Campus Champion

For Assistant Professor of History John Aerni-Flessner, the days of rest and relaxation have been few and far between since the spring semester's conclusion. An accomplished runner, John posted the College's top time at the J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship on May 21, tackling the 3.5-mile race of blazing fast professionals in 18 minutes and 57 seconds. Then, the devoted African history scholar turned around for a productive two-week research trip to the British National Archives in London, finally arriving back in Cortland on Sunday to officially kick off the summer.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week announced SUNY Cortland had earned a $368,289 state grant to help it prepare students for the New York workforce in two critically important, high-need fields.

The grant, part of $12 million in SUNY High Needs Program awards that will go to 36 SUNY campuses over the next three years, will help strengthen the College’s programs in sustainable energy technology and in kinesiology.

SUNY Cortland’s three-year award is the largest granted to any of SUNY’s comprehensive colleges this year. It underscores the institution’s key role in revitalizing the upstate New York economy and transforming its workforce to meet future needs.

“Both of these areas of study prepare SUNY Cortland students for careers that are projected to be in great demand not only in New York, but the United States,” College President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “They reflect two of our core institutional values: using resources with as much efficiency and environmental responsibility as possible and promoting health and well being.”

Student interest in SUNY Cortland’s highly regarded kinesiology and exercise science programs, which provide a foundation for careers in physical and occupational therapy, has grown by more than 200 percent over the last three years. More than half of its graduates go on to advanced degree programs in physical or occupational therapy.

The need for physical therapists is projected to grow significantly in both New York state and in the nation as a whole as the population continues to age and grow, reforms related to the Affordable Health Care Act take effect and the health care system focuses more on preventing and managing chronic conditions than treating symptoms and acute conditions.

The grant will allow SUNY Cortland to hire an associate professor in kinesiology to develop and teach clinical coursework and outfit its Professional Studies Building with additional state-of-the art equipment. The College’s goal is to double the number of SUNY Cortland graduates applying to physical or occupational therapy licensure programs by 2016 and to triple the number of applicants by 2020.

The award also will allow the College to hire an assistant professor of experimental physics in renewable energy and otherwise strengthen SUNY Cortland’s new professional master’s program in sustainable energy systems.

The College received authorization to run the two-year master’s of science program this spring and has applied for the distinctive professional master’s designation, which combines studies and research in science with a core of business- and professional-related courses.

Career opportunities in renewable energy technologies like solar, wind and geothermal power are growing in New York and across the country, as are jobs related to energy efficiency.

The creation of “green jobs” is an economic development priority of the federal and state governments and sustainable energy is a key goal for both Gov. Cuomo and the SUNY system. A 2009 survey of regional companies and organizations in the sustainable energy field by two SUNY Cortland economics professors found that 85 percent projected stable or expanded job growth.

By adding a fifth faculty member to the Physics Department and acquiring state-of-the-art laboratory equipment for studying renewable energy and building systems for SUNY Cortland’s expanded and renovated science complex, College officials estimate it will increase the number of students in the new program by 33 percent.

Healthcare and renewable-clean energy are two of the six high-need areas in which the New York State Department of Labor projects a high-growth rate or a large number of job openings in coming years. The other areas are engineering, biomedicine, agricultural business and information technology.

A giant mural decorates the back wall of the spacious auditorium at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in New Jersey, where members of the NFL’s New York Jets study countless hours of film during the season.

The mural includes a military motto, supersized in a bold Jets green, that offers sound advice in both football and life: “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.”

The words speak mostly to the football team’s intense weekly preparation for the field. But they also represent an attitude that the pro sports franchise applies to all of its work, whether from the sidelines or the front office.

It’s a standard that SUNY Cortland, the team’s official training camp partner, works throughout the year to uphold.

This summer, for the fourth time in five years, the Jets will land on the College’s campus for preseason training camp. Although fans and the media will focus their attention on the stars lining up just outside the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex, a large team of employees from the College will be working behind the scenes to deliver the type of experience that both the organization and the local community have come to expect.

“There’s a standard of excellence that comes with a billion-dollar sports franchise and, quite honestly, it’s one we’re proud to be a part of,” said Mike Whitlock, head of the College’s Training Camp Planning Committee and the director of Corey Union and campus activities. “The Jets have been good to us and I think both sides — the team and the College — would agree that this truly has been a winning partnership.”

The evidence is in the planning committee made up of nearly two dozen people from departments across campus has been meeting regularly to plan for this summer.

Their conversations aren’t related to quarterback controversies or the NFL Draft, but rather the details that many might take for granted, such as traffic signage, residence hall maintenance and campus Internet upgrades.

“Many of the details, they’re dynamic,” Whitlock said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t plan to the best of our ability. We’re just mindful of the fact that we have to be ready, regardless of what comes up.”

Although the Jets’ needs might change, the College has a reputation for exceeding the expectations of team personnel, Whitlock said. SUNY Cortland, for example, has successfully replicated the team’s Florham Park facility’s classroom space, weight lifting set-up and food services, yet has stayed flexible enough to change the site of the Jets’ 2012 Green and White Scrimmage at the last minute.

