John Mogulescu Is the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Professional Studies

Last night  the Murphy Institute hosted the second annual Promoting Diversity and Excellence in Union Leadership and Labor Scholarship Reception.  It was a wonderful evening.  Four emerging labor leaders received the 2014 Rising Leader Awards.  That was followed by the awarding of the first five Murphy Institute Scholarships for Diversity in Labor.  The scholarships had been initiated by former Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, who provided initial financial support of $100,000 in 2013, with the possibility of an additional $400,000 depending on our ability to raise matching funds.  The overall potential for scholarships assuming that we meet the match is close to $1 million.

Chancellor Milliken kicked off the evening with greetings.  He reinforced the commitment of the University to the scholarship program, congratulated the winners and Murphy Director Greg Mantsios, and emphasized the importance of the labor movement to the city of New York.  The Chancellor was gracious and supportive.

The program, moderated by Senior Vice Chancellor Jay Hershenson, featured some of the major labor leaders in the city and state presenting the awards to the Emerging Leaders and the Scholarship winners.  Among the labor leaders present were Mario Cilento, President of the NYS AFL-CIO, Arthur Cheliotes, President, Local 1180 CWA and Chair of the Murphy Institute Labor Advisory Board,  Milly Silva, Executive Vice President, 1199SEIU, Vincent Alvarez, President, NYC Central Labor Council, and Susan Kent, President of the Public Employees Federation.  Professor Ruth Milkman also presented one of the scholarship awards.

Each of the Rising Leaders and Scholarship Recipients spoke briefly and all were exceptional.  They were smart, passionate, and totally committed to both diversifying the labor movement and improving the conditions of all workers.  Listening to them talk, you had no doubt that they will be future leaders.  Virtually all of the speakers spoke to the importance of the Murphy Institute and recognized the leadership and accomplishments of Greg Mantsios.

The evening ended with a special recognition of Kitty Krupat for her many years of service and accomplishments to both the labor movement and to Murphy.  It was a touching way to end a glorious evening.  Perhaps most importantly, the evening raised enough money to meet the annual match set by our former Chancellor.

There was a wonderful feeling in the room. It was a great evening!