From City to the World

The City College of New York President Vincent Boudreau hosts the latest episode of From City to the World, spotlighting lifelong learning and its power to transform lives. He's joined by Donna Ramer, president of Quest Lifelong Learning, a peer-led, CCNY-affiliated community for retired and semi-retired New Yorkers, now celebrating its 30th anniversary. Also featured is Dr. Michael Flanigan of Borough of Manhattan Community College, whose work bridges higher education, workforce partnerships and training, and community development. Together, they explore how lifelong learning fosters intellectual curiosity, social connection, and economic mobility—from Quest's collaborative courses to BMCC's academic and workforce development pathways. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Donna Ramer, President, Quest Lifelong Learning; Michael Flanigan, PhD, Director of Corporate & Foundation Engagement and Development, Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY)

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Harlem broadcasters affiliated with community radio station WHCR 90.3 FM took action to build a communications network that can withstand widespread shutdowns and keep local residents informed with essential specifics in real time. In the latest episode of "From City to the World," co-creator of that network Stuart Reid details the launch of WHCR's Emergency Broadcast Team (WHCREBT) and specifies the technology and community training that keeps residents — including many in public housing — ready and connected. In another example of education and empowerment, The City College of New York (CCNY), home of WHCR, maintains an ongoing program of safety trainings on campus and in nearby neighborhoods, as described by Specialist Taish Rochester of the college's Department of Public Safety. CCNY President Vincent Boudreau is the program host. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Stuart Reid, Host, WHCR 90.3 FM, The Voice of Harlem; Director, WHCR Emergency Broadcast Team (WHCREBT); Co-Founder, Digital Divide Partners; Managing Partner, The Smart Community Initiative; President and Chairman, New York chapter, the Internet Society. Taish "Rocky" Rochester, Campus Security Specialist, Investigations, Community Affairs Liaison, LGBTQ+ Liaison, CCNY Department of Public Safety.

On the latest episode of From City to the World, City College of New York President Vincent Boudreau hosts alumna Akasha Solis (2016, 2022), CCNY Outdoors Project co-leader and special projects manager, and Ella Hartley, founder of Wilderness First Aid NYC. Hear how the Outdoors Project, sponsored by CCNY's Office of the President, champions access to nature for all, through inclusive excursions, leadership training and wilderness safety education. Charting the growth of this program and a student-run club, Solis highlights the impact of the Outdoors Project and its mission to build equity, empowerment and knowledge of the natural environment among diverse populations at CCNY. Learn how Hartley's background in racial justice and expertise in wilderness medicine and outdoors education intersect with CCNY's work and also inform her organization's public programs in New York City. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Akasha Solis, CCNY Outdoors Project Co-Leader and Special Projects Manager; Ella Hartley, Founder of Wilderness First Aid NYC and Co-Founder of Green Wood & Duff

What does it take to both talk the talk and walk the walk toward a cleaner energy future for a college and its local community? In this episode of From City to the World, learn how sustainability pedagogy and praxis are alive, well and often working hand in hand at The City College of New York (CCNY). President Vincent Boudreau hosts a conversation with CCNY Sustainability Specialist Jake Weinberger and Katherine Gloede Silverman, assistant director of the Sustainability in the Urban Environment program. Hear about their work, where it intersects and ways it engages with community members, environmental advocates and government initiatives. Additionally, explore how a deep commitment to sustainability — from solar-powered EV chargers for campus and community to energy-efficient heat pumps and climate-adaptive infrastructure — is driving decarbonization across this historic Harlem campus. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Jake Weinberger, CCNY Sustainability Specialist, Department of Facilities Management; Katherine Gloede Silverman, Assistant Director of the Sustainability in the Urban Environment master's and advanced certificate program

