LOOKING BACK: MILESTONES
Macaulay’s twenty-five-year history has been shaped by students, alumni, faculty, and steadfast supporters. Browse the timeline to read their stories and see how we’ve built one of the nation’s most influential public honors colleges.
A Beacon of Excellence in Public Honors Education
Representing the collective vision of the Macaulay Honors College community, this plan charts the investment Macaulay Honors College will make over the next five years to empower talented, purpose-driven students to build a more innovative, resilient, and vibrant New York City—and a better world beyond.
Macaulay Honors College, in partnership with the Watson Foundation and Design for America (DFA), is proud to launch the Civic Futures Lab—a bold, multi-year program designed to empower students, community members, and external partners to tackle the pressing challenges facing New York City.
On September 7, 2025, Macaulay Honors College alumni from the Class of 2005 reunited for a celebratory brunch at historic Fraunces Tavern in New York City to toast two decades since graduation and reconnect with classmates.
The Dr. Jane E. Salmon Scholars program at Macaulay Honors College is a prestigious award that supports students pursuing transformative experiences in the field of biomedical research.
Macaulay has opened the Mountain Lion Food Pantry with donations from Women at Amazon, an employee-led affinity group. The pantry offers food and household supplies free of charge for students.
Macaulay has launched the Story Lab, a new program training students to become effective communicators. The lab helps students craft personal stories, share them through accessible technologies, and raise their visibility.
Macaulay’s Health Summit on Research and Innovation provided two days of invaluable access for students interested in becoming the next generation healthcare innovators.
Macaulay Receives Support for its Collaborative Academic Recovery Program
Macaulay Honors College announces a year of inspiring programming on campus to celebrate and recognize our LGBTQIA+ community.
A generous $500,000 gift establishes the Mary Kay and Paul Jeynes Scholarship Fund, and provides students with opportunities to develop a global perspective and appreciation.
New data storytelling course is part of an initiative to acquaint non-STEM students with critical tech skills.
Macaulay Honors College and the Design Trust for Public Space have launched New York: City Designed, giving students hands-on experience in urban planning, design, and preservation through coursework, workshops, site visits, and internships.
This fall, Macaulay hosted a two-day datathon in partnership with the MTA, where students tackled real-world data challenges, showcasing cross-campus collaboration and honors-level innovation.
Macaulay has received a grant from the city of New York to facilitate technological upgrades to better prepare students as they graduate and enter professional environments.
The New York City Council has pledged $10,000 in discretionary funding to support the expansion of the college’s participation in the annual City Nature Challenge, taking place in April, 2024.
The event was a resounding success, with attendees gathering to celebrate the achievements of three distinguished honorees – David A. Coulter, Special Limited Partner at Warburg Pincus; Matthew Goldstein, Ph.D., CUNY Chancellor Emeritus; and Michael D. Grohman, Partner at Duane Morris LLP.
“Dream to Fly” by modern Chinese artist Liu Shiming is permanently on view for students and the public in the lobby of Macaulay Honors College.
The Gray STEM Scholars program at Macaulay Honors College is designed to empower STEM students to realize their dreams of a career in STEM research or medicine.
The Friedman Transfer Scholars Program provides a pathway for CUNY associate students to enter a Macaulay Honors bachelor’s program at one of our partner colleges.
The CUNY Honors Business Hub is a program designed to help CUNY honors students gain a competitive advantage in business careers. It offers a range of career preparation and business-focused opportunities, including intensive coaching and mentoring from business professionals and need-based support to facilitate participation in career-building experiential learning opportunities.
Each year, one Macaulay student will receive the Liu Shiming Opportunities Fund grant to pursue study abroad, research, or internships focused on Chinese art, culture, language, or history.
The partnership allows for expansion of New Plaza’s commitment to film education while continuing to screen independent, foreign, and classic movies in the tradition of Lincoln Plaza Cinemas.
Dara N. Byrne serves as the fourth dean of New York’s William E. Macaulay Honors College. With over two decades of leadership in academia as a professor, researcher, and administrator, Dean Byrne has transformed educational outcomes by leading programs that significantly boost graduation rates for first-generation and low income students.
For the fifth year in a row, Macaulay Honors College has earned 5 mortarboards—the highest rating among public university honors programs. Public University Honors bases its scores on factors such as honors course offerings, class size, staff-to-student ratio, priority registration, and prestigious awards.
The JEHN program equips students to confront injustice, incivility, and political disengagement. JEHN Scholars learn together, exploring these issues through historical and contemporary perspectives and collaborating across disciplines and communities.
Macaulay has launched two new series of public events: @Macaulay Authors and Inside Look @Macaulay.
