CUNY Graduate Center

New York’s Revolutionary Past Comes Alive by CUNY Graduate Center

In this episode of The Thought Project, host Tanya Domi speaks with Eno Agolli, assistant director of the Saul Kripke Center at the CUNY Graduate Center, about bringing philosophy out of the ivory tower and into public conversation. Agolli is helping expand the reach of the Saul Kripke Center, named for the late Saul Kripke, a former distinguished professor at the Graduate Center who is considered one of the greatest American philosophers of the last half-century. One of Agolli’s newest initiatives is the Analytic Salon, a public series designed to make analytic philosophy accessible, lively, and welcoming. The salons require no homework and no background in philosophy. Instead, participants gather to consider big questions, about artificial intelligence, skepticism, morality, knowledge, and free will, through clear, jargon-free discussion. The salons are carried out in the spirit of Kripke’s own philosophical practice, centered on sharp puzzles, rigorous reasoning, and questions that can be stated clearly in ordinary language. The response has been striking. The salons, capped at 35 people, have filled quickly, sometimes within minutes, and draw many repeat attendees. For Agolli, that enthusiasm points to a real public hunger for philosophy, and for spaces where people can think together.

In this episode of The Thought Project, host Tanya Domi speaks with Mordechai Levovitz, M.S.W., a Ph.D. student in the Social Welfare program at the CUNY Graduate Center, about being queer and Jewish, and about the search for safety, support, and acceptance within Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish communities. Levovitz founded and served as executive director of JQY, Jewish Queer Youth, a nonprofit organization that provides crisis, communal, and clinical support for LGBTQ+ and queer teens growing up in Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish families. He discusses how LGBTQ+ Jews, including transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people, often face isolation when coming out, especially when family, religious law, and community expectations appear to leave little room for a queer life. His work grows out of his personal experience and years of helping queer Jews find support, language, safety, and community. He entered the Social Welfare Ph.D. program to deepen that work through research, advocacy, and policymaking, with a focus on the needs of LGBTQ+ people in religious communities. The conversation also explores how Judaism contains a more expansive history of gender than many people realize, including rabbinic discussions of seven or eight gender categories. For Levovitz, that history matters. So does the ability to change one’s name, an act that can affirm identity, dignity, and the right to be fully seen.

Professor Robert C. Smith of the CUNY Graduate Center and Baruch College and Manuel Castro, the former New York City commissioner of immigrant affairs and a Baruch graduate, join The Thought Project for a timely conversation about immigration policy at a moment of deep uncertainty. Smith draws on decades of research on Mexican migration, legal status, and intergenerational mobility, as well as his legal advocacy on DACA and birthright citizenship, to explain how current policy choices are reshaping the lives of immigrant families. Castro brings the perspective of a former undocumented immigrant, longtime advocate, and city official who has worked at the center of New York’s response to immigrant communities. Together, he and Smith argue that today’s crisis did not emerge overnight: Comprehensive immigration reform has remained out of reach for years, leaving millions vulnerable to shifting enforcement priorities and legal uncertainty. They discuss asylum, mixed-status families, the limits of local protections, and why expanding access to citizenship and legal status remains essential. The episode connects scholarship, public service, and lived experience in a clear call for reform grounded in both policy and human consequences.

From mushroom leather to algae-based garments, Elizabeth Wissinger, a professor of Liberal Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and of social sciences at Borough of Manhattan Community College, explores whether bio-based materials can offer a real alternative to synthetic fabrics, fast fashion, and clothing waste. On this episode of The Thought Project, she discusses the rise of bio-couture, the environmental problems driving interest in biodegradable textiles, and the ethical questions raised by using living organisms in design. She also examines the challenges these materials still face, including durability, scalability, and the possibility that, if they are made for short-term use and quickly discarded, they could reproduce the same wear-once, throwaway logic that defines fast fashion.

As Earth Day approaches, Ashley Dawson returns to The Thought Project for a sobering conversation about climate politics at a moment of global instability. Dawson, a distinguished professor of English at the CUNY Graduate Center and the College of Staten Island, is a member of Public Power New York, a movement for a just, publicly controlled energy transition in New York. He was also the 2025 Climate Justice Fellow at the arts organization Culture Push, where he worked on a series of photographs and short films about the struggle to abolish polluting power plants, and he is currently a resident at the Center for Architecture Lab in New York City, where he is co-curating an exhibit on the infrastructure of energy transition in the city. In conversation with host Tanya Domi, Dawson examines renewed fossil fuel dependence, weakened environmental enforcement, and the battles over climate policy in New York and California, while also pointing to public power, offshore wind, and community-led solar as part of a more just and resilient future.