Have you ever heard of a virtual power plant? Learn about innovatively integrating energy resources to benefit a community of participants while also contributing sustainably to the electrical grid. Michael Bobker of The City College of New York (CCNY) and its CUNY Building Performance Lab joins Clayton Banks, CEO and cofounder of Silicon Harlem, in conversation with CCNY President Vincent Boudreau, host of From City to the World. In this episode dedicated to Climate Change Awareness Month, these Harlem-based experts discuss the roles of education, innovation and community engagement in meeting essential needs such as infrastructure and resilient, healthier and more equitable cityscapes. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Michael Bobker, CCNY Earth System Science and Environmental Engineering, CUNY Building Performance Lab; Clayton Banks, CEO and Cofounder, Silicon Harlem

Transformative women-led opportunities in the sciences in New York are a model for opening doors for future scientists from all communities. Hear about the careers of a pioneering materials scientist and a science educator and learn how each is incorporating novel interdisciplinary approaches in programs driving inclusion and success in STEM, from the middle-school level to PhDs and post-docs. As From City to the World honors Women's History Month, President Vincent Boudreau of The City College of New York hosts a conversation with CCNY Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Maria Tamargo and Science in the City, Inc., Founder and CEO Kyesha Ruffin, CCNY 2013. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Host: Maria Tamargo, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director, CREST Center for Interface Design and Engineered Assembly of Low-Dimensional Systems (IDEALS), CCNY; Kyesha Ruffin, Founder and CEO, Science in the City, Inc. Recorded: March 26, 2025

Urban heat islands and flooding are closely studied in the living lab of New York City and beyond by experts at The City College of New York (CCNY). Now this knowledge base is going global to benefit a world of communities at risk, researchers, educators, and policy makers. On this episode of From City to the World, learn how the United Nations University (UNU) has established its first United States hub at CCNY. The new UNU hub — Remote-Sensing and Sustainable Innovations for Resilient Urban Systems (R-SIRUS) — draws on CCNY's long-standing leadership in remote sensing research (the use of satellites and sensors to collect climate data) and its application to address climate change, especially in under-resourced communities. Hear CCNY President Vincent Boudreau explore the hub and its goals with experts Reza Khanbilvardi and Kaveh Madani. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Reza Khanbilvardi, PhD, NOAA Chair and Professor, CCNY's Grove School of Engineering, and Co-Executive Director, UNU Hub at CCNY; Kaveh Madani, PhD, Research Professor, CUNY-CREST Institute at CCNY, and Director, UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health Recorded: November 21, 2024

The imperative for communities to actively and equitably determine their destinies, when it comes to land use and the built environment, sparked the creation in 1964 of the Architects' Renewal Committee in Harlem (ARCH). Considered the first community design center, ARCH and its visionary architects and planners provided resources and gave voice to Harlem residents facing urban renewal, slum clearance and commercial development pressures. This episode of From City to the World, hosted by President Vincent Boudreau of The City College of New York, features the upcoming symposium "ARCH @ 60: Bridging Past Visions & Present Realities," which takes place Nov. 15 and 16 at CCNY. Joining the conversation are Shawn Rickenbacker, director of the symposium host organization, the J. Max Bond Center for Urban Futures at CCNY, and the Hon. Karen Dixon, Land Use Committee Chair of Manhattan's Community Board 10 and Executive Director of Harlem Dowling-West Side Center for Children and Family Services. Learn from Rickenbacker about ARCH's legacy and how his own CCNY organization — named for an ARCH leader and former CCNY dean — is pioneering collaborative tools that pair community input with data on development outcomes to guide decision-making on project proposals. The Hon. Karen Dixon shares her expertise on building affordable housing and how Community Board 10 is leveraging Rickenbacker's work and equipping Harlem for informed, equitable development today. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Shawn Rickenbacker, Associate Professor, Director of the J. Max Bond Center for Urban Futures, CCNY; Hon. Karen Dixon, Chair, Land Use Committee, Manhattan Community Board 10, and Executive Director, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center for Children and Family Services Recorded: October 30, 2024

