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News from Around the College, 2017

SUNY Empire employee Janet Aiello-Cerio, at left, drops off holiday gifts to Lindsay Duma, a volunteer with the Franklin Community Center.

SUNY Empire State College Donates Holiday Gifts to the Franklin Community Center

Posted December 8, 2017

The Franklin Community Center was as busy as a beehive when Janet Aiello-Cerio, events and communications coordinator for the Office of Enrollment Management at SUNY Empire State College, dropped off holiday gift donations from Saratoga Springs-area employees. ... MORE

Pictured are the staff of the college's Office of Admissions in front of gifts to be donated to the Empty Stocking Project in Saratoga Springs.

Office of Admissions Secret Santas Stuff Empty “Stockings” for 8-year-old Demond and 9-year-old Melody

Posted December 7, 2017

Empty Stocking matches sponsors, a.k.a. Secret Santas, with underprivileged children throughout Saratoga County. ... MORE

Executive Vice President for Administration Joseph L. Garcia, a retired lieutenant colonel and 28-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, stands with Librarian Sara Hull in the lobby of 2 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, N.Y., as cards for the Holidays for Heroes program were collected.

SUNY Empire Participates in the American Red Cross’s Holidays for Heroes Program

Posted December 4, 2017

Sara Hull, librarian at SUNY Empire State College, opened the first tab on her random acts of kindness advent calendar and the message underneath read: Write a card to a soldier. ... MORE

Professor Jim Wunsch, at left, with Margaret Blair '17 at the college's Manhattan location.

SUNY's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards Scholarship to Brooklyn Alumna Margaret Blair for Research of Art in the Czech Republic and Cuba

Posted November 30, 2017

Blair, who graduated in October 2017 and completed a bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration in arts, learning and communication, traveled to Cuba twice and once to the Czech Republic to conduct research on art in both countries. She was particularly focused on the communist cultures in both countries. ... MORE

Central New York students, alumni and employees support the Year of the Caribbean.

Students, Alumni and Employees in Central New York Paint Together to Support Year of the Caribbean

Posted November 17, 2017

SUNY Empire State College students, alumni and employees from the Central New York region created beach-themed paintings in support of this year’s Year of the Caribbean theme for the college. ... MORE

Gingerbread creation, “The Ballroom,” incorporates Cosgriff’s fish-eye image of a tree in front of the museum in springtime. Image courtesy of Timothy Cosgriff '93

Art of Timothy Cosgriff '93 on Display at Eastman Museum

Posted November 15, 2017

Artist Timothy Cosgriff '93, regional operations coordinator for SUNY Empire State College’s Genesee Valley locations, and an alumnus of the college, has his work on display at the George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave., Rochester, N.Y., as part of its annual Sweet Creations Display. ... MORE

Image of Doug Sherman, left, with two other veterans, who also are members of SALUTE, at the 2017 commencement at Albany.

First Class of Veteran and Military Students Inducted Into SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society

Posted November 10, 2017

Sixty-seven active-duty military and veteran SUNY Empire State College students, from across New York state and the nation, have been inducted into the college’s SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society. ... MORE

Meg Benke, left, is presented with the Noflett Williams Service Award by Deb Adair, executive director of Quality Matters, the 2016 award recipient. Photo provided NUTN

Professor Meg Benke Receives National University Technology Network’s Noflett Williams Service Award

Posted November 8, 2017

The award is named in honor of the late Nofflet D. Williams, a NUTN founder and pioneer in the application of telecommunications to education and the development of distance learning on state, national and international levels. ... MORE

Altes presents Gaines with Altes Prize

Donna Gaines Presented Altes Prize at the Fall Academic Conference

Posted November 6, 2017

Donna Gaines, assistant professor of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Studies at the college’s Old Westbury location and a licensed social worker, was presented with the Jane and Wally Altes Prize for Exemplary Community Service at the Fall Academic Conference, held Oct. 25 through 27. ... MORE

Gayle Stever Delivers Susan H. Turben Faculty Lecture

Posted November 6, 2017

Thirty years ago, no one was researching fan behavior and “superstar mania” in the field of psychology and lifespan development. When Gayle Stever, associate professor in Social Sciences with the college’s Rochester location, looked at the literature, it was almost all coming from the communication field. ... MORE

