Events 2020-2021

September 9, Wednesday (10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.) Albany Politics: Media Voices. After watching the COVID crisis unfold this spring, there can be no doubt that state leadership and state politics matters. In this discussion with two prominent political reporters, hear about the big issues in NYS - Cuomo's leadership, the recent turnover in the Assembly, the budget crunch, and potential future changes in education. This forum will be driven by your questions. Our guests are also happy to discuss their career paths. Please RSVP at THIS LINK before 5 p.m. on Sept. 8 to receive Zoom information the night before the event.

• Keshia Clukey covers Albany for Bloomberg. Prior to that, she covered NYS K-12 and higher education for Politico's Albany bureau. She has worked at several newspapers in the state, most recently the Times Union in Albany.
• Zack Fink covers Albany for NY1 News, the 24-hour cable station in New York City. Prior to that he covered politics in New Jersey for 13 years, his final three as State House Correspondent for New Jersey Network, the former PBS station.

September 30, Wednesday (1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.) President's Guest, Lunch with a Leader: Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez (B.A. '75), Commissioner, Department for the Aging. Ms. Cortés-Vázquez has over three decades of experience in four industry sectors and areas: corporate, non-profit, government, and politics. She has excelled in each, although non-profit is where her commitment lives. Currently, Ms. Cortés-Vázquez is the Commissioner for the Department for the Aging. She also serves on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board and on the Board of Trustees for the City University of New York. Please RSVP at THIS LINK before 5 p.m. on Sept. 29 to receive Zoom information the night before the event.

OCTOBER

October 8, Thursday (5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) Tax and Fiscal Fairness: Careers & Issues Panel. What are the important issues when it comes to considering national and local economic policies? Why is "budgeting" a political issue? What are the important skills to have to work in this field, and how do we begin to educate ourselves in this realm?

• Joshua Goldstein, Assistant Director at NYC OMB, (Vassar College B.A. '95, Hunter College M.A.'04)
• Amy Hanauer, Executive Director, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in Washington, D.C. (Cornell University B.A. '97, University of Wisconsin MPA '97)
• Jessica McCloskey, Economist at Bureau of Economic Analysis (Hunter College B.A. '08, University of Kansas Ph.D. '18) 

Please RSVP at THIS LINK before 5 p.m. on Oct. 7 to receive Zoom information the night before the event.

October 16, Friday (3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.) Founding a Non-Profit. Heather Butts, Co-Founder and Executive Director of H.E.A.L.T.H for Youths ("HEALTHY"), will discuss the excitement and challenges of founding a non-profit organization. HEALTHY addresses the needs of underserved youth -- many of whom are homeless or have been homeless, in foster care, or incarcerated -- ages five to 25 to ensure that their education is supported holistically. Ms. Butts is also a steward of many of Staten Island’s Little Free Libraries, which have been transformed into pantries during the COVID pandemic. Please RSVP at THIS LINK before 5 p.m. on October 15 to receive Zoom information the night before the event.

October 21, Wednesday (1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.) Columbia School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA): Programmatic Offerings & Admission Discussion. A public affairs degree can give students the skills to digest and communicate a lot of information, and to think broadly about the challenges facing our local and national governments today. This discussion will include an in depth description of the offerings at SIPA, and how to develop yourself into a strong candidate. Led by Kathleen Vital-Herne, Associate Director of Admissions, SIPA. Please RSVP at THIS LINK before 5 p.m. on Oct. 20 to receive Zoom information the night before the event.

NOVEMBER

November 12, Thursday (5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) Immigration Careers & Issues Panel. What are the challenges that the immigrant community is currently facing? What are the different strategies for engaging and serving the community?

• Nick Gulotta, Director of Outreach and Organizing, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (Hunter College B.A. '12)
• Max Hadler, Director of Health Policy, New York Immigration Coalition (Wesleyan University B.A. '03, UCLA MPH '12)
• Sophie Simon, Director of Immigrant Services, Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement (Hunter College B.A. '16)

November 19, Thursday (5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) (Non lawyer) Criminal Justice Careers & Issues Panel. How has the convesrsation around criminal justice changed in recent years? What are the various ways that it is possible to address the issues aside from the inside of a courtroom?

