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Friday, September 18, 2026
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Convocation Celebrates Lehman’s Achievement, Momentum…and Bronx Hustle
September 18, 2026
Lehman College’s 2026 Convocation celebrated a year of milestones, national recognition, and the people who make the College a leader in higher education. From the opening of its first student dormitory in August to a series of accolades in recently released national rankings, the event highlighted Lehman’s continued impact on its students and the Bronx.
Among those accolades, Forbes ranked Lehman No. 5 on its list of “25 Colleges With the Highest Payoff,” ahead of Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. Niche.com placed the College No. 3 among New York’s “Best Value Colleges” and No. 10 nationwide, while Washington Monthly ranked it among the top 100 schools nationally for value and the top 40 in the Northeast. TIME ranked Lehman No. 36 in the nation for value—the highest-ranked CUNY institution and No. 9 among public colleges nationwide.
“These rankings are an external validation of the impact that Lehman has in and out of our teaching spaces,” said President Fernando Delgado. “I know Lehman will not stand still, because we are of this borough, so we know about the hustle.”
The College also celebrated the achievements of its students, faculty, and staff through a series of awards.
Delgado presented the inaugural Outstanding Student Leadership Award to Omadai Sukul ’26, a recent graduate now enrolled in Lehman’s master’s program in speech-language pathology. The new honor recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional leadership, service, and commitment to strengthening the College and its Bronx community.
Professor of Biological Sciences Julio Gallego-Delgado and Adjunct Professor of Chemistry Raghu Chamala were recognized as Professor of the Year and Adjunct Professor of the Year, respectively, for their dedication to students. Faculty honorees are selected through a student nomination process.
Gallego-Delgado, a Madrid native who moved to the United States for a research position at NYU, recalled hearing colleagues there use the term “Ivy League” for the first time and learning what it meant: “a group of prestigious universities that have top-tier students,” he said. “Having joined Lehman in 2018, I can tell you, I am 100% sure our students are the real Ivy League.”
Bascillia Toussaint, senior director of the Career Exploration & Development Center, and Sergeant Cristofer Pache of the Public Safety Department were also recognized for their outstanding service to the College.
Student Government Association President Michael Galindo closed the event by welcoming new and returning students and reflecting on Lehman’s diverse, ambitious student body: “Lehman is a thousand stories of working toward something better.”
Missed Convocation? Watch the event here.