In New York City, new programs are leveraging the hard and soft skills of digital gaming into preparation for tech-forward, future-ready careers. On From City to the World, President Vincent Boudreau of The City College of New York hosts a conversation with CCNY alumnus and faculty member Stan M. Altman, Cofounder of the Harlem Gallery of Science, and Alia Jones-Harvey, Associate Commissioner of Education and Workforce Development in the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME). Learn how Altman's vision for engaging young people from under-resourced communities in STEAM education and innovation is bringing interactive exhibits to Harlem and a new degree program to CCNY. Hear from Harvey how MOME's support for these educational initiatives advances New York City's game plan for its growing tech sector and urban workforce. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Stan M. Altman, CCNY Faculty and Cofounder of the Harlem Gallery of Science; Alia Jones-Harvey, Associate Commissioner of Education and Workforce Development in the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Recorded: September 25, 2024

From City to the World looks at climate change from the skies to the streets: In this episode, hosted by CCNY President Vincent Boudreau, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Prof. Kyle C. McDonald outlines his collaboration with NASA through research and the new NISAR satellite mission's revolutionary capabilities. Since NISAR findings on climate effects will be public, how can this data be harnessed by organizations advocating on the ground for sound policy and environmental justice? Peggy Shepard, a national leader in training, mobilizing and inspiring urban communities that often suffer disproportionately from climate impacts, details the mission and achievements of WEACT.org for Environmental Justice, which she leads. Learn about Shepard's work in Harlem and other under-resourced New York City communities as well as in the policy arena, through Shepard's national advisory roles and WEACT's office in Washington, D.C. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Kyle C. McDonald, Terry Elkes Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, CCNY; Peggy Shepard, Cofounder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice Recorded: April 11, 2024

As 2023 nears its close, challenges to book titles are tracking up from 2022, a year that saw a more than ten-fold increase since 2020 in attempts to restrict access to library books and materials, the American Library Association has reported. In an atmosphere where freedom of expression is threatened and, increasingly, attempts are made to suppress discovery and cultural representation, what are the challenges and roles of libraries today? And what part can public art play in redefining community access and engagement with art? In conversation with host President Vincent Boudreau of The City College of New York are Mario H. Ramirez, CCNY's new Associate Dean and Chief Librarian, and Savona Bailey-McClain, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the West Harlem Art Fund. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Mario H. Ramirez, Associate Dean and Chief Librarian at CCNY; Savona Bailey-McClain, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the West Harlem Art Fund Recorded: Nov. 29, 2023

The first Afro-Latina Hip Hop DJ, Gail Windley, and Rev. Conrad Tillard reflect on five decades of this essential cultural movement. With The City College of New York President Vincent Boudreau as host, hear Windley's experience as a pioneer, in the Bronx of the 1970s, in this emerging musical youth culture. In recent years, she has combined religion with Hip Hop on the radio and at Kurtis Blow's Hip Hop Church in Harlem. Rev. Conrad Tillard, who teaches classes on Hip Hop history and the civil rights movement at City College, joins Windley in a conversation that ranges from Hip Hop's origins as a positive platform giving voice to young people in under-resourced communities to mentoring emerging talent and combating negativity in Hip Hop for the next generations of artists and listeners. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Gail Windley / DJ Flame, host of "The Anointed Mic Check" show on WHCR 90.3 FM, The Voice of Harlem. Rev. Conrad Tillard, activist, author, and instructor in CCNY's Black Studies Program. Recorded: Sept. 27, 2023

For Harlem-based experts in educational leadership, imbuing local students of all ages with an understanding of the importance of living, learning, and thriving at the very center of Black life in America is one of the most important lessons of all. Teacher education, postmortems on the pandemic's effects, and curriculum development may look different in neighborhoods that are some of the richest in culture yet most under-resourced in New York City. The stark politicization of education nationally and extreme discourse around race, equity, and Black studies heightens the work to be done to mobilize communities and families in the service of education. In this episode, President Vincent Boudreau of The City College of New York explores challenges and solutions with Dr. Sean L. Davenport, a longtime District 5 principal now serving as community superintendent of the Harlem School District, and Dr. Terri N. Watson of City College, a specialist in effective school leadership and the ingenuity of Black women in their roles as mothers, other mothers, teachers and school leaders. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Sean L. Davenport, Ed.D., Community Superintendent of the Harlem School District, NYC Public Schools. Terri N. Watson, Ph.D., CCNY Provost Fellow; Director of the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, CCNY School of Education; also affiliated with the CUNY Graduate Center. Recorded: April 10, 2023

