Campus Champion

Christopher Tucker, the College’s property services manager, seemingly tracks every last thing on campus. For the last two years, he also tracked people. As SUNY Cortland’s team leader in the J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge – a workforce health initiative held in dozens of cities – he and five colleagues coordinated the logistics of t-shirt choice, bus shuttle, hospitality tent and race registration for 89 coworkers running in the June 21 event in Syracuse, “When I first started training for the 2007 Corporate Challenge, I never thought I would, or even could, run a marathon,” Tucker said. In November, he will run his fifth, the ING New York City Marathon.

The New York Jets today notified SUNY Cortland officials that the team will not hold summer training camp at SUNY Cortland this year because of logistical complications and time constraints caused by ongoing contract negotiations between National Football League owners and players.

The Jets will hold the team’s 2011 camp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, N.J., but will return to SUNY Cortland in 2012 and 2013. The College’s agreement with the Jets includes a renewal clause for potentially two more years after that.

“We are disappointed, but we understand why the Jets management made this decision, and we’re looking forward to hosting the team next year,” SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum said. “Our partnership remains strong, and we will continue to support the team as enthusiastic Jets fans.”

The Jets held productive training camps at SUNY Cortland in 2009 and 2010, Rex Ryan’s first two seasons as the team’s head coach. Last summer, the three-week camp drew more than 41,000 people to campus, creating an estimated economic impact of $5.8 million in the Central New York region.

This year, with the future of the 2011 NFL season uncertain, both SUNY Cortland and Jets officials prepared for the camp, but realized it might not be possible for the team to train at the College.

"With all the variables presented by this unique offseason, we felt it was best for the Jets that we hold our training camp here at our practice facility," General Manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "This was not an easy decision, but it's one we felt we needed to make in order to give us the best chance to win."

Clay Hampton, the Jets’ senior director of operations, explained that moving the team, the staff and their equipment from New Jersey to upstate New York is an extensive process that takes several weeks. With that time frame in mind, the Jets decided to stay at home this summer.

"Training camp is a collaborative effort that requires many different departments to work together to be successful," said Hampton, "and staying at our facility gives us the best chance to accomplish that goal.”

Area school administrators struggling with budget cuts will discuss ideas for developing talented and dedicated teachers with fewer resources during the 2011 Francis J. Cheney Educational Issues Conference, to be held on the SUNY Cortland campus next month.

Three panels of educational leaders will address the issue at this year’s conference, titled “It’s Time to Lead: Now More than Ever.” The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11, in Sperry Center.              

The free conference is geared for area school administrators and students enrolled in SUNY Cortland’s Educational Leadership Department. It is sponsored by the Francis J. Cheney Conference Fund and the Cortland College Foundation. To register for the event, which includes lunch and refreshments, or to get more information, contact the Educational Leadership Department by calling (607) 753-2444 or by emailing janice.eaton@cortland.edu.

Kevin Mack, who chairs the Educational Leadership Department, works with an 11-member advisory board composed of regional school administrators to organize the annual, one-day summer conference. He views it as an opportunity for school principals and other leaders to develop the capability to creatively do more with less.

“Maintaining high levels of morale will be instrumental to providing our students with a positive learning environment,” Mack said. “As educational leaders, understanding and embracing the emotional state of our colleagues and ourselves is essential for effective leadership. Financial strains have hit home, new state level mandates are being required, and all educators are being asked to do more with less. Job security is uncertain.

“How do we remain positive, stay true to our core values, and still enact change? It is time to lead as we have never led before. This conference will help provide you with the tools to do this and more.”

The day will feature a series of learning sessions with three different participant groups — educators at elementary schools, middle schools and high schools — meeting concurrently during each session. The arrangement is designed to encourage the free exchange of ideas in a small group setting.

One session will address the topic of “Leading on a Shoestring Budget.” A second will focus on “Building Resilience in Others and Ourselves.” A third will explore the topic of “Tapping Local Talent: Growing Quality Professional Development from Within.”

Named after Francis J. Cheney, who served as Cortland Normal School principal from 1891 until his death in 1912, the educational conference was created and funded by Cheney’s granddaughter, Louise M. Conley of Princeton, N.J.

