Leymah Gbowee

Gbowee, whose leadership of a nonviolent women’s movement helped end Liberia’s civil war, was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her work advancing peace, democracy, and women’s rights. She serves as a key leader and co-founder of the Institute on Gender, Law, and Transformative Peace, a joint initiative established in fall 2023 between 可乐视频 and CUNY School of Law. Ekiyor is a respected advocate for economic empowerment, social justice, and sustainable development across Africa and beyond. Together, they have spent decades advancing peacebuilding efforts and expanding opportunities for women and communities around the world.

Thelma Ekiyor

In a timely discussion moderated by President Anderson, Gbowee and Ekiyor will share insights from their personal and professional journeys, explore the challenges and opportunities facing global leaders today, and discuss the power of collective action to drive meaningful change.

The Presidential Lecture Series reflects 可乐视频’s commitment to exposing students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members to bold ideas, courageous leadership, and thoughtful dialogue on issues that shape our world. All members of the college community are encouraged to attend this special event.

Please register for this event.

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 12:30 p.m.
Location: Claire Tow Theater, in the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts

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The English Language and Literature graduate was a published poet, a Broadway enthusiast, and lover of books and music.

鈥淜ayla was a bright star who shared her talents and jovial spirit with staff and students alike,鈥� said Randall Clarke, director of the SEEK program. 鈥淪he improved 可乐视频 SEEK’s social media presence and the quality of our events. We will forever miss her.鈥�

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The program is recognized as one of New York City鈥檚 premier artist residencies, providing artists with dedicated studio space and opportunities to engage with curators, critics, and arts professionals. Maxey, who teaches painting, joins an accomplished cohort of emerging and established artists selected by a jury of distinguished contemporary artists.

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Beginning September 10, the artist duo will present , a solo exhibition at New York City’s renowned bitforms gallery. On view through October 10, the exhibition brings together sculpture, video, and installation works that examine how vision is shaped and mediated through lenses, cameras, projections, and machine-learning technologies. Continuing the McCoys’ long-standing investigation of image-making and perception, the exhibition explores the systems and tools that influence how we see and interpret the world.

The McCoys’ work will also be celebrated in a special exhibition at Hudson Valley Community College’s Teaching Gallery. The exhibition showcases selected moving-image works from the artists’ distinguished careers and offers audiences an opportunity to engage with their innovative approach to film, media, and contemporary art.

An for the exhibition will take place in September, followed by a public artist talk in which Jennifer and Kevin McCoy will discuss their artistic practice, creative process, and the evolving relationship between technology and visual culture. These events provide a unique opportunity for students, artists, and community members to hear directly from two leading voices in the field of new media art.

Adding to this impressive season, the McCoys are also among the artists included in the a landmark exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of the museum’s groundbreaking online gallery for net art. Featuring more than 100 commissioned works, the exhibition traces the evolution of internet-based art and highlights artists who have shaped the medium over the past quarter century.

Through these significant exhibitions and public programs, McCoy continues to advance conversations around art, technology, and contemporary media while bringing national recognition to 可乐视频’s Department of Art.

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The undergraduate Earth and Environmental Sciences course EESC 4350: Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture combines classroom instruction in aquatic ecosystem science, fish biology, and seafood management with hands-on learning. Throughout the semester, students design, establish, and maintain an aquaculture system at AREAC, gaining practical experience with the biological, environmental, and operational aspects of sustainable seafood production.

The course introduces students to the complex systems that support global fisheries and aquaculture while highlighting career opportunities in aquatic science, environmental management, and conservation. By connecting scientific theory with real-world application, EESC 4350 provides students with valuable skills and a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the seafood industry.

The inaugural offering of the course in spring 2026 was a resounding success, thanks to an enthusiastic and engaged cohort of students. AREAC plans to offer the course annually each spring, continuing its commitment to experiential learning and workforce development in aquatic and environmental science.

