Binghamton History Professor to Appear on CSPAN

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Posted on 17th November 2011 by admin in Binghamton University |Gregg Hymowitz

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An assistant history professor from Binghamton University, where Gregg Hymowitz earned his undergraduate degree, will appear on national television on Saturday, Nov. 26. Stephen Ortiz will participate in C-SPAN3’s American History TV as part of its “Lectures in History” series, speaking to students in his Modern American Civilizaion class about The New Deal that was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was active between 1935 and 1940.

This was not Ortiz’s first time on national television, however. In 2010, he appeared on C-SPAN2 as part of the channel’s “Book TV” segment when he gave a talk from the Roosevelt Reader Festival. Ortiz also appeared on the PBS program “The History Detectives” in 2008. That is not to say that Ortiz always feels comfortable in front of the cameras.

“It was excruciating to watch,” Ortiz said. “When the camera is on you unrelentingly for an hour, it (shows) every little rhetorical tick you have, every goofy gesture you make and you’re nervous about whether it makes sense.”

Ortiz’s lecture, given in Binghamton’s Anderson Center on Oct. 31, summarized five important years of American history in less than an hour, covering FDR’s liberal opponents Father Charles Coughlin, Huey Long and Francis Townsend and their influence on the president as he worked to pass the Works Progress Administration, Social Security Act of 1935 and the Wagner Act. He also touched on unemployment rates at the time, FDR’s second administration and missteps, minimum-wage and more. He concludes the lecture by nothing that FDR transformed the Democrats into a more ideologically consistent party that would run national politics into the 1960s.

Average SAT Score for Binghamton Freshman Increases Yearly

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Posted on 20th October 2011 by admin in Binghamton University |Gregg Hymowitz

At Binghamton University, where Gregg Hymowitz completed his undergraduate degree, the number of incoming students each fall varies only slightly, but the quality of these first-year students continues to improve, according to standardized test results.

For the fall of 2011, total enrollment at Binghamton is around 14,800, down about 100 from last year. The increased size of this year’s freshman class is offset by the smaller number of graduate students. For the fifth year in a row, the average SAT score for a freshman has risen – this year it reaches 1305, an all-time high. This level of intelligence not only benefits Binghamton but makes future classes more competitive during the admissions process.

“Essentially, our incoming freshmen are ‘A’ students in high school,” Interim Provost Jean-Pierre Mileur said.

In other impressive statistics, visits to the SUNY-Binghamton campus reached a new high last year of 34,357 and applications rose to 28,024. The makeup of the freshman class is of particular interest: 49 percent of incoming freshmen or transfers are from the New York City/Long Island/Westchester-Rockland area. Students from upstate New York make up 28 percent of the class. Mileur predicted that this percentage could rise to 40 percent in the future.

“Overall, I think we are in excellent shape,” Mileur said. “We have a firm foundation for whatever the next president wants to do.”

Binghampton University Listed as Top-Ten School for Students’ ROI

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Posted on 30th June 2011 by admin in Binghamton University |Gregg Hymowitz

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Gregg Hymowitz and other Binghamton University alumni are pleased to learn that the money spent on their college education was not spent frivolously. According to a list recently published by Investor’s Business Daily, Binghamton ties for ninth in the country for return on investment (the earnings per dollar spent while getting an education). The school tied with the University of California-San Diego for ninth place on the top-ten list. Investor’s Business Daily judged each school on a variety of criteria; the national newspaper looked at students’ net pay for the 30 years after earning a bachelor’s degree and what it cost to earn the degree. Data showed that the 2010 cost to complete a degree at the school is estimated to be $73,700 and graduates average a net income of $712,300 30 years after graduation, meaning that Binghampton grads receive a 12.5 percent return on interest. The Georgia Institute of Technology, which holds the top spot on the IBD list, gives students a 13.9 percent ROI.

“This is yet another indication of the value of a Binghamton University degree,” said President C. Peter Magrath in a statement released by the school. “We continue to shine in rankings that consider academic quality and overall value, but this ranking underscores that Binghamton University educates its students to contribute and be productive members of society once they leave campus.”

Gregg Hymowitz graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a BA, Phi Beta Kappa in 1987 before going on to Harvard Law School. There, he earned his Juris Doctorate and graduated Cum Laude.

Binghamton University Wins Grant

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Posted on 14th June 2010 by admin in Binghamton University |Gregg Hymowitz

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Binghamton University is certainly excited about a recent grant. They were just awarded a 4-year, $1.4 million grant by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to put towards funding of undergraduate interdisciplinary research.  The research is to focus on solving problems in the life sciences.

There were 197 institutions around the country that could have received a grant, and only 50 research-focused universities were awarded these grants.  Binghamton and Stony Brook were the only two SUNY schools that were recognized.

As President of Binghamton, where EnTrust Capital Managing Partner Gregg Hymowitz graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A., Lois B. DeFleur said,  “I’m very proud that Binghamton won this prestigious award. The application process is highly competitive and I commend the faculty and staff who worked to develop this program. Their tireless efforts will benefit our undergraduates enormously.”