Board Committee Documents Academic Policy, Programs And
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I.B.13 – LEHMAN COLLEGE – RESOLUTION TO AWARD HONORARY DEGREES RESOLVED, that Lehman College award David González, Sonia Manzano, and Mark Messier the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, at the college's annual commencement ceremony on June 2, 2016. EXPLANATION: A Bronx native, David González is an award-winning journalist at The New York Times, where his career has spanned three decades. He is known for stories focusing on the neighborhoods of New York City, while reflecting on larger social and cultural issues in American society. González is also co-editor of the Times “Lens Blog,” which has become the premier internet site for photojournalists from around the world. Before joining the Times, he was project coordinator for El Foco, a Latino photographic collective that was an early and vigorous advocate for minority artists. Mr. González also taught photography to public schoolchildren. Among his many honors, González was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame. Raised in the South Bronx by Puerto Rican parents, Sonia Manzano is a writer and actress who has affected the lives of millions of parents and children since the 1970s. She is best known for her long-term role as María on the PBS series Sesame Street as well as for being a champion for literacy. For her work on Sesame Street, Ms. Manzano earned 15 Emmy Awards (writing) and 2 Emmy nominations (acting). Manzano has written several books including Becoming María: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx and The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano. She has also written for the Peabody Award-winning children's series, Little Bill. Ms. Manzano is the recipient of the "Groundbreaking Latina Lifetime Achievement" award from the National Association of Latina Leaders and an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame. Having won six Stanley Cups, Mark Messier is considered one of the greatest National Hockey League (NHL) players of all time and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. He is a principal and CEO in the development of Kingsbridge National Ice Center, a $250 million redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory (located near Lehman College) into the world’s largest indoor ice facility. Messier is in discussions to work collaboratively with Lehman College when the Ice Center opens. Mr. Messier is dedicated to many philanthropic causes including The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, for which he serves on the Board. Because of his commitment to charity and service, the NHL in 2006 created the Mark Messier Leadership Award in his honor. David González David González is an award-winning journalist at The New York Times. Among other posts, he has been the Times Bronx Bureau Chief, the "About New York" Columnist, and the Central America and Caribbean Bureau Chief. His coverage has ranged from the Oklahoma City bombing and Haiti’s humanitarian crises, to chronicling how the Bronx emerged from years of official neglect, to in-depth reports on how Latino immigration is shaping the United States. González was born in the South Bronx to Puerto Rican parents. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School, where he was on the track team and wrote for the student newspaper. Mr. González graduated from Yale in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In 1979 he also became the project coordinator for El Foco, a Latino photographic collective that was an early and vigorous advocate for minority artists. He also taught photography to public schoolchildren. In 1983, González obtained a master’s degree in journalism from the Columbia University School of Journalism. Immediately after graduating from Columbia, González worked for Newsweek magazine and in 1990, he joined the New York Times as a reporter for their Metro Desk, where he became known for stories focusing on the neighborhoods of New York City, while reflecting on larger social and cultural issues in American society. As the “About New York” columnist, he identified and illuminated citywide issues through intimate snapshots of the lives of ordinary New Yorkers. From 1999 to 2003 Mr. González was based in Miami, while serving as Times Caribbean and Central American Bureau Chief. He often accompanied his stories with his own photographs. As the Times citywide columnist from 2004 until 2008, González analyzed social and cultural themes including the collateral damage caused by predatory lenders in minority neighborhoods, before the nation’s subprime collapse. He also produced several major projects with significant multimedia components. Since 2011, Mr. González has been the Times “Side Street” columnist and the co-editor of the Times “Lens Blog,” which has become the premier internet site for photojournalists from around the world. This work includes writing and shooting a bi-weekly photo and essay that explores people and places in out-of-the-way corners of New York City. David González’ extensive list of awards and recognitions include induction into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame and the New York Associated Press award for feature writing. Sonia Manzano Raised in the South Bronx by Puerto Rican parents, Sonia Manzano is a writer and actress who has affected the lives of millions of parents and children since the 1970s. She is best known for her long-term role as María on the PBS series Sesame Street (retired in 2015) as well as a for being a champion for literacy. For her work on Sesame Street, Ms. Manzano earned 15 Emmy Awards (writing) and 2 Emmy nominations (acting). Ms. Manzano attended the High School for Performing Arts and later Carnegie Mellon University on a scholarship. She began her acting career in the original production of the off-Broadway show Godspell and in 1971 joined the production of Sesame Street. Other theatrical credits include The Vagina Monologues and The Exonerated. Sonia Manzano has written several books including Becoming María: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx and The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano. She has also written for the Peabody Award-winning children's series, Little Bill, and has written a parenting column for the Sesame Workshop web site called "Talking Outloud". Her children's book No Dogs Allowed, is one of five books selected by the General Mills initiative "Spoonfuls of Stories." As part of that effort, Manzano is working with General Mills and its nonprofit partner, First Book, to encourage children to read and to help children across the United States gain access to books. Ms. Manzano has served on the March of Dimes Board; the board of the George Foster Peabody Awards; and the board of a New York City theatrical institution, Symphony Space. She is a member of the board of advisors of the Project Sunshine Book Club. She was featured in the Learning Leaders (volunteers helping students succeed) poster, designed to encourage reading in NYC public schools. Sonia Manzano has received awards from the Association of Hispanic Arts, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education and the "Groundbreaking Latina Lifetime Achievement" award from the National Association of Latina Leaders. In addition, she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame. More recently, Ms. Manzano was honored by the Dream Big Initiative of the Bronx Children's Museum, a program inspired by the life of Bronx Community College Professor Emeritus (Music) and Lehman alumna and honorary degree recipient Valarie Capers. As part of Dream Big, teaching artists engage children in the visual arts, dance and drama culminating in a closing celebration where children display or perform what they have learned and interact with high profile people like United States Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. The 2014 event took place at Lehman College and featured United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Mark Messier Born in Canada, Mark Messier is considered one of the greatest National Hockey League (NHL) players of all time. He won 6 Stanley Cup Cups, including one with the New York Rangers in 1994, which ended a 54-year drought for the team and earned him the nickname “The Messiah,” a play on his name. Over the course of his career, he was also known as “The Moose” for his aggression and strength. Messier, who played the position of center, is second on the all-time career lists for regular season points, playoff points and regular season games played. After playing for 25 seasons (one of a handful of players to do so), Messier retired in 2005 and was inducted into NHL Hall of Fame in 2007. The New York Rangers retired Messier’s number (11) in a 2006 game against his former team, the Edmonton Oilers. The emotional ceremony featured most of the players from the 1994 championship team. Mr. Messier worked in team management for the New York Rangers for four years. He resigned in 2013 to “pursue an opportunity to expand the game of hockey in the New York area by developing the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC).” He remains involved in the NHL as an analyst and guest commentator. Alongside Olympian Sarah Hughes, Mark Messier is a principal and CEO in the development of KNIC, a $250 million redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory (located near Lehman College) into the world’s largest indoor ice facility. Mr. Messier is in discussions with Lehman College to work collaboratively upon the opening of Kingsbridge National Ice Center. Messier is an advocate for preventative healthcare and is also involved in many philanthropic causes, most recently The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, for which he serves on the Board.