Campus Champion

It’s no surprise that Lori Burns was highlighted as an inspiring person in the weekly series “Take a Second to Celebrate Tuesdays” campaign sponsored by Power 620 AM and CNY & Syracuse FunFlicks (Owned by Timothy A Bennett '07). The registered nurse has been touching the hearts of SUNY Cortland students for 14 years. “These are children away from home for the first time so I put myself in their shoes, show them kindness, take time to listen and help them mature into confident adults.” Passionate about her work at Student Health Service and compassionate for others, Lori is a champion for every student she meets.

The SUNY Cortland Alumni Association will present its most prestigious honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, to three graduates on Saturday, July 12, during the Alumni Reunion 2014 luncheon in Corey Union.

The 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are:

• Karen Collier Flewelling ’64, whose post-retirement humanitarian work takes her around the globe working to provide the less fortunate with clean water, school supplies and education.
• Jerrold Stein ’74, the trend-setting associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Stony Brook University.
• Susan Milstein ’95, a health educator and college professor whose published work on sex education is a guide to many other educators.

Since 1968, 117 SUNY Cortland graduates, including this year’s honorees, have received the Distinguished Alumni Award for their career accomplishments and outstanding service to their community and alma mater. In addition, 21 alumni have been recognized with Distinguished Young Alumni awards, reserved for alumni who are younger than 35 years old and have graduated in the last 10 years. Eight individuals have been named Honorary Alumni and, since 1999, nine alumni have been honored with Outstanding Alumni Volunteer awards.

Here's a closer look at the three graduates:

Karen Collier Flewelling ’64

Longtime physical education teacher and coach Flewelling retired in 1998 following a distinguished career lasting more than three decades. She then got busy with a second career — humanitarian work spanning the globe.

Karen Collier Flewelling '64

In her retirement, among her countless good deeds, Flewelling has drilled water wells in Africa’s dry lands, funded meals for hungry families in South America and delivered vital medical supplies to children in Asia. She has made 20 separate trips to 14 countries since 2005. In short, the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., resident works tirelessly to support healthier living for people who need it the most.

The longtime teacher and field hockey coach at Shaker High School, a former physical education major at SUNY Cortland, initially fell into volunteerism through Earthwatch, an international charity that looks to protect the environment. Flewelling saved endangered species as part of 10 projects with the organization, then shifted her service efforts to the needs of people. The specifics of her work change with the countries she visits; for instance, Flewelling has funded the purchases of scores of goats in Tanzania, soccer balls and school supplies in Nepal, and smokeless stoves in El Salvador.

“I am a one woman show,” said Flewelling, who pays for her own airfare, lodging and food when she travels on service trips. Every penny of every monetary donation she collects supports the Community Foundation of the Greater Capital Region. “I go to the countries to make sure the money is going where it should be,” she said.

The bulk of her recent work, however, brings water to developing parts of Africa and South America. “When each community has a well, the entire village benefits,” Flewelling said. She noted that women are the ones expected to carry water long distances in areas without easy access to the resource.

“We all know education is the key, and by drilling wells, we give girls an opportunity to get that education,” she said, explaining that young women are able to devote more times to their studies and their families.

To date, Flewelling has drilled or repaired 32 wells while funding 10 cisterns and 34 water filters. And her service has not gone unnoticed by her local community: she’s received multiple Lutheran Crusader grants totaling $6,500, earned Ruby Award recognition as a woman helping women in 2011 and 2012, and captured the attention of several media outlets in New York state’s capital region.

Flewelling documents her latest volunteer work on the website, drillingforhope.org, and has written a book, Drilling for Hope: One Woman’s Work to Provide Clean Water, to support future trips.

Jerrold Stein ’74

Stein’s proudest accomplishment can’t be found in his very impressive resume.

“I came up with the cheer you hear all over campus: ‘What’s a Seawolf?’ ‘I’m a Seawolf,’” said Stein, describing just one of his many initiatives to increase the school’s sense of community, extra-curricular participation, leadership involvement, student retention rate and ultimate success of its graduates.

Jerrold Stein '74

Stony Brook students agree, crediting Stein — who is retiring — in several very flattering student newspaper stories about his many projects to foster a vibrant and inclusive college community.

“We’ve worked hard to create a warm and supportive environment for our students,” Stein said of the 1,039-acre campus that opened in 1962 on Long Island’s North Shore. “That’s been a particular challenge because we’re a large research university. But we’ve made significant gains in the 38 years I’ve been here.”

“Over time he has created a culture of caring that is hard to quantify,” said Ellen Driscoll ’82, assistant dean of students at Stony Brook University, in her nomination letter for Stein. “Jerry is the essence of the kind of community both staff and students want to be a part of.”