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The recognition marks another milestone for, an ongoing multimedia project exploring the artistic and cultural impact of drag performance. Since launching in 2019, the project has become one of the nation鈥檚 most extensive digital archives of drag performance, documenting more than 375 performances by over 200 artists across generations, regions, and creative disciplines.

Rampleman, a Brooklyn-based artist, archivist, and cultural anthropologist, recently mounted a major solo exhibition of Life is Drag at SoMad, a femme- and queer-led multidisciplinary arts space in New York City. The exhibition, presented as the culmination of her yearlong residency, featured 25 new high-definition video portraits spotlighting 12 artists working in neo-burlesque and experimental drag.

“Life is Drag” by Rachel Rampleman

Combining documentary filmmaking, video art, and ethnographic research, Life is Drag examines drag as a dynamic and interdisciplinary art form. Through video portraits and interviews, participating artists reflect on performance, gender expression, community building, and creative practice. Featured performers include multidisciplinary artist Amygdala, drag and burlesque performer Divina GranSparkle, community organizer Julie J., and King of Drag season one winner King Molasses.

Rampleman earned her M.F.A. in studio art from New York University in 2006. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, CNN, Artnet, The Advocate, OUT, Hyperallergic, and Gothamist, among others. Her art has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues including the Shanghai Biennale, C/O Berlin, La MaMa, BAM, the Carnegie Museum of Art, The Andy Warhol Museum, and The American LGBTQ+ Museum.

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Devorah Kletenik.

The collaborative initiative, conducted with Associate Professor Rachel F. Adler of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, aims to identify challenges in teaching and learning about digital accessibility; enhance and evaluate educational resources, including games and interactive assignments; and build a supportive community of practice for instructors.

The IMPACT project seeks to strengthen accessibility education in computing and help prepare students to create more inclusive digital technologies.

More information about the award is available through the NSF .

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This distinguished appointment marks a major milestone for the school and underscores 可乐视频鈥檚 commitment to advancing scientific research, exceptional teaching, and student mentorship. Established through a generous gift from molecular and cellular biologist Chafen Lu, the endowed professorship honors her former mentor, 可乐视频 Professor Emeritus Peter Lipke, and his wife, Anne Lipke, whose longstanding dedication to education, supporting diversity, and scientific inquiry has left an enduring impact on the college community.

(From left) Timothy Springer (Chafen Lu鈥檚 husband), Chafen Lu, Peter Lipke, Anne Lipke, 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson, and Dean for the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences Peter Tolias celebrated the launching of the Peter and Anne Lipke Professorship in January of this year.

可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson praised the appointment, noting the vital role endowed faculty positions play in strengthening the college鈥檚 mission.

鈥淲e extend our thanks to Chafen Lu for her generosity, inspired by her mentor Peter Lipke and his wife, Anne,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淗er support ensures that scholars like Professor Yetnikoff have the resources they need to advance research, mentor students, and shape the future of their disciplines.鈥�

As the inaugural Peter and Anne Lipke Endowed Professor, Yetnikoff will expand her research program while creating new opportunities for 可乐视频 students to participate in hands-on scientific discovery. Her laboratory has long served as a training ground for undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom have gone on to competitive doctoral programs and careers in neuroscience, psychology, and medicine.

“I am excited and extremely honored to have been selected for this position, which is itself a testament to the impact Peter and Anne Lipke had on 可乐视频 and the entire CUNY community,鈥� Yetnikoff said. 鈥淢y greatest hope is to continue Peter and Anne’s legacy of providing exceptional mentorship to students through my research and teaching activities.”

The endowment will strengthen those efforts by supporting student research positions, providing access to advanced laboratory equipment, and fostering new collaborations across CUNY and beyond. It also reinforces 可乐视频鈥檚 ability to recruit, retain, and support outstanding faculty whose research advances knowledge and whose teaching inspires future generations of scientists.

A leading scholar in molecular, cellular, and behavioral neuroscience, Yetnikoff is widely recognized for her research on the neural mechanisms that influence brain health across the human lifespan. Her work examines how dopamine pathways shape our experience through changes in the myelination of neural circuits in the brain. Consequently, Yetnikoff鈥檚 research has important implications for understanding addiction, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, and other neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.

