Dr. Ricardo R. Fernández
Lehman President Ricardo R. Fernández was honored at the Fortieth Anniversary Celebration of Bronxworks for his leadership in higher education and his dedication to the Bronx through community involvement. The event was held on May 15 at Mutual of America’s Park Avenue headquarters.
The mission of Bronxworks, which began as the Citizens Advice Bureau in 1972, is to help individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being through programs that teach life skills, improve academic achievement, and strengthen the transition from middle school through to college.
Dr. Fernández was also recognized for his commitment to Bronx business, cultural, and service institutions through his leadership role, which strengthens those institutions as well as the people and communities they serve. Other honorees included Bruce E. Phillips, managing director of US Design and Construction for Tishman Speyer, and Ira G. Rosenstein, a partner with Morgan Lewis’s Labor and Employment Practice.
As president of Herbert H. Lehman College since 1990, Dr. Fernández has guided the College’s commitment to educational excellence and access to higher education for the economically disadvantaged. Under his leadership, the College has significantly increased the level of grant-funded research, extended its educational partnerships into the international arena, and become a major resource for the economic, cultural, and educational development of the Bronx.
Dr. Fernández is a Trustee of the New York Botanical Garden; Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center; Wave Hill, a Bronx public garden and cultural center; the Riverdale Mental Health Association; and the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the boards of other cultural and educational organizations.
