8 . ▁ ▁President ▁Pérez ▁has ▁led ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁programs ▁that ▁increase ▁the ▁participation ▁of ▁women ▁and ▁low - in come ▁students ▁in ▁the ▁S TE M ▁( S cience , ▁Technology , ▁Engineering ▁and ▁Math ) ▁fields , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁programs ▁that ▁prepare ▁students ▁to ▁enter ▁high - dem and ▁fields , ▁including ▁n urs ing ▁and ▁al lied ▁health . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁widely ▁known ▁for ▁having ▁she ph erd ed ▁the ▁college ▁community ▁through ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁B M CC ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁college ▁in ▁United ▁States ▁history ▁to ▁have ▁lost ▁a ▁campus ▁building ▁to ▁a ▁terror ist ▁attack . ▁F it erman ▁Hall , ▁a ▁few ▁blocks ▁from ▁B M CC ' s ▁main ▁campus , ▁was ▁destroyed ▁when ▁World ▁Trade ▁ 7 , ▁across ▁the ▁street , ▁col lapsed ▁and ▁fell ▁against ▁it , ▁causing ▁irre par able ▁damage . ▁F it erman ▁Hall ▁was ▁closed ▁and ▁B M CC ’ s ▁main ▁campus ▁building ▁became ▁a ▁command ▁center ▁and ▁st aging ▁area ▁for ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁rescue ▁workers . ▁Pérez , ▁broadcast ing ▁live ▁with ▁CBS ▁ 2 ▁rep orter ▁Lou ▁Young ▁on ▁the ▁roof ▁of ▁the ▁B M CC ▁main ▁campus ▁building , ▁got ▁the ▁word ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁college ’ s ▁then ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0 ▁students ▁that ▁B M CC ▁would ▁re open ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 , ▁less