Five Hunter College grads and one staffer made the City University of New York’s its inaugural 50 Under 50 alumni list, recognizing distinguished CUNY alumni who have made headway in their respective fields in the past year.
The honorees represent the diverse talents and achievements of CUNY’s vibrant and expansive community. The first cohort introduces a set of changemakers across disciplines – including activists, lawyers, journalists, and entrepreneurs – who represent the best of the university’s principles.
The Hunter-associated 2024 “50 Under 50” honorees are:
- Justine Billups, diversity, equity and inclusion manager, New York City Police Department, Hunter College ’12, Baruch College ’17
- Rachel Cole, principal, Rachel Cole Art Advisory, Hunter College ’24
- Calvin Herman, graduate fellow, Laboratory of Bacteriology, The Rockefeller University, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College ’20
- Maria Ponciano, arbitration advocate, United Federation of Teachers, Hunter College ’99, Brooklyn College ’03, City College of New York ’10
- Nicola Scalise, talent developer, Altice USA, Hunter College ’13, Baruch College ’20
- Lev Sviridov, director, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, City College of New York ’05
“CUNY’s story is best told by the more than a million alumni who have been uplifted by the university’s mission, many of whom pay it forward by making an impact in their industries,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “We congratulate these 50 CUNY alumni for standing out in how their careers have progressed since their graduation.”
CUNY’s Office of Communications and Marketing accepted nominations for the recognition, selecting recipients who represent every CUNY college and stood out for the impact they have made in their respective industries in the past year. Alumni can also be nominated through an online form for future awards.
The CUNY Alumni Network initiative launched earlier this year as one of the first efforts to engage the alumni of the University’s 25 colleges under one central group. The university has since created groups on LinkedIn and Facebook for alumni to connect with one another, as well as launched a quarterly newsletter and an Instagram page for updates.
CUNY also hosted an alumni networking reception in May, welcoming recent graduates to a professional development event that included an alumni panel, resume review and a personal branding workshop. The initiative will offer alumni free professional headshot sessions on a monthly basis. Alumni are also able to purchase specially designed merchandise on the University’s online store.
CUNY alumni who are interested in staying connected with the University and the CUNY colleges they attended can visit the CUNY Alumni webpage for resources and updates.