First Macaulay Bridge graduates affirm success of initiative to open honors college to community college transfer students.
Macaulay Honors College will host the NYC City Nature Challenge in partnership with global organizers, inviting New Yorkers to help document the city’s wildlife.
CUNY SPH and Macaulay Honors College have launched an accelerated pipeline program that lets Macaulay students take graduate public health courses as juniors and seniors, enabling them to complete their bachelor’s and an MPH or MS just one year after graduation.
Macaulay Honors College has accepted community college transfer students for the first time through its new Bridge program, opening up more access and diversity.
Macaulay welcomes award-winning media professional and New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado for a Diversity in Women’s Leadership event designed to inspire future leaders.
The Macaulay Foundation Board hosted its first-ever Opportunities Gala to raise funds for experiential learning, exceeding expectations.
In November 2017, Thamara V. Jean '18 (Hunter College) became the third student from Macaulay Honors College to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
Nobel Prize–winning scientist and former National Cancer Institute Director Dr. Harold Varmus engages the Macaulay community in a public conversation with Alan Alda and teaches the seminar The Purpose, Practice, and Politics of Science, exploring the scientific enterprise from research, policy, and communication perspectives.
Macaulay Honors College is proud to rename its popular student study area The Joseph M. Schor Reading Room in honor of Dr. Schor’s deep and abiding love of books and reading. His widow, Professor Laura Schor, was the founding Dean of Macaulay.
Macaulay Honors College has earned the highest regional rating of five “mortarboards” from Public University Honors, placing it among the top honors programs nationally.
Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York is pleased to announce that it has received an $817,950 grant from the William R.Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust to build an innovative model of comprehensive mental health delivery. It will provide students with direct, professional mental health counseling, services, and guidance. The gift also is in support of Macaulay’s Opportunities Fund and will allow students to take advantage of opportunities for study and service abroad.
Macaulay Honors College has appointed Dr. Mary C. Pearl as its new Dean. A distinguished scientist and educator, Dr. Pearl brings a strong record of leadership, innovation in curriculum development, and fundraising success that positions the college for continued growth.
Macaulay has received nearly $500,000 from the Chancellor’s Strategic Investment Initiative to develop global environmental studies and applied data analytics programs.
Macaulay has awarded its inaugural Pioneer Alumni Award to Tom Brigandi ’12, CFA, a graduate who exemplifies post‑graduation impact through mentorship, professional achievement, and service.
Macaulay has received $200,000 from the Jack Miller Center and $125,000 from the Hertog Foundation to support the Hertog Scholars Program, which immerses students in seminars on American political principles, history, and critical analysis.
The program supports top students in pursuing international study‑abroad experiences, providing resources to enhance their global learning, and recognizes recipients’ exceptional academic achievements, with an average GPA of 3.9.
The Class of 2015 has the most award-winning students in Macaulay’s history, earning numerous prestigious scholarships and fellowships, including Fulbright, Goldwater, and Truman awards.
Former CIA Director and retired four-star general David Petraeus meets with Macaulay students for the first time and teaches the course Are We on the Threshold of a North American Decade?
John Jay College of Criminal Justice joins CUNY’s path breaking William E. Macaulay Honors College.
Zujaja Tauqeer '11 (Brooklyn College) became the second Macaulay student to receive the Rhodes Scholarship in November 2010.
The first annual CUNY Film Festival (CUNYFF) was held on March 29, 2009, at Macaulay Honors College, founded by Hunter College student Daniel Cowen to unite CUNY student filmmakers across different campuses, showcasing films and fostering community, and has since grown into a significant annual event for CUNY creatives, supported by organizations like CUNY TV and the NYC Mayor's Office.
David Bauer '09 (City College) becomes Macaulay Honors College’s first Rhodes Scholar.
Photo includes Rhodes Scholar, David L.V. Bauer, flanked by 2005 winners Eugene Shenderov, left, and Lev Sviridov (future Macaulay Director at Hunter College) on Brooklyn Bridge in 2005.
The new building was officially opened on April 17, 2008, with a dedication attended by nearly 200 friends of the college, including Senator Charles Schumer, Chancellor Goldstein, and New York City Council member Gale Brewer.
William E. Macaulay served as the foundation’s first board chair following the renaming.
William E. Macaulay, a 1966 City College graduate who rose to become a billionaire financier, donates a record $30 million to endow the college and purchase a five-story building on West 67th Street for what is renamed the William E. Macaulay Honors College.
Dr. Ann Kirschner was named Dean of Macaulay Honors College in 2006 and served through January 2016. An author and entrepreneur, Dr. Kirschner holds a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University.
The first class graduates on May 31, 2005, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton delivering the address at The Great Hall of The Cooper Union.
