech’s Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center (BWRC) and City College’s University Transportation Research Center on March 21 at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

“Has the Brooklyn Waterfront Gone Global—Again?” focused on the waterfront’s rich history and, in particular, the ways the global reach of the waterfront has changed over time. City Tech professor Richard Hanley, conference co-organizer and director of the BWRC, presented the question of the conference as past, present and future: the global role before the Civil War and during the Industrial Revolution, the recovering waterfront today, and the challenge of sea-level rise and climate change in the future.

“Container ships almost killed the Brooklyn waterfront. But now that Brooklyn is a global brand, and the borough has experienced a renaissance, it is an open question whether its reborn waterfront will once again have a global reach—and if it does, what will that look like?” said Hanley.

Dr. Russell Hotzler, president of City Tech, presented opening remarks and described the BWRC as a place that produces research that “inspires an expanded view of the world in which we live,” and where coursework has been developed for students not only at City Tech but at institutions across the country.

Conference speakers included Marc Levinson, author of The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger; Prithi Kanakamedala, curator, Brooklyn Historical Society; Philip Orton, Stevens Institute of Technology; Mary Habstritt, industrial and maritime historian; and Michael Marrella, NYC Department of Planning. Roland Lewis, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, moderated panel discussions with Regina Myer, Brooklyn Bridge Park; Thomas Epting, Uncommon Goods; Thomas Outerbridge, SIMS Metal Management Municipal Recycling; Christopher Tepper, Industry City; Alan Washington, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership; Elizabeth Yeampierre, Uprose; Andrew Genn, NYC Economic Development Corporation; and John Liantonio, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

From the slave trade to the industrial age and the introduction of the shipping container, historians and an economist described the Brooklyn waterfront’s early global impact. With the focus on how the Brooklyn waterfront has changed over time, Michael Marrella suggested we not only consider the physical changes but also the conceptual changes resulting from the evolution of the waterfront. “People all over the world are looking at Brooklyn differently,” claimed Marrella, citing the NY Times article about Parisian teenagers using the term “très Brooklyn” to describe something as “cool.”

Panelists represented a range of public and private development interests as well as a community-based perspective that advocated for the needs of residents who live in the newly developed waterfront areas. Professor Orton made concluding remarks based on his research on climate change, coastal ecosystem health and coastal flooding—all relevant to the future of the Brooklyn waterfront and an increasing part of city planning.

The Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center aims to raise awareness about critical issues facing Brooklyn’s waterfront through research, teaching, and public programming.

Richard Hanley, City Tech/BWRC and Daniella Romano, Brooklyn Navy Yard

City Tech (New York City College of Technology), of The City University of New York, is the largest four-year public college of technology in New York State and a national model for technological education. City Tech has an enrollment of nearly 17,000 students in 65 baccalaureate, associate, and specialized certificate programs.

New York City College of Technology second-semester freshman Joell Gomez is exceptionally polite and highly attentive – qualities nurtured by a loving mother who came to America from the Dominican Republic before Joell was born and taught her children well.

While it’s also fair to say that Joell is on the quiet side, he firmly believes that face-to-face interaction between people is preferable to the rapidly growing use of smart devices for everyday communication. His older brother, well aware of Joell’s preference, encouraged him to take a speech course during his first semester at City Tech to strengthen his oral skills.

According to City Tech Department of Humanities Adjunct Lecturer Gail Leinwall, Joell was a terrific student, one who applied himself in an exemplary manner to every aspect of the speech course she teaches and went on to take first place in the department’s Annual Speech Competition in December 2013.

In round one of that contest, Joell competed again 39 other students before a panel of 21 judges and was selected to go on to the final round where he took first place in a competition judged by Provost Bonne August, Arts & Sciences Dean Karl Botchway and Humanities Department Chair Ann Delilkan. That win took him to a CUNY-wide Student Speech Competition sponsored by The University’s League of Active Speech Professors and held at Kingsborough Community College in February 2014. He participated in the contest’s “Persuasive” category, where his presentation, “Disconnect,” earned him the Bronze Medal.

At the two competitions, Joell effectively argued that while smart devices are rapidly changing the way we interact, they are doing so at a price. Suggesting that our attachment to such devices has become a kind of addiction, he began by citing a Daily News article that reports that the average smartphone owner checks the device 150 times a day, or once every 6.5 minutes. He added that an hlntv.com study says that nearly three-quarters of American users are within five feet of their devices most of the time, and that a poll conducted by Time magazine reveals that 50 percent of those surveyed admitted to sleeping with their devices next to them, a practice that contributed to interrupted sleep.

Joell went on to ask the judges to picture themselves waiting to cross a street. “As you’re waiting, you take out your smart device to check a text, or perhaps to check your Facebook/Instagram. Without even noticing, you begin crossing the street while looking down at your device. Next thing you know, you’re waking up in a hospital bed. Turns out you were hit by a car.”