Since 2006, Stein has served in his current role on the senior administrative team for the university, providing leadership for co-curricular activities and the welfare of more than 24,500 students, including 14,500 undergraduates. Approximately 600 professional, student and rotating medical fellow staff members are under his supervision and he manages two student activities centers that attract more than 1.1 million visitors annually.

He helped conceive, design and implement the Undergraduate College Program for first-year students, which involves required academic seminars, academic advisement, a new student common reading and co-curricular activities.  

In a period of five years, Stein developed and expanded the Living Learning Center Program — offering academic minors and activities consistent with the center theme — from three to eight centers.

Stein co-conceived and helped design the Red Watch Band program, a national movement designed to provide students with knowledge, skills and awareness to prevent death among their peers from toxic drinking.

He created the Center for Prevention and Outreach, which provides counseling resources and support to students and faculty on topics dealing with depression, sexual violence, alcohol and substance abuse.

He served as a founding member and professor of the School of Social Welfare Specialization in Higher Education, a unique graduate social work certificate-bearing program created in partnership with his division and the School of Social Work.

Stein has received many national student affairs and academic honors.

He has a doctorate in educational administration, leadership and technology from Dowling College, and two master’s degrees.

Susan Milstein ’95

The titles of recent publications edited by health educator Milstein likely will capture a reader’s attention. Then again, so will Milstein’s complete body of academic work in the sex education field.

The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality once named the former SUNY Cortland health education major an emerging professional in her discipline. Today, among her many professional duties, Milstein is a professor in the Department of Health Enhancement, Exercise Science and Physical Education at Montgomery College in Maryland and a part-time faculty member at George Washington University.

Susan Milstein '95

She also serves as associate editor of the American Journal of Sexuality Education and co-chair of the 2014 Annual Conference for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT).

“A few years ago I decided that I wanted to get more involved with helping other educators,” Milstein said.

That meant taking a dive into editing teaching manuals for peers in her field. To date, she has nearly a dozen publications to her credit and earlier this year, her co-edited work Teaching Safer Sex, Volumes 1 and 2 (3rd ed.) earned the AASECT book award. Other recent instruction manual titles from Milstein include Sex Ed in the Digital Age, which aims to help educators teach students how to navigate technology in relation to their sexuality, and Changes, Changes, Changes! Great Methods for Puberty Education, which has been called “a ‘must-have’ resource for educators” by notable children’s author Robie Harris.

Milstein’s major areas of academic interest include human sexuality, men’s health and teacher preparation. She has offered more than 50 professional and community presentations on a wide range of topics, from sexuality and senior citizens to HIV/AIDS to online relationships and cheating.

Milstein currently serves on a dozen committees and advisory boards devoted to professional service, including the American College Health Association (ACHA) Sexual Health Education and Clinical Care Coalition Committee, the Board of Directors for the Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and the Men’s Health Network Advisory Board.

She is a master certified health education specialist, a certified sexuality educator and in 2008 founded Milstein Health Consulting.

“I am proud to say the incredible training I received as a health education major at SUNY Cortland has had a great deal of impact on my career,” said Milstein, who went on to earn her master’s in health education at the University of Maryland, College Park, and her doctorate in human sexuality education at Widener University.

“The professors I had at Cortland … ignited a fire in me to not only be an outstanding health educator, but to also help the next generation the way they helped me.” 

Marley Barduhn ’76, M ’79 was actively involved in SUNY Cortland's Emergency Medical Services (SCEMS) throughout her 36 years at the College, so it is only fitting that a new award is named in her honor.

Aleena Kanner, chief of the SUNY Cortland Emergency Medical Service, presented Marley Barduhn with the plaque recognizing her 36-year commitment and designating an award fund in her name.

Established by SCEMS student volunteers and the SUNY Cortland EMS Alumni Association, the Marley Barduhn EMS Award will recognize annually a deserving SCEMS member who shows dedication exceeding membership expectations and academic excellence.

The award recognizes Barduhn’s 36 years as an advisor to SCEMS, and she will continue to play a role in reviewing the applicants as long as she chooses.

A SUNY Cortland alumna who has served the College since 1979 in many different capacities including faculty member and administrator at multiple levels, Barduhn retired in December as assistant provost emerita. Also in December, she was invited to serve as a Global Fellow in the SUNY Office of Global Affairs.

Award candidates must be full-time matriculated freshman, sophomores or juniors who are actively involved with SUNY Cortland EMS and carry a minimum 3.0 grade point average. The award will be funded through contributions from the SUNY Cortland EMS Alumni Association, which was established earlier this academic year.

