1

Weissman School of Arts and Sciences General Faculty Report

Spring 2019

Overthepastsixmonths,DeanRomerohascontinuedtoproduceinstallmentsofhis

weeklyvideoblog,“DestinationWeissman,”whichprofilesWeissmanfacultyandstudents

andtointerviewWeissmanfacultymembersonhissyndicatedradioshow,“CollegeTalk.”

ThemediaproducedbyDeanRomeroissharedwithfacultyandstaffonWeissman’sdigital

newsletter,TheWeissmanWeekly.Inadditiontofeaturing“DestinationWeissman”and

“CollegeTalk,”thebi-monthlynewsletterincludesinformationaboutupcomingevents,

announcements,grantopportunities,andfacultyaccolades.Itnowreachesover730

subscribers.

OvertheFall2018semester,theWeissmanSchool’sOfficeofMarketingandCommunica-

tionsofferedallfacultyandstaffmembersfreephotoshoots.Thegoalofthisinitiativewas

toprovidefacultyandstaffwithhighquality,professionalphotostobeusedfortheirown

purposesandtohelpbuildtheschool’sphotoarchive.Over60facultyandstaffmembers

participatedinthisopportunity.

UpcomingEvents

FromFebruary13thtoMay3rd,2019,Weissman’sDepartmentofFineandPerformingArts

ishostinganewexhibitinitsNewMediaArtspace,locatedintheNewmanLibrary.The

exhibit,“LilyBenson:FutureMechanismReplacement,”willfeatureworkbylocalartistLily

Benson.AcasualdiscussionwiththeartistwasheldforstudentsonFebruary26th,andan

artistlectureandclosingreceptionarescheduledforApril2nd,2019intheEngelman

RecitalHall.

NewProjectsandEvents

2

OnThursday,April11th,theWeissmanSchoolofArtsandScienceswillhostitsthirdannual

Art-A-Thon.Thisday-longprogramwillincludeoverthirtyart-orientedeventsforstudents

andfacultytotakepartin.

OnApril16th,theDepartmentofPsychologywillbehostingalecturebyMarjorieRhodes,

Ph.D,AssociateProfessorofPsychologyatNewYorkUniversity.Dr.Rhodeswillspeak

about“Howdifferencesbecomedifferentkinds”andfocusonthedevelopmentofchildren's

conceptualrepresentationsofthesocialworld.

PastEvents

OnOctober16ththeSidneyHarmanWriter-in-Residenceprogramhostednotedauthor,

playwright,anddirectorBrandonJacobs-Jenkins.Jacobs-Jenkinsaddressedalargecrowed

atastagedreadingofhisrecentworkandalsotaughtaplaywritingclasstostudentsduring

theFall2018semester.

OnNovember7ththeDepartmentofPoliticalScience,inconjunctionwithCUNYGraduate

Center’sPh.D.andM.Aprogramsinpoliticalscience,hostedapaneleventatBaruch

College.PanelistsincludeBaruchCollegeprofessorDr.DavidJones,who,alongwithother

CUNYprofessors,discussedtheresultsofthe2018midtermelection.

OnNovember8th,theSandraKahnWassermanJewishStudiesCenterhostedDr.David

GrevenoftheUniversityofSouthCarolina,whospokeabout“HighAnxiety:HaroldBloom,

Influence,andSexualPolitics.”

OnNovember13th,Weissman’sDepartmentofPsychologyheldthethirdeventinits2018

ColloquiumSeries.Attheevent, Dr.JonathanHaidt,aprofessorofPsychologyatNYUand

oneoftheleadingauthoritiesonmoralityacrosscultures,spokeaboutAmericaneducation.

3

OnNovember27th,theDepartmentofHistoryheldaspeciallecturefeaturingMarciaGallo

oftheUniversityofNevada,LasVegas,whospokeabout"KittyGenovese,DianediPrima,

VirginiaApuzzo,andtheRootsofItalianAmericanFeminismin1960sNewYork."

OnNovember27th,theDepartmentofModernLanguagesandComparativeLiterature

hostedaGlobusLecturefeaturingProfessorMinoruOtsukiofDaitoBunkaUniversity,

Tokyo,Japan,whospokeabout“What’sinaName?”.