Joell next cited a study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington that shows that pedestrians who text are four times less likely to look before crossing the street, to cross in crosswalks or to observe traffic signals. He noted that more than 300,000 people are injured and 3,000 killed each year in accidents involving distracted drivers.

Joell reported that another study from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that 47 percent of the heaviest smart device users have subpar grades consisting of C’s or lower, are more likely to say that they are bored or sad or to get into trouble, do not get along well with their parents, and aren’t happy in school. With respect to social life, Joell observed that while he thought parties were for dancing, meeting new people and having a good time, too many people at parties he has attended spend the entire evening on their smart devices.

At the end of his presentation, Joell asked that people increase their disconnect from the world in which the overuse of smart devices has put them. “There’s a life out there that can have much to offer,” he concluded, “if you give it a shot.”

Joell was shocked to have won the City Tech competition and didn’t think he had a chance in the CUNY contest. “At Kingsborough,” he says, “the other students were very good in terms of the quality of their arguments and excellent speaking skills. I was completely surprised to be named the Bronze Medal winner, but more than surprised, I was humbled.”

Noting that Joell exhibits a very positive perspective on new situations and people, Leinwall says that while his manner is a bit reserved, he worked hard in her class to develop his oral skills and to master the art and science of public speaking. He is an intelligent young man, she adds, who came to her class with the talent to succeed; she just helped him acquire the tools. At the podium, Joell is a force to be reckoned with, and the students, faculty and staff of the Humanities Department are very proud of him, and Leinwall proud to have been his instructor.

As Joell, a liberal arts major, completes his freshman year, he hasn’t yet decided on a career path. “I love math and am very good at it,” he says, “so maybe I’ll change my major to finance or accounting and become a professional accountant or financial advisor.” Better watch out, PricewaterhouseCoopers!

On March 27, 2014, City Tech hosted a reception for Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW) Scholars. This annual event is a celebration of the achievements of student participants in the JFEW Scholars Program and an expression of the College’s appreciation for JFEW’s generous support.

Following introductory remarks by Kirsten Johansen (2nd year JFEW Scholar, Rad Tech) and those by Nazia Ahmad (1st year JFEW Scholar, Rad Tech), Artemis Artoun (1st year JFEW Scholar, Dental Hygiene), Liliya Harelik (1st year JFEW Scholar, Dental Hygiene), and Miriam Herskowitz, (2nd year JFEW Scholar, Dental Hygiene), those in attendance heard from City Tech Provost Bonne August and Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Advancement Stephen Soiffer, JFEW Executive Director Elizabeth Leiman Kraiem, and Alena Kastin, the College’s JFEW program officer, all of whom commended the student scholars on their academic achievement and the program for providing recipients with financial assistance to pursue their education and summer internships in their chosen fields.

The students expressed their gratitude to JFEW for the assistance provided and to their fellow JFEW Scholars for academic guidance and support. Many of the second year scholars, who will graduate in June 2014, hope to return as alumni to offer professional development guidance to future generations of JFEW Scholars.

In addition to those mentioned above, other students from both the first and second year cohorts of JFEW Scholars, the Rad Tech and Dental Hygiene department chairs who serve as faculty mentors, Nursing Professor Andrea Dopwell, who serves as faculty mentor for JFEW Scholars in the Department of Nursing, City Tech Foundation Executive Director Jewel Escobar, and JFEW Program Officer Stacey Winter also attended the reception.

New York City College of Technology (City Tech) will salute corporate and other “partners” at the 2014 Best of New York Award Dinner on Wednesday, May 14, in the Trianon Ballroom at the New York Hilton Midtown, Avenue of the Americans at 53rd Street in Manhattan. The evening will begin with a Guest of Honor Reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner and the award presentations at 7:15 p.m. City Tech graduate Michael Lomonaco ’84, celebrity chef and managing partner, Porter House New York at Time Warner Center, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

This year’s Best of New York Award honorees are Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 1 (IATSE), National Science Foundation, and Société Culinaire Philanthropique, all of which have long partnered with the College in furthering its mission as a major force in the development of skilled graduates ready for the high-tech careers that increasingly define the global economy. The 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award honoree is Allen Susser ’76, president & CEO, Chef Allen’s Consulting, and founding chef, Taste of the NFL.

Established in 1982, the Best of New York Award Dinner is hosted by the City Tech Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation chartered in 1981 to raise funds for the College. Proceeds from the annual dinner help fund foundation-sponsored scholarships and other student financial assistance and professional development programs. For tickets and additional information, call 718.260.5025.