In exchange, Gang Green offers unique benefits to SUNY Cortland. Those benefits, just like the planning process, come throughout the year.

They include advertisements at MetLife Stadium, where the Jets play their home games before tens of thousands of people, as well as national radio spots valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Jets agreement gives the College the ability to host New Jersey-area receptions that allow SUNY Cortland’s admissions team to connect with prospective students and high school guidance counselors. The result has been a boost in out-of-state enrollment, led by students from New Jersey.

The partnership also gives the College an opportunity to match the talents of SUNY Cortland students with the training camp needs of one of the most visible franchises in professional sports. Students are not only afforded work opportunities in their future career fields; they’re allowed to demonstrate their skills on the big stage that is NFL training camp.

This summer, more than 40 students from many different majors will gain hands-on experience with the Jets in media relations, athletic training, event management, and other fields.

“There’s no question that an opportunity on this scale, this close to home, is one very few colleges can provide,” said John Shirley, the College's director of career services. “The Jets provide us that opportunity and we’re able to match them with some of our best and brightest students.”

Then there are the scholarship dollars. Leading up to the holiday season, SUNY Cortland will sell raffle tickets for a pair of Super Bowl tickets that the College receives from the Jets. All of the proceeds generated by that raffle support scholarships.

And none of this includes the estimated $15.56 million in economic activity injected into Cortland County over three training camps, or the community pride generated by the team’s practices.

In other words, the partnership between SUNY Cortland and the New York Jets is measured by more than wins and touchdowns. And that makes both the months of planning and the last-minute scrambling worth it.

“We might not know the exact dates the Jets will be here just yet, but we do know one thing,” Whitlock said. “We’ll be ready for them.”

The towering smoke stack above SUNY Cortland’s heating plant no longer breathes steam into the air, the result of a satellite boiler project expected to save the College nearly $600,000 in energy costs annually.

The 60-year-old heating plant, situated near Bowers Hall and Old Main on the north end of the SUNY Cortland campus, stopped producing steam for heating purposes May 20. As part of a $12 million, two-year project, new high-efficiency boilers installed in each building across campus have taken on the function of the aging plant.

“Replacing our old, reliable but inefficient central heating plant with new ultra-high-efficiency boilers will dramatically improve our carbon footprint, while saving the College hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in fuel costs,” said Timothy Slack, the director of physical plant. “This is just another example of SUNY Cortland taking a leadership role in committing to a sustainable future.”

Heating costs account for more than 40 percent of the College’s energy budget, Slack said. That expense will be reduced because the College replaced its outdated system of steam pipes that let much heat go to waste as the steam traveled from the plant to dozens of campus buildings. Now, a network of underground gas pipes will carry fuel to individual boilers in every building, allowing the steam heat produced by each boiler to remain in one structure. The amount of natural gas usage also will be reduced with the new satellite boilers.

“The (old) boilers were put in in 1953, so you’ve got to believe the efficiency wasn’t there,” said Thomas Hingher, a utilities engineer in the heating plant.

Thomas Hingher, left, and Steven Lundberg share a conversation in SUNY Cortland's heating plant.

Steam leaks in the three-pipe system that ran across campus constantly required small repairs, creating additional maintenance costs, Hingher explained. Now, each building will operate on at least two boilers.

The workload will remain about the same for a 17-member staff that oversees heating maintenance. With more than 3,000 pieces of equipment to maintain on campus, the need to perform preventative maintenance work, replace filters and grease motors has not changed.

The staff’s daily operations schedule, however, now involves two shifts covering a 17-hour workday from 7 a.m. to midnight. For decades, the heating plant ran as a 24-hour operation, 364 days out of the year.

Steven Lundberg, who worked in SUNY Cortland’s physical plant for more than 35 years before retiring in 2010, earned a reputation over time for his knowledge of the heating plant’s ins and outs and its role on campus.

Although the plant adapted with the College’s growth spurts over time — an addition was built in 1964, for instance, to heat low-rise residence halls — the physical plant staff’s commitment to effectiveness and sustainability never changed, despite aging equipment.

“The key thing for the plant, related to sustainability, is that it was environmentally friendly long ahead of its time thanks to natural gas, good water that we sit over and then the people that had the knowledge to make both of those components work,” Lundberg said. “There’s no way that boilers made in 1953 could go nearly 365 days a year for 60 years without natural gas, clean fuel and good water treatment.”

Although its fate has not yet been determined, the heating plant will continue to house the offices of the physical plant workers who maintain the College’s boiler system.

The color red stood out at the starting line of the J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge Championship in Rochester, N.Y., among a collection of incredibly fast and fitness-minded professionals from across the globe.

That’s because SUNY Cortland sent eight faculty and staff members to represent the Central New York region at the international competition, which invited just 156 runners from 13 cities worldwide. In August, the College’s four-person men’s and women’s teams earned entries by winning the local Corporate Challenge in Syracuse, N.Y., with the fastest total team times.

On the campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology, where the 3.5-mile race was held May 21, SUNY Cortland’s representatives were in the midst of teams that included Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Morgan Stanley and Deloitte. They met scores of people from nations such as Australia, Singapore and South Africa.

