Campus Champion

“Rhonda Jacobs’ passion and guardianship of the history and future of the Outdoor Education Program is truly her greatest strength,” wrote a colleague. The Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education assistant director is deeply rooted in the Raquette Lake Facilities – first as a recreation student visiting Huntington Camp in 2000, as an intern in 2001, working at Kirby Camp in 2002, and since 2003, managing programs at Antlers. Her ability to think outside the box has resulted in new education programs for the College and other educators, who have discovered that Antlers is a great place to build community and create bonds while connecting with the outdoors. 

SUNY Cortland would become a launchpad for new business development and job creation in the Cortland area under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed Tax-Free New York program, according to a Cuomo administration spokesman who presented the plan on campus this morning.

Matthew Driscoll, president and CEO of the state’s Environmental Facilities Corporation, pitched the plan to create completely tax-free zones for new or expanding businesses on or near SUNY’s 64 campuses to College and community leaders in the Corey Union Exhibition Lounge.

“The new economy is growing from higher education,” said Driscoll, a former Syracuse, N.Y., mayor whose agency finances environmental infrastructure projects. “It’s about transferring academic research and experience to the business arena and making sure those businesses stay here.”

The proposal would allow SUNY institutions to designate up to 200,000 square feet on or within a mile of their campuses as tax-free zones for businesses that support their academic mission.  

At SUNY Cortland, that could encourage new enterprises related to renewable energy, sustainability, teacher education, kinesiology, and health or fitness to name just a few. It could be a boon for the College’s new entrepreneurism program, the still-developing downtown business incubator and other SUNY Cortland partnerships.

“As the largest employer in one of the poorest counties in upstate New York, SUNY Cortland is extremely excited by the opportunities this program will create for economic growth in our community,” College President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “It will give businesses additional incentives for locating in Cortland, and it will provide opportunities for faculty to develop research projects with commercial applications. For students, it could turn Cortland into a living laboratory for studying business and entrepreneurism and offer competitive employment opportunities after graduation.”

Bitterbaum is traveling outside the country and made his comments through a written statement. He and the presidents of four other Central New York SUNY institutions - SUNY Upstate Medical University, Onondaga Community College, SUNY Oswego and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry - drafted a letter in support of the initiative that was sent to regional news media this week.

All SUNY presidents had previously signed a public letter endorsing the plan, which would shelter qualifying businesses for 10 years from all state and local taxes. It would also exempt all of a participating company’s new employees from state income taxes, creating a powerful incentive to attract and retain high-quality people in Central New York.  

Certain businesses - such as retail establishments, restaurants, law and other professional offices - would not be eligible for the program. SUNY-owned property is already tax-exempt, and any tax-paying property designated as tax-free would still have to make payments-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOTs, to local taxing jurisdictions, Driscoll said.

“The campuses are going to work very closely with mayors and councilors to make sure these programs fit each community,” Driscoll said. “The governor does not want to see any property that pays taxes coming completely off the tax rolls.”

The Tax-Free New York proposal requires the approval of the state legislature. Driscoll was hopeful to get a vote during the current legislative session, which ends June 20. He was one of several people designated by Cuomo to promote the plan in communities throughout the state.

The New York Jets will officially start 2013 training camp at SUNY Cortland on Thursday, July 25, when the team reports to campus.

The first practice open to the public will be Friday, July 26, kicking off three weeks of action by some of the highest caliber professional athletes in the world. Tens of thousands of fans are once again expected to visit the Jets practice fields at SUNY Cortland during the three-week camp.

In addition to watching favorite players from the sideline at public practices, fans can pick up the latest gear and merchandise at the Jets Shop tent and check out this year’s new and improved Jets Fest, an interactive football theme park for children with skill challenges and inflatable rides.

Admission, as always, is free. This year, however, tickets printed from the Jets website will be required. Fans can register and print tickets by visiting newyorkjets.com/camp before making the trip to camp.

Camp visitors should use SUNY Cortland’s Stratton Drive entrance off of Route 281. Parking attendants will greet fans at the entrance and direct them to the camp parking area. SUNY Cortland charges a $5 parking fee.

