New graduate traineeship program at CUNY aims to create the next generation of scientists in bio-inspired nanoscience

The NanoBioNYC research traineeship program is set to officially launch during Earth Week on April 18th, 2023. Funded by a $3 million dollar National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in partnership with CUNY, it aims to give students the tools to succeed in careers in bio-nanoscience research by offering internships with industry or academic labs, professional […]

Is Quantum Mechanics the Answer to Our Problems? Macaulay’s Dr. Emily Rice Dives Into How Quantum Phenomena Helps Manage Her Complex Identity

Dr. Emily Rice, an Associate Professor of Astrophysics at the Macaulay Honors College of CUNY and resident research associate in the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), is one of the keynote speakers at the TEDxCUNY conference held on March 10, 2023.  Dr. Rice is extremely involved in the scientific […]

Turkish-Syrian Border Earthquakes Shake Communities

On Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, Turkey experienced two major earthquakes measuring 7.8 and 7.5, respectively.  The earthquakes have been estimated to have killed 45,000 people. The first earthquake occurred near Gaziantep, close to the Turkish-Syrian border. The second occurred near Ekinözü.  Turkish President Erdogan expressed that “words are not enough” to describe the calamity.  The […]

Seven Killed, Three Injured By Palestinian Gunman Near Jerusalem Synagogue on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

On Friday nights, the streets in Jerusalem are silent. Few cars travel the road as the city prepares to observe the Sabbath. Instead, many people walk with their families to their synagogues to pray.  However, on Friday, Jan. 27, a 21-year-old Palestinian gunman drove to a synagogue and disturbed this peaceful scene. As worshippers finished […]

Hunter’s Most Affordable Dorm Slated for Demolition, Administration Offers Little in Response

Hunter College’s most affordable dorm option, Brookdale Campus, also known as the current home for many Macaulay Honors and Hunter College students, is being demolished to make way for SPARC Kips Bay: a “first of its kind,” 1.6 billion dollar life sciences campus.  The new building is slated to house “Hunter’s School of Nursing and […]

The Future of Magazines

The growth and expansion of digital news media has led to widespread debate regarding the future of print publications, particularly that of pop culture magazines. Glossy issues of Entertainment Weekly were once the primary source for lifestyle and celebrity news. Yet, after three decades on newsstands, the American entertainment magazine announced in February of this […]

Scary Story Contest Winner

Congratulations to Alaina DiSalvo: winner of the Halloween Scary Story Contest, co-hosted by the Macaulay Messenger and Macaulay Scribe! DiSalvo wrote a review on Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power by Pam Grossman, in which she discusses the ties between witches and women. We at the Messenger are proud to publish her work, […]

The Rise of Fascism in Europe

The ever-widening gap between the elites and masses continues to cause problems for us all. Where oil barons profit from burning fossil fuels that lead to rising coastlines and then safely retreat to their in-land luxury penthouses once regions become uninhabitable, the poor struggle to recover life earnings from tropical storms. While the vast majority […]

Entertainment Watch: What to watch, read, listen, and see this fall

Leaves are falling, rain is pouring and the list of upcoming entertainment is growing. Here is what to watch, read, listen and see during Fall 2022.  Television  ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, SEASON TWO – This fall, students are returning, not just to CUNY schools, but also to Philadelphia’s Willard Abbott Elementary School. Abbott Elementary is in its […]

Affordable Healthcare for CUNY Students; Will it Drive Enrollment?