David Pritchard to Present at Wings of the Future Forum, Moscow, Russia

Posted October 31, 2017

According to Pritchard, manufacturing processes of the next generation of aircraft – to be produced in the mid-2020s – will include advanced robotic applications, including collaborative robots (COBOTS), industrial robots on automated guide vehicles (MOBOTS), automated fiber placement, additive manufacturing, thermoplastic airframe structures and factory digitalization. ... MORE

Image of “Cover Jar,

Artwork by Mentor Alan Stankiewicz Selected for a Juried Clay Exhibition

Posted October 18, 2017

An opening reception takes place from 6-9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 10, at the Flower City Arts Center, 713 Monroe Ave., Rochester, N.Y. ... MORE

Ira Taub, Ruth Losack (mentor), Jenny Mincin (mentor, standing), Marie Wausnock (sitting), Gennaro Bonfiglio (mentor, standing), Jennifer Taub (sitting), Gina Torino (mentor, standing) and Lisa Nuzzi, (sitting)

Staten Island Faculty and Staff Cap Student Welcome Week with Mentor/Mentee Dinner

Posted September 29, 2017

Welcome week consists of a series of events, including sessions on tips, tricks and traps to avoid on the path to academic success, student club meetings, a workshop on Moodle, the college's online learning management system and a reception followed by the mentor/mentee dinner. ... MORE

SUNY Empire student Blain Smith

Blain Smith Returns to College

Posted September 13, 2017

Blain Smith has a successful career as a computer engineer and IT systems programmer, including seven years as a programmer at Harvard University, is a married father of a four-year-old son and, with his wife, has just finished building a new home in Saratoga County, in upstate New York. ... MORE

Zeeva Bukai

Zeeva Bukai Wins Curt Johnson Prose Award

Posted August 25, 2017

Zeeva Bukai, academic support specialist at SUNY Empire State College’s Brooklyn location, has received the 2017 Curt Johnson Prose Award for fiction for her story, “The Abandoning.” ... MORE

Left to right are: Jane and her husband, John J. Corrou '94, a member of the Empire State College Foundation Board, Marian Conway ’01, ‘04, chair of the board, and Walter Williams, the college’s vice president for advancement.

Record-setting Turn Out for an Evening at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Posted August 17, 2017

The college saw a sellout crowd and a record turnout with close to 160 guests at its 13 annual Evening at SPAC. ... MORE

President Hancock with alumna Josie Quinones ’91 at Saratoga Race Course during the annual day at the races event.

90-year-old Alumna Josie Quinones ’91 Enjoys a Day at the Races

Posted August 14, 2017

She was proud to learn that she was the oldest person in attendance. ... MORE

Bassist and alumnus Marcus McLaurine ’09, and his jazz group, Native Soul, perform at the college's Juneteenth celebration in Manhattan.

Black Male Initiative Celebrates Juneteenth Freedom Day

Posted August 8, 2017

SUNY Empire State College’s Black Male Initiative (BMI), one of the college's many student/alumni clubs, welcomed a large, diverse, standing-room-only crowd to celebrate Juneteenth Freedom Day, also known as Juneteenth, Freedom Day and African-American Independence Day. ... MORE

President Hancock and member's of the college's alumni and foundation boards, present the winning trophy to jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Driving Me Crazy to victory in the fourth race at Saratoga.

23rd Annual Day at the Races – Another Winner

Posted August 4, 2017

Again this year, on Friday, July 28, SUNY Empire State College sponsored the fourth race at Saratoga Race Course. The day began with breakfast, an invitation to take a guided tour of the historic track and expert advice on handicapping the thoroughbred horse races. ... MORE

SUNY Old Westbury Assistant Professor Andrew Hashley and SUNY Empire State College Associate Professor Rhianna Rogers at the SUNY COIL workshop at AUT.

SUNY Empire Faculty Advance Innovative, Virtual International Student “Exchange” Program

Posted July 27, 2017

SUNY Empire State College faculty and professional staff participated in the recent SUNY Center for Collaborative Online International Learning (SUNY COIL)’s intensive five-day workshop at the American University in Technology (AUT), Beirut, Lebanon, one of the college’s eight international education partners. ... MORE

Professor Barbara Kantz, left, celebrates with Tanya Rice Thompson at the college's commencement event on Long Island. Thompson completed her master's this spring.