And regardless of home country, each organization shared a commitment to health and wellness similar to the characteristic that has distinguished SUNY Cortland among its peer institutions, according to Chris Tucker, a men’s team member and an annual organizer of the College’s participation in the Syracuse event.

Hugh Anderson, Louise Mahar and Miranda Blechman competed at the Corporate Challenge Championship in Rochester, N.Y.

“To represent SUNY Cortland on a global stage with my co-workers and then interact with people from different cultures on top of that, those sorts of things were really special for me,” said Tucker, the College’s property control officer for the Purchasing Department. “And to be able to send not just one but two teams there, that made it even more special.”

Along with Tucker, SUNY Cortland’s men’s team consisted of John Aerni-Flessner, pictured above, assistant professor of history; Hugh Anderson, study abroad advisor for the International Programs Office; and Michael Bersani, staff writer in the Public Relations Office. They finished ninth among men’s teams.

The College’s women’s foursome included Julie Barclay, lecturer of geology; Miranda Blechman, assistant for institutional research and assessment; Kim Kraebel, associate professor of psychology; and Louise Mahar, assistant director of recreational sports. They put together the seventh fastest women’s team time.

“Being treated like a professional athlete for two whole days, that was new for me and it was a lot of fun,” Mahar said. “And, of course, being able to share that experience with my colleagues and getting to know them more just added to it.”

The College again will participate in the local running of the Corporate Challenge on Tuesday, June 18. Nearly 80 employees, both runners and walkers, are expected to participate in Central New York’s largest running event.

The U.S. President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) on May 7 paid tribute to Emilio “Dee” DaBramo ’48, a physical activity activist and educator for special populations, as one of its five 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award winners.

DaBramo and the others were recognized at the organization’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., which, not by coincidence, took place during National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. DaBramo has been ill and was unable to attend but he was represented by his family at the ceremony.

“The efforts of these pioneers have been momentous in expanding our nation’s accessibility and passion for health and physical activity,” said Shellie Pfohl, executive director of the President’s Council. “These five individuals have been leaders in their respective fields and have selflessly dedicated their careers to promoting healthy, active lifestyles.”

Presented annually since 2007, the Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals whose careers have greatly contributed to the advancement or promotion of physical activity, fitness, sports and nutrition-related programs nationwide. Recipients are selected by members of PCFSN based on the span and scope of an individual’s career, the estimated number of lives they have touched and the impact of their legacies.

A longtime educator and administrator in the Mamaroneck (N.Y.) Union Free School District, DaBramo has dedicated his life’s work as a teacher, administrator and international authority figure to promoting physical activity among youth and special populations. He served as a member of the Joseph P. Kennedy Special Olympics Advisory Board and as a clinician for the Special Olympics and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

The children of Emilio "Dee" DaBramo attended the May 7 ceremony in Washington, D.C., to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN). Present, from the left, were Shellie Pfohl, PCFSN executive director; Dominique Dawes, PCFSN co-chair; Debbie DaBramo-Buckley; Michael DaBramo; Shelly DaBramo-O'Malley; Jim DaBramo; and Howard Koh, M.D., assistant secretary for health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

As president of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, DaBramo also is well-recognized for establishing the program called A Place where People Learn Excellence (APPLE), which guides underprivileged students toward a higher education.

DaBramo joins a very highly respected cohort. Also honored that day were: Ruth Alexander, a pioneer of women’s intercollegiate sports; Kirk Bauer, the executive director of Disabled Sports USA; Moo Yong Lee, a ninth-degree black belt Grandmaster; and Antronette Yancey, a professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

The President’s Council engages, educates and empowers all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition. The council is made up of athletes, chefs, physicians, fitness professionals and educators who are appointed by the President and serve in an advisory capacity through the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The council has its origins in 1956, when President Dwight Eisenhower established the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. The cabinet-level body had one specific objective: to be a “catalytic agent” concentrating on creating public awareness on the fitness of American youth. The PCFSN received a new name and expanded mission under President Barack Obama.

DaBramo previously has received many honors relating to his SUNY Cortland connections. He was presented a 1994 SUNY honorary doctorate at a the College's Commencement, made the 1948 C-Club Hall of Fame, was a 1969 Distinguished Alumnus, was an emeritus member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and was a member of the Beta Phi Epsilon fraternity.

Fifteen senior physical education majors were recently honored by SUNY Cortland with Lenore K. Alway/Anthony P. Tesori Awards for their exceptional work in student teaching in New York state schools during the Spring 2013 semester.

Faculty members of the Physical Education Department selected nine women and six men for the recognition, and the students received certificates.

The Alway award, given to women, acknowledges the late Lenore K. Alway, the pioneering head of women’s physical education at the College from 1941 to 1965. The men’s award honors the late Anthony P. Tesori, a 1939 graduate who earned the College’s C-Club Hall of Fame Award for his achievements before and after graduation and gave the College many years of leadership in athletics and administration.

