Campus Champion

Breanna Washington, a dual major in special education and childhood education with a concentration in the social sciences, will test her skills later this month when she begins a program in Thailand teaching English to school children. The recipient of the Diversity Abroad Honors Scholarship, Breanna’s application detailed the lessons she hopes to teach. “Breanna has goals that reflect her passion for being a teacher,” said Senior Study Abroad Advisor Hugh Anderson. Breanna will return in August for resident assistant (RA) training before beginning her third year as an RA in Dragon Hall. She credits this experience with building meaningful relationships and learning important life lessons.

SUNY Cortland is national champion in a challenging sport that few people have ever heard of. In fact, the College’s two winning goalball teams are so proficient that they can beat opponents with their eyes closed.

Actually, the rules require that they do it that way.

Goalball, a game created to help visually-impaired World War II veterans, is played wearing opaque blinders. And the three-year-old SUNY Cortland sport club’s founder, coach and star player is legally blind.

“One of the main goals that these goalball clubs have, their purpose is to potentially make it an NCAA sport so that kids who are blind and vision impaired have something to do coming out of high school,” said Brandohn Gabbert, an exercise science major who grew up playing goalball. “Right now, we’re not getting scholarships for these kinds of sports. We can play high school goalball, or even start in middle school, but once you get to college, there’s nothing for you on the collegiate level.”

The University of California, Berkley started the nation’s first competitive collegiate goalball team in 2015, followed by a handful of other colleges, including SUNY Cortland in 2017. The sport, in which players try to throw or roll a ball with bells inside into the opposing team’s goal, has proven popular among SUNY Cortland students, especially those interested in adapted physical education.

On April 21 and 22, a pair of SUNY Cortland goalball teams travelled to Towson (Md.) University to compete in the fourth annual Collegiate Goalball National Championships. SUNY Cortland didn’t just win the national title, it sent two teams and took each of the top two spots.

Gabbert, a non-traditional student who competed in goalball nationally before coming to SUNY Cortland in 2016, didn’t expect to continue his athletic career in college.  Although he missed making diving saves, spinning throws and working together with his teammates, the senior from Manhattan, N.Y., wanted to dedicate himself to his studies and prepare for a career in chiropractic care.

But when Gabbert heard from friends at other colleges who were organizing teams, he decided he had to get the ball rolling — literally — at SUNY Cortland.

With the help of advisor Cathy MacDonald, associate professor of physical education, Gabbert formed the team in the spring of 2017.

Although the team is wildly successful, winning was never the ultimate goal. Gabbert said he’ll always have a national championship on his resume, but what he really wants is to raise awareness of inclusive sports for the visually impaired and ensure equal opportunities for the next generation of blind athletes.

Goalball was created in 1946 for visually-impaired veterans who wanted to rehab from other injuries or remain physically fit. In the decades since, goalball has evolved into a competitive sport that is played around the world from recreational levels to sanctioned World Championships and the Summer Paralympic Games.

The game is played on a volleyball court with two opposing teams of three players each. Thick twine or thin cables are taped to the floor so that players also have a tactile way of determining their position. Players wear blacked-out goggles to ensure that no one has a vision advantage.

Teams alternate throwing the ball at the opponent’s end, attempting to beat the defenders and score a goal. Defenders locate the ball by listening for the bells, and talking with teammates. As a result, spectators at goalball games must remain silent throughout the competition.

A complete list of rules and regulations is available from the International Blind Sports Federation.

Gabbert has competed at a national level for eight years. Many of his SUNY Cortland teammates and fellow national champions, on the other hand, have only recently been introduced to the sport. A number of MacDonald’s adapted physical education students picked up the game and learned from Gabbert’s advice, particularly on how to interact verbally as they tried to save shots.

“If we didn’t have him to help us out, we would have been lost,” said Kyle Gerken, a senior physical education major from Hauppauge, N.Y. “The practices definitely helped out to teach us strategies and work together. Working with the blindfold, we would not have known to communicate.”

Dylan Savarese, a junior physical education major from New Hyde Park, N.Y., is excited to keep the team going when he returns in the fall. SUNY Brockport is planning an upcoming tournament, and he wants to demonstrate that SUNY Cortland’s showing at the national championships was no fluke.

“We were thrown into it without much experience. Or padding,” said Savarese. “It was the will to win, really.”