Tanya Rice Thompson Completes Master’s in Adult Learning, Her Second SUNY Empire Degree

Posted July 18, 2017

Tanya Rice Thompson '14, ‘17 first enrolled with SUNY Empire State College in 2012, after having been away from higher education for 30 years, and completed a B.S. in Community and Human services two years later. ... MORE

UWI Professor Ceceile Minott and SUNY Empire Professor Tracy Galuski at the residency.

Early Childhood Education "Residency" Enhances Student Learning

Posted July 11, 2017

SUNY Empire State College early childhood education students took advantage of an opportunity to participate in a hands-on learning residency experience at The Strong National Museum of Play, in Rochester, N.Y. Residencies are among many types of learning opportunities offered by SUNY Empire. ... MORE

Bina Ahmad speaking at the MSiA Women of Color Seminar.

Minority Students in Action Co-sponsor Women of Color Seminar “Recognizing our Experiences, Celebrating our Voices”

Posted June 28, 2017

Sponsored by Minority Students in Action (MSiA), and SUNY Empire State College, the Women of Color Seminar, “Recognizing our Experiences, Celebrating our Voices,” featured a keynote address by Vivian Nixon, a roundtable discussion on intellectual solidarity, a workshop on legal rights, breakout sessions and a discussion on diversity and inclusion. ... MORE

Student/alumni club Human Services Collaborative cap decorating event.

Student/Alumni Club Human Services Collaborative Hosts Third “Bling Your Cap” Commencement Preparation Event

Posted June 8, 2017

Hosted and supported by the college’s Human Services Collaborative student/alumni club, the third consecutive “Bling Your Cap” commencement event attracted more than 35 people, including 26 graduating students, their friends and family. ... MORE

Painting from the Caribbean Heritage Mixed Media Art Exhibit

Caribbean Heritage Mixed-media Art Exhibition Marks Caribbean Heritage Month, Year of the Caribbean

Posted June 8, 2017

The exhibit features artwork by students Natural Langdon, Anesta Bernice Stewart, Pedro Tavárez, Felix Torres, Carmen Velez and George A. Velez, as well as alumni Eugenia D’Ambrosio ’05, Cristina Guzman ’12, Alisa Irby ’16, Vanessa Moore ’14, Julia Primus ’16 and Daryl Tillman ’16. ... MORE

Arthur Moats surrounded by his wife, Shonda, two daughters, Kaylor and Ava, and son, Grey.

NFL Linebacker Arthur Moats Completes his Master’s

Posted June 5, 2017

Former Buffalo Bills and current Pittsburgh Steelers Outside Linebacker Arthur Nathan Moats III completed his Master of Arts in Community and Economic Development, with an advanced graduate certificate in social entrepreneurship, at SUNY Empire State College’s commencement event Saturday, June 3, in Buffalo, N.Y. ... MORE

Professor Anastasia Pratt, graduate student Kristina Kwacz and form member of the state Assembly William Parment.

Master’s Capstone Project, “In the Shadow of the Twenty,” Tells the Story of How World War II and the Cold War Kept Newlyweds Apart for 20 Years

Posted May 12, 2017

More than 35 people attended an opening reception for “In the Shadow of the Twenty,” an exhibition of family history reinterpreted through photographs and memoir, created by graduate student Kristina Kwacz. ... MORE

Professor Rebecca Bonanno.

Faculty Fellowship Supports Research and Community Event on Mental Illness

Posted May 12, 2017

Bonanno’s fellowship project focuses on increasing the mental health literacy of parents in the town of Huntington on Long Island. ... MORE

Art student Maria Rizzo with Professor Alan Stankiewicz, her faculty mentor.

Student Maria Rizzo Has Successful Opening Reception for "Velatura" Exhibition

Posted May 10, 2017

Family, friends, teachers, colleagues and community members came out on April 4 to an opening reception for "Velatura: Trees and Places with Subtle Layers of Purples, Greens and Blue.” ... MORE

Arthur Chickering, SUNY Empire State College's founding vice president of academic affairs.

Arthur Chickering Named Distinguished Alumni at Teachers College, Columbia University

Posted May 9, 2017

Chickering was among the educators and scholars chosen by then SUNY Chancellor Ernest L. Boyer to review his seminal document describing the college, “Prospectus for a new University College,” in February 1971. ... MORE

Member of Assembly Charles Barron and SUNY Empire State College Chief Diversity Officer for Institutional Equity and Inclusion Elliott Dawes.

