Flexibility and ingenuity are skills that Brandon Voss has tapped into often during his career. For the past three years, he and his company, Voss Events, have partnered with RuPaul’s Drag Race—among the most popular television shows of the past decade— to produce Werq the World, a global tour featuring the show’s former drag queen … Continue reading Werq-aholic Brandon Voss (MBA ’05) Partners with RuPaul’s Drag Race
Observations from a Hospital Chaplain: Barry Pitegoff (’71)
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)
A Presidential Post: When Harry Met Emil
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
A Wave of Weddings
The Bearcat alumni-athlete community is tightknit, and some of its bonds are even stronger than lifelong friendship. Ask Director of Aquatics and Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Swimming Charles Lampasso. Beginning his 16th year as Baruch’s swimming coach, Mr. Lampasso frequently hears from former team members—and news of engagements and marriages is not uncommon. … Continue reading A Wave of Weddings
Wish You Were Here: On the Road with Graffiti Artist Victor Fung (’05)
Many a New York City teen has tagged a wall or two, but very few turn it into a career. Victor “Ving” Fung is one of the few, and now he’s on a never-ending road trip to spread graffiti art to communities near and far. “Street art is my passion,” says the self-taught artist, who … Continue reading Wish You Were Here: On the Road with Graffiti Artist Victor Fung (’05)
Sustainable Success: Alyssa Alicino (’13, MBA ’19)
Most people view sustainability through a climate-based lens. For Alyssa Alicino, though, the field of view is much wider. “It’s an all-encompassing issue,” says the Baruch double alumna and former CUNY Macaulay Honors College student. “Sustainability impacts anticorruption measures, human rights support, sustainable finance—you name it.” Ms. Alicino deals with these issues every day in … Continue reading Sustainable Success: Alyssa Alicino (’13, MBA ’19)
From the Bronx to the Dojo: The Samurai Journey of Taum Dell’Armo
How does a high-powered advertising executive find inner peace? For alumnus Taum Dell’Armo (’69), the answer lies in the way of the samurai. The Bronx-born Dell’Armo—whose first name, “Taum,” is based on a Sanskrit holy word and is pronounced just like his given name, “Tom”—is trained in five martial arts and has been studying Iaido, … Continue reading From the Bronx to the Dojo: The Samurai Journey of Taum Dell’Armo
In Memoriam: Professor Mordechai L. Friedman
Professor Mordechai L. Friedman passed away September 17, 2019, after a short illness. He taught until his death at age 81, and had started the fall semester this year. Mordechai taught for 60 years, beginning his career in the New York City high schools at age 20. He had two masters degrees (1961 MA and … Continue reading In Memoriam: Professor Mordechai L. Friedman
Remembering Bill Newman (’47): The Man Behind Baruch’s Renaissance
When class of 1947 alumnus William Newman made a $5 million gift to his alma mater in 1993, its impact was immediate and seismic. At the time, it was the second-largest gift ever received by The City University of New York (CUNY), surpassed only by the 1965 bequest from the College’s namesake, Bernard M. Baruch.
Invested in Giving Back: Songbird Capital Founder Jie Hayes (MBA ’99)
When it comes to harmonizing professional and philanthropic pursuits, entrepreneur Jie Hayes (MBA ’99) hits all the right notes. The Zicklin alumna is the founder and portfolio manager of Songbird Capital, a boutique investment advisory firm based in Princeton, NJ. She is also the donor behind the Songbird Capital Scholarship Program at Baruch. Both the company and the scholarship program owe their names to the Fleetwood Mac tune “Songbird,” from the group’s mega-album Rumours, which she was learning to play on the guitar at the same time she was establishing her firm. “The song represents the confluence of my passions, from entrepreneurship, to music, to doing the right thing for my clients, my family, and the larger community,” she explains.