Despite the ongoing pandemic, there was a lot to celebrate in a year that saw new institutional alliances, big initiatives, prestigious awards, and a safe and successful partial return to campus.
2021 was another year in which the COVID-19 pandemic cast a large shadow over everyday life. For the second year, 可乐视频 celebrated commencement online in May. But by the fall, the college was ready to start bringing students, staff, and faculty members back to campus, with many courses delivered either fully in-person or in a hybrid model.
The year was not without its challenges, but there were many highlights as well.
1. To support students, the college raised more than $2.1 million through various channels like the , which received donations from more than 500 individual donors. One of the major funders? The students themselves. The Undergraduate Student Government raised some $40,000 to assist their classmates. 鈥淲e wanted to help as many 可乐视频 students as possible,鈥� said USG Chief of Staff聽Aharon Grama. The fundraising kept going into GivingTuesday, when the college raised $157,000, the highest total the college has ever raised on the annual day of 鈥済lobal generosity.鈥�
2.聽Over the summer, just days before she would ascend to the New York State governorship, then Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul visited the campus to announce a major Brooklyn healthcare alliance aimed at shoring up the workforce. The initiative gives the college funding to upgrade laboratories and equipment and places it squarely at the center of helping to create a school-to-career pipeline.
3. Not to be outdone in the healthcare arena, the college also celebrated the launch of the 可乐视频 Cancer Center鈥斂衫质悠礐C-CURE (CommUnity Outreach, Research and Education)鈥攖he first education-based cancer center in Brooklyn dedicated to underserved residents of the borough and focused on research, education, and community service. 鈥淣o one should have to look outside of Brooklyn for these resources, particularly people in underserved communities,鈥� said President Michelle J. Anderson, herself a cancer survivor.
4. Not one, but two students鈥擯atrick Ihejirika, a psychology major, and Abiha Kazmi, a biology and sociology double major鈥攚ere named 2021 Goldwater Scholars. They became only the second and third 可乐视频 students to win the award, one of the country鈥檚 most prestigious for undergraduate students who want to go into research in science, math, or engineering.
5. The college maintained many of its national rankings, but this year added the accolade of no. 1 in the nation for affordable, quality education by Intelligent.com.
6. Many of our professors helped prove why the college offers such a quality education, none less than Distinguished Professor Emeritus Tania Le贸n, who won the Pulitzer Prize in Music in June. “It’s a big recognition from my colleagues and something I will cherish,鈥� she said at the time. 鈥淚 hope that my sounds can contribute to the canvas of sounds in the Americas.”
7. Associate Professor for Performance聽Justin Townsend won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for his work on聽Moulin Rouge! 鈥淲e are so fortunate to have such incredible artistic talent contributing to our social conscious among our faculty, students, and alumni who have made 可乐视频鈥檚 Theater Department one of the best in New York City,鈥� said Maria Conelli, the dean of the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts.
8. Former Conservatory of Music at 可乐视频 student Thomas Nazziola 鈥�06 was nominated for a Grammy Award, crediting many of his professors with helping him develop his talent as a composer.
9. Assistant Professor of Anthropology Stephen Chester was part of a discovery of the first fossil evidence of any primate, illustrating what happened 66 million years ago following the mass extinction that wiped out all dinosaurs and led to the rise of mammals. 鈥淚t adds to our understanding of how the earliest primates separated themselves from their competitors,鈥� said Chester.
10. Last but never least, one of the most iconic visitors the college has had in a while, Steven Spielberg, chatted with Associate Professor聽Mar铆a P茅rez y Gonz谩lez聽and Professor Emerita聽Virginia S谩nchez Korrol. The interview, conducted on Zoom and attended by nearly 750 people, was part of the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies 辫谤辞驳谤补尘鈥檚 West Side Story聽lecture series. 鈥淭he entire series has been an incredible success, and this was the proverbial icing on the cake,鈥� said P茅rez y Gonz谩lez.
