connections New York City College of Technology
The ConEd Connection New High-Tech DRF Lab Opens Anniversary & Reunion Celebrations Every Gift Makes a Difference 2009 Alum of the Year
Summer 2009
Vol. 1, No. 2
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Alumni President’s Message Dear City Tech Alum, Alumni are City Tech’s most valuable resource and with this year’s graduating class that resource grew. Something else that’s growing is the College’s enrollment, projected to exceed 15,000 in fall 2009 as record numbers of recent high school graduates, displaced workers and others pursue the education they’ll need for success in a rapidly changing economy. Helping those students fulfill their educational aspirations is one of the most important missions of the Alumni Association. With the new emphasis on volunteerism to help meet the challenges our city and country face, we’re pleased to report that more City Tech graduates than ever are volunteering their time and talents to helping current students succeed. A new mentoring program is pairing alumnae with female students p u rsuing careers in professional fields in which women long have been underrepresented. More grads are returning to campus to tutor current students and to serve on panels or help lead workshops designed to enrich the learning experience. Our 2009 Harbor Cruise & Graduation Celebration on May 28 again provided an exceptional opportunity for this year’s grads to network with alumni already established in their fields. Our thanks to the thousands of graduates who provided information for the 2009 Alumni Directory. And thanks to a group of innovative alumni, a new Facebook website is now in design that will make it possible for participating City Tech graduates to share their stories with one another. Enjoy reading about the achievements of former classmates in this issue of Connections, and email us at alumni@citytech.cuny.edu to let us know what’s happening with you and to inquire about assisting with the many programs and activities of the Alumni Association. We always look forward to hearing from you.
Yvonne Riley-Tepie ’92 President, City Tech Alumni Association
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THE CONTINUING EDUCATION CONNECTION Now may be the perfect time to tap into the many resources available through City Tech’s Division of Continuing Education. Did you know that most of the College’s Continuing Ed courses offer a 10 percent discount to alumni? Are you aware that City Tech alumni are invited to attend the Résumé Clinic where they can get help in updating and polishing their résumés? Or that an alum can sit with an experienced career counselor who will pass along successful networking skills to use in an upcoming job search? Have you heard about the free programs offered to community residents, including opportunities for personal enrichment and financial literacy seminars? In this economic downturn, alumni of all ages are choosing to continue their education, upgrade skills for job advancement or change careers because some job fields are shrinking. Some are unable to find a job following a layoff or wish to obtain new skills to return to work for additional retirement income. Others are simply eager to explore new horizons. Many Continuing Ed courses are designed to further the careers of City Tech graduates. For example, licensed radiographers can e a rn CEU’s in Mammography and prepare to
sit for advanced registry exams, while licensed nurses can enhance their practice by preparing for ANCC specialty examinations. Construction safety courses including OHSA compliance classes - can enhance an already successful career for many graduates of the School of Technology & Design. Child Abuse Identification and Reporting or School Violence Prevention and Intervention courses can enhance the careers of the graduates of the Department of Human Services. Bilingual skills - in Spanish or even American Sign Language can enhance job opportunities in many chosen fields. City Tech’s Continuing Ed offerings might spark your interest in an entirely new field. You might be tempted to quick-start a new career as a dental assistant, driving instructor, assistant teacher, administrative office assistant, medical biller/coder or pharmacy technician. You might decide to prepare for the NYC Fire Department’s tests for a Fire Safety Director Certificate of Fitness or qualify as an Emergency Action Plan Director. You might want to take courses in electrical maintenance, basic plumbing or welding; hone your computer skills, create a website or become a security systems installer; learn project management, real estate sales or
how to buy foreclosed properties. The array of possibilities runs the gamut; the choice is yours. A section in the catalogue that might be of particular interest at this time would include careers listed under “Construction Safety,” as the nation acts to staff a huge new federal economic recovery program to rebuild America’s infrastructure. Another section worth a look is “Medical and Health,” one of the few areas of economic growth in this prolonged recession. And the section titled “Small Business Development Center” offers a variety of programs for entrepreneurs, small businesses and community developers. Every day we hear about new job opportunities that are emerging in “green” industries. Graduates can explore classes in sustainability such as Solar Heating and Domestic Hot Water, Photovoltaic Installation, Green Roof/Living Walls, Building Analyst Training or courses on “greening” a brownstone. In addition, there are on-line courses that provide opportunities to upgrade skills in the comfort of your own home. To learn more about City Tech’s Continuing Education programs, visit www.citytech.cuny.edu/ academics/continuinged or call 718.552.1170.
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New RadTech DRF Lab Opens In April 2009, City Tech’s Radiologic Technology and Medical Imaging Program became the first in the c o u n t ry to include a state-of-the-art digital imaging modality that can be used to train students in both digital The Rad Tech program is the first in the country to include a state-of-the-art digital imaging modality to train students in both digital radiography and fluoroscopy. radiography and fluoroscopy. This addition puts City Tech students at an advantage over those from other radiologic technology programs by
affording them a unique opportunity to study in a didactic lab integrated with a clinical component that helps train them to process the highest quality radiographic images. With the addition of the new lab, the program is now home to four state-ofthe-art energized radiography rooms with an active 60 sec darkroom/ processor and CR digital equipment and digitizer. As the radiographic industry becomes increasingly digital and imaging equipment more sophisticated, the demand for multicompetent radiographers skilled in the operation of increasingly sophisticated equipment grows.