On Thursday, May 15, 2014, President Russell K. Hotzler will honor distinguished employees at the 2014 Service Awards Reception to be held at St. James Cathedral Pavilion, 240 Jay Street (north of Tillary), Downtown Brooklyn. Congratulations to all recipients for their dedication and service to the College.
7 YEARS OF SERVICE

Mariano Alemany, Higher Education Officer, Campus Facilities
Aaron Barlow, Associate Professor, English
Steven Bear, Lecturer, English
Daniel Capruso, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences
Jennifer Carlo, IT Support Assistant, Human Resources
Wen-Yen Chao, Assistant to Higher Education Officer, Bursar
Yue Chen, Higher Education Assistant, Image & Visual Communications
Irene Dashevsky, EOC Lecturer, Academic Affairs
Anna (Hyunjoo) Do, Assistant Professor, English
Jeannette Espinoza-Sanchez, Assistant Professor, Law & Paralegal Studies
Emily Fleischman, CUNY Office Assistant Level 3, Vision Care Technology
Carole Harris, Assistant Professor, English
Delaram Kahrobaei, Associate Professor, Mathematics
Susan Lifrieri-Lowry, Lecturer, Hospitality Management
Robert Marshal, Campus Security Specialist Level 1, Public Safety
Ramon Moncada-Nunez, Higher Education Assistant, Assessment & Institutional Research
Portia Nelson, CUNY Office Assistant Level 3, Admissions
Patrick O’Halloran, Assistant Professor, Hospitality Management
Jonas Reitz, Associate Professor, Mathematics
Hector Rodriguez, Campus Peace Officer Level 1, Public Safety
Abubakar Tidal, Assistant Professor, Library
Felicia Wharton, EOC Lecturer (Doctoral), Academic Affairs
Huseyin Yuce, Associate Professor, Mathematics

8 YEARS OF SERVICE

George Ho, IT Assistant Level 2, Atrium Learning Center
Theresa Keane, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Jean Kubeck, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences
Susan Phillip, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management
Gerarda Shields, Associate Professor, Construction Management & Civil Engineering Technology
Zoya Vinokur, Assistant Professor, Radiologic Technology & Medical Imaging

15 YEARS OF SERVICE

Delores Archibal, Lecturer, Computer Systems Technology
Lloyd Carr, Associate Professor, Advertising Design & Graphic Arts
Eric Castro, Custodial Assistant, Buildings & Grounds
John Graham, Senior College Laboratory Technician, Computer Systems Technology
George Guida, Professor, English
John McVicker, Associate Professor, Advertising Design & Graphic Arts
Maria Pagano, Associate Professor, Social Sciences
Anthony Sena, Assistant Professor, Restorative Dentistry
Kimberly Strickler, Assistant Professor, Vision Care Technology
Pak Tong, IT Senior Associate Level 1, Computing Information Services
Rita Uddin, IT Computer Systems Manager, Computing Information Services

16 YEARS OF SERVICE

Karen Bonsignore, Associate Professor, Radiologic Technology & Medical Imaging
George Cox, Campus Peace Officer Level 2, Public Safety
Jacqueline Gaskin, CUNY Office Assistant Level 3, Hospitality Management
Maria Giuliani, Associate Professor, Advertising Design & Graphic Arts
Sandra Higgins, Higher Education Officer, Student Financial Aid
Frederick Love, Higher Education Associate, Bursar
Judith Myers, CUNY Office Assistant Level 3, Registrar
Jonathan Natov, Professor, Mathematics
Leatrice Primo, CUNY Office Assistant Level 3, Admissions
Hazel Sertima-Hall, Higher Education Assistant, Student Financial Aid
Alice Tucker, CUNY Administrative Assistant Level 1C, Student Life & Development

20 – 60 SEMESTER ADJUNCTS

Katie Albany (24), First Year Program and English
Austin Alexis (21), English
Toufik Ayoub (21), Mathematics
Graciela Bardallo-Vivero (22), Social Sciences
Nancye Barthelemy (23), Mathematics
Arthur Beckman (23) Advertising Design & Graphic Arts
Jane Brof (26), Mathematics
Jean Camillien (55), Mathematics
Joanna Campbell (27), Dental Hygiene
Norma Cruz (27), Mathematics
Nancy Ekelman (27), Dental Hygiene
Mary Gennuso (27), Social Sciences
Anthony Giuliani (26), Mechanical Engineering Technology
Mitchell Harris (25), Social Sciences
Susan Hein (22), Social Sciences
Virginia Knight (29), Humanities
Michael Makdisi (27), Electrical/Telecommunications Engineering Technology
Marcelle Massara-Coquignier (25), English
Robert Minolfo (21), Hospitality Management
Faith Occhiogrosso (24), Dental Hygiene
George Tani (22), Human Services
Frantz Theodore (27), Mathematics
Andrew Uwa (33), Mathematics
Patricia Williston (27), English
Phyllis Wolff (35), Mathematics

