{"id":6261,"date":"2023-06-06T13:10:12","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T17:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/149.4.100.129\/academics\/sees\/?page_id=6261"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:45:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:45:36","slug":"news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/news\/","title":{"rendered":"News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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News & Events
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[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1440px” module_alignment=”center” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][dsm_text_divider header=”2026 Spring” color=”#A9A9A9″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_text_align=”center” header_letter_spacing=”3px” header_line_height=”1.5em” text_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dsm_text_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” max_width=”1440px” custom_padding=”40px||35px|||” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ disabled=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/124\/2026\/03\/Globe.jpg” title_text=”Globe” show_in_lightbox=”on” align=”right” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|false” animation_style=”fade” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Queens College’s GLOBE NY Metro Program Secures Over $1 Million to Expand K-12 Science Education<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Peter Schmidt<\/a>, SEES Higher Education Officer and Director of the NY Metro GLOBE program<\/a>, has been awarded $1 million to enhance teacher training and authentic research in grades K-12.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The funding was secured with the assistance of US Congressman Gregory Meeks<\/a> and will be used to support science education select New York City and Nassau County school districts.<\/span><\/p>\n

See article for more information<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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March 2026<\/p>\n

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Stephen Pekar<\/a><\/h3>\n

Professor Paleoceanography, paleoclimatology and Antarctic glacial history<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

SEES Professor Addresses UN Delegates on World Day for Glaciers.<\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Professor Stephen Pekar, from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences<\/a> at Queens College<\/a>, CUNY<\/a>, was one of three scientists invited to speak at the United Nations on March 19, 2026, for the World Day for Glaciers,<\/strong><\/a> He addressed a packed room of policymakers and delegates, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In his talk, Professor Pekar explained how studying periods in Earth’s history when CO\u2082 levels were even higher than today can help us better understand what\u2019s coming for our climate and sea levels. His presentation was part of the launch of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025\u20132034)<\/strong><\/a>, which aims to turn scientific findings into real-world policies to protect the planet\u2019s ice and snow.<\/p>\n

Afterward, several delegates told him they appreciated how clearly he broke down such a complex topic and made the science feel relevant and accessible.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Flyer Link<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\" World Day for Glaciers Link<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

March 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”FEATURED GRADUATE STUDENTS” url_new_window=”on” content_max_width=”720px” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h2″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#333333″ header_font_size=”24px” header_letter_spacing=”8px” header_line_height=”3em” custom_padding=”10px|20px|10px|20px|false|false” link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

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Devina Kalika and Rania Taib<\/h3>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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Congratulations to Devina Kalika<\/strong> and Rania Taib<\/strong>, two of our outstanding graduate students, on being named 2026 NAGT Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award<\/strong> recipients!
The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)<\/em> presents this award annually to recognize up to 30 exemplary teaching assistants in geoscience education across the country. Devina and Rania’s selection makes them the second and third recipients from the CUNY system ever and the first two from Queens College. We are incredibly proud of Devina and Rania and look forward to all they will continue to accomplish.
This recognition is a testament to the dedication, skill, and passion both Devina and Rania bring to the classroom every day. It also speaks to what makes our department such a special place to learn and grow as a future geoscientist.<\/p>\n

To learn more about the award, visit https:\/\/nagt.org\/nagt\/awards\/ta.html<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

March 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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Alfredo Morabia<\/a><\/h3>\n

Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY Graduate Center.<\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Reimagining Public Health from the Ground Up<\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Alfredo Morabia, Professor of Epidemiology at Queens College and a member of the faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center, reflects on the future of public health in a recent Q&A with Harvard University. A historian of epidemiology and author of The Public Health Approach, Dr. Morabia suggests that today\u2019s institutional shifts represent a pivotal moment for the field.<\/p>\n

In the interview, he discusses his decade as Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Public Health and previews his February 25, 2026 seminar, \u201cWhat If \u2026 Public Health Had to Be Built From Scratch?\u201d Morabia argues that this moment offers a rare opportunity to revisit 19th-century debates and reimagine a preventive health model that is both equitable and resilient.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full Q&A at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health<\/a><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

February 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”FACULTY SPOTLIGHT” url_new_window=”on” content_max_width=”720px” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h2″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#333333″ header_font_size=”24px” header_letter_spacing=”8px” header_line_height=”3em” custom_margin=”||40px|||” custom_padding=”10px|20px|10px|20px|false|false” link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

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Marc-Antoine Longpre<\/a><\/h3>\n

