News Detail
Thirty SUNY Cortland students, 12 community members, nine faculty and staff members and one community group will be recognized on Thursday, April 23, with the College’s Leadership in Civic Engagement Awards.
The reception will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Brockway Hall Jacobus Lounge and is free and open to the public.
Also receiving recognition will be the participants in the 2014-15 Judson H. Taylor Leadership House program, the Service-Learning Corps, the Civic Engagement Scholarship program and the student winners of Peter F. Eisenhardt First Year Learning Community Scholarships for Excellence in the Learning (In) Deed learning community.
The awards recognize exemplary service in support of community agencies, social change and civic engagement by SUNY Cortland students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members.
Student recipients are involved with a wide variety of activities, including leadership roles in raising funds for the Adopt-a-Family program, Loaves and Fishes and Special Olympics. Others volunteer in local afterschool programs, at Randall School and at the YWCA’s Bridges for Kids program. Other students tutor and mentor children in physical activities that improve health and help build self-esteem. The vast majority of activity supports Cortland County residents, the public school system and numerous human service organizations.
Student recipients are:
Adeymi Aderohunmu
Tyler Ballantyne
Hannah Bush
Stefania Buta
Crissana Christie
Katelin Cornetta
Elvis de la Rosa
Nikki Donlick
Miguel Espaillat
Brian Hartrick
Candice Jaimungal
Elise Konikoff
Carlos Lemus
Maranda Maher
Caley Maida
Kristie Mauro
Kathleen Mezzacappa
Brittney Murphy
Lucila Mutino
Matthew Norris
Everett Phillips
Ashlee Prewitt
Kimberlee Roe
Piffany Rosa
Karyn Scott
Melanie Sjoblom
Garrett Smith
Jackie Soranno
Brianna Sullivan
Patrick Viscome
The following SUNY Cortland faculty and staff recipients are:
Helena Baert, assistant professor, Physical Education Department
Barbara Barton, assistant professor, Health Department
Valerie Behr, lecturer, Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department
Kathleen Burke, associate professor and chair, Economics Department
Beth Klein, professor, Childhood/Early Childhood Department
Janet Ochs, lecturer, Library
Greg Phelan, associate professor and chair, Chemistry Department
Tim Phillips, associate professor, Economics Department
Gabe Recchio, SUNY Cortland’s NYPIRG Coordinator
Community member recipients are:
Chris Driscoll, coordinator, Cortland County Children Services Initiative (CCSI
Linnay Harmer, prevention specialist, Cortland Prevention Resources
Emma Ignaszewski, media specialist, Seven Valleys Health Coalition
Adam Megivern, executive director, Cortland Downtown Partnership
Susan Osborn, principal, Lafayette CSD’s Big Picture School
Mary Podsiedlik, teacher, Tully Central Schools
Peter Reyes, principal, Barry Elementary School
Kelly Skinner, executive director, Cortland YWCA
Norm Stitzel, founder/director, Warriors of the Cross
Amoreena Tellaeche, 5th grade teacher, Virgil Elementary School
Matt Whitman, project coordinator, Cortland Area Communities that Care
Jane Witty, events coordinator, Cortland Downtown Partnership
The Community Group recipient is:
Access to Independence
Seven students won scholarships that acknowledge outstanding commitment to community and exceptional academic achievement:
Piffany Rosa, the BorgWarner Morse TEC Scholarship
Brittney Murphy, the Catherine McDermott Lavelle Scholarship for Student Leaders
Crissana Christie, the Judson H. Taylor Community Service Scholarship
Katelin Cornetta, the Judson H. Taylor Community Service Scholarship
Patrick Viscome, the Judson Taylor Community Service Scholarship
Elise Konikoff, the Lambda Phi Delta Scholarship
Matthew Norris, the James H. and Dorothy A. Sarvay Scholarship
Patrick Viscome will also be awarded the Cortland Area Chapter of the Alumni Association’s Community Service Award
Two students will be awarded Peter F. Eisenhardt First-Year Learning Community Scholarships for excellence in the Learning (In) Deed learning community:
Sara Billings
Lia Mistretta
Four students will be awarded the Excellence in Service-Learning Award for their participation in the Service-Learning Corps:
Sydney Carlucci
Crissana Christie
Madeline Eagan
Regina Gianfreda
Four students will receive the Civic Engagement Scholarship Award:
Madison Kandoth
Tiffany Leone
Nicholas Menedes
Christopher O’Neill
Seven students will be recognized with the Vanguard Leader Award in recognition of their participation in the Judson H. Taylor Leadership House:
Meryem Akman
Karlene Anderson
Magdalena Gippert
Hein Hofvind
Lisa Ann Quinn
Tyler Rodabaugh
Andrea Tirrell
The Leadership in Civic Engagement Awards and Scholarships event is sponsored by the College’s Institute for Civic Engagement, the divisions of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Institutional Advancement, as well as the Cortland Foundation and the Cortland Fund.