25 YEARS OF SERVICE

Doreen Beaton-Amsterda, CUNY Office Assistant Level 3, Construction Management & Civil Engineering Technology
Delorise Finerson, Higher Education Assistant, Office of the Dean, School of Professional Studies
Ramon Luciano-Martinez, Custodial Assistant, Buildings & Grounds
Carmen Palacio, CUNY Office Assistant Level 3, Electrical/Telecommunications Engineering Technology
Luis Rosas-Chiastla, Custodial Assistant, Buildings & Grounds
Marcia Wells, Higher Education Assistant, Student Financial Aid

35 YEARS OF SERVICE

Martin Turk, Higher Education Associate, Computer Center
David Zimmerman, Assistant Professor, Business

40 YEARS OF SERVICE

Madeline Harrow, Assistant Professor, Mathematics

(l to r: C. Thorpe, M. Diaz, S. Taggart, M. Donsky, C. McIlwain, D. Scannell, G. Cohen-Brown) Photo credit: Dorian Valentine

McIlwain, author of Death in Black and White: Death, Ritual and Family Ecology and an expert in the development of the African American funeral home industry, asked “What does culture matter when we talk about dying and burial rituals?” Starting with the slave trade, and the migration of a West African culture of death, McIlwain explained, African American burial and grieving practices gained significant cultural meaning.

Even though West African culture was as diverse as its number of tribes, slaves adhered to the general characteristics of death rituals so as not to upset the connection between the living, the newly dead and the ancestors. In general, African American practices focus on kinship, status of the deceased, the body and the public nature of both the burial and mourning. McIlwain believes that changes in or the derision of traditional African American death and burial practices contribute to the erosion of cultural meaning.

Shannon Taggart’s photography has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Forbes, Psychology Today and many other media outlets. She is the co-founder of the Observatory, an art and events space in Brooklyn. Taggart grew up in upstate New York near the town of Lily Vale, which is known for its large Spiritualist community. Spiritualism gained popularity in the mid-1800s, fueled by the Victorian interest in communicating with the dead.

Once she had photographed the Spiritualists, Taggart was inspired to study the beliefs and rituals of a Haitian Vodou group in her Brooklyn neighborhood. Taggart describes her work with the Spiritualists and Vodou practitioners as “navigating the line between art and anthropology.” She showed photographs of mediums and those possessed engaging in “spiritual performance art,” claiming “both groups believe they are contributing to their community through these healing rituals.”

City Tech professor Mery Diaz pointed out that many in the audience are studying to work with diverse populations in allied health; she asked both panelists what the audience should take away from their presentation. “We should focus on culture as opposed to rationality,” said McIlwain. “Don’t question or be dismissive, rituals that may not make sense to you have meaning for these people.”

Taggart agreed: “Be open-minded to other people’s beliefs. That’s what I try to do with my photography. I want to open a dialogue—to start a conversation—about differences.”

City Tech’s NEH Comparative Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Healing Grant Fellows: Gwen Cohen-Brown, Sandra Cheng, Mery Diaz, Mary Sue Donsky (director of grant), Aida Egues, Barbara Grumet, Lisa Pope Fischer, Roxana Delbene Grossi, Laina Karthikeyan, Elaine Leinung, Kara Pasner, Denise Scannell, and Shauna Vey.

City Tech’s Department of Hospitality Management, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC-NY) and the Brooklyn Food Coalition sponsored the “Justice and Sustainability in Restaurants” panel discussion on April 28 at the College as part of the first-ever NYC High Road Restaurant Week. Panelists included Catherine May Saillard, owner of Ici, farm-to-table restaurant; Colt Taylor, chef of One if by Land, Two if by Sea; George Constantinou, chef and owner of Bogota Latin Bistro; and Daisy Chung, executive director of ROC-NY. Nancy Romer, founder of the Brooklyn Food Coalition and a Brooklyn College professor, made the opening remarks.

While awareness of the sustainable food movement around issues of animal welfare, organic and green foods is growing among restaurants and consumers, sustainable employment practices in the restaurant industry are still an invisible aspect of the conversation. As part of the High Road Restaurant Week discussions, restaurateurs and food activists on the panel shared their experiences and challenges implementing sustainable employment practices.

Chung started the discussion by emphasizing the goal of the High Road project: “We want to achieve one simple objective—improve the working conditions in the restaurant industry, an industry that is marked by exploitative practices. To do this, we need to engage every stakeholder, employers, employees and consumers.” The other panelists—all restaurateurs—agreed, and talked specifically about how they do this in their business practices.

Saillard, who grew up in the French countryside with a grandmother who had a garden “the size of a football field,” said that after working in the industry for a number of years, she wanted to return to her roots. She honors her grandmother in her philosophy toward food, which is reflected in the local and sustainable food she serves at Ici. “When you start caring about food that deeply, you can’t help but to care about the people too,” said Saillard.

Taylor and Constantinou talked about how their values are translated into good business practices by paying their non-tip employees $11 an hour, which, even though higher than most restaurants, is more profitable for their businesses because their employees stay longer. Constantinou has instituted a daily “family meal” at his restaurant and has found that it generates creative discussion about new menu items. He has also organized day care for his employees. Taylor sets up competitions for his employees with cash prizes and gift certificates and said, “It’s important to value your employees and to make an effort to get to know them.”

