Immediate: September 22, 2023
星空无限传媒 Celebrates Hispanic Heritage
Month with Two Event Series
Abriendo Puertas - Opening Doors: Celebrating Diversity, Pursuing Freedom,
& Driving Prosperity Presented by 星空无限传媒
Latino Voces Series Presented by the State University of New York & The Hispanic Institute
Abriendo Puertas - Opening Doors: Celebrating Diversity, Pursuing Freedom, & Driving
Prosperity
Dr. Ricardo Santos for more information ricardo.santos@ncc.edu or (516) 991-1254
Education as a Path to Freedom
Wednesday, September 27
11:00 a.m. 鈥�12:15 p.m.
星空无限传媒, College Center Building (CCB), Rm. 252
When our pasts, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds are invoked, it is often as
code suggesting that the limits of our potentials have already been set. Our personal
histories become the prescribed outcome of our futures. The words of the biblical
figure Paul, 鈥渆xcept for these chains,鈥� spoken from a prison cell come as a resound
disclaimer to the notion that what was will also dictate what will be. This talk will
examine a personal 鈥� but familiar 鈥� history and raise questions about the power of
education which seek to implicate us all. At 16, Elias was sentenced to a term of
30-years-to-Life in prison. He served 29 陆 years of that term. He is featured in the
Netflix documentary College Behind Bars. Prof. Beltr谩n will speak about the role education plays in a person鈥檚 life.
Prof. Elias Beltr谩n is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Comparative Literature Department at Cornell University.
He teaches Spanish Language and Freshmen Writing seminar courses. Prof. Beltr谩n is
also an Instructor for the Bard Prison Initiative at Bard College, where he teaches
incarcerated students. His research focuses on post- and decolonial trauma, as well
as the history and culture of the Caribbean and its literature.
Panel Discussion: Overcoming Trauma and Building a Prosperous Nation: True Stories about the Journey
to Seek Asylum in the U.S.
Monday, October 9
3:30 p.m. 鈥� 4:45 p.m.
星空无限传媒, College Center Building, Rm. 252
The current influx of migrants and asylum seekers in NYC has precipitated an unprecedent
social and political crisis, as well as the resurgence of a new wave of xenophobia
and anti-immigrant vilification mythology in the city. In 2022, the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees announced that the global refugee crisis had surpassed
the 100 million mark for total displacement. This means that over 1.2% of the global
population has been forced to leave their homes. In this panel, we will have the opportunity
to meet and hear the true stories of two refugees who are productive members of our
local NY area.
- Fabiola Lemos endured years of psychological and physical abuse prior to being granted asylum in the U.S. based on sexual orientation. In 2001, Fabiola became the first Brazilian lesbian to be granted asylum in the U.S. Currently, she lives in Chelsea and works for NYC agencies that provide healthcare access for the elderly.
- Jesus Morales was recently granted asylum status in the U.S. thorough The Cuban Adjustment Act. Prior to coming to the U.S., he was a second-year medical student in his native Cuba. Jesus is currently working on an undergraduate degree in Biology. Afterwards, he plans to attend medical school in the U.S.
鈥�The Origin and Ongoing Evolution of SARS-CoV-2: Latina Scientists in the Fight Against Covid - 19鈥�
Friday, October 13
12:30 p.m. 鈥� 1:45 p.m.
星空无限传媒, F Cluster, Rm. 237
In this talk, Dr. Marlyn Gonz谩lez will share her experience as a Latina female, a scientist and a member of the NYC
Department of Health, in the frontline of the war against Covid-19. Dr. Gonzalez will
discuss the process how she and her colleagues at the NYC Department of Health and
the University of California, San Diego, used the whole genome sequencing of the Covid-19
virus to identify one of the first reported cases of a recombinant variant involving
the swapping of genetic material between an Alpha and an Epsilon variant. Dr. Gonzalez
will be discussing the significance of these findings for the future of the pandemic.