Elizabeth Byrnes, a senior physical education major from Queens, N.Y., is trying to encourage her younger classmates to keep SUNY Cortland’s goalball tradition alive in the years to come. Cortland placed third in the national tournament in 2017, its first.

“Personally, everyone I talk to, I try to tell them about it so it can grow,” she said. “Without (Gabbert) preaching to people, unfortunately it won’t survive. I’m trying to get the underclassmen and other people to find out about it.”

Courtney Tramacera, a sophomore speech and hearing science major from Utica, N.Y., and Zachary Egan, a junior sport management major from Homer, N.Y., also participated on SUNY Cortland’s goalball teams this semester.

There are hopes, too, that goalball can become part of SUNY Cortland’s adapted physical education community programs. Currently, the College offers wheelchair sports on Thursday evenings and a gym-and-swim program for local children and young adults with disabilities.

“We’ve been at the forefront for a long time,” said John Foley, professor and chair of the Physical Education Department, of the College’s commitment to adapted activity. “Sometimes we’re just now recognizing all the things we do. We do wheelchair basketball on Thursday nights. Occasionally we’ll do sled hockey. There is so much that we’ve done over the years.”

As for Gabbert, his days of competitive goalball likely come to an end following Commencement. He wants to focus on his career in the coming years rather than go through the grind of trying to compete for a spot on the U.S. Paralympic team.

That doesn’t mean he won’t stop in his role as an advocate for athletic opportunities for visually impaired athletes. SUNY Cortland, he believes, could be just the place for such a transformation in college athletics.

And a national championship doesn’t hurt, either.

“If it ever does become an NCAA sport, Cortland could be one of the schools that’s on the map as one of the founding schools,” Gabbert said. “We’re one of the 12 or so that started it before it became a national thing. Hopefully it continues on to next semester and next year.

“We want other kids to know coming from high school, Cortland has this thing you can do. You can have your major and have something fun to do so it’s not just class, dorm, class, dorm. You can do something and be active.”

MacDonald offered an independent study class to help students learn about the sport. Students who are interested in participating in goalball this fall should contact MacDonald or Gabbert.

All good things must come to an end, and for SUNY Cortland’s seniors and graduate students, that time is approaching.

The College’s graduate commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, May 11. Three undergraduate ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 12.

Commencement ceremonies will be held in the Bessie L. Park 1901 Physical Education and Recreation Center Alumni Arena. An undergraduate reception for all ceremonies will start at 11:30 a.m. on May 12 in Lusk Field House.

Undergraduate ceremonies will be held at 9:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The graduate ceremony starts at 7 p.m. on May 12.

A total of 1,649 seniors applied to graduate during the 2017-18 academic year. An estimated total of 997 of them will don cap and gown to receive bachelor’s degrees during the three undergraduate ceremonies.

The largest number of majors set to graduate in each of the College’s three schools are: 124 business economics majors in the School of Arts and Sciences, 159 exercise science majors in the School of Professional Studies and 159 early childhood and childhood education majors in the School of Education.

The College also will award 247 master’s degrees and 26 Certificates of Advanced Study.

“Commencement is a time of great pride on campus; for students, their families, the faculty and for SUNY Cortland as an institution,” College President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “It gives us all a wonderful sense of satisfaction to imagine the future accomplishments ahead of  our graduates and to know they will make a positive difference in whatever endeavors they pursue.”

The first two undergraduate ceremonies will feature Paul Alexander ’82 as commencement speaker. Alexander, currently an offensive line coach with the Dallas Cowboys, also will receive an honorary degree from the College during the one of the ceremonies, honoring his commitment not only to athletics but to academic achievement and musical performance as well.

During the afternoon undergraduate ceremony, seven SUNY Cortland faculty and staff members will receive Chancellor’s Awards, made by SUNY administration to recognize consistently superior achievement and excellence by faculty and staff within the 64-campus system.

SUNY Cotland’s honorees will be:

Andrew L. Fitz-Gibbon — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities

Kathleen A. Burke — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching

Herbert H. Haines — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service

Lauren Stern — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship

Michelle Congdon — Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service

Also during undergraduate Commencement, two faculty members will receive SUNY rank promotions. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Sharon Steadman will accept the promotion to the SUNY rank of Distinguished Professor and Professor of Biological Sciences Peter Ducey will accept the promotion to Distinguished Teaching Professor.  