The conference’s mission is to create a learning community for educational leaders that enhances and supports the success of all students through ongoing professional development, refinement of leadership skills and networking, Mack said.

William E. Shaut, SUNY Cortland’s vice president for finance and management, recently became president of the State University of New York Business Association (SUBOA), which represents the top fiscal officers of 34 SUNY campuses across New York.

Shaut, who had been first vice president of the organization, became the group’s top leader earlier this month when former SUBOA president Brian Hutzley was tapped to replace Monica Rimai as interim senior vice chancellor for the SUNY system. He had been scheduled to begin a two-year term as SUBOA’s president in January, but Hutzley’s departure put him in the influential post seven months early.

The association works closely with SUNY Central administration on financial issues and the implementation of SUNY policies at the campus level. This year, for example, the organization was actively involved with determining how state budget cuts would be allocated among schools in the SUNY system.

“We represent the campus position to the system,” Shaut explained. “People in Albany may not know how decisions will affect individual campuses, and we bring them that perspective. “

SUBOA represents all SUNY campuses except community colleges. It is expected to play an important role in helping to determine policies and procedures related to the recently approved “rational tuition plan” and many other financial management issues.

“This is a time of both great challenge and great opportunity for all SUNY campuses,” SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum said. “We are fortunate to have someone with Bill’s knowledge, talent and experience looking out for our best interests.”

Shaut was appointed vice president for finance and management in April 2004, after serving in the post as interim vice president since June 2002.

SUNY Cortland recently awarded nearly $17,000 in scholarships to help 22 students expand their educational horizons in Australia, Europe or South America.

The students will study in Belize, Costa Rica, Spain, the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany or France this summer or during the fall semester. Six different scholarships with awards ranging from $400 to  $2,500 were offered through the College’s James M. Clark Center for International Education.

“We believe all students should have potentially transformational experiences as part of their college education,” SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “By studying abroad, students are immersed in a new culture and given an opportunity to develop a much broader and more diverse view of the world. Scholarships help make this experience affordable for many deserving SUNY Cortland students who might otherwise not have the opportunity.”

Recipients were selected based on criteria that included high academic achievement, financial need, involvement in extracurricular activities, a personal essay and letters of recommendation.

A description of the six scholarships and the students who won each award appear below:

Overseas Academic Program (OAP) Award

Overseas Academic Program (OAP) scholarships are awarded to students accepted in a study abroad program. The scholarship is $400 for summer recipients and $500 or $1,000 for fall recipients. The OAP Award recipients for the summer of 2011 are:

• Christine Capobianco, a senior adolescence education: social studies major from Glen Cove, N.Y., to attend the Belize Summer Teacher Institute; and,

• Kaitlyn Jaskot, a sophomore childhood education major from Blauvelt, N.Y., for study in Konstantz, Germany.

The OAP Award recipients of $500 for the fall of 2011 are:

• Monica Bailey, a junior biological sciences major from Buffalo, N.Y., for study in York, United Kingdom;

• Katilyn Boehm, a senior childhood education major from Port Washington, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia;

• Jessie Ford, a senior physical education major from Westbury, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia;

• Chelsea Leon, a senior psychology major from Northport, N.Y., for study in Dunedin, New Zealand;

• Sara Pick, a senior childhood education major from Westmoreland, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia; and,

• Jillian Walsh, a senior physical education major from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia.

The OAP Award recipients of $1,000 for the fall of 2011 are:

• Brianna Carolini, a senior childhood education major from Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., to complete student teaching in Australia; and,

• Abdoul Diallo, a junior international studies major from Bronx, N.Y., for study in LaRochelle, France.

Willi Uschald Scholarship

Created in 1991, the Uschald Study Abroad Scholarship is named for Willi A. Uschald, emeritus professor of foreign languages and director emeritus of international programs at SUNY Cortland. Uschald Scholarships are open to students accepted to a study abroad program who are U.S. citizens.

The Summer 2011 recipients of the $875 scholarships are:

• Mallory Gorman, a sophomore adolescence education: Spanish major from Syracuse, N.Y., for study in San Jose and Costa Rica;

• Maria Leonardi, a senior childhood education major from Spencer, N.Y., for study in Barcelona, Spain; and,

• Jenna Wright, a senior childhood education major from Lockwood, N.Y., for study in the Dominican Republic.

