Date: Friday, May 2, 2003 Time: 8:15AM to 4:30PM
Place: Newman Vertical Campus – Baruch College, CUNY
55 Lexington Avenue (E. 25th Street), Room 3-150,
btwn Lexington & 3rd Avenues, Manhattan
Moustafa Bayoumi is an associate professor of English at Brooklyn College, CUNY. He is co-editor of The Edward Said Reader (Vintage) and has published essays in a number of journals, including Transition, The Yale Journal of Criticism, and The Journal of Asian American Studies. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and from the Mellon Foundation, and has published widely on a variety of topics, including literature, politics, architecture, art, jazz, and Islam.
Diana Berkowitz is currently the Director of the CUNY Language Immersion Program at Queensborough Community College, a pre-college intensive ESL program for CUNY students. Her interests include curriculum and materials development incorporating innovative methodology as well as research in second language acquisition.
Melanie E. L. Bush received her doctoral degree at the City University of New York; her dissertation was entitled “Breaking the Code of Good Intentions: Everyday Forms of Whiteness.” She has been employed at Brooklyn College over the last twelve years in administrative and teaching capacities.
For many years, she has been involved in community organizing, advocacy and activism around issues of social and racial justice locally, nationally and internationally. This includes recent collaboration on CUNY-wide projects to foster understanding of the role of students in inter-group relations in the new millennium. Working in the Division of Student Life at Brooklyn College she has engaged in projects to increase support for Asian students, as well as to foster understanding and build community in this diverse environment.
Ngee Pong Chang is Professor of Physics at City College of New York, CUNY. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University, specializing in Theoretical High-Energy Physics. Dr. Chang is the Director of China Exchange Program at CCNY, Founder & CEO of China-American Technology Corp. He is also a Founder and Faculty Advisor of the Chinese Alumni Group, CCNY Association; and Vice-Chair of Board of the Asian American Higher Education Council.
Prof. Ngee Pong Chang (City College) discusses the necessary
adjustments that need be made to the conference flyer.
Katie Chen is currently the Director and a counselor at Project Gateway of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC). In addition, she is a graduate student at Hunter’s School Counseling and Guidance Master’s program. She has worked at the CPC’s college counseling center for the past 2 years, developing the program and counseling students about the college admissions process. Before taking the position at Project Gateway, Katie was the Coordinator for the CUNY’s Citizenship and Naturalization Project for over 3 years. On the side, she has worked as a CUNYCAP graduate intern at the Queensborough Community College’s Counseling Center where her first counseling experience with Chinese-American students begun, in 2000-01. Katie is also currently a counseling intern at the Upward Bound Program at NYU for the spring 2003; worked as an intern for John Jay College’s Counseling Center in 1995, and as a tutor at the Students with Disabilities Office of John Jay College in 1996-7.
Hon. Wellington Chen is a member of the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York, and a Senior Vice President of TDC Development Corporation. A long-time community leader, he graduated from the School of Architecture and Environmental Studies at City College. He was the first Chinese American in Queens to serve on a community planning board, where he chaired the cultural affairs, housing, landmarks and zoning committees and helped to bring about the revival of downtown Flushing. More recently, he was a commissioner of the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals which reviews zoning variances, special permits and other land use appeals.
David Cheng is Professor and Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Baruch College, CUNY. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice. Prior joining to Baruch College, Dr. Cheng has served as a senior psychologist and consultant for the New York City Police Department.
Hsin Yuan Cheng is the Editor-in-Chief of Sing Dao Daily, one of the largest Chinese newspaper network in America. He is the Public Relations Consultant for the Committee of 100, a national organization of eminent Chinese Americans and the former president of Sino Radio Broadcasts Network.
Amy Chin is the Executive Director of the New York Chinese Cultural Center and Chinese Folk Dance Company. A native New Yorker, Ms. Chin also serves as a mayoral appointee to the Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission for the City of New York. Ms. Chin was formerly an Arts Program Specialist at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and has worked professionally as a dancer and teaching artist for over 15 years. Ms. Chin has been an advisor to non-profit arts organizations across the country including the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Indiana Arts Commission, New York Foundation for the Arts, and Rockefeller Foundation.
Loretta Chin has worked for over 10 years at Brooklyn College and is currently employed as a Special Projects Coordinator for the Community Building Initiative in the Office of the Dean for Student Life.