Following each practice, Jets players will usually be available to sign autographs for fans along the sideline. Visitors should note, however, that autographs are not guaranteed. Available players will sign autographs if weather, time, and other circumstances permit.

In addition Gen Jets Kids Club members will have a kids-only player autograph area at all practices.  Space is limited to the first 100 kids each day, so fans are encouraged to check in their children upon arrival. 

The 2013 camp will be the fourth under five-year head coach Rex Ryan. It will be the first camp however, for John Idzik, the Jets' new general manager, and several new members of the Jets’ coaching staff.

"We're looking forward to our return to SUNY Cortland,” Idzik said. “My visit earlier this spring only served to confirm what staff members and coaches told me prior to my visit. The facilities and fields are top notch and the people are very warm and hospitable. The environment provides an excellent setting for training camp as we continue our preparations for the upcoming season."

SUNY Cortland’s partnership with the Jets continues to provide year-round opportunities for the College’s students and alumni. It also generates more than $5 million in tourism spending in the region every summer.

“We are eager to once again welcome the New York Jets back to our campus for their 2013 training camp,” SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “Our partnership continues to open new and exciting opportunities for our students, our alumni and our community. We are incredibly proud that our campus and staff are able to provide the kind of top-quality, professional experience this elite athletic organization requires.”

Camp visitors and fans can find practical information about the 2013 Jets Training Camp on the SUNY Cortland website.

Although the Jets invite all fans to attend open practices, please note that the schedule listed below is subject to change. Practices may be cancelled or closed to the public in the event of inclement weather.

Fans should call the team’s fan line at (973) 549-4844 or visit the team's Training Camp page for the most up-to-date news regarding practice schedules. Updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.

All camp visitors will be subject to new security procedures upon entry. Unlike previous years, this will include screening and bag searches.

Visitors should also be aware that SUNY Cortland, including the Jets practice fields, is now a tobacco-free campus. No tobocco products of any kind may be used on the property.

2013 NEW YORK JETS TRAINING CAMP PUBLIC PRACTICE SCHEDULE

All dates and times are subject to change.

For every practice listed below, camp gates and Jets Fest will be open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. daily. For the Green & White Practice, gates and Jets Fest will be open from 4 to 8:30 p.m.

Friday, July 26                     10 a.m.

Saturday, July 27                 10 a.m.

Sunday, July 28                    10 a.m.

Monday, July 29                    10 a.m.

Wednesday, July 31               10 a.m.

Thursday, Aug. 1                   10 a.m.

Friday, Aug. 2                        10 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 3                    Green & White Practice at 6 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 5                      10 a.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 6                     10 a.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 7                 10 a.m.

Sunday, Aug. 11                     10 a.m.

Monday, Aug. 12                     10 a.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 13                    10 a.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 14                10 a.m.

The weeklong Healthy Hunger Games camp hosted recently by SUNY Cortland for local high school students had little to do with the popular adventure novel trilogy.

But it had everything to do with a long-standing partnership program that aims to reduce the dropout rates in four nearby school districts, while also teaching important life skills such as nutrition.

The Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP), operated through the College’s School of Education, was launched 25 years ago to boost high school graduation rates across New York state. Since 1988, funding has been poured into colleges and universities statewide to create effective programs in local high-needs districts.

Now, during the 2013-14 school year, SUNY Cortland’s program will employ a new approach — one that utilizes staff members known as “achievement specialists” — in the Groton, Lansing, McGraw and Tully school districts locally.

“It’s just another person in the building focused on student achievement,” said Sherry Tacktill, the recently hired program director of LPP at the College, talking about the position.

In the past, each school partner would designate one of its teachers as a coordinator. That person then put together a plan that addressed topics such as afterschool homework help and mentoring, while SUNY Cortland hosted a handful of events throughout the year to bring the schools together.

Under the new model, achievement specialists will be certified teachers who are devoted entirely to LPP and its initiatives throughout the day, whether it’s during a study hall or lunch or after school.

“They would be available throughout the day because they’re not teaching classes,” Tacktill said. “They’ll have a very, very flexible schedule so that they can meet the needs of that particular school.”

