On September 29, 2022 Dr, Patricia Ramsey was inaugurated as the sixth president of Medgar Evers College.

Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College, and Kingsborough Community College will receive $9.3 million in shared funding to create a healthcare career hub in Central and South Brooklyn. The healthcare career hub will:

• Expand and enhance the healthcare workforce in Central and South Brooklyn;
• Build a healthcare career pipeline for high school and college students, and;
• Match well-prepared graduates with healthcare employment opportunities.

The award is part of New York State’s Workforce Development Initiative, which is launching its second round of funding to help New Yorkers find well-paying and meaningful employment in a variety of fields. New York State plans to roll out $175 million in total funding for the program across the State.

At a press conference held at Brooklyn College on July 28, 2021, New York State Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the funds will support strategic regional efforts to help New Yorkers find quality jobs while meeting the workforce needs of local businesses.

Medgar Evers College President Patricia Ramsey joined Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson, Kingsborough Community College President Claudia Schrader, CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, and New York State Senator Kevin Parker to celebrate the collaboration.

Medgar Evers College President Patricia Ramsey said, “This funding is particularly relevant for students who are interested in healthcare-related careers. As the pandemic still looms, the demand for qualified healthcare workers continues to grow exponentially. The coronavirus also continues to amplify the disparities in access to quality healthcare within communities of color.

“Medgar Evers College is an institution that has social justice in its DNA. One of our key objectives is to close the gap in health equity. Students of color are under-represented in STEM and the healthcare fields, and this award will allow us to make significant progress in achieving parity in those areas. Most importantly, students will have the opportunity to make a difference in their home communities. Over 70% of our students are from Brooklyn, and this initiative will benefit neighborhoods from the south to the north of the borough, with Medgar Evers College seated at the center.

“I would like to thank Gov. Cuomo, Lt. Governor Hochul, and CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodríguez for facilitating this collaboration among three CUNY colleges in Brooklyn. I would also like to thank Dr. Michelle Anderson and Dr. Claudia Schrader for welcoming me as a fellow president. Our work will be especially impactful because of our strong partnership and shared vision to prepare our students for bright futures.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $20 million commitment to CUNY’s Medgar Evers College (MEC), the single largest allocation in the history of the Central Brooklyn institution. The grant is part of the NYC Juneteenth Economic Justice Plan, which seeks to build generational wealth and confront the persistently growing racial wealth gap in the United States.

Medgar Evers College will launch the Brooklyn Recovery Corps to provide over 200 students annually with the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing economic recovery of Brooklyn, focusing on experiences that integrate science, business, public health, or the green economy.

The $900,000 annual investments ($4.5 million over 5 years) will let student fellows gain technical skills, academic credit or paid internships, work experience, career preparation support and engagement with the community, and STEM-focused career placement opportunities.

“We are exceedingly grateful to be named as a beneficiary of funds delineated in Mayor de Blasio’s Juneteenth Economic Justice Plan. As we celebrate Juneteenth, it is fitting that our College named for Medgar Wiley Evers, the civil rights icon who gave his life for the rights and freedoms of others, would be the recipient of this historic and far-reaching investment in education. The founders of our College recognized that higher education is the one of the most effective paths for underserved populations and those from challenged socioeconomic backgrounds to gain social mobility and acquire wealth. With this funding, our students will be better equipped to intentionally prepare for their futures and realize their dreams while contributing to the post-pandemic economic recovery of Brooklyn and New York City. We look forward to working with the New York City Mayor’s Office, our CUNY partners, and our other supporters to continue this important work,” said Dr. Patricia Ramsey, president of Medgar Evers College.

The CUNY Board of Trustees voted to appoint Dr. Patricia Ramsey, an innovative educator with extensive experience as a leader at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as the sixth president of Medgar Evers College.

Dr. Ramsey, whose appointment is effective May 1, will be the first woman to serve as the president of Medgar Evers College. A biologist by training, she comes to CUNY from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in Washington, D.C., where she spent the past year as a senior executive fellow. She previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, the oldest degree granting HBCU in the nation. She began her career as a biology professor and brings more than three decades of wide-ranging experience as an educator, scientist, scholar and student-focused leader at universities in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

Dr. Ramsey earned a bachelor’s degree in biology education from Norfolk State University, a master’s in botany from Howard University, a master’s in biology from Harvard University and the Ph.D. in biology from Georgetown University. She completed leadership programs in the Civic Leadership Institute, Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Millennium Leadership Initiative.
Dr. Ramsey began higher education administration as a deputy fundraising officer at Norfolk State University and transitioned to academic administration as vice president for academic affairs at North Carolina’s Shaw University, a post followed by a 12-year tenure at Bowie State University in Maryland. There, she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs, as well as interim president, before returning to full-time teaching and chairing the Department of Natural Sciences.

Dr. Denise B. Maybank, Interim CUNY Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, will also serve as interim president of Medgar Evers College, effective March 1, 2021 and until a new president is appointed and begins her/his tenure.

Prior to joining CUNY last fall, Dr. Maybank served as the Vice President and Associate Provost for Student Affairs and Services at Michigan State University. During her 15-year tenure at MSU, Dr. Maybank contributed to significant initiatives structuring the undergraduate experience, developed partnerships with the Graduate School and colleges to initiate the Graduate Student Life and Wellness emphasis, and conceived and implemented lasting innovative programs and services.Dr. Maybank has a PhD in Counseling Psychology from MSU and an MA in Educational Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a proud CUNY alumna, having earned a BA in Elementary Education from Brooklyn College.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has designated Medgar Evers College as a COVID-19 vaccination site for Brooklyn residents. New York State and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continue to manage the scheduling and administration of vaccines.

In the interest of prioritizing communities with low vaccination rates, Brooklyn residents who meet the eligibility criteria and who live in the following zip codes may now make an appointment at the Medgar Evers College vaccination site: 11206, 11221, 11216, 11238, 11225, 11213, 11233, 11207, 11208, 11236, 11212, 11203, 11226, 11210.

After one week, eligible Brooklyn residents who live in other neighborhoods will be able to schedule vaccination appointments at MEC.

On December 29, 2020, Patricia Cummings made history as the nurse who administered the COVID-19 vaccine to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, the first woman of color elected to the White House.

Patricia earned an Associate in Applied Science in Nursing (cum laude) in 2005 and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (magna cum laude) in 2008. She is the daughter of Guyanese immigrants and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University.

In 2020 Medgar Evers College celebrated its 50th anniversary. Watch the anniversary video here.

On June 25, 2020, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the Franklin Avenue and President Street Stations in Brooklyn will be formally renamed after Medgar Evers College. The new stations, Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College and President Street-Medgar Evers College, will honor the historic contributions of the historically black CUNY college to the Brooklyn communities it serves and stand as a living tribute to Medgar Evers, the civil rights icon whose name the college proudly carries.

The renaming commemorates the critical role that Medgar Evers College plays in the borough and comes fifty years after the school’s founding. A more formal celebration honoring the fully renamed stations is expected to take place in the fall to coincide with MEC’s anniversary.

“We are so pleased that Governor Cuomo has signed this bill into law. As a neighborhood stalwart since 1970, Medgar Evers College is synonymous with Crown Heights, and by extension, we are inextricably linked to the subway stations that serve our community,” said Medgar Evers College President Rudolph F. Crew, Ed.D. “The renaming of the subway stations reflects the profound contribution that Medgar Evers College has made to Central Brooklyn. It is emblematic of the critical role that we will continue to play as we celebrate our 50th year of serving students and changing the trajectory of their lives.”

Read the full press release here.