What does it mean when immigration enforcement begins to look and feel like policing, but operates under a different set of rules? On this episode of The Thought Project, host Tanya Domi speaks with criminal justice scholar and lawyer Candace McCoy, a professor emerita at the CUNY Graduate Center and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, about ICE’s expanding role in carrying out U.S. immigration policy. McCoy argues that ICE officers are not police in the traditional sense: Their mission is not to protect human life or investigate crimes, but to enforce administrative immigration law. That distinction, she says, has major consequences for how the agency operates, from the use of masks and militarized gear to detention practices, federal-state conflicts, and broad legal protections for officers acting within the scope of their authority. The conversation also explores the limits of court intervention, the friction between federal enforcement and state power, and the deeper questions ICE raises about accountability, democratic governance, and the rule of law.

In this episode of The Thought Project, CUNY Graduate Center and Brooklyn College Professor David Bloomfield reflects on the political, legal, and structural pressures confronting public education in New York City and across the nation. He examines the pandemic’s aftereffects on schools, including staffing shortages, student well-being, and the continued dominance of high-stakes testing, while arguing that schools must be understood as civic institutions as well as sites of instruction. He also considers the challenges facing Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he navigates the governance of the nation’s largest school system, particularly the tensions surrounding mayoral control and the demands of accountability, equity, and transparency. As Bloomfield retires from teaching at CUNY, the episode also marks a transition in his career: Though leaving the classroom, he makes clear that he will remain an active public voice on K-12 and higher education issues affecting New York City and the nation

Abortion attitudes can look deeply personal, but sociologist Amy Adamczyk’s research suggests they are also powerfully shaped by the places we live. On this episode of The Thought Project, host Tanya Domi speaks with Adamczyk, a professor of Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center and John Jay College, about her award-winning book Fetal Positions: Understanding the Cross-National Public Opinion About Abortion. Drawing on survey data from over 200,000 people across 88 societies, plus interviews in the United States and China, Adamczyk unpacks why views about abortion vary so widely and why national context, especially religiosity and gender equality, can influence people’s attitudes even when their personal beliefs do not. She also discusses what is shifting in the U.S. after Dobbs, how China’s one-child policy still echoes in public opinion, and what her findings suggest about access, agency, and the future of reproductive rights.

In this episode of The Thought Project podcast, CUNY Graduate Center social media coordinator Coralie Carlson reflects on a career that has spanned the Associated Press, NBC New York, and the classroom at Hunter College. A journalist since her teens, Carlson sees her work on the Graduate Center’s channels as reporting in a new format, one with its own fast, shifting news cycle. She describes how earning her M.A. at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism last December helped her learn new formats and return to hands-on journalism. Carlson also shares what she teaches in Hunter College’s Journalism for Non-Journalists news literacy course: Investigate who is behind an outlet, use “lateral reading” to verify claims, and be skeptical without becoming cynical. At the Graduate Center, she applies those same principles to amplify research, promote this podcast, and help the Office of Communications and Marketing cut through misinformation with clear, credible posts for audiences.

In this episode of The Thought Project podcast, CUNY Graduate Center Mathematics Ph.D. student Emma Hasson shares her passion for mathematics and her mission to make it more engaging and accessible. A Scientific American puzzle writer and recipient of a prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Media Fellowship, Hasson describes math as creative, beautiful, and universal: a discipline rooted in curiosity, problem-solving, and play. She finds joy in helping others see math not as rigid or intimidating, but as something everyone can connect to through patterns and puzzles. She also explains why math anxiety is so common, even among teachers. Many were taught to memorize steps rather than understand concepts, leading to insecurity and a rigid, procedure-first approach in the classroom. Hasson argues that effective math learning balances structure with creativity and treats confusion not as failure, but as part of discovery.

In this episode of The Thought Project, CUNY Graduate Center Dean for the Sciences Brian R. Gibney discusses how the Graduate Center is positioning itself at the forefront of the AI revolution. Gibney outlines the transformative impact of the Simons Foundation’s historic $75 million gift, including $50 million to launch the Martin S. Spergel Initiative in Computational Sciences at the Graduate Center. The initiative supports five interdisciplinary cluster hires from computational biology to urban AI and will bring 25 new faculty across CUNY into Graduate Center–affiliated programs. Gibney also describes plans for a new master’s program in Computational Sciences, expected to launch in fall 2027, which will train students for emerging AI-driven fields. He highlights the Graduate Center’s role in Empire AI, a statewide consortium building a powerful supercomputer for AI research, and emphasizes the collaborative strengths of the Graduate Center and its Advanced Science Research Center in driving ethical, cross-disciplinary innovation.

Allegations of sexual misconduct by police officers rarely make headlines, yet emerging research shows the problem is far from rare. On this episode of “The Thought Project,” host Tanya Domi speaks with Priscilla Bustamante, a Graduate Center Psychology Ph.D. candidate, whose dissertation examines how New Yorkers experience, resist, and heal from sexual violence by police outside prisons and jails. Working with a coalition of more than 200 community organizations, Bustamante helped design a citywide survey that reached nearly 4,000 residents and conducted in-depth interviews with 37 people who described a wide spectrum of violations — from sexually charged harassment during stops to coercive encounters and invasive searches. Her findings suggest that almost one in five New Yorkers surveyed has faced some form of police sexual violence, with disproportionate impacts on Black, brown, LGBTQ+, and unhoused people, and that many live with daily fear for themselves and their loved ones. Bustamante also discusses the deep psychological toll of this abuse of power, why existing oversight falls short, and how survivors are leading efforts to build community-based safety and collective healing.