The Fall 2011 Uschald Award recipients of $1,000 are:

• Laura Emerling, a senior speech and hearing science major from Williamsville, N.Y., for study in Queensland, Australia;

• Grace Wheeler, a senior international studies and anthropology major from Ballston Lake, N.Y., for study in Salamanca, Spain;

• Morgan White, a senior English major from Binghamton, N.Y., for study at London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom; and,

• Dustin Verga, a senior physical education major from Delmar, N.Y., to complete student teaching in Australia.

Gregory R. Huether ’10 Scholarship

A scholarship was created in 2010 by Ronald and Marguerite Huether and family, who wished to honor the memory of their son, Gregory R. Huether ’10, and the wonderful international education experience he had through SUNY Cortland. The Gregory R. Huether ’10 European Sport Study Seminar Memorial Scholarship offers the College’s sport management majors an opportunity to attend the annual European Sport Study Seminar. The inaugural scholarship of $2,500 for Summer 2011 was awarded to:

• Rebecca Rooney, a senior sport management major from Middletown, N.Y., for an internship in Australia.

Gail Reed ’67 Scholarship

Created in 2007, the Gail Reed ’67 Scholarship is open to students who are U.S citizens and accepted to a study abroad program in destinations other than Great Britain for the sake of encouraging cross-cultural experiences. Reed created the scholarship to recognize the profound impact studying abroad had on her own life and to acknowledge the College’s study abroad program founder, Willi Uschald. The $500 scholarship for Fall 2011 is awarded to:

• Jessica Wilson, a senior childhood education and mathematics major from Medford, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia.

Kevin A. Rowell ’83 Award

SUNY Cortland graduate Kevin A. Rowell ’83 created the award in 1998 to support the overseas studies of a student who has participated in club sports, student government and volunteer work. The recipient of the $750 for the fall of 2011 is:

• Heather Schowe, a senior childhood education major from South New Berlin, N.Y., to complete her student teaching in Australia.

Marcia Spaeth McDermott Scholarship

The Marcia Spaeth McDermott Professional Study Abroad Scholarship was created in 2009 by the late Professor Emerita Marcia Spaeth McDermott, former acting dean of the School of Professional Studies, to support the overseas studies of a SUNY Cortland student majoring in a School of Professional Studies program. The recipient of the $750 scholarship for the fall of 2011 is:

• Vanessa Gibson, a senior outdoor recreation major from Auburn, N.Y., for an internship in Belize.

For more information on the study abroad scholarships, contact the James M. Clark Center for International Education at (607) 753-2209.

The SUNY Cortland men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic program finished 16th out of 440 NCAA Division III programs nationwide in the 2010-11 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup competition.

Cortland is one of only five schools nationwide, and the only college in New York, to place in the top 20 in each of the 16 years the standings have been compiled on the Division III level.

The other schools that hold that distinction are Williams College and Amherst College, both in Massachusetts, Middlebury College in Vermont and The College of New Jersey. Wisconsin-La Crosse was on that list through last season but finished 32nd this year.
 
The Red Dragons were the top finisher this season among New York Div. III schools with 604.5 points. The next closest New York school in the standings was SUNY Geneseo, which ranked 39^th.

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Learfield Sports and USA Today present the award annually to recognize overall excellence among collegiate athletic programs.

Cortland had 11 teams participate in NCAA postseason competition in 2010-11, nine of which placed in the top 20 nationally.

The women’s lacrosse team tied for third in the nation, the softball team finished fourth and the men’s lacrosse team tied for fifth. The baseball, field hockey and football teams each tied for ninth, the wrestling team placed 14th, the women’s cross country team finished 15th and the women’s volleyball team tied for 17th. The women's gymnastics team tied for fourth nationally at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Division III Championships, but that result is not counted in the Directors' Cup standings.
 
The standings are compiled based on schools’ national finishes in different sports. Teams earn points by qualifying for the NCAA postseason and advancing in the playoffs. The national champion in each sport receives 100 points.
 
