Fifth, from left to right, Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis with all the participants of the Radiologic Technology Industry Summit.
In New York City, with 500 alumni from the Hostos Community College Radiologic Technology program serving across the five boroughs and 1,500 in total since the creation of the unit, there is a strong chance that one of our superbly trained technologists will perform your next medical scan. This not only testifies to our program's exceptional quality and extensive reach but also underscores our graduates' crucial role in the city's healthcare system. Impressively, for years, 100% of our students have passed the licensure exam on their first attempt and are entering the workforce with an estimated starting salary of $90,000.
With that in mind, on May 15, Hostos hosted the Radiologic Technology Industry Summit. This gathering marked the fourth installment in a series of industry summits initiated by President Daisy Cocco De Filippis and led by Chair Elias Alcántara of the Hostos Community Advisory Council. The focus was on exploring careers, curriculum innovations, achievements, and opportunities in medical imaging, specifically tailored to align with the Hostos Radiologic Technology program's faculty, students, and industry partners.
Chair of the Hostos Community Advisory Council Elías Alcántara.
The summit began with remarks by Alcántara, who welcomed attendees and set the tone for the summit's objectives. Shortly after, President Cocco De Filippis delivered greetings, emphasizing the College's commitment to providing cutting-edge educational opportunities that align with industry needs. “The experts are here united for a wonderful conversation, and this shows the idea behind the summits: we come together to hold hands for a better future,” she said.
Aarti Tandon, CEO of Smart City Expo, USA, delivered the keynote address. Tandon, a renowned human rights advocate and leader in smart cities, shared her personal story to inspire students. As a cancer patient, she commended the role of radiologic technologists in detecting her illness through imaging. She also praised Hostos for its longstanding history of championing collective organizing and creating better futures for marginalized people. “We must come together and solve everyday issues with everyone involved,” she emphasized. She gracefully concluded by gifting all attendees a code for free admission to the Smart City Expo from May 22–23, where the top world leaders in sustainable smart cities will meet.
Tandon delivering her keynote speech.
Following the keynote address, Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs Shiang-Kwei Wang introduced Chair of Allied Health Charles Drago and Radiologic Technology Unit Coordinator Manuel E. Livingston, who offered an in-depth overview of the program. This included discussions on the program's history, mission, accreditation, and the effectiveness of partnerships in enhancing educational outcomes. “This summit is about our commitment to preparing the best technologists and having a program of the highest quality,” said Livingston, who was then followed by some of the Radiologic Technology core faculty members who participated in sharing insights about the program: Associate Professor Jarek Stelmark, Assistant Professor and Hostos alumna Rayola Chelladurai ‘07; Assistant Professor Sanjay Arya; and Assistant Professor Marcus Wilborn.
(L–R) Charles Drago and Manuel E. Livingston.
Dean of Academic Affairs and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Assessment Babette Audant shared news about her and her team’s role in securing Perkins Support for the Radiologic Technology program, enhancing its resources and student success opportunities. For her part, Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Evelyn Fernández-Ketcham highlighted the development of a new Computed Tomography (CT) Certificate Program, illustrating the College's proactive approach to curriculum development across divisions.
Student involvement was prominently featured through a video presentation and speeches by Jordan Butler and Faouzia Affo-Wabo, leaders in their respective junior and senior classes. Their firsthand accounts provided a student perspective on the program's impact on their professional preparation. “No matter where I go or what I do, Hostos will always have a place in my heart because of the impact the Rad Tech program has had on me,” expressed Butler.
Affo-Wabo is an active student leader in the program.
Butler shared his insights about the program.
The summit also addressed the future of technology skills and artificial intelligence in radiologic technology, with a discussion led by the Chairman of Radiology at BronxCares, Dr. Charbel Ishak. He explored the alignment of educational strategies with industry expectations, particularly in light of technological advancements. “AI and radiologic technology must be together to help people out, and that begins by including AI as part of the curriculum. Then, upon this training, we need to discuss the creation of standard rules for best practices nationwide.”
Dr. Ishak, during his presentation about AI and radiologic technology.
The event concluded with an interactive discussion facilitated by Audant with many industry experts, students, and community members. The discussion centered on industry hiring needs, clinical and transfer opportunities, and radiologic technology career pathways.
A panel of experts from the industry participated in a dynamic discussion with the audience.
The summit ended with closing remarks by Charles Drago and Elias Alcántara, who outlined the Hostos Radiologic Technology program's next steps and continued collaboration with industry partners. Drago presented certificates on behalf of the Radiology program to President Cocco De Filippis, Provost Wang, and Director of Governmental and External Affairs Eric Radezky for their advocacy with state officials in maintaining the high-quality standards of the program at the College.
Students, community members, staff, faculty, and industry experts participated in the summit.
About Eugenio María de Hostos Community College
Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities for over half a century. Since 1968, Hostos has been a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs.
Hostos offers 28 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate secure transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. A two-time Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence finalist, the College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos also boasts both men's and women's basketball teams, which have won multiple CUNY Athletic Conference and National Junior College Athletic Association championships, with the women's team making history in 2024 as the only team ever to secure seven consecutive titles in CUNY’s history. The College is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 25 colleges.
For inquiries, email publicrelations@hostos.cuny.edu.