Economic volatility, policy shifts in Washington, and rapid advances in AI are reshaping work and the risks workers face. Occupational health psychologist Andrea Bazzoli, a professor of Psychology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center and Baruch College, joins host Tanya Domi to examine how economic stressors intersect with workplace safety, with a focus on vulnerable and marginalized workers. Drawing on his research, Bazzoli explains how job insecurity, layoffs, and remote work dynamics affect opportunity and mental health, and why employer and government responses are pivotal. The conversation also explores recent political turbulence — from leadership changes at the Bureau of Labor Statistics to tariff policies — and how those decisions filter into prices, employer behavior, and worker confidence. Bazzoli’s insights reveal how people cope with instability, and he outlines practical steps institutions can take to build fairer, safer workplaces.

Prithi Kanakamedala, professor of history at Bronx Community College and faculty member in the CUNY Graduate Center’s Liberal Studies master’s program, joins The Thought Project to explore the evolving role of historians and other scholars beyond the archive. As coordinator of the Graduate Center’s new Advanced Certificate in Public Scholarship, she describes how the program empowers scholars to work collaboratively with communities, translating research into public-facing projects and fostering democratic engagement. She shares her vision for scholarship that is deeply rooted in social justice, responsive to community needs, and accessible beyond academic walls. Kanakamedala also discusses her acclaimed book Brooklynites: The Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities That Shaped a Borough, which illuminates the resilience, creativity, and civic agency of 19th-century Black New Yorkers, offering a vital lens for understanding our shared past and future.

Luke Waltzer, director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins The Thought Project to discuss his leadership of the Critical AI Literacy Institute, a three-year initiative funded by Google.org. The project brings together CUNY faculty to explore the impact of generative AI on teaching and learning, while creating space for reflection and experimentation in the classroom. Waltzer emphasizes that AI tools are not “intelligent” replacements for human thinking but technologies that must be critically examined for their material, ethical, and epistemological consequences. From sociology to computer science, faculty are designing interventions that help students grapple with the promises and pitfalls of AI. At the same time, Waltzer and his team are preparing graduate student teachers — who collectively teach over 100,000 CUNY undergraduates each year — with critical AI training so they can guide the next generation of learners. The conversation underscores the stakes of preserving agency, curiosity, and critical engagement in higher education

When Joel P. Christensen stepped into his role as CUNY Graduate Center provost last month, he brought with him a deep commitment to public higher education and to knowledge as a public good. A classicist by training, he has spent his career studying language, politics, and democracy. But it is his lived experience — as a first-generation college student from rural Maine, a teacher at a Hispanic- and veteran-serving university in Texas, and a scholar who witnessed the promise and peril of higher education during COVID — that shapes his vision today. In this episode of The Thought Project, he discusses the urgent challenges facing universities: economic inequality, political attacks, climate change, and the shifting role of technology. He also shares what inspires him about CUNY’s mission and why he believes the Graduate Center can remain a beacon for creating and safeguarding knowledge for all.

In this episode of The Thought Project, CUNY Graduate Center Distinguished Professor Cathy N. Davidson reflects on her 11 transformative years at the City University of New York. Calling CUNY “an educational miracle,” Davidson explains why she believes it’s the greatest university in the world: low-cost, high-impact, and driven by an extraordinary mission to serve “the whole people.” She shares how working with CUNY students — many of them first-generation and from underserved communities — reshaped her thinking and reaffirmed her belief in education as a public good. She offers an inspiring message in a time of crisis for higher education, arguing that CUNY’s graduates are exactly the kind of bold, compassionate thinkers we need to lead the next generation. As she prepares to retire from institutional life and return to writing, Davidson looks back with deep affection for the people who make CUNY what it is — and forward with hope, because of them.

In a time of backlash against LGBTQ+ individuals, Jean Halley, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and College of Staten Island, takes a powerful stand by addressing graduates at her home campus’s Lavender Ceremony honoring LGBTQ+ students. Halley joins The Thought Project to talk about why showing up as her full, queer self is an act of courage — and why visibility from those in leadership matters now more than ever. Halley urges students to speak out, invoking Audre Lorde’s call to transform silence into action: “Your silence will not protect you.” Reflecting on her own coming out and journey from a violent, racist household in Wyoming to a life of advocacy and scholarship, Halley reminds listeners that queer lives are revolutionary by their very existence — and that now is the time for bravery, solidarity, and truth.