Member of Assembly Charles Barron Meets with Student/Alumni Club The Black Male Initiative

Posted May 4, 2017

The event, “The Conditions of Our Community,” took place Wednesday evening, April 19. Nearly 50 students, alumni, faculty and staff participated. ... MORE

Steve Slagle '89

Alumni Spotlight: Steve Slagle '89

Posted April 19, 2017

Steve Slagle '89, who graduated with a B.A. in The Arts, has had his new recording, "Alto Manhattan," (Panorama Records) reach No. 4 on the jazz radio charts. ... MORE

Mark Spawn '07

Alumni Spotlight: Mark Spawn '07

Posted April 19, 2017

Mark Spawn '07, who earned a B.S. in Community and Human Services at the Central New York location, worked his way through the ranks in Fulton, N.Y., serving as the city’s chief of police for 11 years. ... MORE

Verna, guide do extraordinaire, retires.

Verna – Guide Dog Extraordinaire – Retires

Posted March 31, 2017

Special recognition for a member of the SUNY Empire State College community was bestowed during the recent All College Conference, held in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. ... MORE

Sir Hilary Beckles delivers the 2017 Boyer Family Lecture

Buzz About Sir Hilary Beckles’ Boyer Lecture Continues

Posted March 31, 2017

By 1660, Barbados, the island where Sir Hilary was born, became the first society in the western hemisphere where Africans comprised the majority of the population. ... MORE

Sir Hilary Beckles delivers the 2017 Boyer Family Lecture

University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles Delivers Boyer Lecture at All College Conference

Posted March 20, 2017

“Reparatory Justice and Economic Development: Critical Support for the Social Growth Paradigm in the Caribbean.” ... MORE

BMI member Tony Haywood, Chief Diversity Officer for Institutional Equity and Inclusion Elliott Dawes, and BMI member Natural Langdon. Photo/David Fullard

BMI Hosts Screening and Post-film Discussion on PBS Documentary “Birth of a Movement”

Posted March 17, 2017

The documentary features interviews with filmmaker Spike Lee, Reginald Hudlin, the director and producer of “Django Unchained,” Paul D. Miller, known as DJ Spooky, an artist, writer and musician, commissioned by Lincoln Center Festival to do a video remix titled “Rebirth of a Nation,” Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Dick Lehr, author of the book “The Birth of a Movement: How Birth of a Nation Ignited the Battle for Civil Rights,” among others. ... MORE

Head Shot

Empire State College Alumnus Bob Herbert Hosts Segment of PBS Documentary, “Chasing the Dream”

Posted March 9, 2017

Bob Herbert ‘88, hosted a segment of the PBS series “Chasing the Dream,” on Monday night (March 6). ... MORE

Graduate student Kristina Kwacz discusses her research at the conference. Photo/Empire State College

Graduate Students’ Work Selected for SUNY Faculty Senate Graduate and Research Conference

Posted March 9, 2017

More than 50 Students, and their faculty advisors, from 18 SUNY campuses participated in the one-day conference. ... MORE

President Merodie Hancock stands to the left of Nell Braxton Gibson '82 and Fay Wattleton. Hancock and Wattleton presented Gibson with the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award at the college's fifth annual celebration of black history. Photo/Marty Heitner '92

Nell Braxton Gibson ’82, Among ‘60s Civil Rights Pioneers Interviewed on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” for Black History Month

Posted February 17, 2017

Gibson shared advice for those not currently involved with civil rights who may not want to get outside of themselves and talk with others: “Suck it up. It’s too important not to (do). ... MORE

President Hancock presents Sewon Kim with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Creative Activities. Photo/Empire State College

Business Professor Sewon Kim Joins Editorial Board of Human Resource Development Quarterly Journal

Posted February 15, 2017

HRDQ is one of the most established refereed quarterly journals in the field of human resource and organization development that publishes original empirical research. ... MORE

Professor Kim Stote at Teach and Taste: All About Chocolate.