The Alway Award honorees and the schools or school districts where they completed their teaching for Spring 2013 are:

• Claire Moore of Cortland, N.Y., at the Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School in Ithaca, N.Y., and Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) Senior High School.

• Elena Fallon of Cortland, N.Y., at Boynton Middle School and South Hill Elementary School, both in the Ithaca City School District.

• Amanda Porco of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., at Myers Corners School in Albany and the Roy C. Ketcham Senior High School in Wappingers Falls.

A semester of student teaching in school classrooms helps this physical education major explore whether he has the capability and drive to work well with children.

• Taylor Teal of Delmar, N.Y., at Roessleville School in the South Colonie Central School District and Albany (N.Y.) High School.

• Stephanie DiCapua of Cortland, N.Y., at Groton (N.Y.) Middle School and the State Street Intermediate School in the Skaneateles Central School District.

• Maggie McNamara of Cortland, N.Y., at Wheeler Elementary School of the Onondaga Central School District in Nedrow, N.Y., and Liverpool (N.Y.) High School.

• Gina Carlone of Nanuet, N.Y., at Washington Irving Intermediate School of the Tarrytown (N.Y.) Unified School District and the Yorktown High School in Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

• Suzanne Leslie of Ossining, N.Y., at Irvington (N.Y.) High School and Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School in Buchanan, N.Y.

• Katrina Davenport of Franklinville, N.Y., at Franklinville Elementary School and Franklinville Junior Senior High School.

The Tesori Award honorees and the schools or school districts where they completed their teaching for Spring 2013 are:

• Alexander Garrett of Cortland, N.Y., at Queensbury (N.Y.) Elementary School and Hudson Falls (N.Y.) High School.

• Paul Myers of Fairport, N.Y., at Charles Caroll School No. 46 and Penfield High School, both in the Rochester (N.Y.) City School District.

• Eric Einbinder of Cherry Hill, N.J., at Chenango Bridge Elementary School in Binghamton, N.Y., and Whitney Point (N.Y.) High School.

• Scott Miele of Ossining, N.Y., at Oakside School in the Peekskill (N.Y.) City School District and Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose, N.Y.

• Connor Tompkins of Ossining, N.Y., at Oakside School in the Peekskill (N.Y.) City School District and Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.

• Kevin Yarnell of Minoa, N.Y., at Fayetteville (N.Y.) Elementary School in the Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District and Institute of Technology at Syracuse in the Syracuse (N.Y.) City School District.

For more information, contact the Physical Education Department at 607-753-5577.

Starting their first semester at college has always been exciting for SUNY Cortland freshmen.

But this fall, several dozen incoming students will begin their college careers with a real adventure.

It's nighttime in Metcalf Hall on Raquette Lake. Inside, students gather for an evening lecture. Starting this summer, more SUNY Cortland students than ever, and others, will experience the wilderness at the College's Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education at Raquette Lake.

At summer’s end, up to 40 students will have an opportunity to experience a weeklong orientation in the pristine Adirondack wilderness surrounding SUNY Cortland’s Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education at Raquette Lake. 

The new Adirondack Trail Blazers program — sporting a name that suggests SUNY Cortland’s mascot Blaze — is part of the College’s ongoing effort to open the unique wilderness experience offered through Huntington Memorial Camp and Antlers to greater numbers of students, alumni and other members of the College community.

Traditionally, students with majors in the departments of art and art history, biological sciences, childhood/early childhood education, geology, history, physical education and recreation, parks and leisure studies have had an opportunity to learn-by-living at the rustic, Adirondack complex. With support from the College’s endowment fund, greater numbers of students from those fields ¾ and many others ¾ will have an opportunity to participate.

For as many as 40 accepted newcomers, the week-long visit to Huntington Camp will follow their completion of orientation on the main campus.

“The overall goal is to help them make that transition from a relatively structured, home-based high school experience to a more independent lifestyle and the challenges of attending college,” said Robert Rubendall who, as director of the College’s Environmental and Outdoor Education Center, oversees the Raquette Lake campus.

During the program, the participants will drink in the sights and sounds of nature. They’ll swim or paddle in the brisk lake waters, pitch tents for three nights on unspoiled shores and climb a high ropes course at Camp Huntington, the only National Historic Landmark in the SUNY system.

“They are learning self-discipline, making choices on their own, learning to stick to a schedule and basically connecting with other students coming in as well as faculty and upper class-members,” Rubendall said.

Afterward, the group will return to the main campus to share weekend activities with their new classmates before the start of fall semester classes. The initiative is modeled on a wilderness immersion program started by Dartmouth College in the 1960s and adopted by many other institutions.

“They have become more and more popular over the years as children become more and more dependent upon their parents,” Rubendall said. “There is a better success rate for the students, a better student retention rate by the colleges.”

It’s no mystery why outdoor adventure programs help entering students succeed.

“They immediately have a peer group,” Rubendall said. “They have friends, they know more of what’s expected of them on a college campus. We hope to involve them more quickly in the resources and networks that are available to them on campus.”

The program is open to all new students, regardless of major or economic background. It involves a fee, but the College will find resources to send young scholars on the trip, even if they cannot afford the cost, Rubendall said.