So far, two achievement specialists with nearly 20 years of combined classroom teaching experience have been hired. A third position has been opened up. And depending on the year’s financial award for the program, which has not yet been announced, a fourth position could be added.

“Depending on how much money we get, we’ll be serving upwards of 280 students in the local school districts,” Tacktill said, noting that students typically are eligible for the program when they show academic struggles. Disciplinary issues or a family history of drug or alcohol abuse also can warrant participation, she said.

The program, which is expanding to help students in grades 7 to 12 next year, will work with SUNY Cortland’s Institute for Civic Engagement to utilize the talents of undergraduates taking courses with a service-learning component. LPP also will reach out to future teachers through the College’s Field Experience and School Partnerships Office as well as any other student volunteers, regardless of major, Tacktill said.

Most recently, during the Healthy Hunger Games camp, the achievement specialist brought the school-aged students to SUNY Cortland, where they were led by College faculty members associated with the HealthyNow Weight Loss and Healthy Living for Teens program.

They participated in activities such as exer-gaming, which uses video games to promote exercise. They read excerpts from Running for My Life, the 2012 book by local U.S. Olympian Lopez Lomong. And they measured the amount of sugar in sodas and the amount of fat in junk foods to physically depict what sometimes enters their bodies.

“During the week, they made changes,” Tacktill said. “One of the big themes is for the students to become agents of change.”

She said the week is a sign of things to come.

“What’s really wonderful is that the schools have really embraced the program,” Tacktill said. “They’ve embraced our achievement specialists as part of their support teams.

“They’ve been in this program a long time, but they really like the new model.”

Hundreds of students from two rural, high-needs Central New York school districts will receive extra instruction from dozens of SUNY Cortland’s future educators, thanks to a more than $250,000 New York State Education Department grant.

The Lafayette and Tully school districts will collaborate with the College year-round on a variety of programs designed to enrich the academic experiences of area primary and secondary school students. Federally funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program, the three-year, $257,385 grant is aimed at helping students in high-poverty districts meet academic standards.

The award also will give SUNY Cortland students aspiring to teach health, mathematics, physical education or science opportunities to work in a classroom before they become student teachers near the end of their undergraduate careers.

“I think that with the increasing pressure on all schools (based on state Common Core standards), we look at this program as a win-win for both us and the school districts,” said Marley Barduhn ’76, M ’79, SUNY Cortland’s assistant provost for teacher education. “It allows collaboration and partnership so that we all can work together to help students achieve academic success.”

Barduhn co-authored the grant with Doug Wieczorek, SUNY Cortland’s director of field experience and school partnerships, and the superintendents from both school districts: Kraig Pritts C.A.S. ’96, from Tully, and Peter Tigh, from Lafayette.

Only 125 grants were awarded, mostly to urban school districts, out of more than 450 proposals submitted. All proposals were required to serve a high percentage of students from low-income families.

With the Common Core requirements in mind, programs for both the academic year and the summer have been mapped out to boost learning in mathematics, English language arts, science and other content areas. SUNY Cortland’s teacher education program will supply talented student tutors and program leaders throughout the year.

While school is in session, the College’s undergraduates, under the guidance of SUNY Cortland faculty members and district schoolteachers, will provide academic intervention services to Lafayette and Tully students in grades 7 to 12 by offering support  to youths during scheduled study halls. And at the Onondaga Nation School in the Lafayette district, they’ll lead lessons related to health and exercise as part of an afterschool program.

“The idea is that we’ll have pre-service education students there so they get some real hands-on experience with students and small groups and so on,” said Pritts.

During the second and third years of the grant, in the summers of 2014 and 2015, students in grades 4 to 8 will spend a week at Bowers Hall on the SUNY Cortland campus, where their focus will shift to science. A $43 million renovation currently taking place in Bowers, transforming it into a state-of-the-art hub for scientific research and learning, will be completed before these students arrive.

“This will allow our students to work alongside experienced teachers and staff members from the schools,” said Barduhn, noting that every future teacher studying at SUNY Cortland must complete a minimum of 100 hours of early field experience before they receive a student teaching placement. “They will also share some early and very excellent supervised experiences with younger students.”