Judy Wolfe ’84, president of the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association Board of Directors, will welcome SUNY Cortland’s newest graduates into the ranks of the College’s alumni, who live in all 50 U.S. states and 40 countries. SUNY Cortland has graduated more than 78,000 alumni.

The commencement ceremony schedule is as follows:

• Friday, May 11
  • 2:30 p.m. Undergraduate rehearsal, Park Center Alumni Arena
  • 7 p.m. Graduate Commencement Ceremony, Park Center Alumni Arena
• Saturday, May 12
  • 9:30 a.m. Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony 1, Park Center Alumni Arena
  • 11:30 a.m. Undergraduate reception for all ceremonies, Lusk Field House
  • 2:30 p.m. Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony 2, Park Center Alumni Arena
  • 7 p.m. Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony 3, Park Center Alumni Arena

For more information, visit the 2018 Commencement Ceremonies website or contact Special Events Coordinator Samantha Howell at 607-753-5453 or Special Events Assistant Susan Vleck at 607-753-2377.

Prepared by Communications Office writing intern Ben Mayberry

Five SUNY Cortland faculty and staff members will receive Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence at Commencement 2018, in recognition of consistently superior professional achievement. 

The honorees, announced by the 64-campus SUNY system Tuesday morning, are:

• Andrew Fitz-Gibbon, professor of philosophy and chair of the Philosophy Department, will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities. Fitz-Gibbon is director of the Center for Ethics, Peace and Social Justice at SUNY Cortland.

• Kathleen Burke, professor of economics and chair of the Economics Department, will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

• Herbert Haines, professor of sociology and chair of the Sociology/Anthropology Department, will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.

• Lauren Stern, instructional services librarian and interim information literacy/instruction coordinator, will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship.

• Michelle Congdon, Secretary II in the Human Resources Office, will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service.

“I am always telling people how fortunate we are at SUNY Cortland to have such a talented and dedicated group of faculty and staff, and it is always gratifying when our deserving professionals are recognized,” President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “Each of these people have worked extremely hard and done so much to help the College’s students and its mission.”

Earlier this year, the SUNY administration promoted two SUNY Cortland faculty members to the rank of “Distinguished.”

• Sharon R. Steadman, a professor in the Sociology and Anthropology Department, was elevated to the rank of Distinguished Professor.

• Peter K. Ducey, a professor in the Biological Sciences Department, was named a Distinguished Teaching Professor.

A SUNY Cortland research team is continuing its innovative work to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease through hard exercise lasting less than a minute.

The progressive motor disease affects more than two million Americans with symptoms such as shaking hands, a shuffling walk or soft speech. However, after the exercise prescribed by the SUNY Cortland team, study participants with Parkinson’s improved their balance and gait, making them less likely to fall compared to when they started the program.

The research project, which launched in 2016 and involves collaboration between the College’s Kinesiology and Communication Sciences and Disorders departments, relies on two exercise machines developed with Olympic mogul skiers in mind. It’s equipment that provides a high-intensity, low-impact workout for the lower body. 

“We’re trying to do something different in the area of Parkinson’s work,” said Professor of Kinesiology Jeffrey Bauer, the project’s principal investigator. “We know that exercise helps, but what we’re trying to do is reduce the time required for people to exercise and still see a measurable benefit from it.”

Bauer explained that Parkinson’s patients are affected by a deficiency of dopamine, a compound that functions as a crucial transmitter of neurological information.

“Without dopamine synthesis — without dopamine being created or accepted in our body — the neurological messages sent from the brain to the muscles just don’t work,” he said. “Doctors can prescribe medication, but we also know that exercise itself increases the body’s ability to accept and use dopamine correctly.”

An open house-style event in the Professional Studies Building’s biomechanics lab on April 6 invited study participants, student researchers and members of the public to learn more about the research findings to date. So far, seven people with Parkinson’s who range in age from their mid 40s to early 80s have participated in the project.

When the study launched, participants exercised on a piece of equipment known as the QuadMill. They would balance in a squatting position on a forward-moving platform. SUNY Cortland has since acquired a machine known as the ReACT system, which Bauer likened to a smoother, more advanced version of the QuadMill.

The study involved a 12-week training regimen of two training sessions per week. During each session, participants would ride the equipment three times for 45 seconds each. Researchers recorded biomechanical data such as gait and balance, physiological information such as blood pressure and heart rate and psychological responses about feelings and emotions. Speech data also was acquired at the beginning, in the middle and at end of the study.