There are four Directors’ Cup Awards, one to honor overall champions in each of the NCAA’s Divisions (I, II and III) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Directors’ Cup is the first-ever cross-sectional all-sports national recognition award for both men and women.

NACDA, which is now in its 46th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics directors, associates, assistants and conference commissioners at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The final rankings are listed below:

2010-11 LEARFIELD SPORTS DIRECTORS’ CUP
Final Division III Standings

Rank School                           Points
1. Williams (Mass.)                  1,147
2. Middlebury (Vt.)                   1,063.17
3. Washington (Mo.)                 964
4. Amherst (Mass.)                  889.5
5. Calvin (Mich.)                      762.25
6. Wisconsin-Whitewater          722.75
7. Emory (Ga.)                         692
8. Johns Hopkins (Md.)             688
9. Wisconsin-Stevens Point      686.25
10. College of New Jersey         660.75
11. Mass. Institute of Tech.       643.5
12. Wisconsin-Oshkosh             636.75
13. Stevens Inst. of Tech. (N.J.)         626
14. Wisconin-Eau Claire             615.5
15. Wartburg (Iowa)                   605.5
16. CORTLAND (N.Y.)               604.5
17. North Central (Ill.)                597.75
18. Illinois Wesleyan                 596.5
19. Ithaca (N.Y.)                        590
20. Christopher Newport (Va.)     585.75

Other New York schools in Top 100:

39. Geneseo                             370.67
43. New York Univ.                    340.67
tie 46. Rochester Inst. of Tech.   324.5
tie 46. St. Lawrence                   324.5
48. Buffalo St.                           319.5
52. Rochester                            302.5
62. Skidmore                             260
65. Farmingdale                        251.5
93. Merchant Marine Academy   197.75

Complete standings are online at: www.nacda.com <http://www.nacda.com>
 
2010-11 CORTLAND TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN NCAA DIVISION III POSTSEASON PLAY
(national finish in parentheses)

Women’s Lacrosse (tied for 3rd)
Softball (4th)
Men’s Lacrosse (tied for 5th)
Baseball (tied for 9th)
Field Hockey (tied for 9th)
Football (tied for 9th)
Wrestling (14th)
Women’s Cross Country (15th)
Women’s Volleyball (tied for 17th)
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field (tied for 35th)
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field (tied for 82nd)
 
(NOTE: Women's gymnastics tied for fourth nationally at the NCGA Div. III Championships, but that finish is not counted in the Directors' Cup standings since it is not an NCAA championship.)

CORTLAND’S DIRECTORS’ CUP FINISHES

1995-96:  19th
1996-97:  8th
1997-98:  2nd (tied)
1998-99:  8th
1999-00:  17th
2000-01:  13th
2001-02:  12th
2002-03:  15th
2003-04:  8th
2004-05:  13th
2005-06:  5th
2006-07:  3rd
2007-08:  9th
2008-09:  5th
2009-10:   17th
2010-11:   16th

SUNY Cortland junior men’s lacrosse attackman Mike Tota, of Webster, N.Y., has been selected to the 2011 Capital One College Division Academic All-America Men’s At-Large Second Team.
 
Tota is also one of four Cortland student-athletes in four different sports who earned Capital One academic all-district honors. Tota was named to the District I All-Academic Men’s At-Large first team. Junior softball shortstop Jessica Harman, of Penfield, N.Y., was chosen to the District I All-Academic Softball second team, while senior women’s golfer Meghan Brunswick, of Oneonta, N.Y., and junior women’s tennis player Alyssa Tretter, of Batavia, N.Y., were each named to the District I All-Academic Women’s At-Large second team.
 
The teams are chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The at-large teams cover 13 women’s and 12 men’s sports. CoSIDA’s District I includes Division II and III schools from New York and New England.
 
Tota began the 2011 spring semester with a 4.08 cumulative grade point average. A business economics major, he earned second-team All-SUNYAC honors and was an honorable mention All-American. Tota led Cortland with 40 goals scored and was third on the team with 51 total points in 19 games.
 
Harman entered the 2011 spring semester with a 3.90 grade point average. The kinesiology major started all 48 games for the Red Dragons this spring. A second-team all-region shortstop, she batted .362 with two homers, 12 doubles, 27 RBI, nine steals and a team-high 22 walks.
 