Associate Professor, Volcanology and Igneous Petrology<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Receives 2025 President\u2019s Award for Excellence in Research<\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

SEES<\/a> is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Marc-Antoine Longpr\u00e9 has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the President\u2019s Award for Excellence in Research and Creativity in the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences<\/strong> at Queens College.<\/p>\n

\n

He will be honored at the State of the College Address and Faculty & Staff Excellence Awards<\/strong> ceremony on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 in LeFrak Concert Hall<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This award recognizes Dr. Longpr\u00e9\u2019s outstanding scholarship in 2025, including five high profile scholarly publications from the Longpr\u00e9 research group in 2025 (Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Bulletin of Volcanology, and two articles in Nature Geoscience)<\/em>. At the center of our nomination was Longpr\u00e9 et al.\u2019s 2025 Nature Geoscience original research article entitled \u201cShifting melt composition linked to volcanic tremor at Cumbre Vieja volcano<\/a>\u201d<\/em>, with co-authors including group members Samantha Tramontano (now an Assistant Professor at York College) and Doctoral Student Franco Cortese. Well done! Due to the high impact findings from this study the Nature Geoscience<\/em> editors selected the article to have an accompanying \u201cResearch Briefing\u201d article published, entitled \u201cMagma composition drives tremors during a volcanic eruption<\/a>\u201d (Longpr\u00e9 and Tramontano, 2025)<\/em>, which helps to explain the importance of this research to a broader, non-specialist audience. It is worth noting that the 2025 publications had multiple Longpr\u00e9 lab co-authors spanning undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers.<\/p>\n

SEES would like to congratulate Marc-Antoine, and his entire research group! Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

March 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”In Memoriam: Emeritus Professor, Dr. David Speidel” url_new_window=”on” content_max_width=”720px” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h2″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#333333″ header_font_size=”24px” header_letter_spacing=”8px” header_line_height=”3em” custom_padding=”10px|20px|10px|20px|false|false” link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

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Dr. David Speidel<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

SEES Emeritus Professor<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) is very sad to announce the recent passing of SEES Emeritus Professor, Dr. David Speidel. He received his bachelor\u2019s degree in geology from Franklin and Marshall College in 1960 and a PhD in geochemistry from Pennsylvania State University in 1964, before joining the faculty at Queens College in 1966 as one of the first members of the Geology Department.<\/p>\n

He was a prolific researcher with wide ranging interests. While his primary field of study was phase equilibria in magnesium oxide-iron oxide systems and ferromagnesian mineral stability in igneous rocks, he also had research interests in environmental geochemistry, probability analysis of impact craters and near-Earth asteroids, and probability analysis of earthquake magnitude frequencies. He was a fellow of the Geological Society of America and an active member of professional organizations including the Mineralogical Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.<\/p>\n

In addition to his many research contributions, he performed extensive service for his broader professional organizations, our department, and the college. He was a visiting scholar from 1977 \u2013 1978 with the congressional research services, which led to publication of a book entitled \u201cThe Natural Geochemistry of our Environment\u201d. He also was a section head in the Earth Science Division at NSF from 1988 to 1989. He served Queens College in many important roles including: chair of the Geology department (from 1980-1988, now the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences); the first Dean of the Division of Mathematics and National Sciences; the first Dean of Graduate Studies and Research; Chairperson of the Academic Senate (1992-1996); Acting Provost, Provost and Senior Vice President for academic programs (1998-2000).<\/p>\n

He retired in 2003 after 37 years of service to the College, remaining active at as an Emeritus Professor in SEES for another 23 years. In Retirement he served as Chair of the QC Retirees Association for several years. He remained a familiar presence in SEES, regularly attending our department colloquium, meeting with younger faculty, providing valued guidance and advice, and bringing us news articles and papers related to our research interests. He was a cherished member of our SEES family and he will be dearly missed.<\/p>\n

\"\"Link<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Link<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

March 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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Gillian Stewart<\/a><\/h3>\n

