From Soldiers to Students

Several local universities offer tuition assistance to post 9/11 vets

In an effort to make themselves more veteran-friendly, several major New York City schools plans to implement a new program to assist veterans this fall.

Both Fordham University and New York University will take part in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.

Under the act, the U.S. government pledged to provide educational funds equivalent to the highest public in-state tuition cost. And under Yellow Ribbon, participating private universities pay a portion of the remainder of the student’s tuition, and the government matches that amount.

Considering itself exceptionally “veterans-friendly,” Fordham will cover enough of the cost to give 500 veterans a free ride. The program will be available at all four of Fordham’s undergraduate colleges and all six of its graduate and professional schools.

“I can think of few things more important than assisting these men and women to achieve their goals,” said Dean Peter Vaughn, a Vietnam veteran who helped design the program.

NYU will sponsor an unlimited number of veterans, but the university’s assistance only applies to its undergraduates—grad student veterans at NYU will have to fend for themselves. There are now more than 120 veterans at NYU; only 50 of them are undergraduates.

“At NYU, we revere the tradition of public service, a creed that those in our armed forces commit to day-in and day-out,” said Barbara Hall, NYU’s associate provost for enrollment management.

Other New York City institutions participating in the Yellow Ribbon program include the New School, Columbia University, Metropolitan College of New York, Polytechnic Institute of New York and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Subway Noise Can
Damage Hearing

Riding the New York subways may be safe and good for the environment, but it’s bad for your hearing, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers from the University of Washington and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, led by Richard Neitzel and Robyn Gershon, concluded that MTA subway trains are the noisiest form of transportation in New York City. The highest recorded level of noise was 102.1 decibels (on an MTA platform), and according to Gershon, a mere two minutes’ daily exposure to such a sound can induce eventual hearing loss.

“The risk rises quickly with even small increases in noise levels,” Neitzel said. “For example, 95 dBA is 10 times more intense than 85 dBA and 100 times more intense than 75 dBA.”

While MTA trains had the highest average levels of noise (80.4 dBA), Path trains emitted 79.4 dBA and the tram produced 77.0 dBA. The lowest levels were on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trains. Although the MTA platform is the worst place for noise exposure, bus stops aren’t far behind, at 101.6 dBA.

Noise-induced hearing loss is a permanent affliction, from which an estimated 30 million people worldwide—10 million in the U.S.—suffer. According to Gershon, intense and prolonged noise exposure can also lead to hypertension, heart disease and sleep disorders.

But scientists were quick to suggest preventative measures. A simple pair of earplugs or earmuffs can be a huge help, Neitzel said.

“Protection—and even better, avoidance of high noise exposure when possible—is the best way to preserve your hearing,” he said.

Researchers added that listening to music with headphones or earbuds actually does very little to prevent noise damage. In fact, it can exacerbate the problem, as listeners often increase the volume of MP3 players to drown out other noises.

Former Dean Joins
Obama Team

After being nominated by President Barack Obama in April, Fred P. Hochberg was formally sworn in to office in late June by Vice-President Joe Biden as the 23rd president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Hochberg now effectively serves as chairman of the board of the Ex-Im Bank, which is the official U.S. export credit agency. His term ends on Jan. 20, 2013.

Although the swearing-in made his position official, Hochberg served in the role several weeks prior to taking the oath of office. He intends to open more markets for U.S. exports and protect U.S. jobs.

“American exporters and the workers they employ need and deserve our best efforts to help keep export sales flowing to foreign buyers, especially during these challenging economic times,” he said in a statement.

As Dean of Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy from 2004 to 2008, Hochberg led the development of a new curriculum that focused on governmental changes in the modern world. He also raised roughly $8.5 million to fund scholarships and research and to improve campus life.

New President of Medgar Evers College Selected

On June 22, Dr. William L. Pollard, the former President of the University of the District of Columbia, was appointed president of Medgar Evers College by the the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York.

In a joint statement, Chairperson Benno Schmidt and Chancellor Matthew Goldstein said: “Dr. Pollard has held virtually all the major positions in the academy, including faculty member, department chair, dean and college president. He brings to this important leadership post extraordinary experience, an exemplary record of promoting academic standards, and a commitment to student opportunity and success.”

Medgar Evers College was established in 1970 and is located in central Brooklyn. The college offers career-oriented undergraduate degree programs in conjunction with a liberal arts education and has an enrollment of more than 6,300 students. Medgar Evers offers 18 baccalaureate degrees as well as seven associate degrees.

Pollard most recently served with the National Association for State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. In that post during 2007-2008, Dr. Pollard worked to promote public universities, especially the 1890s land grant institutions which provided for the education and training of African Americans in the South. Medgar Evers college is named after the martyred civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers.

The committee that selected Pollard did so after a national search that was chaired by Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson Philip Berry, and was comprised of trustees, faculty, students, alumni and a CUNY college president. Pollard was selected from a candidate pool that university officials described as among the highest quality in CUNY’s history.

Tweet This Post