The panelists emphasized that while it is necessary to change policy regarding how employees are treated in the food industry, it is even more important to change the culture. “We have a duty to our employees and customers to treat people with respect,” said Constantinou. “We are all working to make sure this culture change happens as the next generation comes through the industry.”

It was fitting, then, that the panel discussion was hosted by City Tech’s Department of Hospitality Management since the College is educating the next generation of hospitality leaders. More than 30 students from the department’s Hospitality Workplace Management and Professional Alliances courses were in attendance and actively engaged in discussions with the panelists.

The New York High Road Restaurant Week is a celebration of culinary mastery and good labor practices in the restaurant industry. For more information visit www.highroadny.org.

l to r: G. Constantinou, C. Taylor, C. Saillard, D. Chung

students and professors at competition

Students chose physics problems from one of two tracks: mechanics or electricity and magnetism. They spent the morning working on theoretical problems such as calculating the geostationary orbit of a GPS satellite or estimating how many helium-filled balloons would be needed to lift one’s weight. After breaking for a lunch of pizza, the afternoon was dedicated to figuring out solutions to experimental problems.

One student participant said the problems are good practice for what they might have to do as part of an internship interview or an interview for a full-time, permanent position in a technical field. He said that he was thankful to be able to put his participation in the competition on his resume.

Krym explained that “the experimental activities are designed so that students cannot simply follow procedure—they must create the procedure. This is their introduction to research.” Kezerashvili agreed and said “research can be very creative work in that we learn to apply our knowledge to something unfamiliar. And these are open-ended problems—we can infinitely improve the results. It’s important for students to learn this.”

Five City Tech students won prizes for their problem-solving skills: Elliot Raskin won first place ($200), Angela Oei and Joshua Grillasca shared second place ($150 each), and Alpha Bah and Mamadou Dione shared third place ($100 each).

“This competition is a new experience for us. We are doing it for the first time today and we hope that it will continue,” said Grigorenko. “Inspired by the success of the competition, we plan to make it CUNY-wide.”

The City Tech Center for Theoretical Physics (CTP) is a subsidiary of the Physics Department and is a unified research and teaching center focused on fundamental physics. The primary mission of the CTP is to foster and promote excellence in theoretical physics research with significant focus on mathematical physics, computational physics, condensed matter physics, particle physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics. The CTP also aims to educate graduate and undergraduate students in theoretical and computational physics and to communicate its activities to the general public through public lectures and other outreach activities.

Professor Masato Nakamura

Panelists included Chuck Westfall, technical advisor, Canon USA; Terrence Brady, chief legal officer, Underwriters Laboratories; City Tech Professor Masato Nakamura, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Industrial Design Technology; Mary Beth Quirk, consumer affairs specialist; and Frank Cullen, Jr., executive director of U.S. Intellectual Property Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. City Tech Associate Provost Pamela Brown was the moderator.

“Most American consumers are unaware of the full risks associated with these potentially dangerous devices. Four in ten of the U.S. consumers surveyed don’t know counterfeit consumer electronics can harm them, and this lack of awareness leads to what Canon calls a ‘Confidence Trap’,” said Westfall. “Based on Canon’s survey, consumers seem overconfident in their ability to spot a fake, and as a result, are at risk of possible harm.”

City Tech student Pirvette Lee pointed out that “counterfeit tech carries significantly higher consequences than a fake Rolex or hastily copied handbag. A phony app can infect your company’s devices with malware, opening the door for damage.” United Laboratories’ Brady added, “The knock-off purse is an important crime, but the knock-off charger that can burn your house down or kill you is where our focus is.”

Counterfeiting and piracy also undermine economic development. According to the International Chamber of Commerce, the massive infiltration of counterfeit and pirated goods drains $1 trillion from the global economy and robs over 2.5 million jobs. While unsafe and ineffective products pose a risk to millions of consumers, governments, businesses and society are being robbed of hundreds of billions in tax revenues, income and jobs.

Canon USA focuses on four main areas in its anti-counterfeiting initiatives: partnering with industry and government authorities, training relevant stakeholders, working with anti-counterfeit experts, and assisting local authorities.

Education is key to stopping counterfeiting, which is why Canon partnered with City Tech, the largest public college of technology in New York State and a model for technological education.

“We’re a tech college and have a lot of engineering technology students. It’s very important to teach ethics as part of the curriculum since students in engineering technology can work to be a part of the solution,” said Nakamura. “For instance, the development of reverse engineering as well as a combination of 3D scanners and printers makes it easier to analyze products. Students who gain skills in reverse engineering and also understand anti-counterfeiting technology can make a difference.”

Educating consumers is Quirk’s focus and she emphasized the importance of doing research before purchasing a product. “It’s a benefit to any company to do something as simple as having a customer service center or making the resources available for consumers to do research before they buy.”