OnDecember4th,theSidneyHarmanWriters-in-Residenceprogramheldits20thanni-

versarycelebratingtheprogram’sachievementsandgrowthovertheyears.Sincethe

program’sinceptionin1988,over41distinguishedwritershavecometotheBaruch

Collegecampustosharetheirknowledgewithstudentsandfacultyalike.Ledbyprogram

directorBridgettDavis,thecelebrationwasattendedbyformerwritersoftheprogram,

currentandpaststudentsoftheprogram,faculty,andmembersofSidneyHarman’sfamily.

BetweenDecember10th,2018toFebruary1,2019Weissman’sDepartmentofFineand

PerformingArtsishostedanexhibitentitled““VoidAwake(){“,initsNewMediaArtspace,

locatedintheNewmanLibrary.

OnDecember11th,allfulltimeWeissmanfacultyandstaffwereinvitedforaspecialholiday

breakfastwithDeanAldemaroRomeroJr.

OnDecember13th,theDepartmentofModernLanguagesandComparativeLiteratureheld

adaylongconferenceinhonorofthelateEgyptian-Israelifilmdirector,MosheMizrahi.The

conferenceexploredeforeigncinemaanddeepportrayalsofthehumancondition,loveand

lossoflove,existentialproblemsandurbanissues.

OnMarch5th,theDepartmentofModernLanguagesandComparativeLiteratureincon-

junctionwiththeGlobusLectureSeriesheldaspecialworkshopforfacultyledbyDr.

AmandaLicastroofStevensonUniversityinMaryland.Dr.Licastrofocusedonimpactthat

4

immersivetechnologyhasintheteachingofthehumanities,especiallyvirtualrealityand

augmentedreality,andhowtoleveragethistechnologyintheclassroom.Theeventwas

heldinWeissman’snewHedwigSchindlerVirtualRealityLab.

OnMarch27th,theDepartmentofPoliticalSciencehostedaspecialpanelonthetopicof

“TheUnitedStatesandIran:ThePast,Present,andFutureofaChallengingRelationship”

PanelistsincludedSimonDavis,ProfessorofHistoryattheCUNYGraduateCenter;Omid

Memarian,DeputyDirectoroftheCenterforHumanRightsinIran;RichardNephew,Senior

ResearchScholarattheColumbiaCenterforGlobalEnergyPolicyandformerPrincipal

DeputyCoordinatorforSanctionsPolicyattheU.S.DepartmentofState;andNiloTabrizy,

VideoJournalistforTheNewYorkTimes.

Someofthefacultygifts,grants,andprizesawardedduringtheFall2018semesterandthe

firsthalfoftheSpring2019semesterinclude:

• Dr.AndrewSloinhasbeenawardedthe2018DorothyRosenbergPrizefromthe

AmericanHistoricalAssociationforhisbookTheJewishRevolutioninBelorussia:

Economy,Race,andBolshevikPower.

• Dr.StephenGosnelloftheDepartmentofNaturalSciencespartispartofateamthat

wasawardeda$2.5millionNSFgrantforhisprojecton“IntegratingComputational

SciencewithEnvironmentalSciencesAssociatedwithHabitatRestorationand

EducationinNewYorkHarbor.”

• Dr.SarahBishopandDr.CarynMedvedoftheDepartmentofCommunicationStudies

havebeenawardedwiththe2018StanleyL.SaxtonAppliedResearchAwardfortheir

coauthoredproject,"RelationalTensions,Narrative,andMateriality:Intergenerational

CommunicationinFamilieswithUndocumentedImmigrantParents."

WinsatWeissman

5

• Dr.LoganWattsoftheDepartmentofPsychologyhasbeenawardedtheSocietyfor

IndustrialandOrganizationalPsychology’s(SIOP)2019BrayHowardAwardfor

researchonassessmentcenters.

• Dr.PabloPiexotooftheDepartmentofNaturalScienceswasawardedwithaCUNY

ResearchintheClassroomIdeaGrantfor$7,500toworkonhisprojectentitled"The

poweroflight:optogeneticsasatooltobridgeexperientiallearningandresearchinthe

physiologyclassroom".

• Dr.GraceSchulman,DistinguishedProfessorofEnglishhasbeenelectedtothe

prestigiousAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters,whichisconsideredthehighest

formofrecognitionofartisticmeritinthiscountry.

Fall2019Enrollment:

TheWeissmanSchoolofArtsandScienceswelcomedfortynewgraduatestudentsthis

spring.Thecountofnewstudentsheldsteadyagainstlastyear’snewenrollmentof44

studentsforSpring2018.TotalWSASspring2019enrollmentis327students.