How does one lead in an atmosphere of uncertainty? As leaders, where do we go when no one has ever gone there before? When information is incomplete or ambiguous? When objectives may differ across perspectives and cultures? For Dr. Jane Chu, there are leadership lessons in the experiences of individuals who have immigrated to the United States. The former chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts from 2014-2018, Chu is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, a practicing visual artist, and a leader whose expertise spans academic research and professional practice in the arts, philanthropy, and business administration. In this special episode of From City to the World, hosted by City College President Vincent Boudreau, hear Chu deliver the 2023 Sternberg Family Lecture in Public Scholarship. Opening remarks are by Andrew Rich, Richard J. Henley, and Susan L. Davis Dean of CCNY's Colin Powell School of Civic and Global Leadership. Students engage Chu with questions following her talk, and President Boudreau provides closing remarks. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Speakers: Andrew Rich, Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean of CCNY's Colin Powell School of Civic and Global Leadership; Dr. Jane Chu, former chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts and Leader-in-Residence at CCNY's Colin Powell School of Civic and Global Leadership; CCNY students Recorded: March 15, 2023

On February 9, The City College of New York holds its 44th Langston Hughes Festival and awards its Langston Hughes Medal to a highly distinguished writer of the African diaspora: Lynn Nottage. With a mission to celebrate and expand upon the legacy of Harlem Renaissance icon and "poet laureate of Harlem" Langston Hughes, the Festival awarded its first medal, in 1978, to James Baldwin, followed by an honor roll of the greatest Black writers of our time—among them Toni Morrison, Chinua Achebe, and Rita Dove. In this episode, host Vincent Boudreau, president of City College, previews the 2023 festival by convening a conversation with Nottage and Jodi-Ann Francis, associate director of the CCNY Black Studies Program —one of the first established in the U.S. Francis is also the moderator of the Langston Hughes Festival symposium, prior to the award ceremony. Hear from Nottage, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, and librettist, how she centers Black lives, listens deeply to create resonant characters, and views her work as both artist and activist. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Jodi-Ann Francis, Associate Director of the CCNY Black Studies Program; Lynn Nottage, playwright, screenwriter, librettist, and 2023 Langston Hughes Medalist Recorded: January 19, 2023

Health, wellness, and food security in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and economic environment are paramount concerns globally, as they are in New York City's minoritized communities. At The City College of New York, where efforts to combat food insecurity are underway year-round, World Food Day is an annual fall observance dedicated to raising awareness, raising funds, and mobilizing campus and community partners. In keeping with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's 2022 World Food Day theme, "Leave No One Behind," City College President Vincent Boudreau presents "Prioritizing Wellness in Our Community," a special episode of From City to the World. It captures the panel discussion with community organization leaders that Boudreau moderated this month at CCNY World Food Day. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Jaclinn Tanney, president of The Migrant Kitchen Initiative; Richard Cox, managing director of Market in the Heights Farmers' Market and CSA at CCNY; Angelo Lampousis, Ph.D., interim executive director of CCNY’s Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative Recorded: Oct. 13, 2022

