CUNY Newswire

“CUNY Rising,” a rousing video produced by CUNY-TV that celebrates the role that more than $2 billion in philanthropy has played in the University’s transformation of the past decade, debuted at a January gala for more than 400 alumni and other friends, corporate and foundation partners, and institutional advancement officials. That philanthropy has supported scholarships, faculty hiring, facility construction and groundbreaking research. Keynoter William Macaulay (CCNY, honors, 1966) said that gratitude for the only college education he could afford had led him to underwrite what is now called Macaulay Honors College.

Composer and arranger Ray Santos, who has performed with giants Tito Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriguez in a career spanning more than half a century, says working with students is his greatest reward. Preparing somebody who has no experience to gain “a grasp of how to play this music — that’s really satisfying, ” says Santos, who teaches music at City College, where he also leads of the college’s Latin band.

Grilled, sliced, chili-rubbed rib eye steak, served with watercress and onions; handmade burrata with a variety of fillings; and pulled-pork sandwiches, were some of the signature dishes prepared by more than 20 celebrity chefs at the inaugural celebration of a brand-new kitchen, and scholarship fundraiser for the hospitality management program at New York City College of Technology. “The opportunity to come back to City Tech with some of New York’s best chefs to cook for our students, for our school, it’s a great one,” said Michael Lomonaco, City Tech alumnus and Executive Chef at Porter House New York.

Diana Romero, an associate professor at CUNY School of Public Health, explores how individuals who are not poor decide to start or not start a family.