Working closely with students and faculty, she has been an avid supporter of the Asian/Asian American community at BC and in CUNY. She has been co-advisor for the Asian Student Union, The Asian Outreach Committee, and the Chinese Language Culture Club . She has worked diligently to support Asian student leadership development and increase understanding of their challenges and achievements. Functioning in this way has helped to facilitate her role as liaison between the newly formed BC Asian/Asian American Faculty & Staff and AAARI.
In addition, Ms. Chin has coordinates the BC Circles Dialogue series, involving many in discussions about peace, justice, democracy and world events to foster greater inter-group understanding on campus.
Margaret M. Chin is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Hunter College, City University of New York and her interests include the working poor and immigrants. She has an article, “High Stakes: Time Poverty, Testing and the Children of the Working Poor”, co-authored with Katherine Newman, forthcoming in Qualitative Sociology. She is completing her manuscript, Sewing Woman, and is also working on two projects: The effects of the 9/11 tragedy on the Chinese garment workers and the Chinatown neighborhood and The barriers that prevent young men of color from entering elementary school teaching.
Irene Chung is a clinical social worker who has worked with Asian Americans for over twenty years. She is currently Asst. Professor at the Hunter College School of Social Work and maintains a private practice in Manhattan.
Robert J. De Sena was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. During his youth, he was involved with several street gangs—experiences that proved invaluable in his later work with at risk teenagers. Despite these obstacles, he was able to obtain his B.A. from St. John’s University and two Master’s Degrees, one from N.Y.U. and the other from Queens College.
In 1965, he became an English teacher. His skill in bringing contending ethnic and racial groups together led to the formation of the Council for Unity, which he founded at John Dewey High School in 1975. The Council’s customized curriculum and program ideology created by Mr. De Sena has given the program a national reputation for its success in promoting unity, safety and achievement in schools and communities. With the establishment of Council chapters in the Republic of Moldava, a former Soviet Socialist Republic, this model now extends to foreign shores.
Concerned with the ever increasing support services needed for younger children, Mr. De Sena tailored the Council paradigm to engage youngsters from as early as the 3rd grade and keep them in the Council network through intermediate school and high school. He then created a college model so participants could continue their involvement all through their higher education. With the foundation of the Council’s Alumni and Friends Association, membership in the program is extended for life.
Through Mr. De Sena’s outreach, a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of America was established in 1999 so communities as well as schools could benefit from the Council culture. Currently, Council chapters have been established in 6 states where clubs use the Council design as part of their anti-gang strategy.
Mr. De Sena is a man of many talents. He has acted on the stage and written over 15 plays with multi-cultural and anti-violent themes. Performed by his students, these plays showcase the Council’s work and have attracted nationwide publicity. One of them, “A Lifting of Hands,” is being considered for a full-length movie.
Mr. De Sena has received many awards including the Richard R. Green Distinguished Educator Award, the Gorgeous Mosaic Award conferred by the New York Urban Coalition, the Educator of the Year Award from the Columbian Association of the New York City Board of Education, the Unsung Hero Award from the Petra Foundation and, most recently, the President’s Medal from the Freedom Foundation.
Mr. De Sena has written for School Safety Magazine and been the subject of articles in The New York Times, The Daily News, Newsday, Teacher Magazine and featured on CBS Evening News, ABC Eye Witness News, Fox 5 Good Morning America, The God Squad and Street Talk as well as numerous cable channels.
Ganzhi Di obtained her doctorate in education (Ed.D.) in Applied Linguistics at Teachers College, Columbia University. An Assistant Professor in the Department of Language and Cognition at Hostos Community College, she teaches all levels of ESL (English as a Second Language). She has published two books and translated essays by renowned scholars, such as Michael Palencia Roth (Nobel Prize in Literature), Rene Welleck, and Clifford A. Hill. Her book, Ideology of Ideography: Gender Analysis in Classical Chinese, will be published by the Pacific Asian Press, CA in 2003.
William Eng has been on the faculty of Baruch College for 30 years, 25 of them as Athletics Director. Promoted to Full Professor in 1995, Prof. Eng served as chair of the Physical and Health Education department, and is currently deputy chair and Unit Head in the Dept. of Student Development. He is the “senior” athletic director and the only Asian-American athletic director in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC). Prof. Eng received his undergraduate and Master’s degrees at CCNY (’72, ’73) and obtained his doctorate in heath education/administration at NYU in 1978. He is the first Asian-American male to serve on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Management Council. Born and raised on the lower eastside, he has been married 30 years, and the father of 5 sons.