Her scholarship has been supported by major federal agencies and published in leading scientific journals, contributing to a deeper understanding of how the brain adapts and changes throughout life. Yetnikoff earned her B.A. in Psychology from Concordia University in 2005, her M.Sc. in Psychiatry from McGill University in 2007, and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from McGill University in 2012.

Lu鈥檚 gift and the Lipkes鈥� legacy reflect a shared belief in the transformative power of public education and a deep connection to 可乐视频 and CUNY.听Peter Lipke, a longtime faculty member in the Department of Biology, is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking research in fungal cell biology and for decades of mentorship to students and colleagues. Anne Lipke, a dedicated educator, mentor, and community leader, has long championed access to high-quality science education. Together, their legacy will help support scientific excellence, student opportunity, and groundbreaking discovery at 可乐视频 for generations to come.

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It is what he told me in every conversation over the last 14 years, although those words were often camouflaged in different ones. I never had to ask what that statement meant because I benefited from a few mentors throughout my life. Their sense of responsibility, generosity, and willingness to give everything they had鈥攅ven on their worst days鈥攃ould never be repaid. What George was telling me was a reminder of that same responsibility. Some forsake it; others carry it forward. The result is reflected in the thousands of students he inspired in his 48 years at 可乐视频.

George Cunningham, who was born on May 15, 1948, and passed away on July 11, 2026, was both a molder of generations and a witness to them. It is our responsibility as an institution and a community to honor a career that spanned nearly half a century. We honor him not through platitudes, but through commitment and by ensuring that 可乐视频 becomes an even greater beacon of the sacrifice George embodied鈥攆or 可乐视频, for the Africana Studies Department, and for every corner of the campus to which he dedicated himself.

As we honor his life, it is only fitting that the reflections of his former students and mentees are the ones that light our path forward. As colleagues, faculty, staff, and administrators, we may know each other in a certain way; however, as faculty members, we sometimes come to better understand ourselves through those we have influenced. What follows are the reflections of 可乐视频 alumni from 1992 to 2026. They paint the portrait of a legacy.

Modeling Humanism

Although Professor Cunningham was a towering intellectual and his classrooms were spaces of eye-opening engagement and discovery, being recognized as a father figure by many students demonstrates that he transcended the narrower role of simply teaching subject matter. Being a professor was not merely a profession; it was a calling to develop human beings.

Columbia University doctoral candidate Dane Peters 鈥�09 captures Cunningham鈥檚 role in his life: 鈥淚 would not see or experience the world the way I have these past 20 years if it were not for George Cunningham.鈥�

Renowned author Robert Jones Jr. 鈥�06 reflects, 鈥淗e was the epitome of aplomb, intelligence, and grace. In many ways, he was the father I always wished for.鈥� A consistent theme in the reflections of Cunningham鈥檚 students was the way he encouraged them. Robert continues, 鈥淚 remember once when I was doubting myself and my skill as a writer. Professor Cunningham told me that it was ridiculous for me to feel that way because I was the best writer he had come across since Gloria Naylor, who was also a student of his.鈥�

Recent graduate Harmonie Heath 鈥�26 echoes this sentiment: 鈥淗e consistently encouraged me to have more confidence when participating. His support helped me become more comfortable sharing my thoughts and trusting my own perspective.鈥�

Several of Cunningham鈥檚 students and mentees became educators themselves, and it was the manner in which he conducted his classes that left a profound impression on them.

