When Jason Samuels, an Assistant Professor in BMCC’s Mathematics department, heard about the STaR Fellowship from a colleague last year, he decided to apply—and he’s so glad he did.

STaR stands for Service, Teaching, and Research, and fellowships are granted to those who possess a promising early career in mathematics education. The fellowship is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Samuels recently learned that he was one of 34 people—and the only community college professor—to receive a 2012 fellowship. This summer, he’ll further immerse himself in the world of math education, as he studies at a research institute in Park City, Utah.

STaR was designed, in part, to respond to the shortage of people with doctorates in mathematics education. Samuels completed his doctorate in 2010 at Columbia University.

Understanding math
“Many people don’t understand what math is about—it’s a way of thinking and problem solving,” said Samuels, who co-coaches the BMCC Math team. “It allows you to think in a logical way; not as a collection of arbitrary rules. I’ll oftentimes ask my calculus students, ‘How does this apply to the real world?’”

In Park City, Samuels expects to find “a greenhouse of ideas with math educators and researchers from different working groups.”

“I’m personally interested in learning more about Technology in Math Education and the Training of High School Math Teachers,” he said. “When I’m in Park City, the Park City Math Institute will be holding a conference there, which is great because they’re pretty prestigious.”

Samuels recently created a calculus curriculum reorganized around technology that is being utilized at BMCC and other schools, nationwide.

1 – 2 p.m. Reception and book signing for participating authors.

2 – 4 p.m. Panel One: Historical Perspectives:

Dr. Yohuru R. Williams, associate professor of African-American history, Fairfield University, moderator: “I Am Troy Davis: The Execution Narrative and the Politics of Race in 21st Century America.”

Dr. Donna Murch, associate professor of history, Rutgers University: “Towards a Social History of Crack: Drugs and Youth Culture in the Age of Reagan.”

Dr. Heather Thompson, associate professor of history, Temple University: “Ending Today’s Carceral Crisis: Lessons From History.”

Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, director, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: “Occupied Blackness: Urban Policing and the Inevitability of Stop and Frisk.”
 
4 – 6 p.m. Panel Two: Activists and the Exonerated Speak:

Dr. Johanna Fernandez, assistant professor of Black and Hispanic Studies, Baruch College, moderator: “The New Phase in the Struggle to Release Mumia.”

Javier Cardona, arts & education director, Rehabilitation Through The Arts: “Doing Hope: Applying the Arts to Rehearse and Re-Create Life Within And Outside Prison.”

Dr. Ruth Wilson Gilmore, professor of geography, CUNY Graduate Center: “The Popular Front Against Mass Incarceration: Movement, Perils, Prospects.”

King Downing, program analyst, American Friends Service Committee: “Doing Justice Work.”

Felix A. Navarro, Jr., Leaders Against Systemic Injustice (LASI), City College Student Organization: “Opening The Eyes Of The Youth.”

Vanessa Potkin, senior staff attorney, The Innocence Project: “Addressing Wrongful Convictions.”

Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, “Exonerees From The Central Park Jogger’s Case.”

6 – 7 p.m. Reception and book signing for participants.

For more information, contact Professor Venus Green, 212-650-8656,
vgreen@ccny.cuny.edu. To RSVP, please call 212-650-8117.

Carmel Delshad

Created by Jigar Mehta and Yasmin Elayat, the project aims to to discover the stories that have yet to be told through traditional media. There are thousands of Egyptians walking around with cell phone pictures, videos, and memories from the revolution and beyond — and the 18 Days of Egypt team seeks to find those stories.

Carmel began working with 18 Days in Egypt in mid-January as a reporting fellow, uploading stories from her previous summer interning in Egypt. Shortly after she arrived in Cairo, the team of six fellows (five reporters, one social media expert) fanned out of Tahrir Square on Jan. 25 and collected stories from average Egyptians on the one year anniversary of the uprising.

Stories ranged from a man who was attacked while praying in Alexandria on Jan. 28, 2011, the “Friday of Anger”, to V (of V for Vendetta fame) heading to Tahrir Square.

Powered by GroupStream, a new platform, the website marries virtually every kind of medium in one cohesive site: users can upload pictures and video, connect their Facebook statuses and Tweets, and add videos from YouTube or pictures from Flickr. It’s a one-stop media shop that enriches the tale of the Egyptian revolution.

Carmel says her time at the CUNY J-School prepared her for her role as a reporter at 18 Days in Egypt. Framing video interviews, live Tweeting events, collaborating with a larger team — everything she practiced in her 18 months at CUNY were put to good use in Cairo. Now in her new role as a community manager, overseeing the fellows in Egypt and working on partnerships with local groups, she has built upon the networking and organizational skills taught at CUNY to help this project reach a wider audience.

The group is currently looking to expand its fellowship program for an additional six months, to a total of 20 fellows reporting from all over Egypt. You can find out more on its Kickstarter page.