• Khalil Cumberbatch Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal Justice (Empire State College B.A. '12, Lehman College MSW '14)
• Abdul Rad, Research Manager, Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (Hunter College B.A. '16, University of Oxford MPhil '19)
• Sorrel Stetson, Policy and Planning Analyst, Manhattan DA (Hunter College B.A. '13, Hunter College M.A. '17)
• Naudia Williams, Action Plan Coordinator, Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (Swarthmore College '14, Cornell University MPA '19)

February 4 & February 11 Thursday (5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) Resume Bootcamp. Join us for a workshop on resume crafting, and get specific feedback about YOUR resume. Presentation and discussion by Heather M. Butts, JD, MPH, MA. Ms. Butts is the founder of L.E.A.R.N. for Life Consulting, L.L.C; lecturer and student adviser, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; adjunct professor of health law and bioethics at St. John's University School of Law; author; cofounder of H.E.A.L.T.H for Youths, Inc.; and an adjunct professor at John’s University School of Law.

February 24, Wednesday (5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) Mentoring Discussion of Campus Opportunities. Upperclassmen will share their own experiences in connection with student-led campus involvement and why it has been meaningful to them. Organizations and activities to be discussed include: Circle K; Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMBxHunter); Moot Court; Mock Trial; New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG); Sustainable Cities; Undergraduate Student Government (USG); and Welfare Rights Initiative (WRI).

MARCH

March 18, Thursday (5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) 2nd Annual Roosevelt (Virtual) Fortnight Dinner, co-sponsored by the Office of Hunter College Office of Prestigious Scholarships & Fellowships. Join us at dinnertime for a research presentation by fellow Roosevelt Scholar Dave Basnet. Dave will be presenting on: "U.S. Responses to Immigration, Asylum, and Extra-Continental Migration: Incarceration, Detention, and Deportation." Due to logistics, we will have a BYO (bring your own) dinner this year, but look forward to gathering next year. Dr. Steve Lassonde from Hunter's Office of Prestigious Scholarships & Fellowships will join us to discuss the importance of research projects and the trajectory of your academic careers. 

March 24, Wednesday, (1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.). Georgetown McCourt School's Tips for Networking Your Way to Success. Briana Green, Director of Career Development and Alumni Engagement at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University will speak about networking and interviewing in the context of the policy sphere. She will offer concrete strategies for students. She will also provide a sense of what policy placement looks like through the graduate school lens. This is a good opportunity to make a connection to Georgetown and begin to develop a relationship if you might be interested in pursuing a policy path in the future. 

APRIL

April 7, Wednesday (1 p.m. - 2 p.m.) New York City's Post-Pandemic Future, with Michael Hendrix, Director of State and Local Policy at the Manhattan Institute. New York City's  ability to ensure transit, healthcare, and housing all came under intense pressure during the pandemic. In the next 12 months there will be ongoing critical decisions in connection with policy strategies and tax expenditures that will no doubt impact our future for years to come. How will cities change in the as we emerge from the pandemic? Do we keep doing more of the same, or allow ourselves to make brave departures from the past? Previously, Mr. Hendrix served as senior director for research and emerging issues at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Hendrix is a frequent public speaker, and his writings have appeared in, among others, National Review, City Journal, and National Affairs.

April 16, Friday (12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.) Virtual Visit with NYC Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) ▪ Neighborhood Strategies. Housing is always an important issue for a vibrant city, and housing insecurity has been made even more visible during the pandemic. This session is an opportunity to speak with HPD staff about the different roles in planning at HPD's Office of Neighborhood Strategies. Students will 1) learn about housing development and planning processes through an HPD project case study, 2) get a chance to ask housing and planning questions,  and 3) participate in a discussion about their quality of life issues and how those issues could be addressed through planning.

Speakers will include:

• Uriah Johnson, Neighborhood Planner
• Katherine Taveras, Predevelopment Planner
• Veanda Simmons, Director of Manhattan Planning
• Joan Huang, Manhattan Planner