[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                      RECOGNIZING DR. JULIE GAFNEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RITCHIE TORRES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 11, 2024

  Mr. TORRES of New York. Mr. Speaker, as a celebration of Women's 
History Month, I want to highlight the work and life of Dr. Julie 
Gafney. She has pushed both inclusive and equitable learning 
environments as well as environmental justice forward by leaps and 
bounds throughout her long career in both public policy and higher 
education.
  Dr. Gafney began her own educational journey at Tufts University and 
earned a Bachelor's in English Language and Literature. She then 
enrolled in the prestigious University of Chicago to pursue a Master's 
in Comparative Literature, and later completed her doctorate in English 
Language and Literature at The City University of New York. Dr. Gafney 
would later return to the University of Chicago to serve as a Project 
Manager for the Dean of Students and served as both an Adjunct 
Professor and later as a Senior Advisor to the President at the City 
University. Dr. Gafney has spent much of her life in higher education 
as both a student and administrator, making her work uniquely situated 
to bridge gaps in educational access.
  Dr. Gafney currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for 
Strategic Mission Initiatives at Fordham University, where she also 
teaches in the English department. Dr. Gafney and her team plan to soon 
launch the Bronx Research Institute for Community Solutions, a public 
think tank dedicated to leveraging higher education as a means for 
effecting change in the Bronx through partnerships with local 
policymakers and community leaders. Dr. Grande has also spearheaded 
many of Fordham's environmental justice initiatives and serves as the 
Chair of Fordham's Sustainability Council. Her work in sustainable 
development led to her role as the Thriving Communities Grantmaker 
Project Lead and Principal Investigator, where she spearheads Fordham's 
newly acquired $50 million dollar grant program that will focus on 
environmental justice across New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 
Islands.
  In addition to her role as Assistant Vice President for Strategic 
Mission Initiatives, Dr. Gafney is also the Executive Director of the 
Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) at Fordham University. She 
focuses on student success, faculty development, and enhancing the 
University's levels of engagement within its own community, as well as 
with the wider Bronx and New York.
  Dr. Gafney is proudly recognized as a changemaker and pioneer, and 
her work will continue to inspire others to greater heights. I know 
that her work, especially the grant maker program, will be extremely 
transformative for so many communities across the region.

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