Widening student access to this experience, which generations of alumni recall as having a transformational impact on their personal, academic or professional lives, is the driving motivation behind the College’s Campaign for Raquette Lake, an ongoing effort to raise $1.5 million for the Raquette Lake Endowment Fund.

For its part, SUNY Cortland will significantly improve the Antlers facility by pledging $1 million for future upgrades to the infrastructure and by expanding the operation there to three seasons.

“The endowment will provide all interested SUNY Cortland students with the opportunity to experience Raquette Lake,” said Kimberly Pietro, the College’s vice president for institutional advancement. “The very remoteness that makes Camp Huntington and Antlers so unique makes it difficult to expand and diversify programming there. This fund will help us expand our use of the facility and make it easier for students to travel there.”

The fundraising initiative is part of Educating Champions: The Campaign for Cortland. The campaign to support the College’s major priorities was launched in Fall 2011 and has made steady and significant progress towards a total of $25 million goal by the end of June.

For more information about the Campaign for Raquette Lake, visit the website www.cortland.edu/raquette, where a video on the program can be viewed; or contact the Cortland College Foundation, Inc. at SUNY Cortland, 313 Brockway Hall, P.O. Box 2000, Cortland, NY 13045; or call 607-753-2518; or email ccf@cortland.edu.

Students test their team-building, strength, agility and navigational skills in a canoe flotilla around Raquette Lake.

SUNY Cortland recently awarded a total of $37,150 in scholarships and $27,142 in exchange awards to help 66 of its students expand their educational horizons through study in European, African, South American and other countries.

The College will provide $37,150 in scholarships so the 66 students can study abroad during the 2013 summer session or fall semester.

Additionally SUNY Cortland, through its many exchange agreements with international universities, presented seven of the SUNY Cortland students with a total of almost $27,142 in tuition waivers at host institutions to help pay for international study during Fall 2013. These awards will save the students an average of roughly $3,878 apiece in tuition during their  transformative, study-abroad experiences.

The students will study in Australia, Belize, Costa Rica, Denmark, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom or Venezuela.

Seven different scholarships, ranging from $200 to $2,500, were awarded. They are managed along with the exchange awards through the College’s International Programs Office.

“We believe every SUNY Cortland student should have the opportunity to experience other cultures and develop global awareness and intercultural competency,” said Mary Schlarb, director of international programs.

The International Programs Office recently replaced the James M. Clark Center for International Education as the College’s manager of study abroad programs and provider of related support services.

“The number of SUNY Cortland students studying abroad has increased by about 27 percent in the past year, in part due to the scholarships generously provided by alumni and others who believe in the transformative opportunities an international experience can provide,” Schlarb said.

“Students can select from a variety of programs worldwide, including semester-long study, shorter-term faculty-led courses, internships, and student teaching. By participating in one of SUNY’s over 600 programs, students broaden their perspectives, build their confidence and enhance their skills in ways that will enrich their Cortland experience and pave the way for successful careers.”

Recipients for the scholarships and exchange awards 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 seven 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 scholarships range from $200 to $700 for summer recipients and $750 or $1,000 for fall recipients.

The OAP Award recipients for Summer 2013 are:

• Kristyn Alfonso, a sophomore speech and hearing science major from New Hampton, N.Y., for study in Cork, Ireland;

• Rebekah Andre, a junior communication studies major from Croghan, N.Y., for study in Westminster, U.K.;

• Justin Bailey, a sophomore communication studies major from Manhasset, N.Y., for study in Spain;

• Abigail Boduch, a sophomore speech and hearing science major from Manlius, N.Y., for study in Madrid, Spain;

• Daniel Bretscher, a junior political science major from Valley Stream, N.Y., for study in Ghana, Africa;

• Mallory Brownell, a sophomore childhood education major from Springville, N.Y., for study in Jamaica;

• Karissa Calamari, a senior English as a second language major from West Islip, N.Y., for study in Barcelona, Spain;

• Lauren Calcagnino, a sophomore speech and hearing science major from North Syracuse, N.Y., for study in Madrid, Spain;

• Deanna Caraccio, a junior biological sciences major from Massapequa Park, N.Y., for study in Belize;

• Davon Clarke, a junior childhood education major from Middletown, N.Y., for study at University of Veritas, Costa Rica;

• Heather Connors, a junior childhood education major from Vestal, N.Y., for study at the Belize Teacher Institute;

• Britney Creed, a senior psychology major from Voorheesville, N.Y., for study in Belize;

• Jolene-Mychal Eaton, a graduate student in literacy education from Willet, N.Y., for study at the Belize Teacher Institute;

• Marianna Feger, a junior adolescence education: Spanish major from Pearl River, N.Y., for study at University of Veritas, Costa Rica;

• Cassandra Heiman, a junior psychology major from Dansville, N.Y., for study in Cork, Ireland;

• Colleen Honan, a senior international studies major from Rouses Point, N.Y., for study in Poland;

• Emily Katz, a sophomore English as a second language major from Bearsville, N.Y., for study in Madrid, Spain;