In this episode of The Thought Project, Maura Smale, chief librarian of the CUNY Graduate Center’s Mina Rees Library, explores how academic libraries empower research and uphold democratic values in a time of growing censorship and disinformation. Smale highlights the Graduate Center library’s vital role as a research hub, connecting scholars across CUNY and beyond through expansive interlibrary loan networks that include the New York Public Library, SUNY schools, Columbia University, and more. She explains how her team of expert librarians — “small but mighty” — support a globally engaged research community through specialized consultation, open access advocacy, and resource-sharing. She also addresses the urgent challenges facing libraries nationwide, from defunding threats to book bans, and affirms librarianship as a frontline defense for intellectual freedom. With a strategic vision rooted in public scholarship and equity, Smale makes the case for why libraries remain essential infrastructure for knowledge creation — and for society at large.

In this episode of The Thought Project podcast, education policy expert David Bloomfield discusses the ongoing recovery of New York City’s public school system after the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bloomfield, a professor of Educational Leadership, Law, and Policy at Brooklyn College at Brooklyn College and of Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center, explores how New York managed a relatively smooth return to in-person learning and highlights the renewed that understanding thar schools are vital community hubs. He also examines challenges that linger nationwide — from mask mandate battles and politicized curriculum debates to the limitations of remote learning and high-stakes testing. With an infusion of new state funding and an incoming mayoral administration, Bloomfield outlines the opportunities and risks that lie ahead, particularly around curriculum reform, equity, and leadership. He also warns of the growing threat posed by efforts to suppress truthful education and shift public funds toward sectarian schools. It’s a timely look at what’s at stake for the future of public education in New York and beyond.

Zachariah Mampilly, the Marxe Endowed Chair of International Affairs at Baruch College and professor of Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins The Thought Project to unpack the effects of the new world order on Africa and the Global South. Mampilly explains that outdated racial and colonial frameworks continue to shape international relations and discusses how countries in Africa and the broader Global South are often sidelined or instrumentalized by global powers like China and Russia. He addresses the rising challenges for these regions, including foreign interventions, resource extraction, and the enduring effects of Western imperialism. Mampilly also reflects on Sudan’s devastating conflict, the manipulation of African nations by external forces, and the missed opportunities for genuine engagement and leadership from the West. In a moment of global upheaval, he asks whether the Global South can assert new forms of influence — or if old hierarchies will simply be repackaged.

On this episode of The Thought Project, philosophy professor Michael Brownstein joins host Tanya Domi to unpack the sweeping rollbacks of long-standing U.S. social programs and the lessons history offers in fighting back. Brownstein, chair of philosophy at John Jay College and professor of Philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center, draws on themes from his forthcoming book, Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change, to argue that meaningful change often hinges on steady, incremental action — not sudden revolution. From the decades-long campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade to the organizing successes of the Black Panthers and the NRA, Brownstein explores how durable political movements are built. He discusses the political awakening of younger generations, the dangers of underestimating conservative long-term strategies, and why maintaining hope and persistence is crucial. In a polarized moment, Brownstein offers a clear-eyed but optimistic take on how ordinary people can still drive social change.

Historian Benjamin Carter Hett, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and Hunter College, joins The Thought Project for a timely discussion of the rise of autocracy in America and its unsettling parallels to Europe in 1938. Hett is the author of The Death of Democracy, which examines Hitler’s rise to power and the fall of the Weimar Republic, and he brings his deep knowledge of history to analyze present politics. As U.S. leadership shifts away from supporting Ukraine, echoing the West’s abandonment of Czechoslovakia before World War II, Hett explores the warning signs of democratic backsliding and the consequences of appeasing authoritarian regimes. How does the erosion of democratic norms in the U.S. compare to the failures of the Weimar Republic? What lessons can history offer as NATO’s future hangs in the balance and American foreign policy changes course? Listen to a compelling conversation on the fragility of democracy and the lessons of the past. The Thought Project is produced by CUNY TV and hosted by Tanya Domi.

The CUNY Graduate Center has launched a timely new Advanced Certificate in LGBTQ Studies. Its director Laura Westengard, a professor of English at New York City College of Technology, joins The Thought Project to discuss the years-long effort to establish the 15-credit program, how it provides students with a formal credential in LGBTQ studies, and its role in bridging academic research with real-world impact. She also shares insights from her own scholarship on Gothic queer culture, exploring how the Gothic tradition — monsters, horror, and the macabre — has shaped queer identity and representation. Listen to this far-ranging conversation and hear how a carefully designed academic program is expanding opportunities for students and helping to shape the future of LGBTQ scholarship. The Thought Project is produced by CUNY TV and hosted by Tanya Domi.

Founded at the CUNY Graduate Center over 30 years ago, CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies has been a leader in LGBTQ scholarship. Now, a $100,000 unrestricted gift from CUNY scholar James M. Saslow helping to secure its legacy and future impact. CLAGS Executive Director Matt Brim, a professor at the Graduate Center and the College of Staten Island, explores the significance of this donation, the center’s ongoing work, and its role in the Graduate Center’s new Advanced Certificate in LGBTQ Studies. He also highlights CLAGS’ annual José Muñoz Award, which this year honors Angela Davis for her contributions to social justice, prison abolition, and sexual equality advocacy. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on the enduring importance of LGBTQ scholarship.