Joyce Gelb is Professor of Political Science at City College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. She has been a visiting professor in recent years at Yale University and Doshisha and Tokyo Universities in Japan. Her research and publications deal primarily with comparative politics and policy including work on women’s political participation, social movements, and policy making and outcomes in the US, Europe and Japan She is the author of Women and Public Policies: Reassessing Gender Politics (with Marian Palley) and Feminism and Politics : A Comparative Perspective, as well as numerous articles in edited volumes and journals. She has received grants from the Ford, Rockefeller and National Science Foundations. Dr. Gelb has just completed a book comparing gender related policy in the United States and Japan to be published by Palgrave at St.Martin’s Press in Fall 2003.
Matthew Goldstein was appointed Chancellor of the City University of New York, effective September 1, 1999. He is the first CUNY graduate to lead the nation’s most prominent urban public university (City College, Class of 1963). Chancellor Goldstein has served in senior academic and administrative positions for more than twenty years, including as President of Baruch College; President of the Research Foundation; and as Acting Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of CUNY. Prior to being named Chancellor, he was President of Adelphi University.
L. Michael Griffel is professor of music and acting associate provost at Hunter College of the City University of New York. Trained at Yale, Juilliard, and Columbia in music theory, piano, and historical musicology, respectively, he began teaching at Hunter in 1970. Among his many roles at Hunter, he has been associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, chair of the Department of Music, and acting chair of the Thomas Hunter Honors Program. In 1977 he joined the doctoral faculty in music of The Graduate Center of CUNY. He taught graduate courses at the Mannes College of Music from 1980 until 1999, and he joined the doctoral faculty of the Juilliard School in 1997. Dr. Griffel is vice-president of the American Beethoven Society, New York Chapter. His research area is music of the 19th century, with an emphasis on Schubert. He has published many chapters, articles, and reviews in books and scholarly journals.
Otis Hill is the Vice Chancellor for Student Development and Enrollment Management at CUNY Central Office. He previously served at Kingsborough Community College as the Vice President of Student Affairs.
Ellie M. Hisama is Director of the Institute for Studies in American Music at Brooklyn College and Associate Professor of Music at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. She is author of Gendering Musical Modernism: The Music of Ruth Crawford, Marion Bauer, and Miriam Gideon (Cambridge) and has published essays on classical and popular music in the journals Popular Music and Signs, and in the books Reading Pop, Expression in Pop-Rock Music, and Feminisms at a Millennium. She has received fellowships from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and from the Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities. Her research has focused on representations of Asians in popular and classical music, connections between Asian Americans and African Americans in hip hop, and twentieth-century American women composers.
Stephanie Hsu, Museum Education Associate at the Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MoCA), was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She started in community work as a teenager, and has been involved in arts, music, literacy, and GED programs for schoolchildren and adults in Asian- and African-American communities in Atlanta and New York City. She received her BA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University in 2001, where she focused on Asian American history and literature, and will begin an English PhD program this fall. At MoCA, she directs community education initiatives, including partnerships with local Chinatown schools.
Yang Hu, who earned an Ed.D. in English Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College, brings her diversified teaching experiences in the New York City public schools to her work as assistant professor of Reading, Language Arts and Literacy at Hunter College School of Education. Her bilingual and bicultural background has led her naturally to her research interests in the school experiences of Asian students. Her research interests also include the teaching of writing, and talk and learning in classroom communication and interaction.
Soofia Hussain obtained her doctorate in sociology from Columbia University, NY and is currently full professor of sociology in the State University of New York system. Her published articles include topics on sociology, women studies, New York City bureaucracy. For five years she held the office of general secretary in Society of Indian Academics in America and is also joint secretary in Aligarh Alumni Association.
Jianguo Ji, Adjunct Assistant Professor of ESL in CUNY, Adjunct Professor of English at College of Aeronautics, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Chinese at Baruch College and Queens College, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages at New York University, TESOL Teacher Training Specialist with American Council of Learned Societies, Guest Professor of TESOL /Applied Linguistics at Tongji University.
Professor Ji earned his Doctorate in Applied Linguistics at Teachers College, Columbia University, with a Master’s degree in TESL from Saint Michael’s College.
