LaGuardia Community College Honors Faculty and Staff at 2025 Appreciation of Service Ceremony

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (May 29, 2025) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY recognized the dedication and contributions of its faculty and staff at the 2025 Appreciation of Service Ceremony, which took place this morning at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center’s Mainstage Theater. The event honored more than 200 employees celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2024 and 2025.

Employees marking 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service were recognized. President Kenneth Adams and Provost Billie Gastic Rosado presented certificates and pins to each honoree. A multimedia presentation highlighted cultural and historical moments from the year each group of honorees began working at LaGuardia—including music, films, sports, politics, and even the price of eggs. Photos from the Years of Service Ceremony can be viewed on Flickr.

“I want to thank all of today’s honorees for their dedication to our college, our community, and most importantly, to our students,” said President Adams.

Among the honorees were faculty members Rudhra (Rudy) Meangru and Kyoko M. Toyama, Ph.D., LMHC, who marked 45 and 40 years of service, respectively. Gail Baksh-Jarrett, Ed.D., a staff member, was among the group celebrating 40 years of service. Both Professor Meangru and Dr. Baksh-Jarrett are alumni of LaGuardia. All three immigrated to the United States.

Rudhra (Rudy) Meangru, Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science | 45 Years of Service

Professor Ruhra Meangru, known as Rudy, immigrated to New York from Guyana in his teens. Reflecting on his journey, he shares, “LaGuardia means everything to me. My entire professional career and personal life are deeply rooted in this institution.”

After graduating from LaGuardia in 1980, he earned his bachelor’s from City College and a graduate degree from Hunter College. He returned to LaGuardia to teach, where he has dedicated over four decades to educating and inspiring students.

“My time at LaGuardia has been truly rewarding,” he says. “The college has given me the support and guidance to grow as an educator and advance my career. The collegial environment here has always motivated me to come to work each day. Our students are incredibly special—they are determined to succeed despite the many challenges they face.”

When asked about what Professor Meangru means to his colleagues and students, Dr. Abderrazak Belkharraz Idrissi, Chair of the MEC Department, says, “Rudy’s dedication to our department, to our students, and to LaGuardia is unwavering. Even after decades of service, he continues to coordinate courses, assist with departmental scheduling, and model the same passion and rigor that have defined his career. He teaches a wide range of mathematics courses—from College Algebra to Calculus I and II—and students consistently speak of him with deep respect and admiration. He embodies what it means to be a devoted educator and colleague.”

To new faculty members just beginning their journey at LaGuardia, Professor Meangru offers this advice: “Understand the challenges your students face. Engage with your colleagues to explore new teaching methods, and take advantage of professional development opportunities.”

Kyoko M. Toyama, Ph.D., LMHC, Professor/Counselor, College Discovery and Faculty Adviser, Chi Alpha Epsilon (XAE) Honor Society | 40 Years of Service

Born in Okinawa and raised in Tokyo, Dr. Toyama began her college journey studying English Education in Japan. During her second year of college, a scholarship award from a private Japanese foundation enabled her to come to the U.S. and study at a state university in Pennsylvania. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she pursued studies in Cross-Cultural Counseling and Counseling Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Originally planning to return to Tokyo, Dr. Toyama’s plans changed when a graduate internship at LaGuardia’s College Discovery led to a job offer. She chose to stay in New York, continuing her education at New York University, where she earned a doctorate—equipping her to serve as both a clinician and an academician.

“Even after all these years, I come to work each day with joy and excitement,” she says. “I see myself as a tool to help students help themselves. They enrich my life and make my profession deeply meaningful. Each student is unique—whether they excel academically or face personal and academic struggles. I’m constantly inspired by their resilience and determination. Watching them grow over time is incredibly rewarding. Graduation day is my favorite—I’ve never missed one. Every year, it brings me to tears.”