Brunswick, a biomedical sciences major, brought a 3.94 grade point average into the 2011 spring semester. She was the second-best finisher in all five of Cortland’s tournaments last fall, including an 11th place showing at the ECAC Div. II/III Championships. Brunswick also placed in the top 10 in three tournaments this spring.
 
Tretter is a childhood and early childhood education major. She started the 2011 spring semester with a 4.0 grade point average. Last fall she posted a 9-3 singles record and advanced to the SUNYAC tournament semifinals in both singles and doubles play. She captured the SUNYAC fourth singles crown as a sophomore in 2009.

Matt June

SUNY Cortland junior baseball player Matt June (Colonie), graduate student football player Dan Pitcher (Cortland) and junior men’s lacrosse player Mike Tota (Webster/Webster Schroeder) have been named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award winners in their respective sports for the 2010-11 school year.
 
The award is given to one student-athlete in the conference from each sport who has the highest cumulative grade point average, over a minimum of three semesters, among all first-team or second-team all-conference selections. The Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes a combination of academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement within the SUNY system at the Division l, Division lll and junior college levels. A student-athlete is only permitted to win the award once.
 
June, a fitness development major, entered the 2011 spring semester with a 3.29 cumulative grade point average. He was a first-team All-SUNYAC selection and a second-team All-New York Region honoree. June batted .339 with 17 stolen bases and made only six errors in 220 fielding chances.
 
Pitcher was a first-team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference quarterback last fall. That honor was used to determine his Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete award since the SUNYAC does not sponsor football. Pitcher currently has a 4.04 GPA as a sport management graduate student and registered a 4.08 GPA as an undergraduate psychology major. Last fall he completed 157-of-279 passes for 1,757 yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games.
 
Tota began the 2011 spring semester with a 4.08 grade point average. A business economics major, he earned second-team All-SUNYAC honors and was an honorable mention All-American. Tota led Cortland with 40 goals scored and was third on the team with 51 total points in 19 games.
 
 

Dan Pitcher

Mike Tota

The 2011 Annual Service Awards Ceremony recognizing classified staff will be held on Friday, Dec. 2, in the Corey Union Function Room.

The following employees are slated to receive awards. To note a correction or addition to the list, contact the Human Resources Office at (607) 753-2302.

35 Years

Wendy Fairchild, Information Resources Office

30 Years

Mavis LeFever, Campus Activities and Corey Union Office

Dolores Parker, Custodial Services

John Reynolds, University Police Department

Patrick Stack, Service Group

Sharon Tucker, Performing Arts Department

25 Years

Mary Cervoni, Registrar’s Office

Bonnie Eldred-Kress, Athletics

Brenda Gorman, Student Health Service

Theresa Peebles, Mathematics Department

Darleen Richardson, Research Foundation of SUNY

Mitchell Seamans, Mail Services/Central Warehouse/Commissary/Central Receiving

20 Years

Leslee Anne Bellardini, Health Department

Chauncey Bennett, University Police Department

Harland Bigelow, Budget Office

Linda Bunting, Custodial Services

Brenda Hammond, University Police

Elaine Lund, Student Health Services

William Parente, Custodial Services

Steven Phillips, Structural Maintenance

Ronald Riccardi, Structural Maintenance

Pamela Schroeder, Academic Affairs Office

Cheryl St. Peter, Custodial Services

15 Years

Doris Albro, Administrative Computing Services

Franklin Dalton, University Police Department

Kathleen Gauthier, Residence Life and Housing Office

Faith Kashuba, Stores Clerk I, Mail Services/Central Warehouse/Commissary/Central Receiving

