Albany, NY -- The Board of Regents and the New York State Archives have selected the Dominican Studies Institute, City College of New York to receive the 2007 Debra E. Bernhardt Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Documenting New York’s History.
The award will be presented to Dominican Studies Institute Director Dr. Ramona Hernández, and Idilio Gracia Peña at a luncheon ceremony at the State Education Department in Albany on October 22, 2007.
The award is named after the late Dr. Debra E. Bernhardt, former Director of the Wagner Labor Archives at New York University, who was a staunch advocate of documenting the history of groups who traditionally have been omitted from the historical record.
The award recognizes the Dominican Studies Institute for its efforts to collect the records of key individuals and organizations in the Dominican community to further the understanding of the history, culture, socioeconomic, and political position of Dominicans in New York City. The Institute is commended for the strong and deep relationships it has built within the Dominican community, helping people to understand that their organizational records and personal papers can contribute profoundly to their history.
Previous winners of the Debra E. Bernhardt Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Documenting New York’s History include the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives of New York University (2001) the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, CUNY (2002), Consumer /Survivor/Ex-patient (C/S/X) Oral History Project (2003), the Marist College Archives and Special Collections (2005), and the Rochester Museum and Science Center/ Latino Alliance (2006).
The annual Archives Awards program recognizes outstanding efforts in archives and records management work in New York State by a broad range of individuals and organizations. A complete list of this year’s award recipients follows:
Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of the State Archives
Laura Wittern-Keller, University at Albany
Debra E. Bernhardt Award for Excellence in Documenting New York’s
History
Dominican Studies Institute, City College of New York
Program Excellence in a Historical Records Repository
Schenectady County Historical Society
William H. Kelly Award for Excellence in Local Government Archival
Program Development
Suffolk County
Cheryl Steinbach Award for Excellence in Local Government Records Management
Town of Lewisboro
Excellence in State Agency Records Management
New York State Thruway Authority and Canal Corporation
Excellence in the Educational Use of Local Government Records by a
Local Government
Town of Ithaca
Laura and Robert Chodos Award for Excellence in Student Research Using
Historical Records, Grades 4–5
Fourth and Fifth Grade Students from the Stewart School, Garden City School
District
Dolores Volpe, Educator
Laura and Robert Chodos Award for Excellence in Student Research Using
Historical Records, Grades 6–8
Emma Gugerty, Locust Valley Middle School, Locust Valley Central School District
Barbara LaBella, Educator
Laura and Robert Chodos Award for Excellence in Student Research Using
Historical Records, Grades 9–12
Alexandra Rheinhardt, Cooperstown Central High School, Cooperstown Central School
District
Mary Beth Murdock, Educator