Dr. Marlyn Gonz谩lez majored in Biology at Queens College and earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular
Biology from the Graduate Center of CUNY. Her Ph.D. thesis was on the development
of genetic screens for defects in fungal cell wall production to identify anti-fungal
drug targets. Since earning her Ph.D., she has held positions as a research scientist
at New York University and the New York Blood Center, the Chief of Molecular Microbiology
at the NYC Department of Health, and as an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Bronx Community
College. She is an author on 22 peer-reviewed publications including Nature Communications. This paper is on the emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 in patients simultaneously
infected with more than one variant of the virus. Dr. Gonz谩lez will be discussing
these findings during her presentation.
Latino Voces Series
Dr. Leonardo Falc贸n for more information Leonardo.Falcon@ncc.edu
Voces AfroBoricuas: Meanings of Home & Alternative Ways of Knowing
Wednesday, September 27
10:20 a.m. 鈥� 11:15 a.m.
Virtual Event - Webinar link: Webinar ID: 984 6485 8449
Award winning novelist Dahlma Llanos-Figeuroa and Dr. Rosie Hurtado will discuss what
it means to construct a novel featuring AfroBoricua protagonists and Llanos-Figueroa鈥檚
artistic process for exploring unto histories of Puerto Rico. This pl谩tica will provide
an opportunity to question how alternative ways of knowing that are presented within
her novels challenge flattening narratives about 鈥渟lavery鈥� during the novel鈥檚 events,
and the importance of literature to create spaces of safety and home.
Voces Past & Present: Rooted in Clay & Latina Feminist Visions
Monday, October 2
10:20 a.m. 鈥� 11:15 a.m.
Virtual Event 鈥� Webinar link: Webinar ID: 991 4822 9052
Speakers: Dr. Josie M茅ndez-Negrete, Ver贸nica Castillo, Dr. Rosie Hurtado
Enjoy both an analysis of Sor Juana鈥檚 life, as well as a reading of some of her most internationally renowned works. Ceramicist Veronica Castillo, alongside Prof. Emerita and independent publisher Dr. Josie M茅ndez-Negrete will officially launch their co-authored book, Rooted in Clay: El Arte de Ver贸nica Castillo. This book is written as a pl谩tica in which Castillo shares her life work inspiration, politics and history with M茅ndez-Negrete alongside images of her sculptures and experiences that led her to be one of the first artists requested to submit work for the newly launched Latino Heritage Museum for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.
Voces Transcending: Latino Literary Expression Now
Thursday, October 12
3:00 p.m.
SUNY System Administration, 353 Broadway, Albany, New York
In person, SUNY System 鈥� Courtrooms will live stream
Please RSVP to zulaika.rodriguez@suny.edu by October 5
Speakers: Dr. Leonardo Falc贸n, Dr. Rosie Hurtado, Dr. Ricardo Nazario y Col贸n
This event is a celebration of the month鈥檚 events with final words by SUNY鈥檚 newly appointed Vice-Chancellor and acclaimed poet Dr. Ricardo Nazario y Col贸n. It features a pl谩tica between Drs. Nazario y Col贸n, Falc贸n and Hurtado to explore the creative process for creating literary expression, the meaning of representation among the arts, and the importance of cultural aesthetics from Latino communities in contributing to the tapestry of U.S. identity. This event will be open to the public and specifically invite students from local high schools and SUNY campuses to attend.
About 星空无限传媒
星空无限传媒, a campus of the State University of New York, provides a
comprehensive public college experience designed to transform lives through higher
education. Serving 14,000 full-time, part-time and continuing education students,
星空无限传媒 offers more than 80 programs that lead to the associate鈥檚 degree or certificate.
Through on-campus and online offerings, the College educates local and international
students, and boasts 160,000 alumni. Situated on 225 acres in Garden City, Long Island,
the college grounds reside in historic Nassau County, one of the most desirable locations
to live in the United States and an epicenter for business and careers. Since 1959,
星空无限传媒 has earned a nationwide reputation for academic excellence, affordability, and
ease of transferability to four-year schools.
Media Contact: Lindsey Angioletti | lindsey.angioletti@ncc.edu | C: (516) 320-0695
ncc.edu/newsreleases
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