10 Years

Patricia Alter, Literacy Department

Dale Argyle, Physical Plant

Nancy Beattie, Custodial Services

Renato Brevetti, Structural Maintenance

Lori Burns, Student Health Service

Giuseppi Canzano, Structural Maintenance

Kathy Coggi, Financial Aid Office

Michele Cornelius, Custodial Services

Timothy Gowe, Transportation Services

Carol Gridley, Advisement and Transition

David Haggerty, Custodial Services

Dawn Harvey, Custodial Services

Timothy Hecker, Heating Plant

Jane Leonard, Custodial Services

Chad Matijas, Structural Maintenance

Richard Nauseef, Heating Plant

Linda Parker, Custodial Services

Connie Parmiter, Mail Services/Central Warehouse/Commissary/Central Receiving

Ruth Partigianoni, Custodial Services

Gregory Peters, Custodial Services

Patricia Randolph, Center for Educational Exchange

Shirley Randolph, Student Accounts Office

Rosemary Root, Custodial Services

Athena Vunk-Moynihan, Registrar’s Office

Nancy White, Custodial Services

President Erik J. Bitterbaum has announced that the opening meeting of the Fall 2011 semester is scheduled on Thursday, Aug. 25. The meeting will begin with light refreshments at 8 a.m. in the Corey Union Function Room.

Detailed information including an agenda and response form will be sent via email by Wednesday, July 27.

All classified, UUP and M/C campus community members are invited to attend. 

For more information, refer to the email or call the President’s Office at (607) 753-2201.

Nancy J. Aumann, who twice served SUNY Cortland as an administrator and educator - first from 1990 to 1996 and again since 2005 - retired on June 29. She was designated associate provost emerita for academic affairs.

Appointed as associate provost in 2005, Aumann coordinated and supported the College’s curricular programs and was a member of the provost’s senior executive staff. Since 2009, she also served as interim associate dean of education in the College’s School of Education.

As associate provost, she shepherded many new programs through the approval process of the campus, the SUNY system and the State Education Department. They included the Bachelor of Arts in Archeology, the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, and bachelors of science programs in outdoor recreation, in recreation management, and in therapeutic recreation. She also helped establish the Master of Science programs in communication sciences and disorders, in community health, in sport management, in international sport management and in education with a new concentration in coaching in physical education.

Her collaborative efforts resulted in the introduction of more than 100 new courses in the College Catalog and Graduate Catalog. She participated in the College’s General Education Committee, which plans the universal student curriculum, and chaired its Implementation Committee. Aumann was also involved with the creation of a curriculum website.

She wrote seven articulation agreements with community colleges to help students smoothly transfer to SUNY Cortland.

Until 2009, when she took on the School of Education duties, a number of units reported to Aumann, including the Center for Aging, the College Writing Committee, the Honors Program, the Institute for Civic Engagement and the Institute for Disability Studies.

Aumann served on key College-wide committees. She was co-chair of the Committee for the Middle States Periodic Review Report, chair of the Institutional Review Board, and a member of both the Committee to Establish the Learning Commons and the Committee to Establish “Main Street SUNY Cortland.”

Aumann was an instructor for the required freshman course on college life, COR 101.

As interim associate dean of education, she was on key committees engaged in the current reaccreditation process through the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Educators (NCATE).

When the Graduate Studies Office was closed last July, Aumann became responsible for graduate students enrolled in the School of Education, including more than 500 individuals enrolled in four academic departments and five master’s degree programs.

She chaired the Teacher Education Candidate Review Committee, a rotating leadership role which this year assigned her to preside over 18 meetings involving more than 900 student reviews and hundreds of letters to teacher candidates.

“In each of these roles, Dr. Aumann carried out her responsibilities with dedication, professionalism and compassion for students,” noted Mark Prus, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

A native of Williamson, N.Y., Aumann earned a bachelor’s degree in European history from Hope College in Holland, Mich., and received both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Central European history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has studied in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

In 1974, Aumann began her professional career as a member of the History Department faculty at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan. During 1983-86, she served as the Social Science Division chair and, in 1985, also became the acting academic dean. She was involved with the development of an overseas study program at the college.

During 1986-90, Aumann was campus dean at the University of Wisconsin-Marshfield, one of 13 campuses that comprise the University of Wisconsin Colleges.

Aumann first came to the SUNY Cortland campus in 1990 as associate dean of arts and sciences. She served as acting dean of general education and advisement during the 1993-94 academic year before being named dean of arts and sciences in 1995. She also was an adjunct professor of history while at Cortland.

In 1996, she left the College to serve as vice president and dean at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla., until 2000. She was an instructor of history at Genesee Community College in Batavia, N.Y., from 2001-03 before joining the Lebanon Valley College history faculty as a visiting associate professor. She also was the director of graduate studies and continuing education there for two years in 2003-04.

