In the News

CUNY SPS Online Business Programs Professor Dr. Diane Merians Penaloza offers expert insight into the consumer backlash and the high-profile 40-day boycott following Target’s rollback of DEI initiatives in a recent Retail Brew article. Dr. Penaloza emphasizes that such moves can undermine consumer trust and brand loyalty, particularly among younger and more diverse shoppers, ultimately posing long-term risks to a company’s bottom line.

In a recent Indoor Voices podcast, Professor Valerie Paley, who developed the MA Program in Museum Studies at CUNY SPS in conjunction with The New York Historical, joins a discussion with Elaina Battista-Parsons, a student from the MA program. The conversation explores the program's origins, its mission, and how the degree program addresses the need to make museums’ audiences more expansive, diverse, and accessible. The episode also reviews the importance of cultural spaces.

CUNY SPS Nursing Professor Dr. Jan Oosting writes a thoughtful op-ed for Bay Area Reporter, America's longest continuously-published and highest circulation LGBTQIA+ newspaper. In this article, Dr. Oosting discusses the role of healthcare providers, namely nurses, in addressing some of the rollbacks, fears, and uncertainty surrounding LGBTQIA+ healthcare rights amidst Trump's second term.

​In a recent USA Today article, CUNY SPS Professor Dr. Diane Merians Penaloza analyzes the consumer response to Target's rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, highlighted by a 40-day boycott led by Rev. Jamal Bryant. Dr. Penaloza notes that companies scaling back DEI efforts risk damaging their brand reputation and alienating key customer segments, potentially impacting long-term profitability. ​

CUNY SPS Professor Dr. Merians Penaloza, from the online Business programs, spoke with USA Today, about the implications of Target's 40-day boycott initiated in response to the company's rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. She highlights that such consumer-led protests underscore the growing demand for corporate accountability in social justice matters.