• Jade Mackney, a junior early childhood/childhood education major from Hewlett, N.Y., for participation in Teach in Thailand;

• Emily Morehouse, a junior sociology major from Cortland, N.Y., for study in Nepal;

• Nicole Olson, a sophomore biomedical sciences major from Warners, N.Y., for study in Belize;

• Elizabeth O’Neill, a junior communication studies major from Old Bridge, N.J., for study in Ireland;

• Bianca Orecchio, a senior childhood education major from Brooklyn, N.Y., for participation in Teach in Thailand;

• Jennifer Petrosino, a junior adolescence education: English major from Brooklyn, N.Y., for study at University of Veritas, Costa Rica;

• Imani Purvis, a junior African American studies major from Brooklyn, N.Y., for study in Ghana, Africa;

• Jordan Rapa, a junior political science major from Seneca Falls, N.Y., for study in Italy;

• Madelyn Reilly, a freshman fitness development major from Farmingdale, N.Y., for study in Ghana, Africa;

• Jonathan Schwarz, a junior business economics major from Dix Hills, N.Y., for study in Westminster, U.K.;

• Ryan Shanley, a junior sociology major from Massapequa Park, N.Y., for study in Salamanca, Spain;

• Kayla Stirpe, a junior childhood education major from Syracuse, N.Y., for study in Salamanca, Spain;

• Margaret Treiber, a junior childhood education major from Suffield, Conn., for participation in Teach in Thailand;

• Andrea Tubbs, a junior adolescence education: Spanish major from Newfield, N.Y., for study in Guatemala;

• Julia Tuttle, a junior speech and hearing science major from Penfield, N.Y., for study in Spain;

• LeighMarie Weber, a junior communication disorders and sciences major from Williston Park, N.Y., for study in Ghana, Africa;

• Matison Williams, a junior childhood education major from Washingtonville, N.Y., for participation in Teach in Thailand; and

• Kelsey Zambraski, a junior sociology major from LaGrangeville, N.Y., for study in Costa Rica.

The OAP Award recipients for Fall 2013 are:

• Michelle McGovern, a junior inclusive special education major from Wantagh, N.Y., for participation in the Australia Student Teaching Program;

• Konstantino Papakonstantis, a sophomore adolescence education: social studies and economics major from Holtsville, N.Y., for study in Queensland, Australia;

• Melissa Pena, a sophomore anthropology major from New York, N.Y., for study in Peru;

• Alexandria Rodriguez, a junior communications major from Lagrangeville, N.Y., for study at London Metropolitan University; and,

• Kerianne Trautmann, a senior early childhood/childhood education major from Hyde Park, N.Y., for participation in the Australia Student Teaching Program.

Willi Uschald Scholarship

Created in 1991, the Uschald Study Abroad Scholarship is named for Willi A. Uschald, professor emeritus 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 2013 recipients of an Uschald Scholarships are:

• Melanie Figueroa, a junior speech and hearing science major from New York, N.Y., for study in Ghana, Africa;

• Louisa Frick, a junior international studies major from Red Hook, N.Y., for study in Belize;

• Ashley Hill, a sophomore psychology major from Batavia, N.Y., for study in Belize;

• Michael Rosenthal, a junior political science major from Syracuse, N.Y., for study in Costa Rica;

• Caitlin Schweigler, a junior speech and language disabilities major from Mahopac, N.Y., for study in Ireland;

• Alicia Vinciguerra, master’s candidate for teaching students with disabilities from North Syracuse, N.Y., for participation in the Belize Teacher Institute;

• Tatyana Walker, a senior political science major from Astoria, N.Y., for study in Ghana, Africa; and,

• Sarah Wyhowanec, a junior adolescence education: Spanish major from Bayport, N.Y., for study in Salamanca, Spain.

The Fall 2013 recipients of an Uschald Scholarships are:

• Emily Corsie, a junior criminology major from Stony Point, N.Y., for study at London Metropolitan University;

• Chelsea Murray, a junior inclusive special education major from Islip, N.Y., for participation in the Australia Student Teaching Program;

• Brittany Stallwood, a senior early childhood/childhood education major from Melrose, N.Y., for participation in the Australia Student Teaching Program; and,

• Jillian Wholey, a junior exercise science major from Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., for study in England.

Gregory R. Huether ’10 Scholarship

Created in 2010 by Ronald and Marguerite Huether and family, 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 scholarship of $2,500 for Fall 2013 was awarded to:

• Jake Katz, a sophomore sport management major from Sparta, N.J., for study at the London Metropolitan University.

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 $1,500 scholarship for Fall 2013 is:

• Kirsten Kling, a junior anthropology major from Lima, N.Y., for study in Italy.

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 of the study abroad experience on her own life and to acknowledge the College’s study abroad program founder, Willi Uschald. The $1,000 scholarship for Fall 2013 was awarded to:

• Charlotte Heavern, a junior inclusive special education major from Hamburg, N.Y., for study at VENUSA College, Venezuela.