She returned to SUNY Cortland in 2005.

The Florida Southern College Board of Trustees presented her with its Recognition of Achievement in 2000. She was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society, and Delta Phi Delta, the national German language honor society. She was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and is an honorary member of Phi Eta Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa. Aumann was listed in “Outstanding Young Women of America” in 1976. She has received fellowships from both the Ford Foundation and the Rotary International Foundation.

Aumann, a resident of Cortland, N.Y., plans to relocate to Rochester, N.Y.                  

SUNY Cortland has named Mary Schlarb of Ithaca, N.Y., as director of the International Programs Office. She most recently served as assistant director of the office.

Shlarb will oversee international student and scholar services, manage the study abroad program and provide leadership for the College’s international initiatives.

She will report to Carol Van Der Karr, associate provost for Academic Affairs.

“We are very excited about Mary Schlarb moving into the position of Director of the International Programs Office,” Van Der Karr said. “In order for the campus to develop meaningful international initiatives and partnerships, we need a director of International Programs who can help us refine our vision and cultivate excellence in programs and services. Mary has the professional experience, academic background and a collaborative leadership approach that will contribute greatly to our students and the campus as a whole.”

Prior to joining SUNY Cortland in February 2010, Schlarb served as assistant director of Syracuse University’s Slutzker Center for International Services from 2008 to 2010. There, she coordinated visa processes for international faculty and researchers, worked with academic departments and administrators on international hiring, supervised institutional compliance with federal immigration regulations and provided leadership support to the director in a variety of capacities.

From 2003 to 2007, Schlarb was assistant director of Cornell University’s International Students and Scholars Office, where she also served as international student and scholar advisor. During this time she provided regulatory liaison assistance to advisors at institutions throughout New York and New Jersey through NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Her international experience includes work with Volunteers in Asia (VIA) in Indonesia, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization in Italy, and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation in the Philippines.  

Schlarb received a Master of Professional Studies in International Agriculture and Rural Development from Cornell University in 1999 and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Stanford University in 1992. She has published and presented both nationally and internationally.

For more information on SUNY Cortland’s International Programs Office, visit their website. 

Sharon Steadman, an associate professor in SUNY Cortland’s Sociology/Anthropology Department, will serve as the acting director of the James M. Clark Center for International Education. Steadman will lead and coordinate the International Studies program. The Clark Center will continue to focus on supporting internationalization of the campus through curriculum development, scholarship, grant writing and campus programs. The center also will support collaboration across campus, facilitate faculty and staff development, and promote effective international collaborations.

SUNY Cortland has named Christie Zwahlen of Binghamton, N.Y., as program coordinator for its Institute for Civic Engagement.                 

Zwahlen will provide programmatic coordination and administrative support for the Institute’s programs, including those offered at the College’s outreach center, Main Street SUNY Cortland, located at 9 Main St.

She also will collaborate with a downtown revitalization organization, the Cortland Downtown Partnership, as well as other community organizations.

Zwahlen will report to Richard Kendrick, director of the College’s Institute for Civic Engagement.

“Her background in service-learning and her commitment to service as exemplified in her two terms as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer will be an asset to our program,” said Kendrick, who also is a SUNY Cortland professor of sociology/anthropology.

In 2007, Zwahlen taught English for the third through sixth grades at an elementary school in Seoul, South Korea.

From 2009-2010, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., where she coordinated service-learning and community-based research.

VISTA, founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years.

Most recently, Zwahlen served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Binghamton University’s Center for Civic Engagement and Broome Community College, where she created the Bridging the Digital Divide Project (BDDP), a program that provides refurbished computers and computer literacy training to people with limited access to information technology.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stony Brook University in 2007 and a Master of Arts in English from Binghamton University in 2009. Zwahlen has a Certificate in Asian and Asian American Studies from Binghamton University.

Zwahlen can be reached at (607) 753-4270 or at christie.zwahlen@cortland.edu.

For more information on SUNY Cortland’s Institute for Civic Engagement, contact Kendrick at (607) 753-2481 or richard.kendrick@cortland.edu.