Sylvester Wise, Ed.M. 1968

	Wise

Sylvester Wise, Ed.M. 1968, a professor at Nassau Community College (NCC) in Garden City, NY has received the Community Service Award from the 100 Black Businessmen of Long Island, the second oldest chapter of 100 Black Men of America, a national organization. This group supports mentoring, education, economic development and health and wellness in the African American community.

Wise began his career as a teacher in the Freeport, NY, public school system. Two years later he was awarded a National Defense fellowship to attend the University at Buffalo, where he helped organize the Black Student Union; he was also a "freedom fighter" with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

At the age of 31, Wise was the youngest full professor at NCC, as well as the youngest African American full professor in the entire SUNY system. He subsequently became director of liberal arts at NCC and was named the first chair of the newly created African American Studies Department.

Among his honors, Wise received an Americans for Change Award from the Presidential Task Force on social change and welfare reform during the Clinton Administration.