A few weeks ago I met with Luna Liu, Associate Director for AAPI Marketing and Community Relations Manager at MetroPlusHealth, to discuss a healthcare plan that is available to both Macaulay Honors College students and CUNY students at large.  Liu excitedly described Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign to re-enroll 10,000 students who dropped out of college, […]

The Next Theranos? An Alzheimer’s Drug and a CUNY Professor Face Questions Over Research Validity

Cassava Sciences touted the drug simuphilam as a cure to Alzheimer’s Disease. Now, the core science behind the drug that was partially pioneered by a CUNY professor is being questioned by scientists and regulators alike. The scientific journal PLoS One retracted five studies co-authored by Dr. Hoau-Yan Wang, an associate medical professor at the CUNY […]

Why Asian Hate Crimes Happen

On Feb. 13, Christina Yuna Lee is murdered in her apartment after having been stabbed over 40 times. Nearly a month prior, Michelle Go is shoved in front of a subway and killed in a seemingly random attack. And on the second day of last March, seven Asian women are physically assaulted in a string […]

Ukrainian New Yorkers Protest Against War in Ukraine in Times Square, Greenwich Village

As I stepped off the A train at Port Authority Bus Terminal, I saw crowds of people adorn their jacket sleeves with blue-and-yellow bandanas. Exiting the station, people carried posters and sunflowers as they trekked towards 42nd Street, where Razom for Ukraine, a non-profit dedicated to “supporting the people of Ukraine in their continued quest […]

The Russia-Ukraine War has Important Geopolitical and Human Rights Ramifications

Russian troops invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, marking the start of a war and causing widespread geopolitical and human rights ramifications.  Invading Ukraine is one aspect of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy for rebuilding the Soviet-era Russian empire. Putin seeks to seize control of Ukraine and establish a pro-Russia, pro-Putin government in the country.  “The […]

Hunter College’s New Art Exhibit Presents Viewers With an “Alternative Practice”

At Hunter College’s Leubsdorf Gallery, The Black Index celebrates Black art and history, seeking to change the way Blackness is viewed in the art world and beyond.  How is Black identity understood and constructed? What is the significance of self-representation and containment? How does art upend notions of convention and truth?  “The Black Index” is […]

Recent Scientific Research Raises Concerns About Antibiotic Tolerance to COVID-19

People building tolerance to prescribed antibiotics can make way for “superbugs” more harmful than COVID-19 in the future. More than 35,000 people in the United States have died due to antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in 2019. The cost to treat these antibiotic-resistant infections is estimated to be more than $4.6 billion. Yet, the bigger challenge may […]

Macaulay and Honors Program Students at John Jay See the New York Philharmonic

Students in the Macaulay Honors College and Honors Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice saw “An American Triptych: Mazzoli, Davis, and Adams” at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, Oct. 22.  The highlight of the evening was a clarinet concerto written by Black composer Anthony Davis entitled, “You Have the Right To Remain Silent.” […]

Time Magazine Names Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 2020’s People of the Year

Every year since 1927, Time Magazine has selected one person, group, concept, or movement to be given the honor of Person of the Year. Before announcing 2020’s honorees, Time Ceo and Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal went on TODAY to announce the magazine’s shortlist. The top four contenders for the honor were: President-Elect Joe Biden Felsenthal said […]

America Doesn’t Need Horror Movies This Halloween: Our President and the Pandemic

By Lia Hauser After criticizing his opponent at the first presidential debate on Tuesday September 29th for wearing “the largest mask you’ve ever seen,” President Donald Trump contracted COVID-19. Trump’s public appearances sans-mask have sparked controversy consistently throughout the pandemic that has overtaken life in the United States. Forbes has broken down a definitive timeline […]

COVID-19 Resources for Macaulay Students

By Arvind Dev As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the editors of the Macaulay Messenger are committed to providing a hub of resources for our readers and their loved ones. This list will be periodically updated. To add to our list, please leave a comment or email arvind.dev@macaulay.cuny.edu.  Information For up-to-date information on CUNY’s […]

Flow: The Key to Student Productivity

by Elaine Huan If you’ve ever found yourself so engaged in something that your self-consciousness fades and you lose track of time, you’ve felt what it’s like to be immersed in the flow state. First described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow refers to complete mental focus that often leads to more efficient, higher-quality work.  But […]