Lehman Today Online Magazine Lehman Today Spring 2016 | Page 18

MAKING OF A PRESIDENT 2002 1996 1992 1991 MAKING OF A PRESIDENT The High School of American Studies at Lehman College opens. In ten years, it will become the No. 1 ranked high school in both New York City and State, and recognized as one of the finest high schools in the United States. The Carnegie Foundation names Professor Sondra Perl of the English department the New York Professor of the Year. Dr. Ricardo R. Fernández is named the second President of Lehman College. He affirms Lehman’s historic commitment to access, excellence, and strong ties with the community, and expands partnerships with Bronx schools. He introduces new academic programs, and continues a building and beautification program on campus The New York Times has called “the most attractive of the CUNY colleges…with some of its finest facilities.” 1991 Dr. Fernández is formally inaugurated the second President of Lehman College on October 25, 1991. BronxNet, an award-winning cable television station, moves into Carman Hall. Many television journalists—both in front of and behind the camera—get their start with the Bronx-based network. 1992 Presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown debate at Lehman Center before the New York primary focusing on issues affecting urban America. Veterans of the WAVES reunite on campus, where 86,000 trained during World War II, to dedicate a stained glass window in the Music Building. Lehman celebrates its 25th anniversary year. 1997 A five-year campaign to save historic Jerome Park Reservoir from becoming a filtration plant site is successful. 2011 1999 2000 The APEX, a $57 million center for sports and fitness, opens. The Times calls Rafael Viñoly’s design “a temple to physical education.” The Institute for Literacy Studies celebrates its 10th anniversary with a conference on urban education. 1995 The beauty of the campus is enhanced by the installation of decorative gates and new metal fencing thanks to the support of Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and Councilwoman June Eisland. Lehman joins a CUNY initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, to improve science-and math-teacher preparation. A delegation from Lehman becomes the first group of CUNY students to visit Hanoi and travel throughout Vietnam. Lehman Today Lehman is rated one of the top colleges in the country for Latino students by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. The TV show “Law and Order” becomes a regular visitor to the Lehman campus for college scenes. 2001 Billy Collins, a Distinguished Professor of English at the College, is named U.S. Poet Laureate. He will go on to serve two consecutive terms as U.S. Laureate and also New York State Poet Laureate. Over the next ten years, Professor Collins will become the best known and most widely read poet in the United States. Distinguished Professor of Music John Corigliano wins the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Music. The Library receives a major Spanish Civil War collection. The CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies is established at Lehman. 2010 The College’s brand new $16 million state-of-the-art Multimedia Center/Lehman Studios opens. 2011 Ground is broken for the future Child Care Center next to Shuster Hall. The Child Care Center will open in 2013 and eventually provide a caring, safe, and educational center for 140 children of Lehman students. After four years of construction, Science Hall, the College’s new state-of-the-art research and teaching facility, is dedicated in a ceremony attended by CUNY officials and the Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr., a proud Lehman alumnus. 2004 2004 2000 President Fernández is awarded an honorary doctorate in 2009 from Sungshin Women’s University of Seoul, South Korea. 2012 A Middle States accreditation team describes Lehman as a “main source of opportunity” for students and called the faculty “excellent” and “very involved in research and service.” 2002 2009 President Fernández is given the NFL Hispanic Heritage Award by the New York Jets. The $13.5 million Information Technology Center opens in Carman Hall. The Bronx Small Business Development Center opens in the Old Gym. 1994 The Lehman College Foundation, together with President and Mrs. Fernández, host a reception in the Lehman Art Gallery for the College’s Distinguished Professors. Outstanding students, selected by the Distinguished Professors, each receive a $100 prize in honor of their accomplishments. 1998 Distinguished Professor of Music John Corigliano wins the 2000 Academy Award for Best Original Score for the film The Red Violin. 1994 Lehman dedicates a new main entrance at Gate Five on Goulden Avenue, featuring a new walkway and plaza with a striking work of public art, called “Intersections” featuring famous works of poets, philosophers, musicians, and scientists. Lehman sports teams adopt a gender-neutral mascot as the Lightning replaces the Lancers. 1993 The 500-seat Lovinger Theatre is named in honor of Lehman College patrons Monroe and Rose D. Lovinger. Lehman kicks off its 35th year and the 125th anniversary of Gov. Lehman’s birth with the symposium “Herbert H. Lehman Remembered.” President Fernández urges State legislators to fund key initiatives in the CUNY budget request for programs and capital projects. Lehman wins neighborhood beautification awards from the Bronx Borough President and Citizens Committee for NYC. 16 2003 1997 1990 2014 The College gathers to honor the Lehman student and three alumni, who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Students stage a mock General Assembly with Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who comes to campus to honor Lehman’s historic role in the creation of the United Nations. Dogwood trees are planted in a “peace grove” on the campus oval near the Old Gym, site of the 1946 Security Council meetings. 1993 2012 Responding to the critical shortage of nurses in the New York area, Lehman begins a cooperative program with the Seoul National Medical Center that helps Korean nurses—who have already earned their New York State licenses—increase their understanding of English language medical terminology and the operation of American healthcare facilities. 2013 On January 28, the first day of the Fall 2013 semester, Science Hall, officially opens. The Child Care Center opens. 2015 A reception at Lehman Brothers in midtown Manhattan salutes the 35th anniversary of Lehman College and the 125th anniversary of the birth of Herbert H. Lehman. Richard S. Fuld, Jr. chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers, hosts the event, which raises over $150,000 for the Governor Herbert H. Lehman Endowed Scholarship Fund. Lehman honors Iranian human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, at a reception at the United Nations cosponsored with the International Health Awareness Network (IHAN). Mrs. Ebadi gives the keynote address at a Lehman/IHAN symposium, where she receives the Lehman Leadership Award. The College establishes the Shirin Ebadi Peace Scholarship in her honor. 2005 A bust of the College’s namesake Herbert H. Lehman, sculpted by John Belardo of the Lehman Art Department, is dedicated during a ceremony on campus. 2006 Lehman College hosts the international event “A Dialogue on China and Russia” with Ambassador Andrey I. Denisov of the Russian Federation and Ambassador Yishan Zhang of China. Lehman Library is officially named the Leonard Lief Library, in honor of Lehman College’s first President, Dr. Leonard Lief. 2 008 2016 2014 Lehman College receives a statue of “The King,” a replica of an Olmec Head, a gift from Mexico to celebrate the first anniversary of the CUNY Institute of Mexican Studies, which is housed at the College. 2015 The Lehman College Peace Bell, inspired by a trip by President Fernández to South Korea, is unveiled in a ceremony on campus. The bell is a generous gift by Mr. Yong Lee, a friend of the College, and his family. President Barack Obama arrives at Lehman College on May 4 to launch My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a nonprofit, aimed at helping at risk young urban males to stay in school. At Convocation in September, President Fernández announces that he will retire at the end of the 2015-16 Academic Year, completing 26 years as President of Lehman College. 2016 Ground is broken for the $70 million new science building. The women’s basketball team captures the CUNY championship title defeating Brooklyn College in overtime 73-67. An agreement for a dual-degree program with Sungshin Women’s University in South Korea is signed, furthering the College’s international reach. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers the 47th Annual Herbert H. Lehman Memorial lecture. Lehman Today 17