“What we’re seeing is a measurable effect that not only transfers over the course of a single day, but several weeks,” said Bauer, whose 87-year-old father has Parkinson’s disease.

He noted that several different measurements all point to the positive effects of high-intensity exercise. Cadence, which measures how fast a person walks, increased. One participant’s balance sway area decreased by approximately 50 percent, suggesting a lower likelihood of falling. Participants have noticed their quality of life improve.

“The first thing I noticed is that I was singing along to songs on the way home from sessions,” said Karen Cretaro, a 64-year-old research study participant from Syracuse, N.Y.

Cretaro was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year and a half ago, despite leading an active lifestyle in fitness and martial arts. She discovered SUNY Cortland’s research project through a trial finder tool created by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, founded by the popular actor who used his public struggle to raise awareness about the disease.

Medication helped Cretaro and so has the exercise. She started riding the College’s equipment at 20 revolutions per minute and steadily built up to 60, with the encouragement of SUNY Cortland students assisting on the project.

“The students are very supportive,” Cretaro said. “I wanted to keep moving up because I’m used to pushing it, and they make it feel like a workout.”

A.J. Generali ’15, M ’17 has been involved with the project since it launched, when he began pursuing his master’s degree in exercise science. Besides getting to work with new equipment, Generali said he has enjoyed witnessing the steady progress of study patients. They have continued returning to SUNY Cortland’s biomechanics lab even after the 12-week testing ended.

“This is the type of stuff you do outside of your normal everyday work that’s fulfilling and worthwhile,” said Generali, who now serves as a lab instructor in the Kinesiology Department. “And not only are our subjects enjoying it, but students are enjoying it too.

“They’re seeing this other path they can go down within our major.”

Olivia Trumino, a senior exercise science major from Binghamton, N.Y., has aspirations to become a physical therapist, so she saw the student research opportunity as valuable experience in a clinical setting. 

“It’s been better than I ever could have imagined — the highlight of my semester,” Trumino said.

Besides Bauer, other SUNY Cortland faculty members conducting the research are co-investigator Irena Vincent, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders; Philip Buckenmeyer, associate professor and chair of kinesiology; Erik Lind, associate professor of kinesiology; and Mark Sutherlin, assistant professor of kinesiology.

And the SUNY Cortland team’s work isn’t done. The group will seek additional data through electromyography, a procedure to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them, as well as ultrasound to consider what is taking place inside the body. Pressure map technology also will be incorporated to gain more detailed information about balance and movement in a more constricted everyday space such as a kitchen.

Eventually, the group hopes to publish its results and share them with the scientific community.

“We’re going to gather more information about Parkinson’s so that we can help,” he said. “We know we’re not going to cure Parkinson’s. But science can be used to make people’s lives better, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday commended  SUNY Cortland junior Kyle Richard, who was shot twice after stopping an attempted rape in Long Island last summer, for taking decisive action against sexual assault at the national Biden Courage Awards in New York City.

"Not everyone can be a hero like Kyle," Biden said at the event while urging other young men not to be silent bystanders. "But you have an obligation to holler ... to step up."

The annual award ceremony, hosted by It’s On Us and the Biden Foundation, celebrates student heroes who are working to stop sexual assault. Richard was presented with the Biden Courage Award for Bystander Intervention and received a thank you note from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Richard and a friend interrupted a sexual assault in progress during a party on Long Island in the summer of 2017. Richard, a linebacker and captain of SUNY Cortland’s football team, pursued the assailant, who drew a gun and shot at Richard three times, hitting him once in each leg.

The bullets missed major arteries and bones by millimeters. Richard, through intensive physical therapy and training recovered in time for football season.

“Kyle is a remarkable young man whose courage and compassion is an inspiration to us all,” said President Erik J. Bitterbaum. “He exemplifies the type of active and selfless engagement with the world that we encourage in all our students. Needless to say, we are incredibly proud that he is part of the SUNY Cortland community.”

“Kyle Richard is a role model for us all,” said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. “When suddenly confronted with a dangerous situation he had the courage to save a person from unspeakable harm – and he did so at risk to his own life. We are proud of Kyle, not only for his heroic efforts, but also for his willingness to share his story as a way to build awareness to stop sexual assault. My congratulations to him.”

