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Title: George Hamada
Description: Dr. George Hamada was Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Chair of the Natural and Applied Sciences Department and one of the original faculty of the College. He talks about the establishment of the college, the Long Island City area, Cooperative Education and helping develop the Health Sciences program. Timestamp summary of interview: (00:57) Dr. George Hamada discusses the start of LaGCC and the effect of the culture shifts in the 1960’s greatly impacted the mission of the college and how it would be organized. (3:00) Speaks about the faculty at LaGCC during the beginning of the college – “We were a college born in Open Admissions.” Goes onto the talk about the philosophy of the college. (4:10) Talks about coming over to the college from Queens Borough Community College and the differences between the two colleges (5:32) Describes the college as an environment of innovation and allowing for experimentation. (6:33) Goes onto the excitement he felt during that time “Intellectually the most exciting time of my life” and the overall commitment of faculty and staff (7:08) “If we were an alternative college – they were alternative students” Talks about the student body and how it evolved over the years (8:14) Discussed teaching science and his Ecology Intensives course, which involved off campus trips to the beach. (10:24) Describes the first day he walked in and had a room in the M building on the 4th floor and the conditions the building was in (12:56) Talks about the orientation sessions for employees before the college started, including a helicopter ride. (15:23) Describes the area the College was in, such as train tracks on 31st St for the Macys and Gimbels warehouses. (16:00) Hamada discussed the Science and Math area combined with the Math department. Explains how the different divisions were organized compared to the present [1996] (17:01) The college saw itself as a business college because of Coop and Human Services – never saw themselves in health. Talks about the state of the science courses and professors (18:40) Goes on a walk around the college with President Shenker to find a room suitable for the first science lab (20:15) They ran their first class of 13 students, some who eventually worked at the college themselves. (20:55) Curriculum was developing slowly – developed general science – he was coordinating Science – Michael Hoban was Chair of the Department. (21:10) Talks about the inclusion of Occupational Therapy into the college and department (22:48) Makes efforts to modify the college’s Master Plan to include Allied Health as an employment connection for the Health Sciences and to develop the that program. Naomi Greenberg became director of the Occupational Therapy program. Later the Dietetic Technician, Mortuary Science, Animal Health, and Nursing programs were developed. (24:58) Receives a grant in 1975 from the Veterans Administration to collaborate with the VA hospital in Brooklyn (25:42) Discusses the different science programs. (27:17) Returns to talking about the Nursing Program. (29:18) Covers 1980’s nursing shortage and need to increase enrollment. (30:41) Discussed sorting out the Nursing Program to fit the Quarter System and Semester credits, (32:48) Talks about the Mortuary Science program (38:46) Talks about the closeness of the faculty/staff community (1975-1976) and the fiscal crisis and uncertainty of the college’s future in that time (39:42) “We were very unusual – we were making an impact – mission to generate success. Physically we never had enough room – never kept up.” (41:15) Speaks about renovations and moving offices many times (48:12) Hamada talks about changes in the college, and speaks about the 1980s and his position, the different programs and about technology. (52:41) End
Subjects: , 25th Anniversary, Oral History, Hamada, George, Health Sciences, Cooperative Education
Publisher: LaGuardia Community College (New York, N.Y)