In this episode of The Thought Project, we delve into the innovative work of Corey Scher, whose satellite mapping techniques provide crucial insights into the human and environmental costs of conflict and disaster — from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to wildfires in Los Angeles. Scher, an Earth and Environmental Sciences Ph.D. candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center, uses sophisticated mapping methods to reveal how warfare and environmental catastrophes change the built and natural landscape. His work illustrates not only the damage to structures, such as hospitals, schools, office buildings, and homes, but also severe ecological disruption, including contamination of air, soil, and water. His maps, developed by harnessing satellite radar data, cloud computing, and advanced geospatial techniques, have been featured by The New York Times, the Financial Times, The Washington Post, BBC, and NPR, and other leading news outlets. His research is also cited in reports from international humanitarian organizations. Tune in as we discuss the critical role of modern Earth observation in understanding conflict and environmental change and explore pathways to recovery and accountability in today’s turbulent world. Listen now for new insights.

How do we ensure every community is counted in the census? In a conversation on The Thought Project, Steven Romalewski, director of the CUNY Mapping Service, discusses the critical role of data mapping in ensuring a fair and accurate 2030 census. His team collaborates with national civil rights organizations, policymakers, and community groups to identify hard-to-count populations — such as immigrants, low-income residents, and people in rural communities — who are at risk of being overlooked. With real-time tracking tools, the CUNY Mapping Service helps guide outreach efforts, ensuring that census participation remains as inclusive and complete as possible. Romalewski highlights the stakes of an accurate count, from political representation to federal funding for schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. As the census shapes policy and resources for the next decade, his work is vital in making sure no community is left behind. Listen in to learn more.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men, with risk factors including age, race, lifestyle, and environmental exposures. Daniel Okpattah, a Biochemistry Ph.D. student at the CUNY Graduate Center, studies the molecular processes that drive prostate cancer. His research focuses on how cancer cells grow, survive, and resist treatment, with the goal of improving early detection and developing more effective therapies. In this episode of The Thought Project podcast, Okpattah speaks with journalist Liz Rosenberg about how prostate cancer develops and why some forms are harder to treat than others. He explains the difference between hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, which relies on male hormones like testosterone to grow and can often be treated by lowering hormone levels, and androgen-insensitive prostate cancer, a more aggressive form that continues to grow even without these hormones, making it much harder to treat. Okpattah also explores current treatment options, from surgery and radiation to newer drug therapies designed to target cancer cells more precisely. He highlights the importance of early detection, particularly for men with a family history of cancer or those in high-risk groups. Both Okpattah and Rosenberg were Graduate Center Science Communication Fellows. Listen in to learn more.

This episode of The Thought Project features a compelling discussion with Professors Philip Kasinitz and Liza Steele, sociologists at the CUNY Graduate Center, on immigration, public opinion, and the evolving challenges of migration policy. The conversation explores their analysis of a YouGov survey, which reveals a surprisingly positive outlook among New Yorkers toward immigration, even amid a historic influx of asylum seekers. Kasinitz and Steele unpack the nuanced dynamics shaping attitudes across the city, delve into the broader implications of federal immigration policies, and highlight the resilience of pro-immigrant sentiment in a time of charged political rhetoric. This episode examines how immigration continues to shape New York’s identity and why thoughtful, humane policies are vital to the city's social and economic fabric. Listen in for insights on the intersection of sociology, policy, and public perception in today’s complex immigration landscape.

In this episode of The Thought Project, host Tanya Domi welcomes Mila Burns, associate director of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and a professor of History at the Graduate Center and Lehman College. A proud Graduate Center alumna, she shares insights from her interdisciplinary career spanning journalism, anthropology, and history. She discusses her forthcoming book, "Dictatorship Across Borders: Brazil, Chile, and the South American Cold War", which explores Brazil’s covert role in Chile’s 1973 coup. The conversation also delves into contemporary issues, including Latin American politics, immigration challenges, and climate change. Burns highlights the Graduate Center’s distinction as a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) leader and its strides in empowering Latino scholars. From fostering groundbreaking student research to launching initiatives like the Reportage Fellowship and the Latino Data Project, her work embodies a commitment to amplifying diverse voices. Listen in to learn more.

In this episode of The Thought Project, Tanya Domi speaks with Charles Tien, a professor of Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center and Hunter, about the implications of the 2024 Presidential elections. They discuss Donald Trump’s historic re-election, shifting voter demographics, and parallels with the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan. Drawing comparisons to Reagan’s landslide victory and its impact on U.S. politics, Tien explains how economic anxiety and inflation influenced voting patterns. The conversation also delves into the challenges ahead for governance in a closely divided Congress and the potential impact of Trump’s return to the presidency. The conversation offers a nuanced look at the new political landscape and the future of American democracy. Listen in to learn more.