Since Richard interrupted the attack, he has become an outspoken advocate for the victims of sexual assault. In March, he was presented with a Next Generation Award from Kristin’s Fund, established in memory of Kristin Palumbo Longo, who was murdered by her husband in 2009 in Deerfield, N.Y. Richard was the guest speaker at Utica College’s Take Back the Night March in April and was involved with numerous Sexual Assault Awareness Month events on the SUNY Cortland campus.

“Kyle put into action what we have been educating people about regarding bystander intervention in the campus community,” said Title IX Coordinator Nan Pasquarello. “By stepping in to interrupt harm, he embodied the message of SUNY Cortland It’s On Us. Kyle stepped up to speak at the Take Back the Night March and participate in the dating violence awareness event Yards for Yeardley this month. He is a humble and genuine young man and I hope he will inspire others to do what they can to change our current culture.”

Vice President Biden founded It’s On Us in 2014 to fundamentally shift the way we think and talk about sexual assault and engage young people to stand up on their college campuses and in their communities. The first Courage Awards were hosted at the White House in 2016.

Richard has stressed that others don’t have to take a bullet to be active bystanders. Ideally, active bystanders work to prevent sexual assault situations from happening in the first place by respecting one another as human beings.

“I realize that people do want to hear my voice,” Richard said at Yards for Yeardley. “I have support from my whole football team. I have 100 guys supporting me through this, so that’s made it easy for me. But it’s still not an easy topic to talk about. It is a tough topic but we need somebody to talk about it, especially from a male perspective.”

When Richard shared his story on social media, it went viral. He has received more than 14,500 likes and 3,600 retweets on Twitter and has been contacted by people from all over the world who wanted to thank him for his courage and sacrifice.

Yet Richard wants to deflect the personal attention. He hopes that others follow his example and step up when they have an opportunity to act.

“I knew there would be attention and some sort of publicity,” Richard said. “But it’s not really about that. It’s about the messages I’ve received from people across the country.”

Faculty and staff from SUNY campuses across the state will soon gather at SUNY Cortland for the 27th annual Conference on Instruction and Technology (CIT), SUNY’s largest and most anticipated event related to the use of instructional technology in education.

This year’s conference, “Elevate Learning: Taking Education Higher,” takes place May 22 to 25 at various locations on campus. Registration is required for attendees.

A limited number of scholarships are available for interested SUNY Cortland faculty and staff. To apply for a scholarship, please complete the CIT 2018 scholarship application, but do not register yet. Applicants will be contacted regarding scholarships once their applications are reviewed.

CIT was established in 1992 to provide a forum for faculty, instructional support professionals and policymakers to present, discuss and explore innovative avenues for integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment. Participants are encouraged to share their expertise and experience, discuss common problems, brainstorm solutions and explore innovative avenues for improving the learning environment with technology.

“It’s not only to elevate learning by technology, although technology is wrapped in many of the sessions,” said Amy Berg, associate provost for information resources. “There will be sessions on teaching techniques as well. It’s about instruction and technology, so it doesn’t have to be one or the other.”

Barbara Oakley, a New York Times bestselling author and professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., will deliver a keynote address at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 24, in Old Main Brown Auditorium. Oakley’s work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. She was presented with the American Society of Engineering Education’s Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in engineering education. With Terrence Sejnowski, the Francis Crick professor at the Salk Institute, she co-teaches “Learning How to Learn” through Coursera, the University of California, San Diego’s massive open online course.

Oakley served as a captain in the U.S. Army and was recognized as a Distinguished Military Scholar. She has worked as a communications expert at the South Pole Station in Antarctica and as a Russian translator on trawlers in the Bering Sea.

Robin DeRosa, professor of interdisciplinary studies at Plymouth (N.H.) State University, and Patricia Thompson, assistant vice chancellor for SUNY’s Student Financial Aid Services, also will be featured speakers.   

A number of SUNY Cortland faculty and staff with expertise spanning a wide variety of fields will present during the four-day conference. They include: Kathleen Burke, Christopher Cubells, Lisa Czirr, Katherine Graham, Jennifer Kronenbitter, Christopher Manaseri, Julia Morog, Janet Ochs, Joshua Peck, Jeremy Pekarek, Linda Pezzolesi, Lori Schlicht, John Scognamiglio, Lauren Stern, Mary Wilhelm-Chapin and Jeremy Zhe-Heimerman. Others will present at poster sessions on Wednesday, May 23 and Thursday, May 24.

A full schedule of events is available at cit.suny.edu.