StudentscamefromadiversesetofundergraduateinstitutionsincludingBaruchCollege,

CUNYMacaulayHonorsCollegeatBaruchCollege,UniversityofDelaware,Universityof

Pennsylvania,WesleyanUniversity,ColumbiaUniversity,andAmsterdamUniversityofthe

Arts.78%ofincomingstudentsreportedraceandethnicitydata.Ethnicitydataforincom-

inggraduatestudentswhochosetoreportthisinformationis41%white,13%

Hispanic/Latino,13%Asian-Indian,9%Asian,9%AfricanAmerican,6%PuertoRican,3%

ItalianAmerican/White,6%Other.76%oftheincomingstudentsarefemale;24%ofthis

grouparemale.

ReportoftheDivisionofGraduateStudies

6

Weissmangraduateprogramscontinuetoreceiveaccoladesfortheirexcellence:

• TheMAprograminCorporateCommunicationwasselected,forthesecondyearina

row,asafinalistbyPRWeekinthecategoryof“OutstandingEducationProgramofthe

Year”foritsannualU.S.awards.Theprogramfindsitselfingoodcompanywithpro-

gramsatAmericanUniversitySchoolofCommunication,BostonUniversityCollegeof

Communication,DePaulUniversity,andElonUniversity.

• TheMasterofFinancialEngineering(MFE)programcontinuesearningnational

recognitionbyreceivingtopplacementinQuantNet’srankingofthe“BestFinancial

EngineeringPrograms”for2019.TheBaruchMFEProgramfinished#2behindonly

PrincetonUniversityandtiedwiththeUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley.Theprogram

hasplacedinthetoptwospotsofthisrankingforfourconsecutiveyears:#1in2017

and2016,and#2in2015.

• TheMasterofFinancialEngineering(MFE)programalsoplaced#3inthe“Quant

FinanceMaster’sGuide2019”worldwiderankingcompiledbyRisk.net,whicheval-

uatedforty-sixquantitativefinancemaster’sprogramsfromelevencountries.

GraduateProgramAdmissionsSummaryReport

MAinArtsAdministration

Acceptrate=88%(100%Spring18);Yieldrate=87%(94%Spring18)

AverageundergraduateGPAofadmittedstudents=3.49

Totalenrollment:60

MAinCorporateCommunication

Acceptrate=86%(100%Spring18)

Yieldrate=58%(78%Spring18)

AverageundergraduateGPAofadmittedstudents=3.45

Totalenrollment:55

7

MSinIndustrial/OrganizationalPsychology

Acceptrate=63%(54%Spring18)

Yieldrate=85%(88%Spring18)

AverageGREofadmittedstudents:V=153;Q=149

AverageundergraduateGPAofadmittedstudents=3.45

Totalenrollment:123

TheMAprograminMentalHealthCounselingandtheMSprograminFinancialEngineering

enrollnewstudentsonlyinthefallsemester.CurrenttotalenrollmentintheMAinMental

HealthCounselingis35students.CurrenttotalenrollmentintheMSinFinancialEngineer-

ingprogramis54students.

WSASgraduateprogramshaveexperiencedchangesinprogramleadership.Thisfall,David

MilchwasappointedasthedirectoroftheMAinArtsAdministration.Thisspring,Drs.Eric

GanderandCarynMedvedareservingasinterimco-directorsoftheMAinCorporateCom-

municationprogram.

GraduateCareerServices

WeissmanGraduateCareerServicestakesprideinprovidingindividualizedcareerservices

andresourcesforourstudentsandalumni.Wemeetwithstudentsandalumnionaone-to-

onebasisprovidingresume/coverletteredits,LinkedInprofilereviews,mockinterviews,

job/internshipsearchtechniques,andsupportateverystageoftheircareerdevelopment.

Networkingisakeyfocusofourapproach.Weworkcloselywithemployers,ourstudents,

andalumnitoconnectpeoplewhocanrefer,givesupport,andprovideintroductions.We

workwithothercollegesofferingsimilargraduateprogramstocollaborateoncareerfairs

andevents.Ourgoalistoprovidequalityservicesandtodeveloprelationshipsthatare

beneficialtoourstudentsandthecompaniesweserve.

8

WeemploySymplicitytopostjobsandinternshipsforstudentsandalumni,andtotrack

interactionsandoutcomes.

