LaGuardia Community College Welcomes New Faculty Members
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (September 09, 2025) — Three industry experts are joining LaGuardia Community College/CUNY as full-time faculty members in Fall 2025.
Estefania Hernandez, a broadcast journalist with nearly a decade of experience reporting in New York City, joins the college as a journalism lecturer in the English Department. Michelle Lugones, DVM, brings 17 years of experience in veterinary medicine to her role as Assistant Professor and Veterinary Technology Program Director in the Health Science Department, and with more than two decades of experience as a dietician/nutritionist, Kristine Blewitt, RD, is a new lecturer of Nutrition and Culinary Management in the Community Health and Wellness Department.
Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, said the new faculty members bring valuable academic and professional experience that will enhance students’ learning.
“Their diverse backgrounds and connections to LaGuardia will help foster meaningful engagement in the classroom and support students as they explore the relationship between their academic journeys and their career goals,” she said.
Estefania Hernandez
Ms. Hernandez began her journalism career in high school, reporting for the school newspaper. She enrolled at LaGuardia as a Journalism major and became a member of the Honors Student Advisory Committee (HSAC), an ASAP student, and an intern with the Media Services Office. After earning her Associate of Arts in Communication Studies from LaGuardia, she transferred to Brooklyn College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Hernandez also earned the Promising Filmmakers Award from the CUNY Film Festival, and she was a finalist for the Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Ms. Hernandez has had journalism internships and apprenticeships at Democracy Now!, Indy Kids, Univision, Fox News Channel, and NBCUniversal. An internship at Spectrum Noticias led to full-time work for Spectrum News as a news assistant, multimedia journalist, and digital producer. Her bilingual stories on NY1 and Noticias highlighted NYC’s diverse communities, and she speaks both English and Spanish fluently. She previously taught Bilingual Journalism as an adjunct professor at City College.
“Diversity is essential to journalism,” said Ms. Hernandez. “I encourage my students to bring their full selves into their reporting, helping to build a more inclusive and representative media landscape.”
“Estefania’s firsthand experience as a LaGuardia student, her professional accomplishments, and her focus on local issues make her an outstanding addition to our faculty,” said Dr. Irwin Leopando, Professor of English.
Ms. Hernandez will be teaching ENG 211: Craft of Reporting News and ENG 101: Composition I.
Michelle Lugones, DVM
Dr. Lugones joined LaGuardia in 2023 as Director of the Veterinary Technology Program and Substitute Assistant Professor. She teaches Shelter Medicine and Management, Veterinary Pathophysiology, and Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology—core courses for clinical veterinary technology students.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in film and television production from NYU and worked in the industry before becoming a veterinarian. In 2008, Dr. Lugones received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University and completed a rotating internship at Long Island Veterinary Specialists.
“I hope to inspire students to be compassionate, skilled, and ethical professionals who make a real difference in the lives of animals and who understand how valuable their roles are to the lives of animals who depend on them,” said Dr. Lugones, who also practices veterinary medicine in New York City.
“Michelle’s extensive knowledge and experience, combined with the wealth of expertise of our veterinary technology faculty and staff, will only strengthen our program,” said Dr. Philip Gimber, chair of the Health Sciences Department. “We remain committed to fostering excellence in veterinary care and ensuring our program continues to set the standard for professional growth in the field.”
Kristine Blewitt, MPH, RD
Kristine Blewitt, a Registered Dietitian, brings more than 20 years of experience in clinical nutrition, health education, and corporate wellness. She earned a bachelor’s in Dietetics/Nutrition from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and a master’s degree in Community Public Health from NYU. She has taught at LaGuardia since 2016 as an adjunct assistant professor and substitute lecturer.
“Teaching nutrition is especially rewarding because students can immediately apply what they learn to their own lives,” said Ms. Blewitt. “When students connect science to everyday choices, they improve their own health and their family’s health and become advocates for healthier communities. This creates more excitement for the students and aligns with my belief that education is at its best when it sparks action outside the classroom.”
This fall, Ms. Blewitt will be teaching SCD204: Nutrition and Disease, SCN240 Food and Culture, and HSF90: First Year Seminar. She will also serve as the Internship coordinator for the Nutrition and Culinary Management program and the Dept. Representative for the College Senate Curriculum Committee.
• • • •
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.
####