The SUNY Center for Professional Development has announced the Sharon Gallagher Memorial Scholarship, which provides financial assistance for first-time attendees. It aims to encourage new faculty and staff involved in teaching, learning and instructional technology initiatives to pursue opportunities for professional development and networking with colleagues across the SUNY system. Information on qualifications and how to apply is available on the CIT scholarship page.

SUNY Cortland last hosted CIT in 1998. The theme then was “Building a SUNY Learning Community.” While one workshop was called “Introduction to Windows 95,” many of the topics from two decades ago still resonate today, including “Classroom Magic: Incorporating Technology into Instruction” and “Using Technology to Strengthen Traditional Courses: Instructional Goals and Practices.”

Technology has come a long way since the last CIT in Cortland. So has the SUNY Cortland campus. Being able to show off the College’s faculty and staff to the rest of the SUNY system will be just as important as displaying the improvements made to instructional technology, Berg said.

“It’s a time to highlight what we do in our facilities,” Berg said. “We’re highlighting our faculty through their presentations, but we’ve worked hard to ensure that our classrooms are modern and up-to-date.”

Contact Berg at 607-753-5942 for more information.

Blaze, SUNY Cortland’s Red Dragon mascot, has been getting some questions lately:

“Have you been working out?”

“Did you lose weight?”

“Where’d you get those shoes?”

The interest is understandable. Last month, Blaze received a serious makeover.

In light of the new, modernized athletics logo unveiled last year, the College this spring ordered a custom-made mascot costume. Actually, it ordered two — one for Blaze portrayers on the tall side, and one for mascot actors of a shorter stature.

Like the updated logo, the new Blaze mascot costume is fiercer, more athletic and has wings. Basically, it’s a little less like Barney the Dinosaur and more like a “Jurassic Park” raptor. Only with sneakers.

Because the mascot’s primary job is to cheer on SUNY Cortland’s athletic teams, the new version is dressed in sports gear — sleeveless shirt, gym shorts and, of course, athletic shoes.

The new Blaze has already made some notable appearances, including last month’s Open House, the Yards for Yeardley event and several games. You’ll see Blaze more as the semester winds down, so be sure to keep an eye out.

SUNY Cortland’s student artists will soon have their own accomplishments recognized in the “Student Select 2018” exhibition, which opens on Thursday, April 26.

The annual art display kicks off with a public reception from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Dowd Gallery, Dowd Fine Arts Center. The exhibition closes May 12 at 2 p.m. Public visitation during the exhibition’s duration is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by appointment.

The “Student Select 2018” juror, Syracuse University Professor of Ceramics Peter Beasecker, chose 58 different works from 24 student artists to be exhibited. The works vary from sculpture, ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, fibers, book making, graphic design, and video production.

Rafael Perez Mejia's mixed media collage, "Vandals Paradise," took first prize in the exhibition. Reagan Mayer's untitled steel sculpture placed second and Kelly Brown's stoneware "Series 1" and "Series 2" placed third. Erin Schiano's cast iron, bonded sand and concrete piece, "Highly Technicized, Rational-mindedness" was the honorable mention director's pick.

“Student Select 2018” provides students with a venue to exhibit the works they have completed in their art classes and in the studio. Art majors and non-majors alike are given a shot at having their accomplishments on display.

“The exhibition is an opportunity for students to showcase their work, which has a life after this; it will end up in a gallery or in someone’s home,” said Jaroslava Prihodova, interim gallery director. “It’s a chance for the campus to see the fruits of their labor at the end of the semester.”

“Student Select 2018” is sponsored by the Art Exhibition Association. This year’s exhibition features work from the following students: Anna Brasted, Emily Breinlinger, Kelly Brown, Annie Derzanovich, Maki Gayton, Matt Gisin, Kayla Hinkle, Weikang Jia, Leah John-Quaccoo, Kaitlyn Klippert, Diana Kump, Reagan Mayer, Jillian McEvoy, Jordann McKenna, Sarah McNulty, Mike Morris, Matt Oswald, Rafael Perez Mejia, Kateri Ruebenstahl, Gage Smith, Leah Tidd, Hayley Truax, Luke Warpus and Sarah Zielstorf.

For more information, contact Prihodova at 607-753-4216.

Prepared by Communications Office writing intern Ben Mayberry

Memorial Library is offering a unique way for students to pay their overdue library fines while helping people in need.