RegisteredEmployers 1970

RegisteredEmployerContacts 2166

RegisteredStudents&Alumni 1533

CurrentActiveJobPostings 166

(asofOctober2018)

Spring2019inReview

Wecontinuetoofferprogrammingthroughoutthesemesterbothprogram-specificand

acrossallWeissmangraduateprograms.TheeventsscheduledforSpring2019include:

• 3-MinuteThesis:Competition

• MeettheDean

• METROCareerDay(off-site)

• ATDWorkshop

• MentalHealthCounselingInternshipandCareerFair

• InformationSession:“LinkedIn-RealReturnsonProfessionalBranding”!

• I/OPsychologyStudent&AlumniNetworkingSocial

WSASGraduateCareerServicesalsopartnerswithand/orisinvitedtohaveourstudents

attendeventswithotherBaruchCollegecareeroffices.Thefollowingisscheduledfor

Spring2019:

• SocialImpactCareerFair

• LinkedInProfessionalPhotoBooth

• USAJOBS.GOVInformationSession

• IntroductiontoConsultingwithFormerMcKinseyConsultantMikeRoss

9

Fall2018inReview

EventsduringtheFall2018semesterincluded:

• ArttableCareerDevelopmentRoundTable,11/2/18

• MeettheDean,10/11/18

• Industrial/OrganizationalPsychologyCareer&InternshipFair,11/27/18

• UN/SIOPInformationPanel,9/24/18

• JetBlueInformationSession,10/25/18

82%ofgraduatestudentswhoreportedobtaininginternshipswerepaid

The2018WSASgraduatesarelistedwiththeirjobtitlesandcompaniesfortheM.A.inArts

Administration,M.A.inCorporateCommunication,andM.S.inIndustrial/Organizational

Psychologyat:www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/graduatecareers/employmentstats.html.

TheM.S.inFinancialEngineeringprogramcontinuestosecureoutcomesforcurrent

studentsontheirwebsiteat:http://mfe.baruch.cuny.edu/employment-stats/.

BaruchPerformingArtsCenter’squartet-in-residence,theAlexanderStringQuartet,played

twoconcertslastfall.Theirregularticketedconcertforthepublicincludedworksby

MozartandRavel,aswellasSchubert’sDeathandtheMaiden.Inaddition,they

collaboratedwithclarinetistsMichaelBeit-HalachmiandCharlesNeidich,violinistSergiu

Schwartz,andpianistYeehaChiuinaconcertcommemoratingFredaSilberman,generous

supporteroftheSilbermanConcertSeries,andfeaturingworksbyMozart,Brahms,Bloch,

Kreisler,andGershwin.Thequartetinteractedwithtwenty-onewriting,music,theatre,

psychology,andjournalismclassesduringtheirweek-longresidency.

OtherchambermusicrecitalsincludedAveryFisherCareerGrantwinnerTessaLark

(violin)andpianistAndrewArmstrongplayingworksbyStravinsky,Beethoven,andLark’s

WeissmanasaCenterofCulturalLife

10

ownAppalachianFantasy.SeniorTEDFellowandacclaimedcellistJoshuaRomanplayeda

recitalwithpianistGillesVonsattelthatincludedworksbyJanacek,Beethoven,Pärt,

Brahms,andAmyWilliams.Amulti-disciplinaryconcertbypianistGuyLivingston,Dadaat

theMovies,wasarecreationofaneventgivenbytheParisDadaistsin1923,including

musicbyAntheil,Satie,andMilhaudandfilmsbyManRay,Picabia,andothers.

TheatreincludedreadingsofscenesfromPulitzerPrizeWinnerandMacArthurFellow

BrandenJacobs-Jenkins’mostrecentwork,presentedincollaborationwiththeSidney

HarmanWriter-in-Residenceprogram.TheDepartmentofFineandPerformingArts

producedAnnaintheTropics,directedbyChristopherScottandperformedbyBaruch

students,intheBernieWestTheater.Independentlyproducedstudentprojectsunder

facultysupervisionhavebecomeanimportanteducationalexperienceforstudents

interestedinartisticandadministrativeworkinthearts.InFall2018,Cabaretwasdirected

byZeynepAkcaandRuthieOstrow,stagemanagedbyDanaSpataru,producedbyEllie

DaarwithamostlystudentcastunderthesupervisionofProfessorDebraCaplan.Ex-Gay,

writtenanddirectedbyJ.P.Pelletier,andTheArgentineanProstitutePlay,directedby

ZeynepAkcaandwrittenbyReuvenGlezer,werepresentedasreadings,thelatter

supportedbytheSandraKahnWassermanJewishStudiesCenter.