Collaboration between SUNY Cortland’s teacher education program and the rural Central New York school districts surrounding campus is not new. The College and Tully Central Schools have partnered on grants and special projects in the past, including one related to renewable energy in 2011. Educators from Tully also have developed a strong relationship with their counterparts in Queensland, Australia, because of SUNY Cortland.

“SUNY Cortland has helped us internationalize our focus quite a bit,” Pritts said.

Barduhn estimated that between eight and 10 SUNY Cortland students would participate in the proposed summer program and 40 to 50 would contribute during the academic year. The grant’s proposed budget counted professional staff services, project evaluation tools, classroom technology and mileage reimbursement among its expenses.

Every dollar is well spent when the schoolchildren benefit, Pritts said.

“The partnership with SUNY Cortland has been strong and continues to be strong and that’s what made this possible,” he said. “We put together programs that we think are going to be great not only for our kids but also for (SUNY Cortland’s) pre-service teachers.

“We just think it’s a win-win all around.”

Xena Holzapfel ’12 knows that the history of great civilizations was written in clay.

She is absorbing the lesson this summer in the dusty Belize village of San Antonio, where chickens run through an outdoor pottery studio and the female descendants of the ancient Mayans have formed a cooperative to reconnect with the cultural and economic heritage of their forebears.

Belize, a small Central American country with a scattered population roughly the size of Buffalo, N.Y., is a relatively untapped archeologist’s goldmine.

The rain forests have swallowed most artifacts of a once-thriving civilization, but the remnants of their wondrous cultural gatherings can be found in the shards of ceramic ware left behind.

Sharing ideas and clay handling techniques with the indigenous members of the San Antonio Women’s Group in this English-speaking country, Holzapfel feels her life experience just got a big boost.

“You’re so shocked taking everything in,” said Holzapfel, who earned a BFA degree at Cortland, of the village women who send their children off to school every morning, then attempt to start an artistic operation in the style of their ancestors.

“It’s just a different approach to art, it’s learning through your sense of touch,” said Holzapfel of Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y. “You can verbalize what you’re learning but to really experience it you have to physically do it.

“It makes me think: even people from a thousand years ago, we were so similar to them.”

Jeremiah Donovan, a SUNY Cortland professor of art and art history, has taken students to China since 1998, hosting summer classes that explore the region’s cultural traditions as reflected in its ceramics. In January. He turned his attention to the Mayan civilization that reached its pinnacle 1,000 years ago, and revised his successful formula to identify, recreate and preserve for posterity Belize’s traditional styles of pottery making.

Donovan’s pilot course, Winter Study: History, Culture, and the Arts, offered for the first time in January, provided Holzapfel and six other classmates a glimpse into the world of the former great Mayas of Belize.                

Building on that success, he invited three select former student participants to help him launch a formal research project in Belize this summer.

Jeremiah Donovan’s BFA protégés, junior Giotto Zampogna and former student Xena Holzapfel ’12, visit the Xunantunich site of ancient Mayan civilization with him this summer. Donovan is on the right. In the above left image is Giotto, left, working with Donovan. (photos courtesy of Charles Heasley)

Holzapfel, one of those chosen, knew the kind of transformative experience it was likely to be because she had experienced one of Donovan’s classes in Asia.

“Two months back from China, back home, I had had time to digest it,” Holzapfel said. “There are little things I ended up changing in my work. Now, after I’ve processed it, I can see how the experience comes out in my work. It just took a little time.”

In Belize, Donovan has created collaboration between the three students, the sparsely populated country’s indigenous artisans and Jaime Awe, a leading archeologist from San Ignacio, Belize. Charles Heasley, a SUNY Cortland professor of art and art history, is on hand documenting and keeping notes on the project this summer in multimedia, video, audio and digital still photography formats.

 “The intent in working with the San Antonio Women’s Group is to combine our hands-on research with the archaeological findings involving sherd (fragment) analysis of pottery production methods and processes,” Donovan said. “We hope to renew the traditional methods by putting the pieces back together both literally and figuratively.