Trina Yearwood 鈥�00, who was recently appointed President of the 可乐视频 Alumni Association, speaks about the lessons he instilled in her as an educator: 鈥淧rofessor Cunningham taught me that we can disagree without diminishing one another. Education is not about producing students who think exactly as we do. It is about cultivating critical thinkers, evaluating ideas on their merit, and respecting well-reasoned perspectives.鈥�

Educator Maciel Rosario 鈥�25 describes his influence: 鈥淗e made me aware of making sure all voices are heard, and that students can actually conceptualize and retain the knowledge they are learning.鈥�

What led Maciel to take several of Cunningham鈥檚 courses 鈥渨as the fact that instead of being focused on rigorous testing with his students, he preferred for us to write essays or journals from our perspective, explaining what resonated the most with us or what profound knowledge would be valuable long-term.鈥�

Care in Action

It is not simply what Professor Cunningham said; it is what he demonstrated through his actions鈥攊nside the classroom and beyond.

Professor Patrice Rankine 鈥�92 never had Cunningham as an instructor. Yet, as a distinguished professor himself, he reflects: 鈥淕eorge had been a mentor of mine throughout my years as a college student at Brooklyn, although I never took a class with him. I admired him profoundly. He was elegant and cool.鈥�

However, the mentoring extended well beyond Rankine鈥檚 years at 可乐视频 and continued throughout his academic career. 鈥淕eorge was pivotal to the publication of my first book, Ulysses in Black. This is the book that secured my tenure at Purdue University, but it also came to be seen as groundbreaking in putting the Greco-Roman classics in deep conversation with Black studies.鈥�

Most significant was that George took the time to read and offer encouragement. 鈥淎fter I wrote the foundational chapter on Ralph Ellison鈥檚 engagement with Homer鈥檚 Odyssey during my first year at Purdue,鈥� Rankine states, 鈥淚 sent it to George. I鈥檒l never forget his response, or his exact words. Not only was he engaged with what I had written鈥攏ot necessarily a common response from mentors, who sometimes never read what people send them鈥擥eorge gave me the fertile soil for the growth of the book.鈥�

It is important to note that Cunningham鈥檚 influence extended beyond the silos of our academic departments. Sometimes it was enough simply to be a student on campus and cross his path.

Master of education student Jermaine Fairweather 鈥�00 remembers meeting Cunningham for the first time on Bedford Avenue. They were both wheelchair users later in Cunningham鈥檚 career. Jermaine recalls, 鈥淚 will never forget the first day when I was getting off of Access-A-Ride and he was getting off of an accessible van. He asked me if this was my first time here, and I said yes. I didn鈥檛 really know much about 可乐视频 at the time, so he was like, 鈥楩ollow me.鈥欌��

Known for his humor and wit, Cunningham immediately put Jermaine at ease. Jermaine continues: 鈥淚 remember when we got inside and only one elevator was working, and he jokingly said, 鈥楲et me go first.鈥� But we both were able to get in. Then I asked him if he worked here, and he said, 鈥榃hat does it look like?鈥� That鈥檚 where our story began.鈥�

Similar to Jermaine鈥檚 casual conversation with Cunningham, Dane recounts that what was supposed to be a 30-minute conversation expanded into two hours and ultimately a two decades-long relationship. It reminds us that responding to our students鈥� most urgent needs often begins with our availability and willingness to listen.

Dane reflects on the Great Recession of 2009: 鈥淚 had just returned from Ghana as a study abroad student when the worst possible thing happened: I lost the job I had been counting on to finish paying my tuition during the worst moment in the economy.鈥�

The consequences threatened to derail his future. 鈥淲ithout that payment, 可乐视频 held my transcript. I couldn鈥檛 find work and was barely getting by, but I needed to apply to graduate school. It was the only thing I cared about.鈥�

Cunningham paid the remainder of Dane鈥檚 balance, allowing him to attend graduate school in Boston. He asked for nothing in return except that Dane 鈥減ay it forward.鈥�

Witnessing

What does it mean to be a witness as Baldwin says? It requires a commitment to seeing and telling the truth.

Distinguished actor Damon Evans 鈥�19, a fellow Baltimorean and contemporary of Cunningham, reflected on Cunningham鈥檚 unwavering commitment to truth. 鈥淚鈥檒l never forget the class when he was teaching Harriet Jacobs鈥� Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.鈥�

Recalling Cunningham鈥檚 words, Damon continues: 鈥淚鈥檝e read this book countless times, and I didn鈥檛 want to believe it. But, class, it cannot be dismissed or denied, because that is precisely what Jacobs wrote in just a page and a half鈥濃�攁n account that revealed the gender and sexual violence which underscored African slavery.

