The CUNY SLU Distinguished Alumni Award was founded in 2019. Each year, the award recognizes an SLU alumnus who embodies the mission of the school with a dedication to public service and the social good. The recipient is selected based in part on their tenacity to evoke change and is invited to speak at graduation and partake in a symbolic passing of the torch ceremony.
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Are you an alumni of CUNY SLU or the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education who is making an impact in their community, or do you know an alumni who is?
Fill-out this short Distinguished Alumni Award nomination form and shine a light on them – or on yourself – for this year’s award!
SLU Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients
Neonne Ameer
In 2024, Neonne Ameer was the recipient of the SLU Distinguished Alumni Award. Neonne is a dedicated educator committed to social justice. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from CUNY, and is the first in her family to have achieved this feat. With a background in history and education, she taught social studies before transitioning to non-profit work. Neonne is currently pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Curriculum Evaluation and Research at Barry University,
Jonah Furman
In 2023, Jonah Furman was the recipient of the SLU Distinguished Alumni Award. Jonah is an organizer, communicator, former journalist, activist, and a catalyst of change of many aspects of the labor movement. Jonah is a 2016 graduate of the NY Union Semester Program, holding an Advanced Certificate in Labor Studies and currently serves as Communications Director at the United Auto Workers.
Liam Lynch
Labor Studies Certificate – NY Union Semester, Master’s in Labor Studies
In 2021, Liam Lynch was the recipient of the SLU Distinguished Alumni Award. Liam trains workers in NYC on their safety and health rights and works with the city’s unions and workers organizations to fight and advocate for safe and healthy workplaces. Liam is a graduate of the NY Union Semester Program as well as the Master’s in Labor Studies, class of 2015.
Kristina Ramos-Callan
Master’s in Urban Studies, Class of 2018
In 2020, Kristina Ramos-Callan and Bradley Kolb were the SLU Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and were recognized for their work supporting healthcare workers on the front-lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kristina is a program manager for United Hospital Fund, where she has worked for over 15 years, giving voice to communities often left on the fringes. Over time, Kristina became a caregiver herself, and it became important to her to understand not just the role of the caregiver, but the larger issues of providing care at the community level, health care education and advocacy, and getting health care research and programs funded.
Bradley Kolb
Certificate in Labor Relations, Bachelor’s in Urban Studies, Class of 2018
In 2020, Kristina Ramos-Callan and Bradley Kolb were the SLU Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and were recognized for their work supporting healthcare workers on the front-lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bradley is a representative at the Professional Employees Federation (PEF), where he supports workers at NY state hospitals as they battle each day to care for their patients. Bradley’s career in the labor movement began at the age of 16, where he worked as an organizer with United Service Workers Union Local 74. Bradley is currently a proud member of United Steelworkers Local 9265.
Nastaran Mohit
Certificate in Labor Studies – NY Union Semester, Class of 2000
In 2019, Nastaran Mohit was CUNY SLU’s first-ever recipient of the SLU Distinguished Alumni Award. Nastaran was a member of the school’s first New York Union Semester class and has since been a trailblazer in the labor movement. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the News Guild union in NYC, Nastaran has also served as a mentor for current SLU students.