With many years of experiences in teaching English as a foreign and second language, in training teachers of English to speakers of other languages, in teaching Chinese as a heritage/second language, in promoting intercultural understanding, Professor Ji has a particular interest in diagnosing and treating foreign language learning/crosscultural communication problems caused by psycholinguistic barriers and transcultural difficulties. He is also interested in developing curricula that better facilitate instructed language acquisition in ESL/FL classrooms.
Dr. Ji is a published author of books and articles in TESOL/foreign language teaching methodology, and in crosscultural and comparative-literature studies. He is also a published translator of award-winning American and British literary works.
Hiroko Karan is Dean of the School of Science, Health and Technology, and Professor of Chemistry at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. She is a member of the President’s Cabinet, Provost’s Council, Academic Council and College Council. Dr. Karan is a co-founder of the Annual MEC Environmental Issues Conference. She also serves as Executive Board Member of the Brooklyn, NY Chapter of the American Chemical Society.
Virginia Kee has been a dedicated teacher in a NYC public junior high school for over three decades. Known as everybody’s favorite teacher, she is also a respected leader in the Chinese-American community. She is a founder of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), the largest and most comprehensive non-profit service organization serving the needy and poor Asian Americans in New York City. As the past Chair, she continues on the CPC Board of Directors.
Mrs. Kee has served on a number of task force and commissions. After the attack on Abner Louima, she was appointed on the Task Force on Police and Community. The task forced worked to address the systematic problems which contributed to poor police-community relations. Also, she has served on the NYC Task Force on Daycare Funding, and the NYC Human Rights Commission. As an advocate for children and education, she was instrumental in bringing the first Youth Program and Headstart Program to Chinatown in 1965.
Over the years Mrs. Kee has received numerous awards for her outstanding community service, including a proclamation from the City Council of New York, honoring both her and her husband, Dr. Herbert Kee, for a lifetime of outstanding service and accomplishment. Her alma mater Hunter College has inducted her into their Hall of Fame. The National Conference of Christians and Jews recognized Virginia Kee as one of the “Fifty Extraordinary Women,” for her role in building understanding among people of different ethnic backgrounds.
Dorothy Loo Kehl, a native of Hong Kong, received her BA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and her MA from New York University. She joined the ESL Program at Brooklyn College in 1973 and has been teaching various levels of reading and writing courses in the program since then. For several years in the 80’s, she also worked simultaneously as an adjunct for the School of Education at Brooklyn College, evaluating Chinese bi-lingual student teachers doing their practice teaching in various public schools in Brooklyn. She also handled the Chinese language competency exam for that program. Her research into the different ESL student profiles and learning needs in Brooklyn/CUNYwas presented in conferences orgnized by the New York State and Interntional ESL professional organizations. She has written articles about changes in women’s status in modern China, translated Chinese poems written in the 70s and 80’s into English. These works have been published in magazines and newspapers in New York and Hong Kong. She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin and Toishan dialect fluently.
Outside of her academic work, she has been an active member in the Chinese community in New York. She was the Board President of the New York Chinese Cultural Center.
In 2000, in recognition of her long-standing contribution in promoting Chinese culture, Brooklyn College awarded her the “Excellence in Community Service Award,” an honor given to a faculty each year in the college’s Faculty Day, when the faculty celebrate their achievement in various academic and non-academic areas.
Ron Kim graduated from Hamilton College with a concentration in political science and he is currently pursuing his Master’s in urban public policy at CUNY. As co-founder and chair of Young Civic Alliance of New York, Inc. (YCANY), Ron is a strong advocate of youth development and civic participation. In addition to YCANY, he also chairs the Young Korean Democrats of New York, an organization dedicated to encouraging democratic values amongst young Korean Americans.
Ron works full time for State Assemblyman Mark S. Weprin, helping to represent the communities of Northeastern Queens. Prior to his employment with the state government, Ron worked for Hon. John C. Liu, New York City Councilman for Flushing, New York. As a proponent of community solidarity and volunteerism, Ron will continue to dedicate his time to public service.
Marcia Knoll is a career educator who has served in all the educational seats. She began her career in education as a teacher and then administrator in the New York City Public Schools, serving as assistant principal and the principal of P.S. 220 and Director of Curriculum and Instruction for District 28 schools in Queens. She became Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services in the Valley Stream Central High School district on Long Island. Dr. Knoll is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Administration and Supervision at Hunter College of CUNY.