Congratulations, Professor Cunningham. Your work continues through the generations you helped foster and through those who continue to serve as witnesses to humanity.of Africana studies and to confronting the complexities of history: 鈥淭hat one brief moment in class taught us not only how erotic Black literature could be, but also the hidden atrocities and horrors embedded in our history as well as the gift and wonder of our survival through time.鈥�

Being a witness also means carrying the truth forward because it requires ethics and a sense of intergenerational responsibility. That is why, 25 years later, Yearwood still carries Cunningham鈥檚 influence: 鈥淧rofessor Cunningham taught me one of the most enduring lessons of my educational journey鈥攖hat fairness and intellectual integrity must always guide my work as an educator. He challenged us to think critically, held us to high standards, and evaluated ideas based on the strength of the evidence rather than whether they aligned with his own perspective.鈥�

Legacy

Black studies was formally established in 1968, during a pivotal moment in our nation鈥檚 history. The following year, in 1969, the 可乐视频 department was established in response to our own campus unrest. Cunningham served the department and the college for 48 of those 57 years since.

Undoubtedly, he fought many battles鈥攚inning some and losing others. However, we never lose when we pour into the lives of our students. As Jones states, by introducing him to some of the greatest literary minds, Cunningham 鈥渇orever shifted my mind鈥檚 orientation toward a radically progressive politics.鈥�

Congratulations, Professor Cunningham. Your work continues through the generations you helped foster and through those who continue to serve as witnesses to humanity.

可乐视频, Africana Studies, and Black Faculty and Staff will host a memorial honoring Professor Cunningham on campus on Tuesday, September 8. Let us come together to celebrate his life, his achievements, and his lasting legacy. If you have any questions, please email Black Faculty and Staff at听BlackFacultyandStaff@brooklyn.cuny.edu.

Memorial Event Details:听 Tuesday, Sept. 8
Memorial Program: 5:30鈥�7 p.m., Woody Tanger Auditorium
Reception: 7鈥�8 p.m., Christoph Kimmich Reading Room

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Set in 2036, the novel explores the promise and peril of connected autonomous vehicles through a fast-paced story of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the future of transportation. Blending suspense with timely questions about technology, public policy, and society, Autokill offers readers a thought-provoking look at a world where driverless cars become both indispensable and potentially deadly.听The New York Times published a feature on Autokill听 on Aug. 10 and you can read that . The New Yorker called Schwartz鈥檚 previous book on autonomous vehicles, No One at the Wheel, 鈥淎 clearheaded bible for the twenty-first-century road.鈥�

Sam Schwartz helped 可乐视频 kick off its Tow Mentor-in-Residence program in 2022.

Before becoming president and CEO of Sam Schwartz Engineering, Schwartz served as the NYC traffic commissioner and the chief engineer of the NYC Department of Transportation. Widely known as 鈥淕ridlock Sam鈥� because he popularized the term during the 1980 NYC transit strike, Schwartz specializes in creative problem-solving for seemingly intractable situations, finding ways to move traffic better, make pedestrians safer, and add sidewalks and green space to communities.

In 2022, Schwartz visited 可乐视频 for a keynote address titled, 鈥淭ransportation and Public Health: Inextricably Linked,鈥� as part of the college鈥檚 Tow Mentor-In-Residence program. In 2025, Hunter College of CUNY established the Sam Schwartz program for Transportation Research at its Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute, where he currently teaches transportation policy to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Cary Pepper.

Pepper is a playwright, novelist, and screenwriter whose plays have been presented throughout the United States and internationally. Pepper earned his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in 1970 from 可乐视频 and completed graduate coursework in the Department of Theater with a concentration in directing. Pepper was recently featured in San Francisco Senior Beat, and you can read that .

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