“This event at City Tech is a great opportunity to get perspectives from some of the most important people who have an interest in or knowledge about this issue,” said Westfall.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc., ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2013 and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2014. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes.

City Tech (New York City College of Technology), of The City University of New York, is the largest four-year public college of technology in New York State and a national model for technological education. City Tech has an enrollment of nearly 17,000 students in 65 baccalaureate, associate and specialized certificate programs.

View conference highlights at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehEL3DwoYOk

top, l to r: Martin Jaffe, City Tech Foundation; Allen Susser; James Claffey, Jr., Local 1 (IATSE); President Russell Hotzler; Dr. Robert Tribble, Brookhaven; Michael Lomonaco; bottom, l to r: Yves Busnel, Société Culinaire Philanthropique; Dr. Susan Singer, National Science Foundation; David Ehrenberg, Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Photo Credit: Ken Brown

Honorees were Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 1, National Science Foundation, and Société Culinaire Philanthropique, all of which have long partnered with the College in furthering its mission to develop skilled graduates ready for the high-tech careers that increasingly define the global economy.

The 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to City Tech graduate Allen Susser, president & CEO, Chef Allen’s Consulting, and founding chef, Taste of the NFL, which has raised millions of dollars to fight hunger.

Susser graduated in 1976 from City Tech’s award-winning hospitality management program. He earned a baccalaureate in hospitality from Florida International University, and worked in the kitchens of Le Bristol Hotel in Paris and Le Cirque in New York before becoming a seminal figure in New American cuisine in Miami.

In addition to his skills as a chef, Susser is known for his humanitarian work. In 1992, he hosted a Hurricane Andrew relief effort that raised money for food and water for victims of the hurricane. Again, after Hurricane Katrina, he followed up on several initiatives to help the people of New Orleans and also organized efforts to raise money for the victims of the earthquake that devastated Haiti, among other relief projects. A longtime chairman of Taste of the Nation/Share Our Strength, Susser has helped raise millions for South Florida’s needy.

Susser’s many honors include an honorary doctorate of culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University; the Torch Award for Leadership from Florida International University; the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast; the James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award; the Zagat Survey for Best Restaurant for Food in Miami for four years in a row; and Gourmet magazine’s Top Table Award in South Florida.

First held in 1982, the Best of New York Dinner Award is hosted by the City Tech Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation chartered in 1981 to raise funds for the College. Proceeds from the annual dinner help fund foundation-sponsored scholarships and other student financial assistance and professional development programs.

Hospitality Management Professor Lynda Dias was one of a number of professionals recently quoted in a Wallethub.com study on the 100 best summer domestic honeymoon destinations for newlyweds. The study was based on 13 key metrics which collectively speak to the affordability, weather conditions, romanticism and activities that each location brings to the table. To view the full report, visit http://wallethub.com/edu/best-honeymoon-destinations/4055/.

“Briefly,” said Dias, “honeymooners should consider using travel agents, who typically are excellent at getting upgrades and really can negotiate honeymoon packages! They are the experts!!!

“For those booking on their own, consider several destinations for their budget and price the entire package out first. Use Orbitz or Kayak (similar online booking engines will offer promo codes or points).

“Often hotels will partner with the airlines and will include transfers,” Dias went on to say, “honeymoons become expensive when the budget does not include food, activities, taxes, etc. Be flexible in their travel dates and check out the events and ‘seasons’ in their destination, which will affect the price considerably.

“Most important, let hotels know you are celebrating your honeymoon; we love to celebrate momentous occasions with our guests. Hotels will often upgrade and send additional amenities.”

Lynda Dias has more than 20 years hospitality management experience, including serving in senior executive management positions in luxury hotels and providing consulting services to several internationally recognized lodging brands. Professor Dias teaches Perspectives in Hospitality Management, Professional Alliances, Executive Housekeeping Principles, and Hospitality Management Internship. She is the Scholarship Chair, Faculty Advisor to the Spoons Across America Club and a member of the Professional Development Advisory Council. She serves on the James Beard Foundation’s Scholarship National Selection Committee and on the Board of Trustees for Spoons Across America.

Professor Anthony Cioffi, chair of City Tech’s Department of Construction Management & Civil Engineering Technology, is the 2014 recipient of the Thomas C. Kavanagh Service Award, which is presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Metropolitan Section. This award recognizes a civil engineer who has rendered exceptional service and dedication to the profession.

The award is named after Dr. Thomas C. Kavanagh (1912-1978), a professor at Penn State University, New York University and Columbia University as well as a partner with the consulting firm of Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury. Kavanagh was actively involved with dozens of professional societies, helped to found the National Academy of Engineering, and authored more than 100 technical publications. He was responsible for creating the Met Section Structures Group and also served as president of the ASCE Met Section.

