Faculty Council Scholarships and Awards
College-Wide Awards
Awards are determined by Faculty Council Committees, each scholarship is awarded to three-four students per year
Alan J. Berman Scholarship Award
The Alan J. Berman Scholarship Award was established in 1988 to honor the values and principles that inspired the man colleagues described as “a unique human being who stood for the highest possible levels of human behavior and human aspiration.” Dr. Berman was a dedicated and valuable member of the LaGuardia Faculty Council. Dr. Berman was a passionate advocate for students, faculty and union members, as well as serving as an activist for tenants’ rights in his community.
Specific student eligibility criteria
- 20 or more credits earned at LaGuardia (credits not in progress)
Students must continue at LaGuardia for another semester and previous recipients are not eligible - Application form with documented support of volunteer activities at LaGuardia and within the community
- Personal statement from student on how your academic experiences at LaGuardia helped you to grow as a member of your community
- Copy of most recent official transcript
- Two faculty letters of recommendation.
Application Deadline: August 4th, 2023
Annual Library Research Review
The Annual Library Research Review Competition is jointly sponsored by the Library and Faculty Council. This unique program encourages and supports student research efforts at the college. Students who receive a grade of “A” on research papers written for a course at LaGuardia during the current academic year may submit the paper(s) into the competition. The papers are judged by a panel of faculty members from the college. Faculty Council provides prizes that include the following:
a) First Place– Kindle Fire HD Tablet with Alexa
b) Second Place– $75 Amazon.com Gift Card
c) Third Place–$50 Amazon.com Gift Card
Prizes for excellence in writing a research paper will be presented to winners in September. In addition, all participants will receive a Certificate of Participation in September.
Specific student eligibility criteria
20 or more credits earned at LaGuardia (credits not in progress)
Students must continue at LaGuardia for another semester and previous recipients are not eligible
Application form with documented support of volunteer activities at LaGuardia and within the community
Personal statement from student on how your academic experiences at LaGuardia helped you to grow as a member of your community
Copy of most recent official transcript
Two faculty letters of recommendation.
Racial Justice Scholarship Award
The Racial Justice Scholarship (RJS) is inspired by the racial justice movement that mushroomed after the murder of (yet another unarmed Black man in Minneapolis and the murder of (yet another) unarmed Black woman Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Those events catapulted a racial injustice reckoning across the country, triggering the urgent need to rethink and reform policing and the criminal justice system in general to help save Black and Brown lives.
Faculty Council (FC) wants to promote and facilitate LaGuardia students’ academic alignment with (and preparedness for) the racial justice movement in the US. The RJS seeks to recognize LaGuardia students with sophisticated criminal justice reform ideas that are conducive to racial justice, and also seeks to motivate students to get intellectually involved in this historical event.
Specific student eligibility criteria
Eligibility
Current LaGuardia students. No GPA Requirement! Each Spring I, FC will open and promote its “racial justice” essay contest for LaGuardia students across all departments to participate. Previous recipients are not eligible.
Application Process
Complete the attached application form for this announcement
Submit Notice of Intent with Brief Narrative of Topic
Submit a Word document with your essay
Submit a copy of your most recent Official Transcript from the Registrar’s Office. (No charge)
Submit all of the information requested above to: Professor Kyle Hollar-Gregory, Prof. Lloyd Klein and Prof. Ian McDermott. See contact information on the application below.
Application Deadline
Notice of Intent: May 28, 2021. Essay Deadline: July 30, 2021
Please Note: Your application and essay will be evaluated on the basis of the strength of your argument, the relevance of your sources, and the organization of your material. Excessive grammatical errors that impede our ability to understand your argument is disqualifying, so be sure to visit the Writing Center. Excessive grammatical and spelling errors will be considered when reviewing essays.
The Paul Arcario and Don Walker LGBTQIA+ Scholarship
In honor of Provost Paul Arcario and his late partner Don Walker, whose support was integral to his success during a long career of dedicated service to LaGuardia, Faculty Council seeks to promote the visibility of Queer life on campus and to foster education and community activism. The Paul Arcario scholarship is designed for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or other members of the LGBTQIA+ community to support their growth, education, and career goals. To apply for the scholarship, LGBTQIA+ students are required to submit a statement on one of the following two topics:- LGBTQIA+ Identity and Education: Students should reflect on the relationship between their LGBTQIA+ identity and their educational experiences, either at LaGuardia or some stage prior. We encourage applicants to reflect on how a class, assignment, educator, peer, or experience had an impact on their understanding of, or relationship to, their identity. This might include coming to terms with one’s sexuality, coming out, experiencing discrimination, celebrating one’s identity, etc.
- Advancing LGBTQIA+ Lives: Alternately, students may write a statement about plans to pursue careers and/or engage in community work that will support or advance LGBTQIA+ individuals. Applicants should explain how their identity or membership in the LGBTQIA+ community has shaped their intent to enter a profession, or to engage in community service, that will positively impact members of queer communities and describe how they will do so.
Specific student eligibility criteria
Eligibility & Application Open to students who identify as LGBTQIA+. No GPA Requirement! Each Spring I, Faculty Council will open and promote the Paul Arcario LGBTQIA+ essay contest for LaGuardia students across all departments to participate. Complete the attached application form for this announcement. Submit a Word document with your statement. Submit a copy of your most recent Official Transcript from the Registrar’s Office. (No charge) Application Deadline: May 31, 2023 Criteria Your application and essay will be evaluated based on the strength of your discussion of formative identity and educational experiences and/or your creativity and innovative thinking around LGBTQIA+ issues. Your statement should be 2-3 pages long, double-spaced. If you refer to any outside sources (optional), include in-text citations and a reference list at the end. Use either MLA or APA style. Include a formal heading with your name, the date, and the topic selected. Format your statement in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced. We recommend visiting the Writing Center for support in revising a draft of this statement. In addition, be sure to proofread your statement carefully before submitting, so that we can clearly understand your ideas.Department Awards
Determined by Department Scholarship Committees in collaboration with the respective Department Faculty Council Representative There are six scholarship awards – each scholarship awarded to one student per year.