The Food for Fines program runs through Friday, May 11. Students may pay their fines by donating non-perishable, unopened, unexpired food in cans, boxes and plastic jars. Those who do not have fines are welcome to donate food.

Students will receive $1 off their overdue fine balance for each item of food donated. Replacement costs for lost or damaged books are excluded from this program.

Donations will be accepted during business hours at The Help Center in Memorial Library. The food will be delivered to the SUNY Cortland Cupboard located at the Interfaith Center.

For more information or to donate, stop by The Help Center in Memorial Library, call them at 607-753-2500, or email thc@cortland.edu.

SUNY Cortland honored 83 students, two faculty and staff members and three student organizations for their contributions to the College throughout 2017 and 2018 at the 33rd Annual Student Leadership Recognition Banquet held April 19.

Following are the award recipients:

Outstanding Student Leaders

Joseph Aabye

Kevin Adarkwah

Emily Altschuler

Aristotle Arkayasa

Mariah Asencio

Melannie Atkinson

Alexa Barbato

Nicole Basile

Antanaya Bell

Chester Bennett

Neely Benoit

Christian Berenguer

Hannah Bistocchi

Andrew Burdo

Brianne Burrows

Brandon Canady

Stephanie Carrier

Ismet Cavusoglu

Alexandra Cicero

Kaley Clavell

Shannon Cunningham

Zachary Curtis

Hannah Dalton

Jerell DeCaille

Emily Dick

Kaitlyn Eber

Danielle Emilio

Ashley Evanchof

Gillian Farnan

Christopher Flood

Charlie Flug

Elizabeth Foster

Jena Freese

Vicky Godinez

Elena Grande

Amorie Green

Eryn Griep

Shanna Hatten

Julia Heaney

Gloria Hulede

Shai'an Irving

Adele I. Jesmer

Meghan Johansson

Charles Kollmer

Amanda Lagan

Kyle Lancto

Matea Lozina

Ursula Mates

Justin Mazzarisi

Jahniece McCollum

Tiairah McNeill

Meghan Meers

Jamie-Lee Minkley

Jordan Mitchell

Andrew Moesch

Katie Monson

Brian Murphy

Christina Nischo

Matthew Norris

Goodnews Oji

Adam Palmer

Gabriella Park

Jordan Pedroza

Hailey Pytel

Brandon Ramirez

Kyle Richard

Kevin Robinson

Nathaniel Rose

Devon A. Sanders

Megann Smith

Michael Strassberg

Phoebe Sullivan

Nicholas Swaha

Tashania Treasure

Sophie Umansky

Christopher Venant

Andrew Weigman

Julia West

Jeremy Zeitschel

Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Christina Nischo

Leadership in LGBTQAIP Advocacy

Nicole Basile

Excellence in Leadership

Alexandra Cicero

Eryn Griep

Amanda Lagan

Matthew Norris

Tashania Treasure

Outstanding Senior

Gloria Hulede

Student Government Association Awards

Outstanding Staff Member – Connor Berg, Campus Activities and Corey Union

Steven J. Barnes Outstanding Faculty Member – Christopher Manaseri, Foundations for Social Advocacy Department

Outstanding Club Member – Nathaniel Rose, Physics Club

Outstanding Club Member Honorable Mention – Jessica Goon, Colleges Against Cancer

Outstanding Club Member Honorable Mention – Mouath Abufarah, MOVE

Outstanding Club Member Honorable Mention – Phoebe Sullivan, SAB

Outstanding Club – Turkish Culture Association

Student Involvement – Tashania Treasure

Michael C. Holland Memorial Scholarship – Cassidy McRea and Kristie Morris

Vice President for Student Affairs Merit Scholarship

Yardalie Daniel

Greek Leadership Awards

Chapter Member of the Year Award -  Rachel Hurd, Alpha Phi

Chapter Member of the Year Award - Kaitlyn Eber, Nu Sigma Chi

Outstanding NPHC Member of the Year Award - Christopher Venant, Kappa Alpha Psi

Outstanding Community Service Award - Omega Phi Beta

Greek Advisor Special Recognition Award - Nu Sigma Chi

The student awardees were invited to share the name of a faculty or staff person who has been influential to them.