In this episode of The Thought Project podcast, Tanya Domi talks with Professor Van Tran about the launch of the CUNY Graduate Center’s Ph.D. and master’s programs in Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies (BRES), the first of their kind in the New York metropolitan area. Tran, a sociologist who led the development of the programs with Professor Martin Ruck, discusses the mission to expand multidisciplinary research on race and ethnicity and train the next generation of scholars and practitioners. Funded in part by the Mellon Foundation, the programs build on CUNY’s longstanding commitment to ethnic studies. Tran shares how the programs will prepare students to address complex social issues, with coursework that integrates sociology, history, and various humanities and social sciences disciplines. The BRES programs, Tran says, will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of race and ethnicity, equipping them to make significant contributions in academia and in fields such as public health, medicine, education, law, and social work. Listen in to learn more.

In this episode of The Thought Project, we bring you a Celestial Bodies podcast recorded by science journalist Rebecca Rand and astronomer Mark Popinchalk in which they explore the surprising connection between trees and cosmic events. Popinchalk, a CUNY Graduate Center alumnus (Ph.D. ’23, Physics) and postdoctoral fellow at the American Museum of Natural History, discusses how trees serve as natural records of space activity, storing traces of radiocarbon from solar flares and supernovae. By examining tree rings, scientists can trace these cosmic events back through history, linking radiocarbon spikes to phenomena like the northern lights observed centuries ago. Through their conversation, Rand, a graduate of the CUNY Newmark J-School, and Popinchalk shed light on how trees help us understand outer space and the and the potential risks posed by high-radiation events. Listen in to learn more.

In this Domestic Violence Awareness Month episode of The Thought Project, Tanya Domi speaks with Jessica Morak, executive director of institutional equity and chief diversity officer at the CUNY Graduate Center, about her work to implement new Title IX policies, which prohibit sex-based discrimination in schools. The updated policy includes new protections for pregnant individuals and expanded employee obligations for support and information sharing. The conversation touches on broader issues of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, sex trafficking, and digital abuse. Morak shares insights from her past roles as a prosecutor for the Bronx district attorney’s office and her work at Sanctuary for Families, focusing on combating gender-based violence and providing holistic support for student survivors. The discussion highlights ongoing challenges and systemic issues, emphasizing the importance of addressing gender-based violence through education, legal frameworks, and comprehensive policies. Listen in to learn more.

In this episode of The Thought Project podcast, Georgie Humphries, a Ph.D. candidate in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center, talks to science journalist and CUNY Newmark J-School graduate Saugat Bolakhe about her work to fend off toxic algal blooms.   Humphries delves into the fascinating yet alarming world of phytoplankton – microscopic algae that produce up to 80% of the Earth’s oxygen and serve as the foundation of the marine food web. Certain species of phytoplankton, however, are behind harmful algal blooms. These blooms, which are being fueled by climate change and nutrient pollution, threaten marine life and human health, with consequences ranging from manatee deaths to water supply contamination. Humphries describes how she and fellow scientists at the Graduate Center’s Advanced Science Research Center are monitoring and addressing this growing scourge as they seek to preserve our oceans and protect public health. Listen in to learn more about how Graduate Center scientists are safeguarding our planet and its people.

In this episode of The Thought Project podcast, we discuss the current state of abortion and reproductive health care in in post-Dobbs America with Brittany Brathwaite and Frances Howell, Ph.D. students who are studying critical social psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center. Howell, whose research focuses on assisted reproductive technologies and racial disparities, and Brahwaite, a reproductive justice activist and co-founder and CEO of Kimbritive, discuss the far-reaching effects of abortion bans, particularly for Black women and marginalized communities. They emphasize the intersection of reproductive justice, race, and systemic inequalities, with Howell linking today's challenges to a long history of medical racism. Brathwaite stresses the importance of grassroots organizing and community advocacy, urging a broad definition of reproductive justice that includes bodily autonomy for all. Both scholars highlight the limitations of focusing solely on federal actions and argue that meaningful change often comes about by activists advocating at the local and state levels. They call for urgent, intersectional action to protect reproductive freedoms.

Education policy expert David Bloomfield, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and Brooklyn College joins The Thought Project podcast to discuss the challenges facing New York City schools amid a shakeup at City Hall. As Mayor Eric Adams grapples with a five-count criminal indictment, and Schools Chancellor David Banks steps down, Melissa Aviles-Ramos has been named the new chancellor. Bloomfield discusses the potential impact of this leadership change, raising concerns about continuity and Aviles-Ramos' ties to the administration under investigation. The conversation also covers critical issues such as the lack of a cell phone policy in schools, the implications of Project 2025's proposed elimination of the Department of Education, and the growing problem of chronic absenteeism, especially in low-income areas. This episode is essential listening for anyone invested in the future of New York City’s public schools and the broader education landscape.