James A. Lydon Memorial Award
James A. Lydon was an extremely productive member of the LaGuardia ESL faculty from 1982 until his untimely death in 1991. In that time he made significant contributions to the College as, for example, in his pivotal role in the creation of the NYC Taxi Drivers’ Institute in early 1980’s. In the later years of that decade he served as Coordinator of the ESL Program. As such, he helped to shape the ESL Curriculum and was an eloquent voice for the Program in the College and in the larger forums of CUNY and national and international professional organizations. He was also an outstanding advocate for students and a talented and dedicated educator. He had particular interest in low-level ESL students and took meticulous care of them. A tireless scholar, he passed away when he was working on his doctorate. He was a loved and respected faculty member of LaGuardia. Specific student elibibility criteria:- Graduating student with the highest GPA who began college career in ESL.
Hannalyn Wilkens Scholarship Award
The Hannalyn Wilkens Scholarship Award was established in 2010 to honor the memory and work of Dr. Hannalyn Wilkens. She received a B.A. degree from the University of Chicago, and an M.A. and an Ed.D. from Teachers College of Columbia University. A dedicated educator, Dr. Wilkens advocated for programs that promoted Reading across the Disciplines and holistic reading. She championed pedagogy grounded in a content-based approach. Dr. Wilkens was also one of the founding members of the Faculty Council, which has served as a forum for the LaGuardia faculty to share their voices on college governance issues. Specific student eligibility criteria:- Academic excellence in course work in Communication Skills.
John Williams Memorial Award
The John Williams Memorial Award was established in 2008 to honor the memory and work of Professor John W. Williams. Professor Williams loved teaching, sharing the joy of music with his students, and he loved performing. He often said that the most memorable and rewarding thing for him was to see his students achieve. His passion for music and the arts will forever remain audible at LaGuardia as echoed in his numerous musical theater productions including: “Ain’t Misbehavin,” “The Wiz,” “Bubbling Brown Sugar,” “The Sound of Music,” and “Guys and Dolls.” Professor Williams formed the Jubilee Ensemble, established in the Lunchtime Concert Series, and lent his rich tenor soloist voice to programs both inside and outside of the College. He served as Chorus Conductor at the televised Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center in 1987. He directed the New York City Girl Scouts Choir and travelled to Tanzania, Africa to share his love for music with students in a village in Tanzania. Professor Williams’ tenure at the LaGuardia spanned approximately thirty years, in which he advanced to Professor and Head of the Performing Arts Area in the Humanities Department. In 1973, Professor Williams received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. He continued his academic and musical studies at Howard University in Washington, D. C. and received a Master’s in Music Education Degree in 1974.- Specific student elibibility criteria: Outstanding performance skills involved in the Musical Arts.
Belkis Necos Scholarship Award
The Social Science Scholarship Committee will select a student that exemplifies her commitment to excellence. Specific student eligibility criteria- Exemplifies commitment to intellectual and personal excellence with a minimum 3.3 GPA
- Dominican heritage
- Liberal Arts major
- Taken two Social Science courses
Celeste Ridgeway Scholarship Award
The Celeste Ridgeway Scholarship Award was established in 2001 to honor the memory of Dr. Ridgeway’s work in the field of education. Dr. Ridgeway taught psychology in the Social Science Department from 1988 to 2000. Colleagues describe her as a superb teacher who used innovative pedagogy and teaching strategies in the classroom. She was one of the first faculty in the Social Science Department to employ technology in her courses, as part of the Minority in Science Research Project. She was also one of the first faculty members to teach in the joint summer program with Barnard College. Dr. Ridgeway took great joy and pride in seeing our students meet and exceed the demands of a four-year, Ivy League institution. Colleagues remember her as a bright, caring woman and an excellent educator who valued education and hard work. She served on many college-wide committees such as The College Curriculum Committee, The International Studies Committee, 504 Committee, Faculty Council, Middle States Committee, The International Studies Advisory Board and The Student Elections Review Committee. One of Dr. Ridgeway’s most remarkable achievements was her service on the college-wide Committee on Program Effectiveness (COPE). She began as a member in 1989, and served as the chair from 1991 to January 1997. The committee, under her leadership, helped lay the groundwork for the institutional assessment process in general, and the Social Science departmental Self-Assessment and Evaluation in particular. Specific student eligibility criteria- Outstanding promise and success in the field of education
JoAnn Lanaro Scholarship Award
The JoAnn Lanaro Scholarship Award was established in 1999 to honor the memory and work of Professor Lanaro to help students overcome challenges related to learning and physical disabilities. Ms. Lanaro was a professor at the College for more than 15 years, serving in the Accounting and Managerial Studies Department and in the former Office Technology Department. Professor Lanaro was relentless in her educational pursuit, which included an AAS degree from Bronx Community College, a BA degree from Lehman College and a Master’s degree from New York University. Colleagues remember Professor Lanaro as a dedicated educator who taught with love and patience. An active member of the LaGuardia Faculty Council, Professor Lanaro served on several committees such as the Fundraising Committee, Auction Committee, and Scholarship Committee. Her work on the 504/ADA Committee that addresses the needs and challenges of students with learning disabilities helped expand access for the physically challenged. The Office for Students with Disabilities selects one of their graduating students to receive this annual monetary award. Specific student eligibility criteria:- Graduating student with the highest GPA.