They include:

Ruqayyah Abdullah, Residence Life and Housing Office

Hugh Anderson, International Programs Office

Douglas Armstead, Physics Department

Seth Asumah, Africana Studies Department

Sam Avery, Communication Studies Department

Daniela Baban Hurrle, International Programs Office

Lexi Blavos, Health Department

Christopher Bode, Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies Department

Danielle Bouchard-Bihr, Modern Languages Department

Debra Brown, English Department

Brad Bruhn, Athletics Department

Philip Buckenmeyer, Kinesiology Department

Anne Burns Thomas, Foundations and Social Advocacy Department

AnnaMaria Cirrincione, Multicultural Life and Diversity Office

Jena Curtis, Health Department

Timothy Davis, Physical Education Department

Page Dobbs, Health Department

Patrick Donnelly, Kinesiology Department

Peter Ducey, Biological Sciences Department

Julie Ficarra, International Programs Office

Meghan Henley, Residence Life and Housing Office

Lauren Herman, Counseling and Student Development Center

Cheryl Hines, Advisement and Transition

Hilary Izatt, Political Science Department

Jordan Kobritz, Sport Management Department

Jaclyn Lawrence, Athletics Department

Kathy Lawrence, Communication Studies Department

Matthew Madden, Physical Education Department

Brandon Manning, Residence Life and Housing Office

Eve Mascoli, Recreational Sports

Christine Matos, Residence Life and Housing Office

Christina Matthews, Academic Support and Achievement Program 

Matt Nuesell, Recreational Sports

Thomas Palladino, Economics Department

Syed Pasha, Communication Studies Department

Nan Pasquarello, President's Office

Mike Pitaro, Student Conduct Office

Joseph Pitti, Recreational Sports

Emily Quinlan, Advisement and Transition

Kathleen Reilly, Residence Life and Housing Office

John Sosa, Sociology/Anthropology Department

Marinda Souva, Advisement and Transition

Lima Stafford, Multicultural Life and Diversity Office

John Straneva, Biological Sciences Department

Ryan Vooris, Sport Management Department

Jessica Zito Bilek, Admissions Office

Thirty-two SUNY Cortland students have been elected to membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda, an international honor society honoring the academic achievement of undergraduate students over the age of 24.

SUNY Cortland celebrates its non-traditional/adult students and recognizes that many of these adult learners are supporting families and juggling full time-jobs.

This is the 19th year the SUNY Cortland chapter, Lambda Omicron, has elected members. The induction ceremony and dinner was held April 18 in Brockway Hall Jacobus Lounge. Alpha Sigma Lambda national standards indicate that students elected to membership are in the top 20 percent of all students at SUNY Cortland age 24 or older and have completed 24 credits of work at SUNY Cortland with a grade point average of 3.2 or better. For the inductees to be in the top 20 percent of students at SUNY Cortland this year, they needed to have a grade point average of 3.70 or higher.  The GPA range for the group of students inducted was 3.70 to 4.2.

President Erik J. Bitterbaum offered welcoming remarks to the new members. Professor of Anthropology Sharon Steadman was the faculty guest speaker. She offered her own experiences and stories of adult students she has had the pleasure of working with at SUNY Cortland.

Steadman was inducted as honorary member.

Sara Sampson, a junior dual major student majoring professional writing and political science and Alpha Sigma Lambda member spoke about the ideals of the honor society.  

Students who have been elected to membership are:

Nicholas Andreassi

Sandra Bella

Robert Bergman

Jose Blanca

Taylor Bood-Usher

Jade Case

Teresa Contessa

Celita-Marie Converse

Elizabeth Foster

Melissa Garrett

Amanda Carrie Gray

Jacob Guy

Arthur J. Haase

Rhianna Marie Hickey

Lisa Johnson-DiMarco

Casey Keegan

Ryan Andrew Lamberti

Chad Lawrence

Britini Jo Merrill

Anthony Miller

Carly H. Miller

Matthew Oswald

Nathaniel Rose

Zachary Shapiro

Justin Sovocool

David Spitale

Ashley E. Sterling

Leah H. Tidd

Hayley Truax

Kaitlin VanDervort

James Warner

For more information about Alpha Sigma Lambda, visit www.alphasigmlambda.org.

Nine SUNY Cortland students were inducted into Psi Chi, the international honorary in psychology, on April 9.

The initiates for this year are Devon Grady, Aaron Granger, David Grant, Anthony Levitskiy, Cynthia Manduca, Kalyna Melnyk, Angelica Porto, Cassandra Storey and Alyson Tufillaro. 

Psychology professor Judith Ouellette is the faculty advisor to the local chapter.