Cioffi is a licensed professional engineer with more than 32 years of experience in the private sector mainly as a geotechnical engineer for projects encompassing highways, bridges, commercial buildings and institutional facilities. He has substantial experience in the areas of project management, residential construction, and foundation engineering, subsurface analysis, subsurface borings, design of residential and commercial additions, prefabricated and cast-in place retaining walls, bulkheads, foundation assessment and analysis, structural design and field inspections. His construction experience includes pile inspection, sanitary lines, drainage systems, embankments, rail facilities and pre-fabricated homes.

For the past fourteen years, Cioffi has served on the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Metropolitan (Met) Section Board in various capacities. He is most notably a Region 1 Governor and past President of the ASCE Met Section (2010-2011) and the Lower Hudson Valley Branch of the Met Section (2005-2006). Cioffi is also a certified examiner for the American Concrete Institute–Field Inspection of Fresh Concrete Level 1.

Actively engaged in academia, Cioffi developed new curricula and has engaged up-and-coming engineers in the overall planning, development, coordination and implementation of educational programs at New York City high schools and colleges. Professor Cioffi is often featured as a guest speaker/presenter at conferences, local high schools, colleges and international engineering associations.

Cioffi received his A.A.S. degree in construction technology at City Tech. He went on to earn a B.C.E. degree and an M.C.E. degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College.

First Place Team: Mokhtari, Babkin, Kula.

The contest provides an opportunity for students to present their work and receive feedback from international industry representatives. At the same time, students improve their skills and face new challenges in developing projects using the latest technologies.

The winning City Tech team—Eugene Babkin, Bijan Mokhtari and Angjelo Kuka—developed TOBiAS (Tele-Operated Bi-Manual Augmented System), a virtual reality-style immersive experience that allows human input to dictate the movement of a remote robotic torso. The Control Unit is the heart of TOBiAS and is a wearable control mechatronic device in which the user sits and is able to control the robot.

The control of the robot is unlike conventional control interfaces where the operator manipulates joysticks, pedals, levers and buttons to move the robot. TOBiAS reads the movement of the operator sitting inside it and mirrors the movements. Somewhat similar to an exo-suit, the operator straps the control arms and gloves to his/her arms, wears the helmet and controls the robot.

The hand-control units on TOBiAS were made with 3-D printer technology. Applications include nuclear clean-up, explosive handling and disposal, and exploration of unknown territories.

The third place City Tech team—Washington Sarmiento, Elvin Bautista and Gin Pena—are all Computer Engineering Technology majors. They developed the Elderly Independence project, which offers safer living for the elderly through a system of pulse monitoring that detects abnormal heart rates. A fall, for instance, can be reflected in pulse rate, and through IR emitters and transceivers, the hospital can send assistance. This technology also detects poisonous gas and can trigger a ventilation system within the home.

The first-place team members represent City Tech’s Department of Computer Engineering Technology and the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology and will be competing in the 2014 Digilent Worldwide Design Contest in Shanghai, China.

City Tech professors Andy Zhang, Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Yu Wang, Farrukh Zia, Xiaohai Li and Ohbong Kwon, Department of Civil Engineering Technology, served as faculty advisors.

President Hotzler & Valedictorian Maritza Lopez

As a child, Lopez helped her mother collect recyclable bottles to make ends meet. Her biological father was an abusive drug user who abandoned his family. Despite being ostracized by classmates as a “garbage collector,” despite the absence of her father, despite poverty, Maritza recalled that through it all her mother modeled strength: “So I held my head high; I am unashamed and undeterred. Being poor or homeless are not things that define who I am, but they are what made me self-reliant, hardworking and resilient.”

Lopez, who earned a baccalaureate degree in Health Services Administration, not only overcame her challenges, she excelled. Her story impressed and inspired City Tech’s 1,400 graduates attending the College’s 74th commencement exercises on June 3 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.

“The greatest gift I take away from being a student at City Tech is the luxury of understanding that I am not a product of my circumstances. Instead, I can pave my own path,” said Lopez.

CUNY Vice Chancellor for Research Gillian Small brought greetings from Chancellor James B. Milliken and praised President Hotzler and City Tech faculty for their commitment to teaching as well as enhancing student participation in research. Lucas Almonte, City Tech SGA president, spoke about the importance of living in the present while preparing for what the future holds—after taking a “selfie” from the podium with the graduates in the background.

Dr. Cora Marrett, deputy director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), gave the commencement address, which began with a message of gratitude: “Thank you, City Tech graduates, on behalf of all Americans who stand to benefit from your education.”

Marrett led NSF’s mission to achieve excellence in U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education at all levels. And in her address, she emphasized the importance of technology and innovation to stay competitive in the global marketplace. “City Tech graduates expand the talent that contributes to a global storehouse of knowledge in an international realm with which we are inextricably linked,” said Marrett.

Stressing the importance of diversity, Marrett called City Tech a “beacon of opportunity” and said “the National Science Foundation is proud to be a partner with City Tech in diversity. It is by no means an elusive goal.

