46 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 10, 2022 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Queens College celebrates new School of Business
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Queens College President Frank Wu announced
the new Queens College School
of Business at an opening reception on
Th ursday, March 3, in the college’s Student
Union Ballroom.
Interim Dean of Social Sciences and
Professor of Anthropology Kate Pechenkina
served as master of ceremonies for
the event.
Guest speakers included Congresswoman
Grace Meng, Queens College
Provost Elizabeth Hendrey, NYC Department
of Small Business Services Commissioner
and City University of New York
Trustee Kevin Kim, Queens Chamber of
Commerce President and Chief Executive
Offi cer Tom Grech, Queens College
Foundation member Paulette Bradnock
Mullings ’84, Queens College Economics
Professor Joan Nix and Queens College
students Faheem Hoosain, Melanie
Goldsmith and Rebecca Yaminian.
Congresswoman Grace Meng said the
Queens College new School of Business
“will off er students outstanding opportunities
and help position them to become the
business leaders of tomorrow.”
Established as part of the 2021–2026
Strategic Plan in response to the projected
workforce demand for business professionals
in New York City, the school is
built on a suite of existing programs in
accounting, economics and fi nance, as
well as actuarial studies, international
business and risk management.
A steering committee of faculty members
and career counselors revised existing
curricula, set up new tracks and expanded
career services to create the new school.
“Interdisciplinary programs like these
are to be expected in a business school
with an integrated liberal arts curriculum,”
Wu said. “Th e Queens College Business
School isn’t just for business, accounting
and economics majors; we expect it to attract
students interested in a wide range
of subjects, such as political science, social
justice, ethics and cultural diff erences in
the universe of business.”
Th e mission of the Queens College Business
School is to provide students with the
skills needed to navigate the quickly evolving
world of business. Th e curriculum will
focus on equipping students with both the
technical know-how and fundamental
knowledge needed to achieve a competitive
advantage in various careers. Students
will also be encouraged to seek a deep and
broad familiarity with diff erent cultures in
preparation for roles as leaders in a global
society.
Students will also have the opportunity
to apply their knowledge right on campus
through the Tech Incubator at Queens
College, Small Business Development
Center and the college’s partnership with
Blackstone LaunchPad.
Seven students were recognized at the
reception as winners of the Ideas Competition,
a virtual business plan contest
organized by Blackstone LaunchPad and
powered by StartupTree.
Undergraduate and graduate students
from all majors were invited to present a
business idea or prototype for the Ideas
Competition; no prior entrepreneurship
experience was required to participate.
Th ere are currently six undergraduate
business-related majors available to
Queens College students, including Bachelor
of Business Administration degrees
in actuarial studies, fi nance and international
business; a Bachelor of Science in
Quantitative Economics; and Bachelor of
Arts degrees in accounting and economics,
as well as Master of Science degree
programs in taxation, accounting and risk
management.
Now, through the business school, students
will be able to earn BBAs in fi nance
— with a FinTech concentration —and in
business economics and policy, which will
combine business administration fundamentals
and cutting-edge quantitative and
econometric tools.
Photo by Andy Poon
Queens College President Frank Wu at the opening reception of the new School of Business on Thursday, March 3.
Life’s WORC to honor Geraldo Rivera, founder at 50th Anniversary Gala
BY QNS STAFF
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Life’s WORC, a Garden City-based nonprofi
t that provides services for people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities
including autism spectrum disorder, will
host a party to celebrate the golden anniversary
of its founding.
Th e Life’s WORC 50th Anniversary
Gala scheduled for April 1 at Th e Garden
City Hotel will honor its founder Victoria
Schneps-Yunis, who’s also founding
president of Queens Courier parent company
Schneps Media. It will also honor
Geraldo Rivera, the TV reporter whose
series exposing the squalid conditions at
the Willowbrook State School, then the
largest institution in the nation serving
children with developmental disabilities,
forced its closure in the 1970s. Schneps,
whose daughter was a Willowbrook resident,
founded Life’s WORC in response
to the scandal and the group went on to
open a series of group homes across Long
Island and New York City.
Th e gala will feature a menu created by
Th e Garden City Hotel’s legendary chef David
Burke, music performed by four-piece
Beatles cover band The Blast, and a
program presenting the history of Life’s
WORC. Serving as master of ceremonies
will be Life’s WORC Interim CEO Matt
Zebatto.
In attendance will be long-standing
supporters of the organization, including
its board of directors led by Chair Lynne
Koufakis, Vice Chair Michael Billia, Secretary
John Lee and Treasurer Ron Aghassi.
Elected offi cials, members of the community
serving individuals with intellectual
and developmental disabilities, and
members of the local business community
are also expected.
Th e event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to
10:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, 2022, at Th e
Garden City Hotel, 45 Seventh St. in Garden
City. Tickets range in price from $400
each to $3,950 for a table of 10. Friend of
Life’s WORC Celebrate 50 Pins are also
available for $50. For more information,
visit lifesworc.org or call 516-741-9000, ext.
5110.
Victoria Schneps (l.) and Geraldo Rivera will be honored at the Life’s WORC 50th Anniversary Gala.
buzz
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