HeddaGablerwaspresentedintheGreatWorksseriesasastagedreadingwithapro-

fessionalcast.Additionally,playwright/performerPennyArcadewasinresidenceover

threeweekstocastandcreatethefilmiclandscapetoaccompanyherplayTheFaghagand

herFriendsintheSummerofLove.Duringtheirtimehere,sheandhercollaboratorSteve

ZehentnerheldanopenrehearsalforLGBTQHistoryMonth,withlunchprovidedby

StudentLife.TheirresidencyincludedsessionswithclassestaughtbyProfessorsShelly

EversleyandDebraCaplan.Threepublicperformanceswereattendedbystudentsand

membersofthegeneralpublic.TheWorldPremiereofamusic-theatreperformancebased

onthepoemsofAnnaRabinowitzwasco-createdinresidencebydirectorKristinMarting,

videodesignerLianneArnold,andadiverseensembleofperformers,includingacclaimed

sopranoLaurenFlaniganandactorJohnKelly.Duringtheirresidencythreeclassinter-

actionsincludedLianneArnolddiscussingnewmediawithProfessorDebraCaplan’s

11

theaterclass,ProfessorSusanTenneriello’sHonorsstudentsattendingaWordsrehearsal,

anddirectorKristinMartingdiscussingherapproachtodirectingandtheideaofhybrid

formsinliveperformancewithProfessorSusanTenneriello’stheatreclass.

Inthegenreoffilm,thedocumentariesOntheMap,aboutthe1977victoryoftheIsraeli

basketballteamoverCSKAMoscow,agamethatcapturedanationamidsttheturmoilof

theColdWar,andDoingJewish,afilmaboutasmallcommunityinGhanawhopractice

Jewishcustoms,wereshownaspartofanongoingseriespresentedwiththesupportofthe

SandraKahnWassermanJewishStudiesCenter.

OnJanuary17th,2019,theMishkinGalleryopenedtheexhibitionTheAestheticsofLearning

curatedbyGalleryDirectorAlainaClaireFeldman.Theexhibitionfeaturedartworkentirely

fromtheBaruchCollegecollectionandaskedhowlearningmaybecomeanemancipatory

anddemocraticeventthroughart.Theexhibitionincludeddocumentationofaperfor-

mancebyJosephBeuysandHenningChristiansen,fourphotographsbyCatherineWagner,

andseven“do-it-yourself”sculptureinstructionsbyJuanDowney.Eachfromadifferent

decadeandbyartistswhohavetaughtinhighereducation,theworksexaminethecreation

ofinstitutionalframeworksthroughthreedistinctapproaches:listening,looking,andcom-

municating.Theexhibitionreceivedmanymentionsinpressoutletsandwasreviewedin

thejournalArtfullyLearning.IthostedarecordnumberofBaruchclassesand,wehope,

establishedlife-longartappreciatorsamongthestudents.

OnFebruary7th,2019,theMishkinGallerycollaboratedwithBaruch’sArtClubtohostits

firstOpenDrawingSession.StudentsfromallmajorswereinvitedtoreflectonThe

AestheticsofLearningandspendanhoursketchinganddrawinginthegallery.The

programwasorganizedbyFedericaMei,theMishkinGallery’sNagelbergFellowanda

currentMastersinArtsAdministrationstudent.

OnFebruary19th,2019,theMishkinGalleryorganizedapublicListeningSessionofScottish

Symphony,arecordedperformancebyJosephBeuysandHenningChristiansenonviewin

12

TheAestheticsofLearning.TheartworkwasintroducedbyAbbyAnderton,Baruch

College'sAssistantProfessorofMusicintheFineandPerformingArtsDepartment.

OnMarch13th,2019theMishkinGalleryopenedPedagogyoftheStreets:Porto1977.

Continuingthethemeofartandeducation,thishistoricexhibitionwasorganizedbythe

UniversityofPortoinPortugal.PedagogyoftheStreets:Porto1977followstheworkof

ElviraLeiteandherSocialPracticeartprojectsthroughoutthePenaVentosaneighborhood

inPorto,Portugal.Duringanexcitingpost-revolutionmoment,theartistworkedwith

childrentoreimaginehowpublicspacecouldbeusedandwhohadaccesstoit.Thetwo

curatorsattendedtheopeningfromPortugalandgavetourstoclassesabouttheirresearch

andtheexhibition.Severalpublicprogramsincludingfilmscreeningsandtourswere

offered.AndonMarch14th,theMishkinGalleryhostedaspecialtourofPedagogyofthe

Streets:Porto1977forthePortugueseChamberofCommerce.