Charles A. Gibson Scholarship

The Charles A. Gibson Scholarship, which was created in 1998, awards students participating in a study abroad program outside the Western Hemisphere who demonstrate high academic achievement and financial need. Two scholarships were awarded for $750 each for study in the fall of 2013 to:

• Annmarie Calbo, a senior adolescence education: mathematics major from Islip Terrace, N.Y., for participation in the Australia Student Teaching Program; and,

• Lauren Dunphy, a junior inclusive special education major from Bethpage, N.Y., for participating in the Australia Student Teaching Program.

Recipients of $1,000 Charles A. Gibson scholarships for the fall of 2013 are:

• Marilyn Farrell, a sophomore childhood education major from Fayetteville, N.Y., for study at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in New Zealand; and

• Jaclyn Yonta, a junior childhood education major from Cortland, N.Y., for participation in the Australia Student Teaching Program. 

Exchange Awards

For this award cycle, the College presented seven SUNY Cortland students with exchange awards resulting from the agreements it has with 11 international universities, Schlarb added. The partner universities involved on both sides have agreed to waive tuition for students involved in the exchange. For example, an award recipient pays only the SUNY tuition for the duration of the study abroad opportunity, saving in some cases $8,270 in tuition expense from the foreign university. At times, two or more SUNY Cortland students attending one university will split one exchange award.

Recipients of exchange awards for the fall of 2013 are:

• Ana Antonio, a sophomore adolescence education: Spanish major from New York, N.Y., for study in Salamanca, Spain;

• Jillian Murphy, a senior community health major from Wantagh, N.Y., for study in Griffith, Australia;

• Kenisah Rohadfox, a sophomore psychology major from Syracuse, for study in Fulda, Germany;

• Margaret Romanowski, a junior history major from Garden City, N.Y., for study in Cork, Ireland;

• Lauren Scotti, a senior adolescence education: social studies and history from Farmingdale, N.Y., for study in Salamanca, Spain;

• Jillian Weeks, a sophomore early childhood/childhood education major from Queensbury, N.Y., for study in Ballarat, Australia; and,

• Sara Young, a sophomore biomedical sciences major from Lyons Falls, N.Y., for study in Fulda, Germany.

For more information on the study abroad scholarships, contact the International Programs Office at 607-753-5989.

The SUNY Cortland men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic program finished in 11th place in the 2012-13 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup competition among the approximately 440 eligible NCAA Division III programs competing nationally for the prestigious honor. 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 is one of only four schools nationwide, and the only New York institution, to place in the top 20 each of the 18 years the standings have been compiled on the Division III level. The other schools that hold that distinction are Williams College (Mass.), Amherst College (Mass.) and Middlebury College (Vt.). The College of New Jersey was also on that list through last year, but finished 26th in this year’s standings.

The Red Dragons were the top finisher this season among New York Div. III schools with 724.50 points. Williams won its 16th Directors’ Cup in the last 17 years with 1,273.75 points, followed by Emory (Ga.) (986.50), Middlebury (941.75), Wisconsin-Whitewater (895) and Washington (Mo.) (859.50) in the top five.

Cortland had 10 teams finish in the top 25 in 2012-13 NCAA postseason competitions, including seven top-10 finishes. The softball team finished second nationally, the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each tied for third place, and the wrestling team placed ninth. The baseball, football and women’s soccer teams each tied for ninth place, the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams each tied for 17th place, and the men’s cross country team finished 23rd. The women's gymnastics team finished third nationally at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Division III Championships. That result, however, 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 additional points for 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 NAIA. It is the first-ever cross-sectional all-sports national recognition award for both men and women. NACDA, which is now in its 48th 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.

2012-13 LEARFIELD SPORTS DIRECTORS’ CUP

Final Division III Standings

Rank/School

1. Williams (Mass.)

2. Emory (Ga.)

3. Middlebury (Vt.)

4. Wisconsin-Whitewater

5. Washington (Mo.)

6. Amherst (Mass.)

7. Johns Hopkins (Md.)

8. Tufts (Mass.)

9. St. Thomas (Minn.)

10. Mass. Institute of Tech

11. CORTLAND (N.Y.)

12. Salisbury (Md.)

13. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.)

14. Wisconsin-Eau Claire

15. Calvin (Mich.)

16. Wisconsin-La Crosse

17. Bowdoin (Maine)

18. Wartburg (Iowa)

19. Ithaca (N.Y.)

20. North Central (Ill.)

Complete standings are online at: www.nacda.com

Johanna Hartnett ’76, M.S.Ed. ’03, who has directed the SUNY Cortland Child Care Center for almost 13 years, will retire on Friday, June 21.

Hartnett will remain with the center as a consultant to assist in the transition of Nicole Brooks into the position. Brooks began her duties on May 3.

In 2000, Hartnett took on her current position with the center, Cortland County’s only nationally accredited child care agency.

Hartnett joined SUNY Cortland with approximately nine years of day care administrative experience and many more as a teacher of young children.

The center, which turned 20 years old on Jan. 11, serves approximately 100 infants and youngsters between the ages of six weeks and five years from Cortland and neighboring counties while providing a living laboratory for generations of the College’s future educators and professionals. The program typically maintains a waiting list for children to enroll.