Vision Care Technology Turns 40 The Department of Vision Care Technology celebrated 40 years of excellence in opticianry education in March 2009 at a reunion event attended by more than 200 department graduates, students, faculty, staff and industry partners. The celebration opened with a lecture by Dr. Joseph Bacotti, Jr., followed by the presentation of a gift collection of rare ophthalmic textbooks from the estate of Irwin Vogel, a former adjunct lecturer. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Aw a rd to E d w a rd Rauch, the last surviving founding member of the department. Also honored was the late Professor Joseph Bacotti, the department’s founding father. Professor Bacotti was remembered for his dedication to his students and visionary leadership in advancing p rofessional opticianry.
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Foundation Corner EVERY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE City Tech continues to move forward with renewed growth of academic programs, adding additional faculty and staff, and new and improved facilities. An important part of this growth is launching our first ever comprehensive Annual Giving Program. This program provides a means for alumni and friends of City Tech to invest in the College in a way that has an immediate impact. Your annual gift will provide the College with the additional resources needed to fund innovative programs, address urgent needs, support student scholarships, i nvest in faculty and staff, help pay for campus
improvements, and furnish more resources to maintain a high-caliber institution. All gifts from corporate d o n o rs and alumni will help ensure the success of City Tech’s rapidly growing student population.
Voorhees Hall, c o n s t ruction of a new healthcare and sciences building that promises to be a landmark in Downtown Brooklyn, and renovation of the Hospitality Management Program’s teaching kitchen.
This fall, c u rrent students and faculty m e m b e rs will be reaching out to alumni across the country to let them know of all the exciting changes happening at City Tech. As part of the Annual Giving Program, the College will be conducting a phonathon that will focus on institutional priorities. Current critical capital projects and priorities include the renovation of
The City Tech Foundation is excited to share news of the College’s expansion plans with alumni and other supporters and looks forward to your participation. Every gift will make a positive difference in the quality of the education City Tech has prov i d e d students for more than 62 years.
LEONARD MAISEL ’64 NAMED ALUM OF THE YEAR Leonard Maisel, a 1964 graduate of City Tech’s Hospitality Management Program, was honored in May at the 2009 Best of New York Award Dinner, one of the College’s principal sources of funding for scholarships and other student financial assistance. After later earning a degree from Fordham University, Mr. Maisel went on to become a licensed real estate broker and to serve as assistant manager and then general manager of Amalgamated Housing Corporation, a moderateincome cooperative housing
development located in the Bronx. In 1991 he joined the management of Amalgamated Bank, overseeing its unique loan portfolio. He later became Amalgamated’s senior vice president and subsequently served as executive vice president until his retirement in late 2008. Mr. Maisel has been a member of the City Tech Foundation’s board of directors since 1999, c h a i rs its Development Committee and serves on its Special Events Committee. Over the years , he has opened many doors for his alma mater to the business and organized labor communities and facilitated hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support for the College.
MATCHING GIFTS Matching gift programs allow you to allocate your company’s charitable dollars to the cause nearest and dearest to your heart, greatly increasing the value of your gift to City Tech. Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable gift contributions made by their employees. If your company has a matching gift program, request the appropriate form from your human resources department and complete and re t u rn it to us with your gift. We’ll do the rest.
ONLINE GIVING The City Tech Foundation now offers you the convenience of making your contribution to the College online. We appreciate that security and confidentiality are important to you. To make a secure, private online gift, go to www.citytech.cuny.edu and click on “Support City Tech.”
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Class NOTES 1961 Anthony Zupo, mechanical technology, is retired and volunteers teaching music at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn. Ralph Amato, hospitality management, retired from New York University Medical Center in 1984.
1963 Peter M. Ramo, accounting, is retired from the New York State Tax Department after 42 years of service.
1967 Patrick J. Moreo, hospitality management, now resides in Las Vegas and is chair of the Department of Food & Beverage Management at the University of Nevada.
1971 Lothel Crawford Jr., electrical/mechanical engineering technology, is retired from law enforcement and currently works as a private investigator.
1972 Julia Harris, nursing, was an operating room nurse for 40 year, nurse manager for eight years, a urology charge nurse for another eight years, and is currently teaching at Monroe College.
1974 Michael Ungaro, ophthalmic dispensing, opened Parkchester’s Metro Optics, which now serves 75,000 Bronxites at two locations.
1975 Barry Santini, ophthalmic dispensing, is a New York State licensed optician with contact lens certification. Owner of Long Island Opticians in Seaford, NY, he is an American Board approved provider for continuing education in the optical field.
