Hunter Happenings - November 2020

Campaign Season

Did you see President Raab’s recent op-ed in the Daily News about the importance of voting this November? If not, view it online to read about Hunter College alumna Beatrice Lumpkin ’39!  She was born during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and cast her first vote in 1940. This year, in a photo that went viral, things looked a bit different as she donned full PPE to cast her ballot. At 102 years old, she encourages all Americans to vote!  Read more about her life as an activist in a recent article featured online in The Forward.

Hunter alumni aren’t the only ones active this campaign season. Many of our students have spent months working on the census and are now being recruited to serve as poll workers on November 3. Enjoy this video by Hunter students encouraging their classmates to make a difference in the 2020 election! Bea and our students truly embody our motto, Mihi Cura Futuri, “The Care of the Future is Mine.”

On Campus

With 8% of Hunter College classes being held on campus this fall, safety is our #1 priority.  We are so thankful for the essential workers keeping Hunter safe, like our dedicated facilities team and public safety officers.

Working closely with faculty, we identified a number of areas in which in-person learning was a significant part of pedagogy, including 1) the lab sciences, 2) the studio and performance arts, and 3) the clinical professions such as physical therapy and nursing.

We currently have 47 labs open, and students are able to safely access the Cooperman Library, our on-campus Food Pantry, practice spaces in classrooms, and 205 Hudson Street, home to our MFA Program in Studio Art. We have also opened the Brookdale dorm to more than 200 students.

In a video shared online, the Hunter Undergraduate Student Government reminds classmates of the importance of wearing masks and maintaining social distance while on campus and in their dorm building.

View Hunter’s Focus on Fall Reopening Plan.

Alumni Highlights

Did you recognize Hunter College alumna Katie Duke ’11 presenting a supporting actress award at the Emmys on September 20? As a nurse on the front lines, Katie fell ill with COVID when the pandemic hit. We are grateful that she has recovered and thank the Emmy Awards for recognizing her service! Read more about Katie, and view the segment.

Hunter College Animal Behavior Program alumna Isabella Rossellini (MA’19) took her talents to the virtual stage last week for her latest production, “Sex & Consequences!”  View the New York Times article “Socially Distant, Except for the Dogs, Sheep and Chickens,” and go behind the scenes at her farm as she rehearses for her new show.

Professor Gilbert (Center), at Ramnagar, is shown with members of the team, including (from left) N. P. Singh, R. Patnaik, B. Patel, and C. Campisano.

Anthropology Professor Christopher Gilbert recently unearthed a 13-million-year-old fossil from a newly discovered ape species, a find that answers historic questions about primates! The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Congratulations to Chris and his team! Read more about this important discovery.

Online Events

Join us for two Hunter@Home events this month!

On November 10, The Eva Brust Cooper Jewish Studies Program Fund will present “From Hunter College to Holocaust Historian: Writing the Life of Lucy S. Dawidowicz” with Nancy Sinkoff, Professor of Jewish Studies and History and the Academic Director of the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for The Study of Jewish Life at Rutgers University.  Nancy will discuss her recently published biography on Holocaust historian and Hunter College alumna Lucy Dawidowicz ’36. This program is made possible thanks to the generosity of Eva Brust Cooper HCHS ’52 HC ’56. Register now!

On November 18, you won’t want to miss the conversation between Hunter alumnus and Chairman and CEO of Omega Family Office Leon Cooperman ’64 and Arabella Pollack, Distinguished Lecturer and Director of Hunter’s new Certificate in Business Studies program. Register today!

Visit Hunter’s online events calendar to keep tabs on all of the great things happening at Hunter, from academic open houses, to art exhibitions, to book talks, and much more.

Explore “Hunter On Demand,” where you’ll find a rich archive of Hunter programming, including “Hunter@Home,” a series of virtual events that bring Hunter faculty and alumni—and their expertise—to you; and “Speaking of Justice,” a series of discussions on racial equity that feature faculty, other scholars, and activists speaking to such topics as the impact of protests, health inequities, and voting rights and voter suppression.

Stay Connected

Haven’t joined Hunter Connect yet?  What are you waiting for?

Hunter Connect is our new alumni networking platform, and there’s something waiting for you!

When you join, you’ll be able to:

Join a group: Our groups are tailored to connect users who have similar interests, majors, and passions. With 15+ groups, we are sure you’ll find one that sparks your interest!

Make connections: Find class members you lost touch with, reach out to fellow alumni for advice, or connect with your favorite faculty.

Mentor: Add “mentoring” as an interest when creating your profile to express interest and sign up for our mentorship program! This alumni-to-alumni program will allow you to create a strong mentor/mentee relationship with a fellow alum.

Our newest group in Hunter Connect is the HUNTER ALUMNI BOOK CLUB!  The first book club read will be Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer, who recently joined the Hunter faculty as a Distinguished Lecturer in the Creative Writing MFA Program.  The book club will hold a live Zoom event on December 1.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of joining this new group, and register for the first read!

Stay up to date on the latest news from your alma mater by following President Jennifer J. Raab on Twitter and Instagram, and Hunter College on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Support

As Thanksgiving approaches, so does Giving Tuesday — December 1 — the annual day of giving to vital institutions like Hunter.

Today’s Hunter students are brimming with talent, promise, and high ideals. And like past generations of Hunter students, they deserve a world-class education. But the global pandemic has increased students’ need for support, while also placing a significant strain on the public budget that funds the college.

We need your help to continue providing our students with that world-class education at a price they can truly afford. The gifts you make to Hunter on Giving Tuesday help fund emergency scholarships, laptops, food and housing aid, as well as remote learning technology and faculty, and safe, on-campus learning opportunities when possible.

On behalf of everyone here at Hunter, and the students we serve, thank you in advance for your generosity.

Donate on or before Giving Tuesday, December 1 at hunter.cuny.edu/givingtuesday.

Learn More

• Hunter College
• Hunter College News
• Hunter College Alumni
• Hunter Connect

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