"Teach and Taste: All About Chocolate," An Educational and Delicious Event

Posted February 13, 2017

Sky Armory in Syracuse was the setting for "Teach and Taste: All About Chocolate," when two of this year’s Scholars Across the College, Kim Stote and Dana Gliserman-Kopans,?presented to a full room of alumni, students, faculty and staff. ... MORE

Deborah J. Smith

“Local Hero,” an essay by Professor Deborah Smith, to Air on WAMC’s “51%”

Posted February 6, 2017

“Local Hero,” will be aired on WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s program “51%,” at 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, and again at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15. ... MORE

Associate Professor Kim Stote Awarded Second Fulbright

Posted January 27, 2017

The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board has selected Kim Stote, associate professor and the college’s interim associate dean for health professions, to receive the American Traditional (All Disciplines) Fulbright Scholar Award to Canada. ... MORE

Graduate students and undergraduate alumni Lori Mould '14 and Jacki Hannon '14 participate in the student leadership institute.

A New Cohort of Students Enters the Leadership Institute

Posted January 27, 2017

The college’s leadership institute provides students with a yearlong experience, which develops and enhances their skills in working with others to achieve common goals and, equally as important, positively impact the communities where they, live, work and learn. ... MORE

SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher

Chancellor Zimpher Delivers Farewell State of the University Address

Posted January 23, 2017

Delivering her eighth and final State of the University Address in Albany, N.Y., SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today highlighted progress made by SUNY in the last decade. ... MORE

Left to right are Nick Simons, chief of staff for the SUNY Student Assembly, Vashti Ma’at, SUNY Empire State College graduate student and Clare Gilroy, Binghamton University’s youth engagement coordinator.

Graduate Student and Alumna Vashti Ma'at '13 Selected for Applied Learning Panel

Posted January 18, 2017

Graduate student Vashti Ma'at ‘13 was selected to participate in SUNY’s third annual Applied Learning Conference student panel and workshop held in Binghamton, N.Y., last fall. ... MORE

Ashley Caldwell '14, the defending champion, won the FIS World Cup freestyle skiing, women’s aerials, competition at Lake Placid, N.Y. Photo/Empire State College

Alumna Caldwell '14 Wins Gold at Lake Placid

Posted January 18, 2017

SUNY Empire State College alumna Ashley Caldwell ’14, last season’s overall FIS World Cup Champion in freestyle skiing, women’s aerials, and a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic Team, took home the gold medal at this year’s World Cup event held Jan. 14, at Lake Placid, N.Y. ... MORE

Martin Luther King Jr., photograph by Benedict J. Fernandez '87.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Statement from President Merodie A. Hancock

Posted January 13, 2017

“Martin Luther King Jr.’s lifelong struggle – and the struggle of the civil rights movement that continues today – was essentially one of education." ... MORE

Graduate student Kristina Kwacz shows her SUNY Empire colors in Wilno, Poland. Image courtesy Kristina Kwacz

Graduate Student Kristina Kwacz Published in Peer-reviewed Journal Confluence

Posted January 12, 2017

“Pilgrimage, Partitions, and Patriarchy: Polish Women and the Virgin Mary,” by Kristina Kwacz, a student in SUNY Empire State College’s School for Graduate Studies’ Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program, was published in Confluence, The Journal of Graduate Liberal Studies. ... MORE

University of the West Indies

President Hancock Meets with State Sen. Hamilton on SUNY’s UWI Partnership

Posted January 9, 2017

President Merodie A. Hancock met with state Sen. Jesse Hamilton, (D, Brooklyn), on Dec. 16, 2016, at his district office, as part of SUNY Empire State College’s leadership role in the newly established SUNY UWI (University of the West Indies) Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development. ... MORE

Reimagine Education 2016 Stars Awards Career Brand Management for Everyone Shortlisted

Innovative SUNY Empire Online Learning Opportunity Again Included on Reimagine Education’s Shortlist

Posted January 9, 2017

For the second year in a row, one of SUNY Empire State College’s innovative online learning opportunities has been selected for the shortlist in Reimagine Education’s annual international award competition. ... MORE

Rita Chami

International Student Rita Chami a Victim of the Terrorist Attack on an Istanbul Nightclub

Posted January 4, 2017

Rita Chami, an international student enrolled through the college’s Lebanon Residency Program, has been identified as among those killed during the recent New Year’s Eve terrorist attack at an Istanbul nightclub. Chami was 25. ... MORE

Meg Benke

Meg Benke Named to Middle States Commission Executive Committee

Posted January 9, 2017

Meg Benke, a professor and academic area coordinator with SUNY Empire State College’s School for Graduate Studies, has been elected to serve on the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s Executive Committee. ... MORE