She has had a variety of opportunities to serve, guide, and influence the educational community in New York State, across the nation and around the world as a member of many prestigious committees, such as the Professional Standards Board, a member of the board of examiners for NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Institutions), an invited speaker for groups such as the United States Department of Education, and as a consultant for professional development for Regional Labs, Sate Education Departments counties, and school districts.
Dr. Knoll has been recognized and honored by the educational community having received numerous awards and citations, including attributes in the Congressional Record of the 99th Congress of the United States of America. Se has had many leadership opportunities in elected positions for ASCD (Association for Supervision ad Curriculum Development) and PDK (Phi Delta Kappa). Dr. Knoll is a past president of ASCD.
She is the author of Administrator’s Guide to Student Achievement and Higher Test Scores (Josey-Bass WIley, 2002), Elementary Principal’s Survival Guide (Prentice Hall, 1984), Supervision for Better Instruction (Prentice Hall, 1987), the curriculum bulletin Personalized Instruction (New York City Board of Education). Graded levels for main idea and critical thinking in the “Developing Reading Comprehension Skills” and “Developing Problem-Solving Skills” series (Oceana Educational Publications), as well as over fifteen articles.
Jerome Krase, is Murray Koppelman Professor, Emeritus, at Brooklyn College. His NYU 1973 dissertation “The Presentation of Community in Urban Society” dealt with the problems and prospects of maintaining the viability of minority and racially integrated urban neighborhoods. Subsequently he worked as an activist-scholar in the field of community organizations, publishing articles and presenting papers while deeply involved in the neighborhood organization movements in NYC. During the last two decades his interests have expanded into Visual Studies of ethnic communities. He has published widely on urban life and culture and has lectured and conducted research on “Spatial Semeiotics” in many international sites. In 1998 he was Visiting Professor of Sociology at the University of Rome, “La Sapienza.” where he studied the “New Romans,” with a focus on the Asian community of L’Esquilino. In January 2003 he re-photographed L’Esquilino to the rapid changes due to continued immigration to Italy.
Mami Kuwano is currently the Director of Youth Programs at Downtown Community Television (DCTV), running programs that teach video production to high school students in low-income/minority communities. DCTV’s goal is to teach them storytelling skills using video so that they can produce documentaries that tell the stories about their lives and their perspectives of the world. DCTV has had approximately 80 students involved in its youth programs last year.
Eight of these students were involved in a special scholarship program called Pro-TV Intermediate, in which the students spend more than 8 hours per week receiving television production training, including international assignments, for two years. Ms. Kuwano teaches this group. DCTV selects students from culturally diverse backgrounds to enroll in this program, and each year it has a couple of Asian-American students.
Robert Lee is the Executive Director/Curator of Asian American Arts Centre (www.artspiral.org) where he initiated the Arts Centre’s visual arts programming in 1978 drawing attention to Asian American artists as a field of special study. In 1986 he completed the first overview of the art by Asian American artists, entitled, “The Art of Asian American Artists: Reflections of the Cultural Issues in Asian American Life”, a visual production which was shown at conferences and on numerous campuses including the National Museum of American Art in Washington DC. He has focused on artists who, since 1945, demonstrate the historic cultural presence of several generations of Asian Americans in the U.S. He has taught a course on this subject at Parsons School of Design in 1997. Robert was Chair of The Association of American Cultures in 1993, (TAAC) a national advocacy organization on diversity in the arts where he served as a Board Member for eight years. As a founding Board member (1983) of the Asian American Arts Alliance, he oversaw its operations for many of its early years.
Vanessa Leung, Project Specialist, is currently working on a report on the status of Asian American students in the public school system. Previously, she coordinated a pilot project to develop linkages with researchers to promote social science research and data collection on Asian American populations, as well as worked with consultants to conduct an external review of the Coalition for strategic planning purposes. Vanessa also assists with grant writing, event planning, volunteer management, and publications development. She joined the staff as an intern and previously served as Outreach and Education Coordinator. Vanessa is completing a masters of arts degree in developmental psychology at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Her thesis addresses the developmental implications around separation and reunification amongst immigrant families.
Vanessa Leung from the Coalition for Asian American Children and Family
suggested the conference flyer be sent to various Asian American
organizations in order to spread the word about May 2nd.
Ching Leou Liu is Associate Professor of Library Services at Hostos Community College, CUNY and a member of the Board of Directors of the Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI). She has been actively involved in the Chinese community for several decades.