Class ACT! Alma Mater Honors Diane Harris Brown ’82 City Tech alumna Diane Harris Brow n , director of educational and community programming for the James Beard Foundation (JBF), was honored by the College ’s Department of Hospitality Management at a May reception saluting this year’s graduating seniors. At JBF, B r own administers hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to institutions offering culinary studies, including City Tech. She also helps put together special-interest conferences and manages “Beard on Books,” JBF’s monthly literar y series. “Because of Diane’s vision, we offer The Anna Nurse Scholarship and The Patrick Clark Scholarship,” explains her former City Tech classmate Julia Jordan, who is director of City Tech’s Faculty Commons. “Some of our best and brightest students receive these scholarships at critical moments in their lives when they otherwise would have had to take a semester off to work full time.” B r ow n ’s career path can also serve as inspiration for today’s City Tech students. After graduating from Harvard University with a degree in fine arts, she had a successful career in the New York art wo rld during the 1970s. In 1980, she enrolled in City Tech’s Hospitality Management Program and made a transition to the culinary arts. She and some of her classmates began a community service initiative to provide a Christmas holiday meal for the homeless, a program that City Tech hospitality m a n a gement students continue to this day in collaboration with the Christian Help in Park Slope Shelter (CHIPS). B r ow n , along with Jordan and City Tech Professor Lynda Dias, serves on the board of directors of Spoons Across America — a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating children, teachers and families about the benefits of healthy eating.
CITY TECH PROFESSOR CO-AUTHORS NEW BOOK In Unlocking the Door to Your Career: Guidelines to Finding the Perfect Job and Taking Charge of Your Life by City Tech Professor Patrick O’Halloran & Catherine Palmiere (Pearson Custom Publishing), you’ll find guidelines to help you succeed that you won’t find in most other books on the subject.
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2003
Fay D. Hill, secretarial science, has been employed for the past 35 years as an executive legal secretary for a large law firm in New York City.
Pablo Rodriguez, legal assistant studies, obtained a law degree and went into the education field. He received his MA in TESOL education and is currently working as an ESL teacher in a junior high school in Queens.
1977 Warren N. Baile, environmental science, is currently a maintenance supervisor with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Evelyn S. Salazar, hospitality management, is currently assistant front office manager at the Hilton Times Square Hotel.
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Harland Henry, marketing management and sales, relocated to Orlando, FL, early this year and started a new business, Sunbiz Showcase Alliances, PLLC, a consulting and referral service helping to secure government contracts and grants for small businesses.
1987 Melady Jean-Baptiste, human services, is a CSBST social worker for the New York City Department of Education at PS 269 and IS 240.
Tanya Joyner, hospitality management, is currently at Fairleigh Dickinson University pursuing a master’s in international hospitality.
2005 Janet Velez, legal assistant studies, is currently working with the CUNY Immigration Project and as a part-time senior paralegal at City Tech and a full-time senior paralegal at Hostos Community College.
1992 Conrad R. Richards, accounting, is an independent organizational development consultant specializing in professional advisement, training and development and organizational human performance improvements.
Alumni Facebook Page Coming Soon!
1997 Richard Schemitsch, telecommunications technology, is a senior network consultant with Verizon Business.
RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY REUNION
To learn more about what’s happening at City Tech please visit us online at www.citytech.cuny.edu
2001 Jessica Malavez Vaitkevicius, hospitality management, has been employed for the past five years with the New York City Department of Education and was recently promoted to the position of account manager in the Office of Pupil Transportation.
The Department of Restorative Dentistry saluted four National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology 45-year Certified Dental Technicians at an alumni reunion attended by 132 department graduates, faculty, students and others guests in September 2008 in Old Greenwich, CT. Saluted were Howard Dickens, Charles Cottone, Sol Greenberg and Lawrence Araneo. Cottone, Greenberg and Araneo are members of department faculty. In addition, Dr. Burney Croll of Manhattan also was recognized as the first ever Honorary Certified Dental Technician for his unselfish and dedicated support for the dental profession. The City Tech reunion was the final event of the 2008 International Education Congress of Dental Technology Conference and received an overwhelmingly positive response from all in attendance as well as from the New York State Dental Laboratory Association (DLANY) board.
KEEP US UP TO DATE Please take a moment to update personal information, share your thoughts and ideas, and provide us with your e-mail address to add to our database. You can do this and more by visiting the City Tech Alumni website at http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni/index.shtml and clicking on “Keep in Touch.” You can also let us know about recent professional and personal achievements by calling 718.260.5006, faxing 718.254.8553 or e-mailing alumni@citytech.cuny.edu
PLACEMENT OFFICE SERVICES FOR ALUMNI Job Listings - On-Campus Recruitment - Job Expo http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/alumni/career.shtml 718.260.5050
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Volunteer Opportunities Why volunteer? City Tech alumni are vital members of their communities; many leave an impressive mark because of the character, dedication and talent they developed here. Your experience, skills, resources and just plain enthusiasm would have an impact on the College.
Here are some ways you can be part of the action • Volunteer to mentor a student • Speak at alumni and/or student workshops • Serve on Alumni Association Board committees • Help out with reunions, events, public relations and strategic planning • Help out with the annual Phonathon
Yes! I want to volunteer! call 718.260.5006 email: alumni@citytech.cuny.edu City Tech Alumni Relations Office, 300 Jay Street, N-322, Brooklyn, NY 11201
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