Professor Marine Biogeochemistry <\/span><\/h4>\n

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Gillian Stewart just completed an introductory oceanography textbook, published by W.W. Norton and Co. This book builds on her 20+ years of teaching experience at Queens College and in SEES, teaching diverse students with a range of backgrounds. Dr. Stewart used examples and analogies that have been successful in her classes, and the book is written in a conversational and narrative tone. She tested potential text, images, concepts, and approaches in both her Geo 08 (non-majors) and Geo 216 (majors) classes, and students overall were enthusiastic about the material. The book is called Oceanography<\/a>, an Interdisciplinary Approach, and uses a novel scheme to address the material in an oceanography course by dividing the book by oceanic realm (the deep ocean, the atmosphere\/surface ocean, the open ocean, the coastal ocean, and the polar oceans) instead of dividing the book by discipline (geological, physical, chemical, and biological oceanography). This approach has been helpful in retaining student engagement with the material because many students are most interested in marine biology, and the alien and unique ecosystems in the various marine regions are useful to demonstrate complex chemical, geological, and physical phenomena in a more easily digestible manner. Finally, the book uses anthropogenic climate change and the carbon cycle as a thread throughout, reflecting Dr. Stewart\u2019s research tracing carbon in the ocean.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"Link<\/a><\/p>\n

December 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

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Christine Ramadhin<\/a>, Latisha Williams<\/a>, Franco Cortese<\/a>, and Stephen Pekar<\/a>.<\/h3>\n

Queens College’s Academic Excellence Ceremony<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

This past fall (2025), four of our faculty members, Christine Ramadhin, Latisha Williams, Franco Cortese, and Stephen Pekar. They were nominated by their students and honored at Queens College’s Academic Excellence Ceremony for their positive impact on student success. We are grateful to our students for this recognition and proud to have faculty who show up for them every day.<\/p>\n

\"\"Academic Excellence Awards | October 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Orbit Video Shot<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

October 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”FEATURED STUDENT ” url_new_window=”on” content_max_width=”720px” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h2″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#333333″ header_font_size=”24px” header_letter_spacing=”8px” header_line_height=”3em” custom_padding=”10px|20px|10px|20px|false|false” link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

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Nicole Liew<\/h3>\n

Student in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

SEES Student Nicole Liew was selected to join the University of Washington’s\u00a0VISIONS25′<\/a>\u00a0expedition to Axial Seamount in the NE Pacific Ocean! VISIONS is an anual expedidition that services the Ocean Observatories Iniative Cabled Array. Check out her\u00a0blog<\/a> as she describes her daily adventures!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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August 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

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SEES 2025 Graduation Ceremony<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2025!<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr. Stephen Pekar, Professor and Chair of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, welcomed students, families, and friends to the SEES 2025 Graduation Ceremony with a heartfelt message celebrating the resilience, purpose, and power of the graduating class.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s graduates represent more than academic achievement \u2014 they are environmental heroes stepping into careers aimed at safeguarding the future of our planet. As Dr. Pekar emphasized, these students are \u201cthe superheroes of our time,\u201d armed with knowledge and a mission to create a more sustainable world.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Congratulations to our graduates for completing their degree !<\/p>\n

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June 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

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Laiba Mahmood<\/h3>\n

Undergraduate student in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n
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Laiba Mahmood, an undergraduate student in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for 2025. The scholarship, awarded to students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, supports outstanding undergraduates with strong potential to become future leaders in research. Laiba is one of 441 scholars nationally recognized for the 2025-2026 academic year and the ninth Goldwater Scholar in Queens College history.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Laiba is currently studying environmental biology and geology, with a keen interest in planetary science and astrobiology, particularly the study of planetary habitability and the evolution of life. Throughout her undergraduate journey, Laiba has gained research experience in microbial biogeochemistry at the University of Michigan and modeled landscape and species evolution in the LEGACi Lab. This summer, she will be conducting planetary habitability research through a NASA internship to better understand the geochemistry of potential organics in Europa\u2019s oceans. Looking ahead, Laiba plans to pursue a Ph.D. in planetary science to better understand the evolution of life and its potential beyond Earth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

“Winning the Goldwater Scholarship is an incredible honor that solidifies my place in science. To be honest, I almost backed out of applying multiple times, doubting my own capabilities. I\u2019m so grateful I pushed through with the support of my mentors and family, who saw something in me that I struggled to see in myself. This scholarship motivates me to continue pursuing science, and I\u2019m excited for what the future holds.”<\/div>\n

2025 Scholars | Barry Goldwater<\/a><\/p>\n

\"NASA<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

April 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

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News & Events

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2026 Spring<\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>Queens College’s GLOBE NY Metro Program Secures Over $1 Million to Expand K-12 Science Education Peter Schmidt, SEES Higher Education Officer and Director of the NY Metro GLOBE program, has been awarded $1 million to enhance teacher training and authentic research in grades […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"page_category":[],"wf_page_folders":[],"class_list":["post-6261","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/148"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6261\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"page_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/page_category?post=6261"},{"taxonomy":"wf_page_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_page_folders?post=6261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}