Michael R. Cunningham
NYU Distinguished Alumni Achievement AwardMichael R. Cunningham who earned a doctorate in graphic communications management and technology from the Department of Culture and Communication and a master’s degree from the same program, is one of the youngest alumni to receive Steinhardt’s Distinguished Achievement Award, ten years ago.
Cunningham’s dissertation on organizational culture in the context of mergers and acquisitions grew out of his work in the graphic communications industry. He was the founder, president and CEO of Cunningham Graphics International, a publicly held company which he still is active with, and has served as professor in the business school at San Diego State University, Rutgers and NYU. His education is especially meaningful because Cunningham is a first-generation college student. His father, grandfather, and great grandfather were New York City firemen.
“I have been very fortunate in this life,” Cunningham says. “I owe a big part of it to the men and women at (at NYU). To me, investing in NYU and its students — our future leaders —was an easy choice because it was the right thing to do.”
Mr. Cunningham is recognized as a leader in the graphics communication and technology industry. His company, Cunningham Graphics International, Inc. (CGII), provides digital communication, offset and digital printing, and other services from 18 production facilities worldwide. CGII won the state of New Jersey’s Blue Chip Enterprise Award in 1996. Mr. Cunningham was recognized as New Jersey’s Entrepreneur of the Year for Business Services in 1999 by Ernst & Young and recently received the Prestigious Power of Communications Award from the Association of Graphic Communications.
Mr. Cunningham is also committed to community service and is involved with many nonprofit organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, the Leukemia Society, St. Lucy’s Homeless Shelters, Project Earth and his collegiate fraternity, Kappa Sigma.