“Part of the mystery is that the process for producing the glazes has been lost,” he said. “The chain from grandmothers to daughters has been broken and the women in the group really never used glazes or the pottery wheel. These women are being exposed to different traditions they can’t recreate. For them, there has been a lot of frustration.

“Now there’s just a spirit and commitment to revitalize their traditional ways. We feel like we’re putting the pieces back together in many ways.”

Donovan is exploring the possibility that the Mayans decorated their vessels using a refined clay slip similar to that in Greek and Roman terra sigillata pottery. When fired at simple kilns found in two locations in Belize, the superfine, colored clays turned into a surface sheen. Shades of cream, white and black commonly decorated the special multi-colored pottery made by the artisans of the palace courts in ancient times.

In 2014, Donovan will expand his planned yearlong research project to several different parts of Belize during a sabbatical, assisted by two SUNY Cortland students picked from among course and summer project participants.

The students have been practicing techniques to build vessels from coils of clay, rolled slabs of clay and by pressing the substance over molds. These are all traditional Mayan approaches to their craft. They also are investigating the colored slips that Mayan artisans might have used.

“Ultimately I really want to be a teacher someday, which is part of what’s so exciting about this experience here,” said junior art and art history major Giotto Zampogna of Groton, N.Y. “I’m teaching these women about the clay and they’ve shown us techniques. … It’s really nice seeing all the people here and they are so enthusiastic about the work.”

One of Donovan’s students, sophomore archeology major Alexandra Abbott of Harpursville, N.Y., took Donovan’s course in January and was among a select group to earn a SUNY Cortland Summer 2013 Undergraduate Research Council grant to support her participation in the summer research with Donovan. Abbott, who has focused her studies on Americas archeology, is helping Donovan reconcile findings at the San Antonio site with another site at Cahal Pech with their colleague, Dr. Awe.

Donovan used funding from the Cortland College Foundation to enable both Zampogna and Holtzpfel to participate in the project. Supporting undergraduate research is one of the priorities of Educating Champions, the Campaign for Cortland. That five-year campaign to raise $25 million on behalf of the College's institutional goals comes to an end June 30.

Last semester Zampogna, who is concentrating in studio art, was learning to throw a pot on a wheel on campus. This summer, he’s explored a place in Belize where the raw materials are found.

“I’ve never seen clay dug up out of the earth before,” Zampogna said. “You work with what you’ve got.”

Living with families in tiny rural villages and working closely with the women’s cooperative to resurrect the art as an economic lifeline, the students are making lasting social and cultural connections.

“My favorite part is the people,” Holzapfel said. “The tradition and information from their background are what inspires them.”

“The pottery is the major evidence people have today to figure out the Mayan culture,” said Leah Fries ’12 of Red Creek, N.Y.

Former student Xena Holzapfel ’12 and Junior Giotto Zampogna worked alongside the village artisans of the San Antonio Women’s Group in Belize this summer. They are shown left and right at the far end of the table.

Thousands of years ago, the Mayans were busy firing their intricately decorated, ceremonial terra cotta-colored pots at astonishingly low temperatures. In fact, for the early Central Americans in Belize near the border with Guatemala, both the hand-built pieces and their glazes likely were finished in fire pits, not kilns.

Fries, presently a SUNY Oswego graduate student in education, first interpreted early civilization’s story in Chinese porcelain.

As a sophomore bachelor of fine arts major who took part in Jeremiah Donovan’s summer course, China: History, Culture and the Arts, she discovered that the ancient Chinese, in a process shrouded in time and mystery, pulverized white stone into the raw material for what today is their world-renowned vases and sculptures.

In January Fries experienced a new chapter in her education, this time in Belize, rejoining her former mentor, Donovan.

 “The clay in Belize is different, and the artisans were using the clay that was around them,” she said. “In Belize, like the Chinese, they relied on their own surroundings.”

Experiences in Belize that resonated with Fries were the class visit to the home of Dr. (Jaime) Awe.

“He showed us his prized collection, his oldest and rarest things, his most beautiful pieces where the artists did hand painting on their plates and bowls,” Fries said. “I definitely was exposed to the ceramic culture as well as the Mayan culture.”

