LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating John Jay College upon the occasion
of celebrating its 50th Anniversary

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commemorate momen-
tous anniversaries and commend institutions which contribute signif-
icantly to the culture, economy, and future prosperity of New York
State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratu-
late John Jay College upon the occasion of celebrating its 50th Anniver-
sary during the 2014-2015 school year; and
WHEREAS, A part of the City University of New York (CUNY), John Jay
College was founded in 1964, and is named after the first Chief Justice
of the United States Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, John Jay College specializes in criminal justice and foren-
sics and has a stellar track record of placing its graduates in govern-
ment and policy positions across the state and nation; and
WHEREAS, The singular focus which graduates of John Jay College have
on criminal justice reform allows them to make a significant impact on
our nation's justice system at all levels, with many of the College's
alumni holding leadership positions which can be used to advance new,
cutting-edge policies; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the leadership roles held by its graduates,
John Jay College's 11 vibrant research centers and institutes contribute
to the development of best practices and policy, ranging from juvenile
delinquency and gang violence to prison reforms and social justice,
which is used by corporations, academic researchers, policy makers,
practitioners, security professionals, and the media; and
WHEREAS, John Jay College's research has been used by the nationally
recognized Center on Crime Prevention and Control, Center for Cybercrime
Studies, the Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies,
Center for International Human Rights, Center on Terrorism, the Research
and Evaluation Center, and the Center on Media, Crime and Justice; and
WHEREAS, John Jay College's highly successful Program for Research
Initiatives in Science and Math (PRISM) provides opportunities for
students who are majoring in scientific disciplines such as Forensics
Science, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Computer Science and Informa-
tion Security to participate in faculty-mentored research projects in
areas like criminalistics, molecular biology, chemistry, toxicology, and
computer science; and
WHEREAS, PRISM follows a deep-mentoring model which gives students a
comprehensive support system to enhance their scholastic experience,
including guidance from student and faculty role models, partnership
with community college students in the CUNY Justice Academy, and support
for student researchers even before their transition to John Jay
College; and
WHEREAS, PRISM's revolutionary system of guidance and support has had
a profound impact on the success of John Jay College's science students,
tripling graduation numbers from science majors and increasing the
number of students, especially underrepresented minority students,
moving on to doctoral and medical degrees five-fold; and
WHEREAS, In 2011, Professor Anthony Carpi, who created the PRISM
program, was honored by President Obama with a Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the
National Science Foundation for his efforts to increase mentored student
research at John Jay, and CUNY has recognized PRISM as a premier model
for the institutionalization of undergraduate research; and

WHEREAS, John Jay College is to be commended for its outstanding
record of providing its students with an excellent education, increasing
their graduation rates, and preparing them for leadership roles after
they graduate; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate John Jay College upon the occasion of celebrating its 50th
Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to John Jay College.