CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez was recognized by HITN as part of its “Puerto Rican Heritage Series,” which highlights influential members of the Puerto Rican community. The event, held at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, honored five individuals this year for their leadership and service.
HITN produced a short documentary on Matos Rodríguez’s life and career, detailing his journey from director of Centro to president roles at Hostos Community College and Queens College, before becoming CUNY’s first Puerto Rican and first person of color to serve as chancellor. In the documentary, Matos Rodríguez said in Spanish, “I want my students to have all the opportunities, all the social capital that people with more resources have. I want CUNY to provide that to each and every one of my students. To me, that’s one of my greatest legacies.”
Barry F. Schwartz, former vice chairperson of the CUNY Board of Trustees, commented on Matos Rodríguez’s dedication: “a man who cares deeply about education, cares deeply about people, cares deeply about his students, cares deeply about their success, and everything he has done has been in furtherance of that.”
Other honorees included Sonia Manzano—writer and actress known for her role as Maria on “Sesame Street”; Marta Moreno Vega—former director of El Museo del Barrio; Hipólito ‘Paul’ Roldán—a MacArthur Fellow recognized for affordable housing development; and Roberto Clemente—the first Hispanic inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
HITN President and CEO Michael D. Nieves stated: “Puerto Ricans continue to play a vital role in shaping this nation, contributing in every manner possible. This year, we celebrate those pioneers, visionaries who opened doors and made a difference in education, business, the arts, science, sports, and the fight for justice. Their stories of pura cepa and diaspora speak to future generations about our Puerto Rican resilience and strength.”
The City University of New York (CUNY) is described as the largest urban public university in the United States with seven community colleges among other institutions across New York City’s five boroughs. It serves nearly 240,000 undergraduate and graduate students annually and awards approximately 50,000 degrees each year. According to information available at https://www.cuny.edu/, CUNY plays a significant role in promoting social mobility by enabling many low-income students to enter the middle class compared to Ivy League schools combined.
More than 80 percent of CUNY graduates remain in New York after graduation where they contribute across economic sectors within the city’s workforce. The university’s alumni include recipients of prestigious honors such as Nobel Prizes and MacArthur grants.