CUNY Graduate Center Distinguished Professor John Mollenkopf joins The Thought Project podcast to discuss the legal challenges facing New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his administration as multiple investigations involving top city officials unfold. Mollenkopf, an esteemed political scientist and sociologist who directs the Graduate Center’s Center for Urban Research, examines historical parallels, drawing comparisons to previous administrations, and offers a thoughtful analysis of how the ongoing investigations could affect New York's political landscape. With his vast experience in and deep understanding of urban politics, he sheds light on the delicate balance between loyalty and accountability in public office. Listen in to this conversation for a deep dive into the challenges facing New York City’s leadership.

The Graduate Center’s midtown Manhattan campus is humming after a quiet summer. Fall classes are in session, and a new campus café and bar is bustling. One person who is excited about the revived energy is President Joshua C. Brumberg. This is Brumberg’s first year as the permanent president of the CUNY Graduate Center. A neurobiologist and CUNY faculty member for 22 years, he is well known on campus and at CUNY. But what is his vision for the Graduate Center? What are his priorities for this year? He recently joined The Thought Project to talk about where he sees the school going and his thoughts on how the Graduate Center can make a difference in the lives of students, in the city of New York, and in society at large. Listen in to this conversation as The Thought Project kicks off a new series in partnership with CUNY TV.

How well do New York City schools equip teachers to practice restorative justice? How do Latinx immigrant-origin teachers incorporate their cultures in their lessons and interactions with students? These are some of the questions that Graduate Center Urban Education Ph.D. students Michael Alston and Veronica Paredes are exploring in their research. Both are taking Communication with Public Audiences with David Bloomfield, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and Brooklyn College and an often-quoted expert on education policy. Alston and Paredes join The Thought Project to discuss their research and how they plan to use podcasting and other journalistic approaches to engage educators and the public in their work. Listen in for a compelling discussion about public scholarship at the Graduate Center.

Born the same year as the United Nations was founded — 1946 — Presidential Professor Thomas G. Weiss has both worked for and spent decades studying the organization and its impact on international peace and security. He is retiring this year after a quarter century at the Graduate Center, but he is not stepping away entirely from scholarship. He joins The Thought Project to discuss his long career and the current state and future of the U.N. In his words, this is “not a high point of the U.N.’s 77-year history, but we've seen lots of such nadirs in the past, and I'd like to just say that this too shall pass.” Recently, Weiss has contributed research to the protection of world heritage. He plans to continue this work and is currently involved in a project on the protection of Asian art with former Graduate Center President Chase F. Robinson, who now directs the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. Weiss says he leaves the Graduate Center with great appreciation to so many current and former students who have since become colleagues. Listen in to learn more.

In the run-up to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade, several Republican-led state legislatures passed bills that effectively banned abortions at pre-viability gestational ages, undermining the right to abortion once protected by Roe v. Wade. At the time, many abortion advocates, including CUNY Graduate Center alumna Brenna McCaffrey,Ph.D. ’22, (Anthropology), said that abortion medication pills sent via the U.S. mail constituted a viable option for women living in states that restricted abortion access. Last week, however, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought by antiabortion groups and doctors against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which aimed to invalidate the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medical abortions. The Department of Justice has appealed Kacsmaryk’s decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. McCaffrey joins The Thought Project to discuss the prospects for medical abortions in light of present politics. She is currently writing a book on the history and cultural impact of abortion pills on global reproductive politic. See: Women on the Web to access abortion medication.

Lilianna Quiroa-Crowell, an Anthropology Ph.D. candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center, recently received a Fulbright to conduct research in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, on the marginalized Indigenous Q’eqchi’ women in the Caribbean port city. A shipping capital for the banana industry since the early 20th century, Puerto Barrios was once a thriving metropolis. Today, the city is downtrodden and considered dangerous. Quiroa-Crowell is focused on the Mayan women who play key roles in supporting the banana trade but whose contributions, experiences, and perspectives have largely been overlooked by scholars. She intends to make the women’s labor, creativity, and challenges more visible through participatory mapping and photography projects. She spoke from Guatemala about her research. Listen in to learn more in this Thought Project conversation.

Andrés Besserer Rayas, a Political Science Ph.D. student at the CUNY Graduate Center, was conducting field work in Colombia last year for his dissertation on immigration policies when he learned about a human rights issue that appalled him. More than 40,000 Colombian citizens had been stripped of their citizenship without warning. Besserer realized that the research skills he had developed in his Ph.D. program could benefit the lawyers working on the case, and he offered to help. The Colombians who lost their citizenship had been living abroad in Venezuela. When oil prices plummeted and the Venezuelan economy went into freefall in the beginning of the 2010s, they were among the roughly 1 million Colombians who fled to their homeland. But recently, without warning, the Colombian government has revoked their citizenship and stripped them of the national identity cards they need to hold a job, access bank accounts, get on a plane, vote, and more. Besserer joined The Thought Project in late February to talk about the case, what the victims’ lives have been like, why he is fighting for their rights, and what he has learned in the process. Listen in to this timely conversation.

