Amy Bravo

New York Tech’s Amy Bravo Honored for Her Commitment to STEM

Allison Eichler| October 25, 2023

Senior Director of Career Success and Experiential Education Amy Bravo, M.A., received the Education Leadership Award at The National Urban Technology Center’s (Urban Tech) 28th annual Urban Tech Gala earlier this month in New York City.

The honor acknowledges Bravo’s work, in partnership with Urban Tech, to uplift communities through transformative educational programs. Program development, project planning, and operational support are just a few of the ways she and New York Tech have supported Urban Tech in its pledge to provide higher education and access to technology jobs to under-resourced families. 

Urban Tech is a New York City-based not-for-profit that aims to transform education for students across elementary, middle, and high school levels through digital storytelling, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. “Watching students learn, serve, grow, and succeed inspires us to continue to pave a more equitable path to success for even more underserved communities,” said Bravo as she accepted her award.

Pictured From Left: Assistant Director for Student Employment Denniesia Cameron Richards, Senior Director of Career Success and Experiential Education Amy Bravo, and Dean of Students Felipe Henao attended the Annual Urban Tech Gala.
Pictured From Left: Assistant Director for Student Employment Denniesia Cameron Richards, Senior Director of Career Success and Experiential Education Amy Bravo, and Dean of Students Felipe Henao attended the Annual Urban Tech Gala.

Bravo was honored along with others, including Otis Rolley, chairman of philanthropy and community impact for Wells Fargo, who received the Community Impact Award, and Andy Muir, chief financial officer for Skims, who received the Visionary Award. Proceeds raised from the event will provide underserved youth with access to opportunities through the power of technology.

New York Tech began its partnership with Urban Tech last year and is now part of the organization’s community of corporations, nonprofits, public schools, and government agencies committed to diversifying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) leadership through education. 

This commitment provided an opportunity for several New York Tech students (more than 40 of whom volunteered leading up to and at the gala) to be involved in supporting Urban Tech’s mission to motivate and prepare young students for college and their future careers. They served as tutors, trainers, tech assistants, and event coordinators.

“The overarching reason we started partnering with Urban Tech was to help them develop computer science programs in two middle schools in Brooklyn,” Bravo said. This also involved redesigning classrooms into STEM-related training spaces for students, teachers, and parents, an effort led by Assistant Professor of Architecture Dong-Sei Kim, M.Des., and four students in the School of Architecture and Design. 

In her award acceptance remarks, Bravo referenced reflections from Elise Park, a third-year architecture student, about her experience working on this project: “Personally, the best part of the design process was being able to truly understand what is important for certain individuals and why it is so important to them. I hope to learn more about how to truly listen to a community and how to integrate my design knowledge with a community’s expertise in mind to create a functional and beautiful space.”

More Features

Portraits of Daniel Nasef and Kennette James Basco

Using AI to Detect ECG Abnormalities

Student-led research uses artificial intelligence (AI) models to interpret abnormalities in electrocardiogram (ECG) test results.

Student being hooded by professor

Hooding NYITCOM’s Class of 2025

At ceremonies in Old Westbury, N.Y., and Jonesboro, Ark., the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) ushered in more than 400 new physicians.

Dean Babak Beheshti presents Michael Kohler with his degree

New York Tech’s First Engineering Ph.D. Candidate Graduates

Michael Kohler (M.S. ’22, Ph.D. ’25) earned a Ph.D. in Engineering, marking a pivotal moment for the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences.

Class of 2025 student speaker Ryan Ahmed

Cheers to the Class of 2025!

On May 18, graduates, family members, and friends joined faculty, staff, and administration at New York Institute of Technology’s Long Island campus to celebrate its 64th annual commencement.

Students working at computers

New York Tech Launches Innovation and Entrepreneurship Academy With $5 Million Venture Fund

In a bold step to strengthen its leadership in entrepreneurship education, New York Tech has launched its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Academy, along with the creation of a $5 million venture fund to invest in startups.

Group of people holding scissors in front of a ribbon

New Facility Fosters Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research

On May 16, New York Tech celebrated the official opening of the Biomedical Research, Innovation, and Imaging Center.