“It was so important that we honor Dr. Barduhn in her retirement year,” said student SUNY Cortland EMS Chief Aleena Kanner. “She has continuously worked on behalf of SCEMS and has served as our advisor, walking history book and mentor during her 36 years." 

The SUNY Cortland EMS has more than 60 members of student volunteers trained in emergency medical response.

“We are a group that wants to help people. With the assistance of our Alumni Association, we are able to recognize Dr. Barduhn for her years of service while also giving acknowledgment to a deserving student who understands the importance of dedication to SUNY Cortland EMS," said Kanner.

The Cortland College Foundation will oversee the distribution of funds.

SUNY Cortland’s Institute for Civic Engagement (ICE) will host a workshop Tuesday, May 27, on how Cortland County agencies that rely on volunteers can take advantage of a regional recruitment website.

The event, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Main Street SUNY Cortland, located at 9 Main St., is geared for the staff of community agencies, college students and individuals who are often called upon to help others identify and reach willing helpers.

The workshop is free and open to the public. Space is limited, so those who wish to participate should RSVP as soon as possible to Cyndi Guy at cynthia.guy@cortland.edu or 607-753-4271.

Cathy Roosa, the regional volunteer coordinator based at United Way of Central New York, will present the workshop on its www.volunteercny.org website. 

For agencies and organizations, the site serves the purpose of helping recruit helping hands — from among college students or community members — and tracking their participation in its programs.

The site enables agencies to promote different types of opportunities, including ongoing and one-time needs, date-specific and open-ended opportunities, and projects for individuals and groups.

From the perspective of anyone else — community members and students alike — www.volunteercny.org is useful for finding volunteer opportunities. Individuals looking for volunteer opportunities can find projects in different ways, for example, they can search based on skills, interests and project attributes. Or they might view the project calendar to find a project that occurs on a specific date.

ICE Director Richard Kendrick hopes the website will become the hub for recruiting civic-minded citizens from the Cortland community.

“Although it is not intended to replace other ways to recruit volunteers, if we can begin to develop a presence for Cortland on this website, it can become a valuable tool for recruiting and tracking volunteers,” he said.

The site will enable the College to promote “one stop shopping” to its students, to local community members and to others who are seeking volunteer opportunities, according to him. 

“This site also can become an easy way for the campus’ community partners as well as student clubs, campus groups and other organizations to promote their volunteer opportunities,” Kendrick said.

For additional information about using volunteercny.org, visit the website.

The replacement of a faulty electrical switch responsible for this week's campus power outage has been fast-tracked, and full power could be restored to all campus buildings as early as Tuesday, May 27.

Until the repair is complete, all upper campus buildings will have limited power. Faculty, staff and students in those buildings should continue to restrict electricity use as much as possible. Anyone who has been assigned an alternative classroom or workspace on lower campus, which has full power, should continue in that location until advised otherwise.

Faculty and staff should power down their computers Friday afternoon before the long weekend.

Further details of what restricted energy use means for individuals are available at SUNY Cortland’s emergency website: http://emergency.cortland.edu. 

Please check the Website over the holiday weekend for updates on when full power will be restored and how the campus will return to normal operation.

By curtailing electrical use on upper campus, SUNY Cortland will be able to provide basic electrical service – essentially lights and computers – in all campus buildings until the work is finished. 

This temporary solution will require a degree of patience and sacrifice from all members of the campus community. 

It is critically important that all faculty, staff and students eliminate all unnecessary electricity use on upper campus. The College is closely monitoring energy use in all affected buildings and may be forced to take building equipment offline if it threatens our overall capacity limit – possibly with very little warning.

By unplugging coffee makers, electric fans, microwave ovens and other devices and by using available facilities on the lower campus – which is unaffected by the problem – members of the campus community will help us avoid this. Before making copies, please consider alternatives such as having documents duplicated at an off-campus location or doing the work at a later date.

Necessary work on the electrical system could take as long as a week. During that time, please be aware of the following measures:

• Air conditioning will not be available in any upper campus buildings. People with medical concerns related to warm temperatures should contact Human Resources for possible temporary reassignment to a workstation in a lower campus building.

• Only two upper campus buildings will have elevator service: The Education Building, to meet the needs of the Child Care Center, and Miller, because of its height.

• Summer session classes have been temporarily relocated to Park Center and the Professional Studies Building, which will be air-conditioned and have full electrical service.  A number of other campus events have also been relocated or rescheduled.