Prof. Liu has raised funds for scholarships to help Asian students attend the City University of New York, as well as promoting a positive image of CUNY in the Chinese media. In addition, she took the initiative and recruited Chinese students for Hostos Community College, and helped mentor many of the students she recruited, three of whom were valedictorians of their graduating class.
Hon. John Liu is a member of New York City Council, the Chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee, and a member of the committees on Education, Consumer Affairs, Contract, Oversight & Investigation, and Lower Manhattan Redevelopment. The Hon. Liu has served as President of the North Flushing Civic Association; Member of Queens Community Board 7; and Vice President of the Queens Civic Congress. He also served as Vice President of the New Century Democratic Association.
Keming Liu, daughter of a former KMT general, was born in mainland China and came to the U.S. to pursue her advanced studies. She teaches writing, linguistics, and ESL at Medgar Evers College and holds an Ed.D. in Applied Linguistics from Teachers’ College, Columbia University and M.A. in TESOL and Computer Technology. A foreign correspondent for Trends, a fashion magazine published in mainland China with a circulation of 25,000, Dr. Liu holds interest in research on language and cognition and Chinese literati in the Diaspora. As a Sasakawa fellow, Dr. Liu desires to explore Asian art, culture, and literature and hopes to publish books and articles in the varied fields of disciplines.
Nicholas M. Michelli is University Dean for Teacher Education for the City University of New York and Professor in the University’s Ph.D. program in Urban Education. He is responsible for overseeing teacher education at the nation’s largest public urban university in programs located at the ten senior colleges and six community colleges of the University. He is also responsible for coordination between the University, the New York City Public Schools, and the cultural institutions of New York City. Prior to his appointment, he served s Dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Montclair State University for twenty years where he is professor and dean ameritus.
Dean Michelli is a member of the New York State Professional Standard and Practices Board for Teaching, and is one of TECSCU’s representatives on and chair of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher’s Education’s (AACTE) Committee on Governmental relations. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Council of Great City Colleges of Education, and chairs the Governing Council of the National Network for Educational Renewal, a coalition more than forty school-university partnerships in eighteen states committed to renewing education.
In 1996, he was the recipient of AACTE’s Edward C. Pomeroy Award for his contributions to teacher education.
Vincenzo Milione is currently the Director for Research and Education at the Calandra Italian American Institute under the aegis of Queens College, The City University of New York.
Dr. Milione is responsible for the social science research on Italian Americans, as well as conducting institutional research on its faculty, administrative staff and students. His research at the Calandra Institute has included the educational and occupational achievements of the Italian American community for estimating the labor pool of post secondary faculty and administrators, and the graduation and high school drop out rates of Italian American youths.
Dr. Milione has conducted research on Italian language offerings at the elementary and secondary levels, negative portrayals of Italian Americans in the media, and Italy/U.S. student exchange programs. He has conducted employment research on Italian Americans in New York City and New York State governmental operations. He was a major participant in the federal Italian American civil rights case involving the City University of New York and its hiring and treatment of Italian Americans. Judge Constance Baker Motley designated Dr. Milione as a court technical expert on affirmative action, and was recently instrumental in establishing the Anthony and Eleanor De Francis multimillion-scholarship fund, that provides the largest scholarship for any Italian American student in the United States.
Dr. Milione is presently coordinating with the Italian American community and the Secretary of Commerce’s Census Advisory Committee to make sure that Italian American ancestry data is collected in the year 2010 on the short form and to ensure the accuracy of the American Community Survey for enumerating Italian Americans.
Pyong Gap Min is Professor of Sociology at Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The areas of his research focus are immigration, ethnicity, ethnic business, women’s gender role, and immigrants’ religions, with a special focus on Asian Americans. He is the author of three books, including Caught in the Middle: Korean Communities in New York and Los Angeles (1996), the winner of two national book awards. He is the editor or co-editor of five books. They include The Second Generation: Ethnic Identity among Asian Americans (2002) and Mass Migration to the United States: Classical and Contemporary Periods (2002).
James Muyskens is President of Queens College, and was the CEO and Dean of the Faculty of the Gwinnett University Center in the University System of Georgia. He is a philosopher with special expertise in bioethics and the philosophy of religion, and has more than 25 years of administrative experience.