To new faculty and staff, Dr. Toyama urges them to “Find your mission and passion in your work, while embracing the college’s mission. Don’t be afraid to be more than what you do. You never know what students will remember about you. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found myself being not just a counselor, but a mother figure, an aunt, even a coach. When students feel connected to someone who believes in them, they’re more likely to stay and succeed.”

Gail Baksh-Jarrett, Ed.D., Senior Director of Enrollment Management and Student Financial Services | 40 Years of Service

Originally from Trinidad, Dr. Baksh-Jarrett moved to NYC after high school and followed her brother’s path to LaGuardia, where she earned an associate degree in 1980. She went on to complete a bachelor’s and master’s in International Education at New York University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Fielding University in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Dr. Baksh-Jarrett began her career in higher education at NYU’s Graduate Financial Aid Office before returning to LaGuardia as a Financial Aid Advisor. Over the years, she advanced through various roles, eventually becoming Director and later Interim Associate Dean of Enrollment Management, overseeing Admissions, Testing, International Student Services, LaGuardia CARES, the Student Information Center, and Student Financial Services. She has also taught Communication Studies as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Humanities Department.

She takes pride in leading a team that has disbursed over $634 million in aid to more than 127,000 students over the past decade. “What I’ve enjoyed most is seeing the impact of our strategies on student success,” she says.

To new staff members, Dr. Baksh-Jarrett offers this advice: “Learning is lifelong and empowering. Broaden your knowledge and pursue graduate studies to continue growing professionally.”

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 10-year anniversary include:

Rahela Aktar; Juliana Alia; Sherouk Alzeory; Anthony Amen; Delle-Ann Barrow; Sally Begley; Nancy Benegas; Jesus Benitez; Marlenes Berroa; Johanna Brand Ortiz; Raheem Brooks; Jason Bryan; Elizabeth Cabral; Aimeelyn Calandria; Olga Cano; Jose Castro; Woon Chek Chong; Stephen Clark; Thomas Cleary; Jennifer Colon; Francisco Colon Reyes; Donniece Davis; Alexa Duque; Elijah Edmonds; Carrie Fox; Crystal Franklin; Tatyana Fridrikova; Jacqueline Fuentes; Josel Garcia; Marco Gervais; Estefany Gonzaga; Daryl Griffin; Richa Gupta, Ph.D.; Jesse Guralnick; Ivelisse Hernandez De Sanchez; Sumanth Inukonda, Ph.D.; Lakshmi Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar, Ph.D.; Savitri Jagai; Sultan Jenkins, Ph.D.; Skylar Jones; Jill Kehoe, Ph.D.; Philip Kraatz; Frank LaTerra-Bellino; Jackie Lee; Grace Malijan; Ruben Mercier; Michele Mills; Rhonda Mouton, Ed.D.; Maria Moya; Terrance Neeley; Danny Ng; Maria Olichwer; Antonio Olivero; Nwe Oo; Mary O’Reilly; Aura Paulino; Rosanna Pichardo; Bindu Pillai; Stephanie Ramirez; Luis Restrepo; Rocio Reynoso; Jaime Riccio; Emmeline Robles; Lizbeth A. Rodriguez-Rios; Julio Rosario; Jarrod San Angel; Jorge Sanchez; George Schreiner; Shameeza Singh; Walter Sistrunk, Ph.D.; Tanifsher Smith; Brittney Snoddy; Mario Souza; Filip Stabrowski, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Streich; Rebecca Tally, Ph.D.; Choden Tenzin; Ryan Torres; Phillip Torres; GregRoy Vassell; Carla Veloz Gonzalez; Christopher Weston; and David Whyne.