Architect and historian Marta Gutman became dean of the Spitzer School of Architecture at The City College of New York last May. She is also a professor of Art History and Earth and Environmental Sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center. In her research, she examines ordinary buildings and neighborhoods; the history of cities; and issues of gender, class, race, and especially childhood as they play out in everyday spaces, public culture, and social life. Long committed to promoting social justice, she began her architecture career designing public housing for the New York City Housing Authority and shelters for battered women, abused children, and unhoused New Yorkers for nonprofit organizations. She talks to The Thought Project about her research and advocacy and what advice she’d give New York City Mayor Eric Adams on addressing the city’s homeless issue. Listen in to hear her ideas on building a better future.

The U.S. politics expert joins The Thought Project to discuss the 118th Congress and the bruising election of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Earlier this month, Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the House of Representatives without receiving the customary 218 votes. Rather, he won by using a rule that allowed only present votes to count, lowering the threshold for victory. During the drawn-out voting process, McCarthy haggled with 20 members of the Republican Freedom Caucus, who persisted in their opposition, and, in the end, he relinquished most of his discretionary power. The election of McCarthy, a Republican, marks a new chapter for the House of Representatives. With a nine-vote majority, Republicans in the chamber are calling for several investigations into the Biden administration and even threatening impeachment hearings. Today’s guest, Charles Tien, a professor of Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center and Hunter College, is well suited to discuss the ramifications of McCarthy’s victory and what lies ahead in the 118th Congress. Tien researches and teaches U.S. politics, women and minorities in politics, and voting and elections. He is also the co-editor of Polity, the Journal of the Northeastern Political Science Association. Listen in for his insights. ​

Professor David Bloomfield, a member of the Urban Education faculty at the CUNY Graduate Center and a professor of education leadership, law, and policy at Brooklyn College, joins this episode of The Thought Project to discuss what’s ahead for K-12 education in a time of deep political division. Schools have long been places for students to learn and to learn how to become citizens. What happens, though, when parents and lawmakers on the right and left disagree about fundamental rights and freedoms and what it means to be a citizen? Books, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Of Mice and Men, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, are being banned from reading lists and school libraries. Approximately 33 states have introduced anti-transgender legislation that disproportionately targets transgender youth and restricts their access to sports, health care, even bathrooms. Bloomfield asserts that the attacks on LGBTQ youth could be curbed by the application of Title IX, which the Biden administration is currently rewriting. Education has made headlines in New York, too. A New York Times investigative story sparked a recent ruling from the state department of education ordering the city to work with a large yeshiva in Brooklyn to ensure that it introduced secular instruction and complied with state standards, which it was failing to meet. Bloomfield has commented on the issue over the past several years, calling it a classic case of “education rights.” Bloomfield also weighs in on the contentious reductions of the New York City Department of Education budget. He calls the cuts a “green eyeshade decision” that essentially ignored schools as community hubs that served multiple purposes during the height of the pandemic. Listen in on this timely and informative conversation.

Since 2001, the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies (CLACLS) at the CUNY Graduate Center has worked to promote the study and understanding of Latin American and Caribbean cultures and Latino and Caribbean communities in the United States. Founding Director Laird Bergad, a distinguished professor of History at Lehman College and the Graduate Center, recently announced the appointment of his successor, Director John Guttierrez, a professor of Latin American and Latinx Studies at John Jay College, and Associate Director Mila Burns, a professor in the Latin American and Latino Studies department at Lehman College. The Thought Project caught up with Guttierrez and Burns, who are Graduate Center alumni, delighted to return in their new roles at CLACLS. Gutierrez and Burns expressed their respect for the work done by CLACLS, especially its flagship program, the Latino Data Project, which has drawn national attention since Bergad launched it in 2023. They also spoke about their interest in integrating CLACLS with the scholarly mission of the Graduate Center and making it a welcoming home for anybody at CUNY “who identifies with all things Latino and Latin America and Caribbean.” Gutierrez and Burns intend to establish CLACLS as a meeting place for CUNY faculty working on Latino studies or Latin America to discuss their research and new books. In addition to their academic credentials, Gutierrez and Burns bring practical experience to their new roles. Guttierrez was a political consultant on Latino politics in New York City and state elections, and Burns is a journalist for the Brazil television network O Global. Both are interested in contemporary U.S. Latino politics and politics in Latin America. Listen in to learn more.

Eric Adams, the second elected Black mayor of New York City, inherited a city embattled by the the Covid-19 pandemic, a slow recovering economy, and a sustained spike in crime that continues to rise. Distinguished Professor John Mollenkopf (Political Science and Sociology), a consummate analyst of New York City politics, says there’s a widespread feeling that public spaces have become less enjoyable, more insecure, and even more threatening. He says this feeling goes beyond violent crime to pedestrian safety from cars and cyclists.He also discusses how homelessness and associated mental illness makes obvious the need to build affordable housing. Listen to hear the full episode of the Thought Project podcast that explores the first six months of Eric Adams mayoralty and the challenges that confront his administration in America’s biggest city.