Longtime Faculty Leader Farley Mawyer Selected as 2026 Chief Faculty Marshal

Veteran professor Dr. Farley Mawyer of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department has been named Chief Faculty Marshal for the 2026 Commencement Exercises, to be held on the St. John’s University campus in Queens on Friday, May 29.

Dr. Mawyer began his teaching career at York College/CUNY in 1980, following an earlier appointment at Queens College, his undergraduate alma mater. Born in Virginia and raised in Brooklyn, he quips that he didn’t “grow up in Brooklyn, only got taller.”

He earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center, specializing in number theory. Over the years, he has mentored students who have solved dozens of problems published in mathematical journals, including Math Horizons. In a farewell message, former “problem section” editor Andy Liu credited Mawyer for his students’ success, citing his “enthusiastic infection” as an inspiration to young mathematicians.

A longstanding leader in faculty governance, the former department chair served on the York College Senate for more than 30 years, including extensive service as Senate Vice Chair and faculty governance leader. He has also held multiple leadership roles in the Metropolitan New York Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), including chair, chair-elect, and secretary. In recognition of his contributions, he received the MAA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2003 and Distinguished Teaching Award in 2006.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Mawyer is an accomplished and highly active member in the bridge league community. A Diamond Life Master, he has served as president of both the Nassau-Suffolk Bridge Association and the Westchester Contract Bridge Association. He has also held leadership roles within the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL), including service as an officer of District 24 and District 3, and currently sits on the ACBL Advisory Council. He holds lifetime appointments to the league’s National Charity and National Goodwill Committees.

He has coordinated large-scale bridge tournaments across the tri-state area and continues to organize competitions in Westchester. Still, he says his greatest joy comes from teaching bridge to members of the York College community and playing alongside them—while reminding students that academics come first.

Dr. Mawyer also contributed significantly to student academic enrichment as the inaugural coach of York’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) team, a role he held for more than a decade. He additionally coached York students competing in the prestigious William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition.

A dedicated scholar and committed member of the York community, Dr. Mawyer has received numerous honors, including the York College Presidential Award for Distinguished Service, the Men of Distinction Award from the York College Men’s Center (inaugural class), and the Keepers of the Alliance Flame Award from the LSAMP program.