Gary Y. Okihiro is director of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race and professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. He is author of several books in U.S. and African history, most recently of THE COLUMBIA GUIDE TO ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY (2001), and COMMON GROUND: REIMAGINING AMERICAN HISTORY (2001). He is the recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the American Studies Association, and is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies.
Janet Patti, Ed.D. is the Coordinator of the Educational Administration and Supervision Program at Hunter College of The City University of New York. Janet’s research focus is on creating school culture and climate that supports academic, social and emotional learning. Central to establishing this culture is the role of the school leader. Dr. Patti believes that educational leaders must be reflective practitioners. The theory and practice of emotional intelligence can assist them to influence, form and sustain a school culture that promotes and supports learning.
Dr. Patti has been a teacher, counselor and administrator in the public school systems of New York City and San Diego for more than twenty-five years. She has presented seminars and lectures throughout the United States, Latin America and Spain. She is a member of the Leadership Team of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning. She is a member of the New York State executive advisory board for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She is a consultant for Educators for Social Responsibility and a leading trainer for the nationally recognized Don’t Laugh At Me Program. Janet has written numerous publications that address social and emotional learning and school leadership. She is the co-author of Waging Peace in Our Schools (Beacon Press, 1996). Her latest book , SMART SCHOOL LEADERS: Leading with Emotional Intelligence, which she co-authored with James Tobin will be released in September 2003.
Ned Regan is President of Bernard Baruch College, CUNY.
Parmatma Saran is Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Baruch College, CUNY. He chairs the Asian and Asian American Studies Committee at Baruch College, and is a member of the CUNY Graduate Faculty in Sociology. Dr. Saran’s books include: Direct Administration in India; Asian Indian Experience in the United States; New Ethnics: Asian Indians in the United States; Rural Leadership in the Context of India’s Modernization.
Joseph V. Scelsa is the Director of the Italian American Institute of the City University of New York, which he renamed the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute after the late State Senator in 1987. In 1995, the Calandra Institute was afforded the status of a full university research institute through Queens College, CUNY. As of March 1, 1999, Dr. Scelsa was named Dean of the Calandra Italian American Institute and appointed full Professor. In October 2000, he was named acting Vice President for Institutional Development at Queens College, CUNY.
Dr. Scelsa received his doctorate in Sociology and Education from Columbia University, and in addition, holds three Maters’ degrees in Sociology, Social Studies and Counseling. He is also nationally certified as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor.
As a graduate student at the City University of New York, Dr. Scelsa held the position of Vice Chair of Legislative Affairs of the University Student Senate. Today, he is a Board Member of the Columbia Club, the Coalition of Italo-American Associations, Italian Heritage and Culture Month Committee, , and various other Italian-American organizations. He is also Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation’s Education Institute.
Dr. Scelsa is Executive Producer and Host of ITALICS: The Italian-American Magazine, which is co-produced by the Calandra Institute and CUNY-TV, and is now in its thirteenth season on cable stations throughout the United States.
The author and editor of several books, Dr. Scelsa has written various articles and reports on ethnicity, pluralism and education, notably the report on the Italian-American High School Drop-Out Rate in the New York City Schools (New York Times, May 1, 1990). He was the historical consultant for A&E’s documentary The Italians in America, which premiered worldwide on October 11, 1998.
Frank H. Shih, Assistant Dean of Students, received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the New School for Social Research, with research focus in transnationalism and globalization and its particular impact on international education. He is responsible for the offices of Career Planning and Student Affairs. His wide experience in higher education includes academic advising, admissions, student organizations, program development and enrollment and retention management. Before coming to CUNY he served as the Director of the Center for Academic Advising and coordinated New Student Orientation and Peer Advising at the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he received the 1992 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. A former social worker and community advocate in New York City, Dr. Shih has interests in multiculturalism and pluralism, and has written about the experiences of Asian and Asian American students. He is currently Vice President of the Board of Directors for Literacy Volunteers of America-Suffolk County. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for Nassau Suffolk Law Services of Long Island and Project Blueprint of Long Island United Way.
Betty Lee Sung is Professor Emerita and Chairperson of Asian American/ Asian Research Institute. She is the former Chairperson of Asian American Studies Department at City College, CUNY. Professor Sung has published innumerable articles and seven books on Chinese Americans including Mountain of Gold (1967), and Chinese American Manpower and Employment, which won an outstanding book of the year award for 1976.
