LaGuardia Community College Welcomes Five Full-Time Health Sciences Faculty Members
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (March 17, 2026) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY welcomes five full-time faculty members to the Health Sciences Department for the Spring semester, which began March 4.
The five educators previously served LaGuardia as adjunct instructors and bring extensive clinical experience to their teaching. Their transition to full-time roles reflects the College’s strong enrollment, particularly in Health Sciences, which is consistently one of the most in-demand areas for incoming students. Three of the new faculty members are LaGuardia alumni.
LaGuardia’s Health Sciences Department offers associate degrees and certificates in Registered Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapy Assistant, Radiologic Technology, EMT/Paramedic, Licensed Practical Nursing, and Veterinary Technology. These clinical programs are frequently ranked the best in New York State among both two- and four-year schools, for high first-time pass rates on national licensure exams.
“LaGuardia is proud of its record of graduating health care professionals who are prepared, confident, and responsive to the needs of our diverse communities,” said Billie Gastic Rosado, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. “By integrating real world practice with the latest technologies, these new full-time faculty will help ensure that students develop not only strong technical skills, but also the professional judgment, cultural awareness, and compassion required to deliver high quality, equitable patient care.”
“I’ve worked with many of these colleagues for years in our classrooms and clinical partnerships, and I’m glad to see them join us as full‑time faculty,” said Philip Gimber, Ph.D., RN, NP, Chair of the Health Sciences Department. “The fact that three are LaGuardia alumni underscores the strength of our clinical programs and the extent to which our graduates remain connected to the College.”
New Full-Time Health Sciences Faculty
Anthony Amen, ARRT
Lecturer, Radiologic Technology
Anthony Amen is an American Registry of Radiology Technologists (ARRT)‑certified Radiologic Technologist with more than 12 years of combined clinical and teaching experience, including nine years as an adjunct clinical instructor in LaGuardia’s Radiologic Technology program. He earned his A.A.S. in Radiologic Technology from LaGuardia and his B.S. in Radiologic Science from CUNY New York City College of Technology (City Tech).
“I am deeply honored and excited by my appointment to a full-time lecturer position at LaGuardia Community College,” said Amen. “Having begun my own journey here as a student and later returning as an adjunct instructor, this institution has shaped my passion for radiologic technology and my commitment to education. I approach teaching with the belief that every student deserves practical, real-world guidance, clear explanations, and encouragement to grow into compassionate, skilled professionals who make a real difference in patient care. This role allows me to give back to the program that launched my career while helping prepare the next generation of radiologic technologists to meet the evolving demands of our field with excellence and empathy.”
Victoria Buitrago Brown, ARRT
Lecturer, Radiologic Technology
Victoria Buitrago Brown brings 13 years of combined educational and clinical experience to LaGuardia, where she has served as both a College Laboratory Technologist and adjunct lecturer. Most recently, she worked as a Radiologic Technologist at Lenox Hill Radiology. Her professional credentials include New York State licensure in Diagnostic Radiography, ARRT certifications in Diagnostic Radiography and Mammography, and a Radiation Safety Officer certification from Columbia University. She is a graduate of LaGuardia’s Radiologic Technology program and holds a B.S. in Radiologic Science from CUNY City Tech.
Maritess S. Costes, M.S.N., R.N., R.N.‑NIC, CLC
Assistant Professor, Nursing
Maritess Costes has taught at LaGuardia as an adjunct assistant professor since 2022, providing lecture, clinical and laboratory instruction in Fundamentals of Nursing. Her prior experience includes co-developing the nursing rotation at Lenox Hill Hospital for the Future Ready NYC Program, providing New York City public high school students exposure to healthcare careers.
Her most recent clinical experience includes serving as a Registered Nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lenox Hill Hospital, where she has also worked as a Clinical Professional Development Educator. Her numerous professional recognitions include the Lenox Hill Hospital Employee Merit Scholarship.
Costes earned her B.S. in Nursing from the University at Buffalo and her M.S. in Nursing Education from SUNY Polytechnic Institute. As an undergraduate, she completed a student internship at LaGuardia supporting instruction in Medical-Surgical Nursing.
Li Duan, R.N., M.S.
Assistant Professor, Nursing
Li Duan is a Registered Nurse who has taught at LaGuardia as an adjunct since 2023. She earned her A.A.S. in Nursing from LaGuardia, her BSN in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing, and an M.S. in Nursing Education from CUNY School of Professional Studies. Her varied clinical background includes home care for dialysis patients, acute ICU/bedside hemodialysis, chronic outpatient hemodialysis, medical-surgical nursing, and dental assisting. Duan is fluent in Chinese.
Thomas A. Hagerty, Ph.D., N.P.
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Dr. Thomas Hagerty joins the full-time faculty with more than 30 years of clinical practice. He joined LaGuardia in 2010 as an adjunct professor of nursing, teaching Med-Surg II and supervising clinical experiences at healthcare facilities in Manhattan and Queens.
Most recently, he practiced as a Clinical Nurse Level III at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, in a medical and neurological intensive care unit. His professional recognitions include NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Preceptor of the Year (2021), the Outstanding Humanism in Patient Care Award from the Gold Humanism Honor Society at Columbia University (2017), and the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses (2014). His scholarly work includes peer reviewed publications, instructional materials, and presentations, with research focusing on interpersonal relationships between caregivers, patients, and family members. Dr. Hagerty is a member of the American Nurses Association, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing, Alpha Phi chapter.
Dr. Hagerty earned a B.A. in English from Colby College, an associate degree in Nursing from Southern Maine Technical College, and a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Southern Maine. He also holds an M.S. in Education from the University of Southern Maine, an M.S. as an Adult Health Nurse Practitioner from Hunter College, and a Ph.D. in Nursing from City College Graduate Center.
“I am thrilled to be joining the esteemed faculty in the nursing department and am proud to be working for CUNY and at LaGuardia Community College,” said Dr. Hagerty. “I have a deep admiration for LaGuardia students and their wealth of diversity and knowledge.”
• • • •
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.
####