Students, alumni, faculty, staff, donors, and community partners gathered at Brooklyn College for a day that celebrated both a renewed campus landmark and the beginning of the College’s next great chapter. The program featured the reopening of the transformed East Quad and the launch of The Road to 100, a new initiative leading to Brooklyn College’s centennial in 2030.
The day began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the reopening of Brooklyn College’s East Quad, one of the most significant campus improvement projects in recent memory. Long recognized as the heart of campus life, the East Quad has been reimagined as a more accessible, sustainable, and welcoming gathering space while preserving the beauty and character cherished by generations of students.
The revitalization includes upgraded pathways, landscaping, seating areas, lighting, and green spaces designed to enhance student life and create new opportunities for learning, engagement, and community building. Funding for the project was facilitated in part through the advocacy of New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes, whose support helped advance capital funding for campus improvements.
Michelle J. Anderson was joined at the ribbon cutting by CUNY Vice Chancellor for Facilities Mohamed Attalla; Robert J. Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY); Brooklyn College Foundation Board Chair Anthony R. Castellanos ’85; and Edwin H. Cohen ’62, a former chair and current trustee of the Brooklyn College Foundation Board.
“Today is a defining moment for Brooklyn College,” said Anderson. “The renewal of the East Quad and the launch of The Road to 100 demonstrate our commitment to investing in both the people and the places that make Brooklyn College extraordinary. As we approach our centennial, we are building a campus and a community that will continue to transform lives for generations to come.”
President Michelle J. Anderson and guests stroll across the newly restored East Quad lawn during the Road to 100 celebration.
Anderson said that the project represents more than a physical renovation. The East Quad serves as a reminder of the long-term investments that define public higher education and connect generations of students.
“Public investment built this lawn in 1938 and public investment has now rebuilt it,” Anderson said, noting that in just 10 months, crews removed 11,000 tons of dirt, replaced 1,500 linear feet of pipes and irrigation lines, and planted 18 new elm trees, two red maples, and other species.
“The trees we planted this year will take decades to reach their maximum height, and the students who will relax under their fullest shade have not yet been born. That’s the promise of a public college,” she said. “We build our campus and our academic programs for our current students, yes, but also for the students of 2080 and beyond who will inherit what we tend today.”
A Landmark Gift and the Launch of the Road to 100
The celebration continued with the announcement of a $15 million endowment grant from The Tow Foundation establishing the Tow Mentorship Center. That transformative investment enabled Brooklyn College to reach and surpass the $125 million goal for Boundless Brooklyn: The Campaign for Student Success, bringing the campaign total to $131 million and concluding the campaign 15 months ahead of schedule. Key funding priorities for Boundless Brooklyn included scholarships and completion grants that helped students continue their studies and earn their degrees.
The achievement heralded the launch of The Road to 100, an ambitious new effort to raise an additional $100 million for Brooklyn College’s centennial in 2030. The initiative will strengthen academic excellence, expand opportunities for students, modernize facilities, and deepen engagement with alumni, donors, and the broader community as the College prepares for its second century.
Eileen Wiseman, a program director for The Tow Foundation, which endowed Brooklyn College with a $15 million grant establishing the Tow Mentorship Center and enabling the College to surpass its $125 million fundraising goal for student success initiatives.
Eileen Wiseman, program director for The Tow Foundation, and Philip F. Napoli, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and chair of the Road to 100 Planning Committee, along with Brooklyn College Foundation Board members, joined President Anderson for the launch. The program also highlighted the power of mentorship and community that has long defined the Brooklyn College experience. Mentors and mentees affiliated with the Tow Mentoring Initiative reflected on the program’s impact and the relationships it has fostered across generations of students and alumni.
Following their remarks, acclaimed conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather, the Tania León Chair of Music at Brooklyn College, delivered a special performance underscoring the creativity, leadership, and achievement that The Road to 100 seeks to cultivate.
Acclaimed conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather, the Tania León Chair of Music, gave a moving performance that ended the day’s celebration on a high note.
Building the Library of the Future
A centerpiece of The Road to 100 will be raising funds for the Library of the Future, a transformational project that will reimagine Brooklyn College’s iconic library as a modern hub for learning, research, creativity, technology, and public engagement. The project will preserve the library’s historic role at the center of campus life while adapting it to meet the evolving needs of future generations of students.
Additional priorities include continued renovations to Ingersoll Hall and Roosevelt Hall, as well as investments that strengthen student success, faculty excellence, and innovative programming across the College.
“As we look toward our centennial, The Road to 100 is an invitation for our entire community to help shape Brooklyn College’s next chapter,” Anderson said. “Together, we will build on our remarkable history and ensure that Brooklyn College remains a place where talent, ambition, and opportunity come together to transform lives.”