“With one foot in the present and one foot in the future, your knowledge is useful for challenges not yet known. Thank you, City Tech graduates, for developing skills for now and the future, for our nation and beyond,” said Marrett.

President Hotzler acknowledged the Class of 2014 salutatorian (second in class) Milica Jevtic, who earned a baccalaureate degree in computer systems, and is a published author and international karate champion. Jevtic plans to pursue a doctorate that would allow her to combine her passions for technology, art, science and business.

Provost Bonne August presented the candidates for graduation and as soon as President Hotzler finished conferring their degrees, confetti in the City Tech colors of blue and gold rained down on the graduates, bringing a roaring cheer from the crowd.

Among the individuals who contributed to making this commencement a memorable day was soprano Teresa Parker, City Tech’s director of testing, who sang “The National Anthem” and Brian McKnight’s “Win.” City Tech Professor Rabbi Martin Garfinkle delivered the invocation, The Honorable Brian D. Obergfell, a CUNY Board of Trustees member brought trustee greetings, and David Barthold, president of the City Tech Alumni Association welcomed new graduates into the association.

For the first time in the history of the College, baccalaureate graduates (1,291) outnumbered associate graduates (1,257), which is the result of the addition of several new BS and BTech degree programs during the past ten years.

Link to “Happy” graduation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLDOPPxGdxM

Ninth Edition of ‘City Tech Writer’ Now Online

The 9th edition of City Tech Writer, featuring distinguished undergraduate writing from across the disciplines, is now online at http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/files/academics/ctw9.pdf.

The fourteen disciplines represented this year are Mathematics, Biological Sciences, Vision Care Technology, English, Physics, Computer Engineering Technology, Human Services, Hospitality Management, Computer Systems Technology, Library, Speech, Psychology, Advertising Design, and Legal Studies.

President Hotzler hosted a well-attended reception on May 1 to honor the thirty-eight students whose writing appears in the 2014 volume and their professors. The celebration featured a “sprint” through the 120-page journal with students reading brief excerpts of their essays on subjects ranging from number theory and data mining to the literature of Flannery O’Connor and Junot Díaz. Associate Provost Pam Brown spoke about the importance of writing in all fields for advancement in the professions.

Since the journal’s first volume in 2006, English Department Professor Jane Mushabac has served as editor-in-chief, and Professor Lloyd Carr of the College’s Graphic Arts Program as art director. The cover design for the 9th edition was by Advertising Design & Graphic Arts students Kwame Asenso, Marc Padmore, Johnny Santana, and Christian Santiago.

“City Tech writers take us to the mountains of Algeria, a Texas Interstate in a storm, a quasar 12 billion light years away, a Brownsville Community Board meeting, an airport in tropical Guinea Conakry, and a kitchen table where women from Barbados tell their stories,” writes Professor Mushabac in her Preface.

She adds: “In Volume 9 we think about cross platform apps and ballpoint pens. We read about film noir and Aristotle. We read about bioinformatics and cancer, and cyber diplomacy and soft power. We consider online recruiters, and how to get a job. We think about fathers and sons and mothers and daughters.”

Professor Janet Liou-Mark was recently honored with the 2014 Metropolitan New York Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Distinguished Teaching Award. Elena Goloubeca, chair-elect, MAA, presented her with the award at the annual meeting at Nassau Community College, May 3, 2014.

Liou-Mark is an active scholar and dedicated educator with a remarkable record of achievement. Her research in the implementation of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) workshops in mathematics earned her the 2011 CUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mathematics Instruction.

Liou-Mark started the PLTL program in mathematics at City Tech in Fall 2006, and the program is now expanding to other STEM areas with the help of Dr. A.E. Dreyfuss, a learning specialist. Of the 74 peer leaders trained in the program since its inception, all have graduated or persisted in STEM majors or liberal arts and science. Approximately 74.3% of all the peer leaders have made oral or poster presentations at national and regional STEM conferences. As a result of this peer leadership experience, four of the underrepresented minority peer leaders have co-authored articles with their mentors in peer-reviewed journals.

Professor Janet Liou-Mark (right) being presented her award by Elena Goloubeva (left).

Liou-Mark is the co-PI for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Math Science Partnership “MSP in NYC 2 – A New Partnership to Transform Urban Secondary School Mathematics and Science Experience,” where she is designing a Bridge-to-College Pipeline program using collaborative and peer strategies for entering first-year college Teaching Assistant Scholars majoring in a STEM field (2011-2016).

Liou-Mark is also the co-PI for an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant titled “Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Satellite and Ground-Based Remote Sensing at NOAA-CREST-2” (2011-2015). She is currently the elected Vice Chair for Four-Year Colleges for the Mathematical Association of America Metro-New York section serving a three-year term (2012 – 2015). She has published and presented her research with students at various national and regional conferences.