Brooklyn College proudly announces that Psychology Professor Emerita Nancy Romer, a dedicated member of the Professional Staff Congress-CUNY (PSC-CUNY), has been awarded the 2025 Francis Higman Award for Service to AAUP Collective Bargaining Chapters in New York State.
A passionate and highly effective activist, Romer has long been committed to labor rights, food justice, feminism, and environmental justice. Since joining the PSC-CUNY Executive Council in 2023, she has played a key role in advancing workers’ rights and sustainability initiatives. Her colleagues particularly commend her leadership as co-chair of the PSC’s Environmental Justice Working Group.
Under Romer’s leadership, PSC-CUNY has become a driving force in the fight for environmental justice and decarbonization within New York’s labor movement. She has built strong, winning coalitions by partnering with labor allies and community organizations to push for divestment and sustainability policies. Her efforts helped establish a permanent Climate and Environmental Justice Caucus within the American Federation of Teachers, marking a significant step toward integrating environmental advocacy into labor organizing.
The Francis (“Frank”) Higman Award honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service in:
- advancing academic freedom and shared governance,
- promoting economic security for academics,
- strengthening higher education unions, and
- ensuring that higher education serves the greater good.
The award is named after Frank Higman, a longtime member of the AAUP and a founding member of the Niagara University Lay Teachers Association (NULTA), an AAUP-affiliated collective bargaining chapter. Higman led NULTA as president and chief negotiator from 1975 to 1998, leaving a lasting impact on academic labor rights.
Since 1915, the American Association of University Professors has been at the forefront of shaping higher education in the United States, advocating for strong labor protections and academic standards. Romer’s work exemplifies this legacy, making her a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.