Thomas Tam is Acting Chairman of Asian American Higher Education Council, and Executive Director of Asian American/Asian Research Institute, as well as the President of Oishi Movies, Inc. which produced a feature: Sunrise on Mulberry Street. He received his Ph.D. degree in SocioMedical Sciences with honors from Columbia University, and other degrees in Film-making, Public Health, and Physics from Montclair State University, Columbia, and City College of New York.
Hon. Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, B.A., was appointed by Governor Pataki in June 1999 as a member of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York. Mr. Wiesenfeld was born in The Bronx in 1958, the son of two Holocaust survivors. He moved with his parents to Rego Park in 1971 and attended the Bronx High School of Science and Queens College, where he also pursued graduate studies. After serving for four years in the foreign counterintelligence division of the FBI, Mr. Wiesenfeld served as an assistant to Congressman Thomas Manton and Queens Borough President Claire Shulman. He was then appointed as Chief-of-Staff to Mayor Koch’s Traffic Commissioner where he also served for four years. Following the conclusion of the Koch Administration, Mr. Wiesenfeld became the New York Metropolitan Area Executive Assistant to United States Senator Alfonse D’Amato. As a senior staff member in the New York office, he was responsible for many of the Senator’s activities and his personal representation in the eight counties comprising the downstate region. In January 1995, Mr. Wiesenfeld became the Executive Assistant to New York State Governor George Pataki for the New York Metropolitan Region. His duties included directing the New York City office, coordinating the Governor’s relations with all civic, ethnic, and geographic organizations, and other general responsibilities as a senior aide to the Governor. Mr. Wiesenfeld also became the New York City Regional Director of the Empire State Development Corporation in 1999, the State’s economic development agency. By appointment of Governor Pataki, he is currently a member of the board of the United Nations Development Corporation and a Commissioner within the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area Planning Commission. Mr. Wiesenfeld is currently employed as Vice President with the firm of Bernstein Investment Research and Management. He has been active for many years in our community and is a strong voice for those causes in which he believes. Active with many local and national organizations, he possesses a high level of caring and involvement. Mr. Wiesenfeld holds membership on the Board’s Committee on Faculty, Staff, and Administration, and the Committee on Facilities, Planning, and Management.
Hon. Betty B. Wu is the Commissioner for the Department of Employment (DOE). DOE is the City’s workforce development agency, seeking to advance the City’s human services and economic development goals. For nearly two decades, Betty Wu has a proven track record of developing solid relationships with the business community as a Business Development Executive. Prior to her appointment, Betty Wu held senior management positions at Bloomberg LP, and leading global financial institutions.
Philip Yun
While working for a variety of insurance companies and as an investment advisor, Mr. Philip Yun has also been an active member of the Asian American community. In 1999, Mr. Yun undertook the Executive Director position of the NYPD Patrol North Borough Queens Asian Advisory Council. This group plays a pivotal role as a liaison between the Asian American communities in the North Queens Borough and the New York Police Department. Mr. Yun has organized community town hall meetings and events for the Asian Americans and local police precincts in order to form more viable communities. In addition to his role with the NYPD, Mr. Yun is also the co-founder and Secretary General to the United Korean Americans for America (UKAFA), an organization dedicated to enlivening the Korean American communities through encouraging democratic ideology and policies. UKAFA has recently held community based events such as the “Yellow Ribbon Campaign,” where Korean Americans joined together to show gratitude for our fighting troops abroad.
Louise Weiyi Zhu grew up and got B. S. Degree in Engineering in China. She came to the USA for her graduate study in Journalism at Northeastern University in Boston. With strong bilingual and multicultural background, she worked for a Chinese-English newspaper as an editor as well as involved in Asian community and mainstream social activities in Greater Boston area for years.
Louise started working with Girl Scouts as a volunteer of Asian task force. Then she joined the staff force of the local Girl Scout council in Boston. Now she is a Membership Outreach Consultant of Girl Scouts of the USA headquarters in New York City.
Conference Chairperson
Conference Vice-Chairperson
Conference Co-Sponsor
Asian America
Asian Americans For Equality
Asian American Higher Education Council
Baruch College, CUNY
Office of the Chancellor, CUNY
Con Edison
Hunter College, CUNY
Queens College, CUNY
TIAA-CREF
Verizon
Coordinator
Ana Lai
Technical Assistance
James Huang
Mimy Liu
Antony Wong
