ROTC of Tomorrow: How DEI and Civilian-Inspired US Army Talent Management Create Change and Opportunity for CCNY Cadets

The City College ROTC Program, where the late Gen. Colin L. Powell got his start more than 60 years ago, will yield 16 cadet commissions into the U.S. Army this June. Of this cohort of 2022 graduates from across CUNY, more than 50% were born abroad and became U.S. citizens, enabling them to serve in the nation’s military. Hear from Lt. Col. LaShell Y. Davis, Professor of Military Science at CCNY and director of the CUNY ROTC program, based at CCNY, about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to today’s U.S. Army and her perspective on working at one of America’s most diverse campuses. The conversation, with CCNY President Vincent Boudreau, stretches from the Vietnam-interrupted history of ROTC at the college to changing opportunities and horizons for current cadets, including internships; a new military talent-management emphasis on resumes, interviews, skills and preferences in matching personnel with branches and units of the armed services; and the advent of U.S. Cyber Command. Davis and Boudreau are joined by Lt. Gen. Samuel Ebbesen (Ret.), a 1961 CCNY graduate who began his career, and a lifelong friendship with the late Gen. Powell, in ROTC at the college. Ebbesen describes ROTC of his day and an elite group, the Pershing Rifles, that he and Powell joined and that continues today. Currently, Ebbesen is a member of the board of visitors at CCNY’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. Host: CCNY President Vincent Boudreau Guests: Lt. Col. LaShell Y. Davis, Professor of Military Science at CCNY and director of the CUNY-wide ROTC program; Lt. Gen. Samuel Ebbesen (Ret.), CCNY Class of 1961 Recorded: May 23, 2022