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 15-year anniversary include:

Carmen Alomia; Edward Arredondo; Jennifer Arroyo; Anne Avalos; Deema Bayrakdar; Bonnie Brown; Tyleah Castillo; Rosemay Chaperon; Carrie Conners, Ph.D.; Gisella Contreras; Steven Cosares, Ph.D.; Michele De Goeas-malone; Paisley D. Demby; Lisa DeSpain; Payal Doctor, Ph.D.; Monika Ekiert, Ed.D.; Charlie Elias; Mary Jane Escobar-Collins; Reginald Eze; Maritza Gutierrez; Meiyin Hago Celi; Rachel Infante; Margarita Israilova; Reem Jaafar, Ph.D.; Rebekah Johnson; Jacqueline Jones, Ph.D.; Demetrios Kapetanakos; Subigya Karmacharya; Hyunjoo Kim, Ph.D.; Theresa Licari; Aarti Maharaj; Mahdi Majidi-Zolbanin, Ph.D.; Edwin Manzzo; Christine Marks, Ph.D.; Francisco Morillo; Emmanuel Nartey, Ph.D.; Roni Patterson; Sylwia Prendable; Marina Prorokovic; Preethi Radhakrishnan, Ph.D.; Savitree Ramnaryan; Ari Richter; Miguelina Rodriguez, Ph.D.; Justin Rogers-Cooper, Ph.D.; Noam Scheindlin, Ph.D.; Christopher Schmidt, Ph.D.; Salma Shaheen; Deijy Sherpa; Fedeline St Germain; Naomi Stubbs, Ph.D.; Adel Tarfaia; Jorges Torres; Suzanne Uzzilia; and Boris Zakharov, Ph.D.

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 20-year anniversary include:

Zenia Afroz; Maribel Arias; Bokul Bahar; Yvette Bass; Sandra Cevallos; Linda Chandler, Ph.D.; Mary Chang; John Collins; Salim Djari; Ladji Doumbia, Ph.D.; Arianne Fernandez; Hector Fernandez, J.D.; Fahusto Flores; Winifred Francis-Miller; Kristen Gallagher, Ph.D.; Ximena Gallardo, Ph.D.; Edward Goodman; Yevgeniya Granovskaya; Monowar Hossain; Carole Julien; Andreas Karras; Kathleen Karsten; Hulya Kartal; Adja Kondi; William Lindner; Luis Lozano; Amable Mieses; Maureen Miller; Grzegorz Motyka; Handan Ozbilgin; Guy-Michel Philogene; Tania N. Ramirez; Nubia I. Santamaria; Allyson Santiago; Tara Scales, D.V.M.; Sunaina Singh, Ph.D.; Arlene Spinner; Mari Suzuki; Andi Toce, Ph.D.; Pan-wai Wong; and Chunjuan Zhu.

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 25-year anniversary include:

Karen Bria; Luke Cardaio; J Elizabeth Clark, Ph.D.; Maria Depena; Alex Desir; Edith C. Diaz; Betty Gonzalez; Agneszka Rakowicz, Ph.D.; Beatriz Ramirez Olmos; Shaheen Rattani; Deborah Robinson; Michael Rodriguez; Karen Saca; Michael Saunders; Veron Sundar; Eduardo Vianna, Ph.D.; James Wilson, Ph.D.; and Cong Zou.

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 30-year anniversary include:

Loretta Capuano; Liz Christian; Joseph Evering; Hugo Fernandez; Glenver Jones; Fern Luskin; Ellen Quish; Jose Quizhpe; Siu Sang Tin; and Yvens Valere.

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 35-year anniversary include:

Jose Fabara; Eileen Goldberg; Rosa Herrera-Rodriguez, Ph.D.; Marie Jule; Magalie Lopez; Michele Manoukian, Ph.D.; Norella Moreno; and Jenny Palios.

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 40-year anniversary include:

Gail Baksh-Jarrett, Ed.D.; Jean Buckley; Alfredo Cifuentes; Sandra Dickinson, Ph.D.; Susan Gizzi; Lilik Gondopriono; Sue Livingston, Ph.D.; Lawrence Muller; Adhiambo Okomba; Kyoko Toyama, Ph.D.; and Peggy Williams.

Faculty and staff who are celebrating their 45-year anniversary include:

Timothy Coogan and Rudhra Meangru.

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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.

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