Professors Karen Kaplowitz & Caroline Reitz Receive 2025 Distinguished Service Award

Congratulations to Professors Karen Kaplowitz and Caroline Reitz, recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of their dedicated years of service to the college and its students. 

Dr. Karen Kaplowitz, who received the Distinguished Service to the College Award, is a professor of English and president of the Faculty Senate who has devoted her professional life to the college. She has built a culture of faculty collegiality, mentored generations of faculty leaders, facilitated shared governance at John Jay and CUNY and helped to strengthen John Jay as a community and an academic institution.

Dr. Caroline Reitz, who received the Distinguished Service to Students Award, is a professor of English who has led the Vera Fellows Program for over sixteen years -- arranging placements, running pre-professionalization workshops, fostering classroom leadership, securing networking opportunities and providing close and dedicated mentorship to a steady stream of John Jay students. Her former students include diplomats, academics, consultants, lawyers, educators, community organizers, non-profit leaders and more.