Hartnett supervises a staff of about 20 full-time and 20 part-time employees. Under her leadership, the center has maintained its continuous accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which sets the criteria used to measure quality practices for the top child care centers in the United States. NAEYC first accredited the center in 1996 and re-accredited it in 2000, 2003 and 2008. The program will be evaluated for a fifth time in September. Hartnett also works to ensure the center remains licensed with the New York State Office of Child and Family Services.

In 2009, Hartnett oversaw the relocation and expansion of the day care operation from five rooms in the lower floors of the student residential complex, Casey and Smith Halls, to eight rooms on the ground floor of the College’s newly constructed School of Education Building. With the move, the center was able to begin accommodating 35 additional children.

During the past six summers, the center also has operated a school-age camp licensed for 20 children.

While at SUNY Cortland, Hartnett has served as an adjunct lecturer in the Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department and taught as an adjunct professor at Tompkins Cortland Community College and Cazenovia College.

For many years, Hartnett has been active on the board of the Cortland Area Child Care Council and a member of the board of the Cortland Association for the Education of Young Children. She is a member of the NAEYC. Hartnett was president elect, secretary and treasurer for the New York State Coalition of Child Care Centers and served on the executive board of SUNY Directors for the past five years.

She previously directed the SUNY Upstate Child Care Center, another NAEYC-accredited facility, from 1998 to 2000. Hartnett was the assistant director of services for young children with The Racker Center in Cortland from 1994 to 1998.

She earned an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Cayuga Community College. Hartnett graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education: Spanish and a Master of Science in Education in Literacy from SUNY Cortland.

A resident of Cortland, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Nicole Brooks ’07, who has served since 2007 as site supervisor at the Ernie Davis Head Start in Elmira, N.Y., became the new director of the SUNY Cortland Child Care Center on June 3.

She is responsible for the overall day-to-day operation and administration of the College’s 20-year-old day care operation, Cortland County’s only nationally accredited child care agency.

Her task is to create an environment that is warm and loving and contributes to the emotional, physical, educational and social development of the children, many of whom are the offspring of current students, recent alumni, faculty and staff members and local community residents.  

Brooks has replaced Johanna Hartnett ’76, M.S.Ed. ’03, who had overseen the campus child care facility since 2000 and retires on Friday, June 21. Hartnett remains with the center as a consultant to the new director.

An employee of the SUNY Research Foundation, Brooks reports to William Shaut, the College’s vice president for finance and management.

She supervises a staff of approximately 20 full-time employees and 20 student employees at the center, which has eight classrooms including two infant, one waddler, two toddler and three preschool rooms. Since 2009, the center has been located on the ground floor of the College’s School of Education Building on Prospect Terrace, in space purposefully designed as a daycare facility. The center serves approximately 100 infants and youngsters between the ages of six weeks and five years while providing a living laboratory for generations of the College’s future educators and professionals.

Brooks also works to ensure that the center maintains continuous accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which sets the criteria used to measure quality practices for the top child care centers in the United States. Brooks handles the center’s licensing with the New York State Office of Child and Family Services.

In addition, the director oversees an eight-week summer school age camp for 20 children.  

Brooks holds an associate’s degree from Corning Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Childhood Education from SUNY Cortland. She earned a Master of Science in Corporate and Community Education from Elmira College, where she also received two advanced certificates, one in training of trainers and one in human resources development, as well as an early childhood certificate. She is credentialed both as a family development trainer and in family development from Cornell University.

At SUNY Cortland, Brooks studied on a Cortland’s Urban Recruitment of Educators scholarship. She made the Dean’s List, was honored by the College for her leadership and was inducted into Tau Sigma, the national honor society for transfer students.

At the Elmira Head Start program, she managed 62 children with nine staff members. Brooks has served as a professionally credentialed consultant in family development training since 2009.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse (N.Y.) appointed Shawn T. Allen to direct the Catholic ministry serving the SUNY Cortland community, beginning on Aug. 1.

He replaces Marie Agen, who retired after 10 years of serving as Catholic campus minister. Sister Harriet Hamilton, Order of the Sisters of St. Francis, is the interim director for matters related to the Catholic campus ministry.

In May, a search committee composed of students, members of the Cortland Newman Foundation and representatives of the College faculty and staff recommended Allen.

“Shawn looks forward to being present for the entire College community and to becoming fully integrated in support of its mission and that of his new ministry,” said Rev. Msgr. James P. Lang, vicar for parishes and diocesan director of campus ministry with the Syracuse Diocese.

He will serve at the O’Heron Newman Hall, which is located off campus at 8 Calvert St.

Allen has served the Diocese of Rochester as a pastoral associate at Holy Trinity Church in Webster, N.Y., for the past year and a half.

Previously, he taught at Seton Catholic School in Binghamton and worked in the public sector. Allen also volunteered as a needs assessment minister at Hope House in Rochester, N.Y., and with the St. Anthony’s Foundation for the poor and homeless in San Francisco.

A native of Binghamton, N.Y., he graduated from the University of San Francisco. Allen has a Master of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven, Belgium.