She also recalls an excursion that involved entering a cave and wading through knee-deep water to reach the subterranean grounds of a site believed to have been used for a Mayan ritual involving the sacrificial destruction of the elaborate clay vessels.

“You see all the ceramic shards,” Fries said. “Some are barely damaged, some are completely broken into pieces. It’s believed that part of the ritual was actually breaking these ceramic pieces — poking a pinhole into them so that energy could be released. The Mayans were great predictors of the weather and they thought that if they kept predicting the weather they would be successful.”

Fries is back in the U.S. and plans to complete her graduate student teaching requirement next fall in Bolivia.

“Jeremiah always encouraged us to do research beforehand and I decided I was going to develop a lesson plan based on Mayan culture: what would life be like for the ancient Mayan?” Fries said.

“It was a great experience,” she said. “I would definitely say the program I came from really transformed what I am today.”

“Every time I go somewhere abroad, when I come back I feel a little more centered,” Holzapfel said. “You know the world a little better, the people better. You lose your biases and you know how you fit into the world.”

SUNY Cortland women's swimmer Jessica Evans of Hamburg, N.Y., is one of 455 student-athletes, including only 151 from Division III schools, to be nominated for the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Evans was selected to represent the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). She is the conference's lone nominee.

The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

Every year, the NCAA encourages each member college and university to honor its top one or two graduating female student-athletes by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award. Each conference then selects one or two women from the nominees to represent the conference. Those names are then sent to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 10 honorees in each division.

From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee determines the top three in each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will then vote from among the finalists to determine the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Oct. 20.

Evans is a physical education major who entered the spring with a 3.89 cumulative GPA. This past winter she earned second-team All-SUNYAC honors with a runner-up finish in the 100-yard butterfly at the SUNYAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. Evans also swam on a 200-yard freestyle relay team that won the SUNYAC title and earned honorable mention All-America honors with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Evans served as co-president of Cortland's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and represented student-athletes on the Cortland Intercollegiate Athletic Board. She helped spearhead Cortland's National Student-Athlete Day Event in early April and helped organize the Bridges for Kids Toy Collection program for the local YWCA that Cortland Athletics held last fall. In addition, she represented Cortland at the SUNYAC SAAC Conference and initiated Cortland's partnership with the Syracuse Chapter of the Special Olympics, and was involved with Leaf Raking Day and Thanksgiving Food Drive projects last year.

Cortland-area community members can play a role in New York Jets training camp this summer through a variety of volunteer opportunities offered to the public by SUNY Cortland.

The College now is collecting online applications for the three-week camp, which takes place from late July to mid-August. The first of 15 practices open to the public is slated for Friday, July 26.

Volunteers can apply for positions related to guest services, where they’ll be stationed around camp to assist patrons with questions; golf cart transportation, where they’ll drive guests from the parking lots and practice fields; and security, where they’ll monitor various checkpoints.

Camp gates will be open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. daily. For the Aug. 3 Green & White Practice, gates will be open from 4 to 8:30 p.m.

All volunteers must be at least 18 years old. In addition to bragging rights and lasting memories, all volunteers will receive a commemorative t-shirt.

Interested applicants should complete a volunteer application, or contact Mary Kate Boland, the College’s assistant director of campus activities and Corey Union, at 607-753-2322 to learn more about the availability of opportunities.

Volunteer assignments will be announced in July.

The 2013 Annual Service Awards Ceremony recognizing classified staff will be held on Friday, Dec. 6, 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 http://www2.cortland.edu/hr/ at 607-753-5751.

