In the News

CUNY SPS alum Lisa Angel Ray (MA Disability Studies'26) was named "New Yorker of the Week" by Spectrum News NY1. The spotlight focuses on the Angels Hearts for Hope Foundation, which Ray founded in 2020 as an advocacy and care organization for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Ray, who was diagnosed with MS in 2016 after years of testing, overcame many obstacles but never lost her spirit or her creativity.

In this news story, the York College website profiles the inspiring life and career of CUNY SPS alum Lisa Angel Ray (MA Disability Studies '26). While working in higher education, Ray founded the Angels Hearts for Hope Foundation, a nonprofit focused on Multiple Sclerosis advocacy and care. In the article, Ray credits CUNY SPS with helping her find her voice and strengthening her commitment to advocating for people with disabilities

This Finovate blog article highlights the upcoming keynote speakers for the 2026 FinovateFall event—Finovate's fintech showcase running from September 9 through 11. CUNY SPS Academic Director Dr. Arthur O'Connor is included in this lineup of keynote speakers. On Friday, September 11, Dr. O'Connor, who heads the BS in Information Science and the MS programs in Data Science and Generative AI at CUNY SPS, will discuss what happens as AI's role in financial institutions increases. He will also explore the need for appropriate oversight of its operations.

In this "Good Housekeeping" piece, CUNY SPS Psychology programs faculty member Dr. Lauren Mahoney offers expert testimony on the impact of today's declining fertility on the older generation who traditionally would have been grandparents by now. “Adult children today are making reproductive decisions within very different cultural, economic, environmental, and personal contexts than previous generations,” claims Dr. Mahoney. She further explains that women who would see grandparenting as their "next chapter" may struggle “with feelings that are difficult to name, particularly when peers are sharing stories and photographs of grandchildren while they are quietly confronting an entirely different reality.”

This CUNY SPS blog listicle recaps the top tips from a roundtable discussion in which CUNY SPS Communication and Media alums offered advice on preparing for and applying to graduate school. Organized and moderated by Communication and Media faculty member Dr. Sarah Jacobs, the panel featured alums Milan Fredricks ('19), Lisa Sheridan ('20), and Tony Maldonado ('23), as well as Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay, the director of the MA in Liberal Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.