June 2020 E-News

Virtual Commencement Experience: At Monday's virtual ceremony, Baruch College conferred degrees to 5,357 undergraduate and graduate students. Families and friends from across New York City, the nation, and the world tuned in to the program. Watch it here and share a Facebook comment to congratulate the resilient Class of 2020!

Why We Can't Breathe: Read the powerful essay authored by Baruch Associate Professor Regina A. Bernard, PhD, in which she chronicles not only the death of George Floyd but the equally senseless severe injuries and deaths of other young Black men. Visit Baruch's Community Connections page for more articles, resources, and events.

International Inspiration: Tracy Minard (MSEd '19) reflects on how her time as an exchange student inspired her to pursue a career at the Institute of International Education and eventually pursue a master's degree at Baruch's Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. Read more >

Dynamic Duo: Learn more about Annmarie Gajdos ('20) (left) and Katherine Dorovitsine ('20), who were named, respectively, the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2020. Both were selected for their academic excellence and leadership in community engagement. Read more >

Taking Action: H. Fenwick Huss, PhD, Willem Kooyker Dean of Baruch's Zicklin School of Business, issued a statement about the steps the school is taking to address systemic racism and its impact, inviting input from students, faculty, staff, and the entire Zicklin community. Read more >

Star Power: Shark Tank's Daymond John, as well as Yankees and Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson and reality star Bethenny Frankel, shared words of wisdom to the graduating class. View the full series on IGTV >

Message from the Director of Alumni Relations and Volunteer Engagement

Dear FIRSTNAME:

I am pleased to report that this week we welcomed 5,357 new graduates to the Baruch Alumni Network! Monday's Virtual Commencement Experience was a high point during a week of continued national and international unrest over both the rising impact of COVID-19 as well as the death of George Floyd and the systemic racism in our world.

In response to COVID-19, we in Alumni Relations and Volunteer Engagement have been able to proactively pivot to hosting online alumni events and career workshops. Two events – related to Housing (June 11) and Restaurants (June 18) – feature alumni panelists sharing their insights on how these two major industries have been impacted by the pandemic. Two other upcoming events will focus on the impact of COVID-19 in Israel (June 17) and the United Kingdom (Save the Date: July 15).

The changes needed in response to the systemic racism that exists in our world, unfortunately, will take more time and require a collective effort. Last week our office sent a message to reiterate our own mission of supporting every member of our alumni community, denouncing the hatred, disrespect, and explicit racism we have all witnessed, not just in relation to the death of George Floyd, but for centuries. We invite you to join our Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ alumni networks to participate in online discussions and to attend our Asian Heritage Network launch on June 23. Most importantly, we welcome suggestions for additional ways we can drive conversation, community, and connection among our alumni.

Read more >