45 Years

Linda Pedrick, Academic Affairs

35 Years

Ingrid Griswold, Memorial Library

30 Years

Lori Crandall, Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department

K. Michael Woodworth, Structural Maintenance

25 Years

Paula Giroux, Student Health Services

Linda Parmiter, Field Experience and School Partnerships Office

Claire Payne, Psychology Department

Donna Pool, Custodial Services

Paul VanValkenburg, University Police

20 Years

Constance Biviano, Student Health Services

Barbara Conrad, Childhood/Early Childhood Education

Dennis Gallow, Grounds

Lori Porter, School of Professional Studies

Debra Smith, Custodial Services

Victoria Stockton, Custodial Services

15 Years

Christopher Amedeo, Heating Plant

Jennifer Baker, Student Health Services

Darwin Bartholomew, Custodial Services

April Calale, Financial Aid

George Cole, Custodial Services

Melinda Ferguson, Physical Plant

Benjamin Finton, Central Warehouse/Mail Services/Commissary/Central Receiving

Deborah Lewis, Residence Life and Housing

Valerie McConnell Custodial Services

Denise Morse, Custodial Services

Debra O’Mara, Custodial Services

Deborah Slater, Memorial Library

Kathleen Stockton, Custodial Services

Colleen Trinkle, Custodial Services

Shirley Tutino Admissions

Joyce Willis, University Police

Gary Withers, Custodial Services

10 Years

Stacey Buckley, Physical Education Department

Kathleen Card, Custodial Services

Mary Jo Carey, Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education

David Coakley, University Police

Judy Daniels, Custodial Services

Carol Freeman, Custodial Services

Katherine Gustafson, Institutional Research and Assessment

Joel LaMott, Heating Plant

Gary Lansdowne, Physical Plant

Kevin Markowski, Heating Plant

Anne McLorn, Art and Art History Department

Patricia Pinto, Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department

Steven Rolfe, University Police

President Bitterbaum has announced that the opening meeting of the Fall 2013 semester is scheduled on Thursday, Aug. 22.  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 Monday, July 22.

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.

The Human Resources Office announced the recipients of its Annual Accrual Achievement Awards for Classified Service. These employees have used one day or less of sick leave accruals during the 2012-13 fiscal year.

The employees will receive a letter from President Erik J. Bitterbaum, a certificate of recognition and a $25 gift certificate to the Cortland Downtown Partnership.

The program was created to recognize classified employees who use minimal amounts of sick leave and to encourage other employees to build up sick leave balances. The awards will be distributed on Friday, Oct. 25. Those employees who will receive the award are:

Robin Abbott
Douglas Adsit
Robert Albro
John Aldrich
Walter Anderson
Dale Argyle
Sila Argyle
Michael Beaumont
Ronald Benda
Constance Biviano
Gregory Bliss
Stacey Buckley
Susan Bush
Paul Campbell
Giusepe Canzano
Kathleen Card
Wayne Carroll
Kathleen Caughey
Scott Chierchio
Vicki Clark
George Cole
Lucinda Compagni
Barbara Conrad
Michele Cornelius
Roger Cornelius
Lori Crandall
Linda Crompton
Franklin Dalton
Georgian DeForest
Deborah Dintino
Ella Dorman
Heather Drew
Francis Evangelista
William Farron
Barbara Field
Karl Fox, Jr.
Carol Freeman
Billie Furlong
Ronald Gray
Charles Greenman
Carol Gridley
Katherine Gustafson
Thomas Hingher
Marilyn Jones
James Kane
Andrew Keegan, Sr.
John Kehn
Sandra Kline
Nancy Kuklis
Gary Lansdowne
Julie LaPlant
Chad Lawrence
Darleen Lieber
James Lynch
Jo-Ann MacLean
Greg McCartney
Kathy McCracken
Nancy Mead
Darlene Miller
Denise Morse
Rhonda Moulton
Linda Nelson
Marcia O’Loughlin
Robert Orphan
Linda Parmiter
Michael Partigianoni
Ruth Partigianoni
Claire Payne
Linda Pedrick
Gregory Peters
Darlene Phillips
Steven Phillips
Connie Piech
Donna Poole
Teresa Ripley
Carlton Rodman
Steven Rolfe
Rosemary Root
Susan Root
Pamela Schroeder
Elizabeth Scott
Russell Scott
Shirley Shepard
Laurie Shutt
Lou Anne Simons
Lawrence Smith
Susan Smith
Lynn Stevens
Kathleen Stockton
Victoria Stockton
Gary Sutton
Mark Taylor
Lisa Walker
Melony Warwick
Denise Wavle
Nancy White
Anna Wilcox
Joyce Willis
Cynthia Withers
Patricia Wolff
Teri Wood
Kenneth Woodworth
Michael Zhe