• There will be no ASC food service on campus until further notice. Hilltop in Brockway Hall, the only dining facility currently operating, closed Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

• The Tomik fitness center in the Van Hoesen/Cornish complex will close. Woods fitness center in Park Center will be open for all people who normally use Tomik.

• Any students staying overnight on campus have been moved to Smith Tower, which is served by the same electrical feed that powers lower campus. All other campus residence buildings will have limited power.

The SUNY Cortland Child Care Center will host a 5-kilometer fun run and walk Sunday, June 8, to benefit its student enrichment fund and honor the memory of a longtime supporter.

The William Shaut Memorial 5K Fun Run and Walk goes off at 9 a.m. outside of the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. Registration costs $20 for individuals and $35 for families. Registration forms, which are available online, can be mailed to the Child Care Center, located at Prospect Terrace, Education Building, Room 1000, Cortland, NY, 13045, or they can be dropped in the center’s tuition box.

Race day registration will take place beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the entrance of the Stadium Complex.

The event is named in honor of William Shaut, SUNY Cortland’s former vice president for finance and management who died May 1 after a long illness. Shaut served as the College’s liaison with the Child Care Center, always extending support and enthusiasm for its initiatives throughout his 14-year SUNY Cortland career.

All event proceeds will benefit the Child Care Center’s student enrichment fund, a recently created endowment to provide classroom enhancements for teachers. T-shirts will be sold in adult and youth sizes for $8 each until they run out.

Three shorter children’s fun runs, up to a half-mile, will take place before the 5K starting at 8:30 a.m. All children who participate will receive a medal. The 5K course will follow an out-and-back, 3.1-mile route on the SUNY Cortland campus, beginning and ending in front of the Stadium Complex.

Raffle items and gift certificates also will be awarded at the event.

For more information on the race, contact Assistant Chief of University Police Mark DePaull at 607-753-4127, or Child Care Center Teacher Karen Diescher at 607-753-5955. Payment-related questions can be directed to Kimberlea VanderWoude, administrative assistant for the Child Care Center, at 607-753-5955.

Twenty-seven SUNY Cortland campus leaders recently took part in an intensive five-day leadership development program titled “Leading With Impact: Your Ripple Effect.”

The program, facilitated by Lisa Kahle, Campus Technology Services, and John Shirley, Career Services, focused on personal, interpersonal, team, cultural and systems development and growth. 

The following people received certificates for participation:

Gradin Avery, Sila Argyle, Nicole Brooks, Matt Brubaker, Ralph Carrasquillo, Stephen Chemsak, Colleen DeGouff, Jeff Dmochowski, Karen Gallagher, Regina Grantham, Ron Gray, Jennifer Janes, Christopher Kuretich, Juanita Larrabee, Eamon O’Shea, Joshua Peluso, Bruce Perine, Fred Pierce, Kevin Pristash, Lisa Randolph, Kimberly Rombach, Mary Schlarb, Michael Sgro, David Smukler, Michael Urtz, Paul van der Veur and Julian Wright.

“Lisa and John did a great job, and the material was very relevant to the work all of us do here at SUNY Cortland,” said Fred Pierce, director of public relations. I think we all came away from this experience equipped to be better leaders and managers.

Those interested in participating in a Leading With Impact program should contact Brent Danega in Human Resources by email or at 607-753-2302.

The Professional Employee’s Recognition Luncheon scheduled for May 20 was postponed to a later date due to a power outage on campus that day.

The following employees will be recognized at a later time for their years of service the SUNY Cortland:

25 Years

Linda Foster

15 Years

Robert Babcock

Gary Babjack

Sonya Comins

Sharon Consler

Thomas Cranfield

Larry Czarnecki

Wayne Douglas

Jose Feliciano

Judy Firlik

Michelina Gibbons

Marina Gorelaya

Amy Henderson-Harr

Victoria Hess

Beth Langhans

Adam Levine

Jeannette Mosher

Joshua Peluso

Hailey Ruoff

Raymond Rupert

Lee Scott-Mack

Bradford Snyder

Teri Vigars

10 Years

Tina Aversano

Michele Baran

Lorraine Berry

Lisa Kahle

Douglas Langhans

Eamon O’Shea

Jeanine Rose

Lori Schlicht

Elizabeth Speziale

Heidi Woodcock

Glenn Wright

Professionals who have earned permanent appointment status include:

Samuel Colombo

Michelle Cryan

Patrick Donnelly

Jennifer Drake

James Durr

Richard Fey

Cheryl Hines

Bruce Kellett

Linette Mowers

Bruce Perine

Michael Pitaro

Calvin Ruthven

Kellie Swartwout

Sarah Unruh

For more information, contact the United University Professions Office by email to uup@cortland.edu.