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Brandon Procak ('06) and Mashhood Ahmed ('05) forged an incredible friendship while studying at Baruch. Nearly 20 years later, that friendship has led to a business venture: RentCity, a tech platform that aims to disrupt the apartment renting process by providing comprehensive data and firsthand reviews from tenants. The two friends took time to chat … Continue reading Rental Disruptors: Alumni Friends Hope to End Renter’s Remorse
Baruch alumnus Owen Martinetti ('17), cofounder of HempChain Farms and Naturae Oils - one of the first licensed hemp farms and cannabidiol processing plants in New York - teamed up with Baruch friend Christopher Abbenda ('18) to make headlines earlier this year: securing millions of medical masks and donating thousands throughout New York when COVID-19 … Continue reading Three Million Masks: Baruch Friends Donate PPE during COVID-19
In the wake of COVID-19, fashion designer Nana N. Yoshida (’09, MA ’17) quickly pivoted to creating fashionable face coverings for her clients. She chatted with us about the experience. When did you decide to start making face masks as a response to this pandemic? I started making face masks relatively early, in early March. … Continue reading Fashionable Face Coverings with Nana N. Yoshida (’09, MA ’17)
Barry Pitegoff ('71) is a staff chaplain at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, New York. He recently shared his insights with us regarding how COVID-19 has impacted his daily job and his hospital. As a professional hospital chaplain, how has COVID-19 most impacted you professionally? For now, two of the major tools in … Continue reading Observations from a Hospital Chaplain: Barry Pitegoff (’71)
As the Covid-19 crisis continues, new developments seem to emerge every hour, if not every minute. We caught up with alumna Elisha Ortiz (Fieldstadt) ('14), a breaking news reporter at NBC, who discussed the challenges of covering a global pandemic, how she sees the story evolving, and the ways that she honed her craft as … Continue reading The Challenges of Covering Covid-19, with Reporter Elisha Ortiz (Fieldstadt) (’14)
“I’ve worn so many hats,” says Reuven Glezer (’19), a Brooklyn-based artist who recently directed the play The Jewish Question: A Report from the Jewish Deportation as Documented by C.S. Chaplin at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. “I’ve been a stagehand, an assistant director, on crew, a light operator, a dramaturg, and a playwright – which … Continue reading Artistic Rise: Director and Dramaturg Reuven Glezer (’19)
Baruch alumnus Philip Adikimenakis ('14, MS '15) is a full-time tax CPA at a mid-sized accounting firm in Whitestone, Queens. But his interests reach well beyond just taxation. For starters, he is a chair yoga instructor and, as the founder of Relaxation Zensation, is an inspirational voice and advocate for the power of ancient self-preserving practices. … Continue reading The Zen CPA: Philip Adikimenakis (’14, MS ’15)
The Family Makak had a lot to celebrate at Commencement 2019 as siblings Melissa, Eileen, and Justin earned their Baruch degrees, each representing one of the College’s three schools. Oldest sibling Melissa graduated from the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences with an MA in mental health counseling; Eileen, from the Marxe School of Public … Continue reading Sibling Revelry at Commencement 2019
This past May, Emil Kesselman (’76) served as the grand marshal of Long Island’s Oceanside Memorial Day Parade. The 92-year-old U.S. Navy veteran has another claim to fame, though. He worked side by side with President Harry S. Truman in 1951, taking dictation for the commander-in-chief while stationed in Florida. If Mr. Kesselman ever penned … Continue reading A Presidential Post: When Harry Met Emil
What’s 6½ feet high, 6½ feet wide, 3½ feet deep, and 1,700 pounds on its lightest day? It’s the College’s new Robotic Book-Lending Kiosk, which made its debut at the start of the 2019–20 academic year. Now, with a swipe of their ID card and verification of their network login credentials, Baruch students can borrow … Continue reading Book Bot: Baruch Unveils Automated Textbook-Lending Kiosk