A historic moment for economic development is here: Government is investing in strategic sectors like infrastructure and the green economy. It has never been more pressing, City College of New York (CCNY) President Vincent G. Boudreau argues, to rebuild our communities along with our infrastructure and to gather allies and collaborators in this effort. In neighborhoods like Harlem, the South Bronx and northern Manhattan, for example, houses of worship are vital resources for residents: a growing conduit to economic opportunities and a space for building trust in those opportunities, among people structurally disadvantaged for centuries. Boudreau's first guest on this episode of From City to the World is Rev. Dennis Dillon, who has recently served as a convener of the Resurgence Conference, an effort to harness the power of Black churches in the service of community and economic development. Joining the conversation is Dr. Angelo Lampousis, interim executive director of CCNY's Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative. This dynamic new state- and federally funded program aims to take workforce development to the next level, lifting local communities through training for existing and emerging careers in the growing infrastructure sector. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Speakers: Rev. Dennis Dillon, pastor of Rise Church New York and publisher of New York Christian Times; Angelo Lampousis, Ph.D., Interim Executive Director of CCNY's Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative Recorded: Sept. 13, 2022

Historic remarks on COVID, health disparities, social mobility, education and present-day politics and culture by CCNY 2022 honorary degree recipients Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and leading documentarian of the African American experience Stanley Nelson are captured in this special Commencement episode. City College President Vincent Boudreau introduces the speeches, recorded live on the occasion of CCNY’s 175th anniversary, at the college’s first in-person Commencement since 2019. Also hear from the CCNY valedictorian and salutatorian and distinguished guests including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Speakers: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; CUNY Trustee Ken Sunshine; honorary degree recipient and documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson, CCNY ’76; Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of NIAID and chief medical advisor to Pres. Biden; Valedictorian Rose Mary Biju; Salutatorian Ali Khalil; Chief Marshal Janet Steele; Provost Tony Liss; Gary Calnek, president of the Alumni Association of The City College of New York Recorded: June 3, 2022

The City College ROTC Program, where the late Gen. Colin L. Powell got his start more than 60 years ago, will yield 16 cadet commissions into the U.S. Army this June. Of this cohort of 2022 graduates from across CUNY, more than 50% were born abroad and became U.S. citizens, enabling them to serve in the nation’s military. Hear from Lt. Col. LaShell Y. Davis, Professor of Military Science at CCNY and director of the CUNY ROTC program, based at CCNY, about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to today’s U.S. Army and her perspective on working at one of America’s most diverse campuses. The conversation, with CCNY President Vincent Boudreau, stretches from the Vietnam-interrupted history of ROTC at the college to changing opportunities and horizons for current cadets, including internships; a new military talent-management emphasis on resumes, interviews, skills and preferences in matching personnel with branches and units of the armed services; and the advent of U.S. Cyber Command. Davis and Boudreau are joined by Lt. Gen. Samuel Ebbesen (Ret.), a 1961 CCNY graduate who began his career, and a lifelong friendship with the late Gen. Powell, in ROTC at the college. Ebbesen describes ROTC of his day and an elite group, the Pershing Rifles, that he and Powell joined and that continues today. Currently, Ebbesen is a member of the board of visitors at CCNY’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Lt. Col. LaShell Y. Davis, Professor of Military Science at CCNY and director of the CUNY-wide ROTC program; Lt. Gen. Samuel Ebbesen (Ret.), CCNY Class of 1961 Recorded: May 23, 2022

Modernizing urban infrastructure and bringing high-quality career training and jobs to underserved communities are shared goals of the new Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative (RIWI) at The City College of New York. The brainchild of former U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel, who served Harlem and surrounding areas for 46 years in Congress, RIWI and new economic opportunities are now a reality for these communities, thanks to Federal support secured by Rangel’s successor, U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat. In this episode, CCNY President Vincent Boudreau invites listeners inside the Great Hall of City College to experience the April 2022 launch of RIWI at a celebration of former Congressman Rangel, the guest of honor and statesman-in-residence at CCNY. Hear leaders from the local to national level pay tribute to Rangel, his career and the promise of the RIWI project. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Speakers include U.S. Rep Adriano Espaillat; former U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel; President and CEO of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce Lloyd A. Williams; President of the NAACP New York State Conference and Member of the National Board of Directors Dr. Hazel N. Dukes. Recorded: April 14, 2022 Related: "Lion of Lenox Avenue" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgjRGQZvvLA