Campus Champion

Elianny Duarte is a senior sociology major with a concentration in criminology and a minor in Spanish. She was raised in the Dominican Republic, arrived in the U.S. in 2014 and started at SUNY Cortland as a 16-year-old. Elianny found her confidence by joining student clubs to connect with others. She’s now president of La Familia Latina, vice president of the Black Student Union and a student intern with New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). Passionate about community work, she successfully recruits others, whether it’s to register to vote or to join an e-board. She urges all students to be open to new things and to get involved.

A good start is to attend an event during Latine History Month, which begins Thursday, Sept. 15.

A film crew last year spent time at SUNY Cortland's William H. Parks Family Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education capturing remarkable animal footage for famed biologist Sir David Attenborough's latest nature documentary, “Frozen Planet II.”

They didn’t travel to Raquette Lake in the remote Adirondack wilderness to document the amazing habits of polar bears or penguins. They weren’t after beluga whales, elephant seals, Siberian tigers or any of the other exotic creatures featured in the recently released trailer.

They were filming painted turtles, one of the most common and familiar turtle species in North America.

Because when the weather gets cold, these reptiles vanish from sight and do something remarkable.

Painted turtles have a unique physical makeup that lets them spend the winter beneath the lake’s ice without breathing for three or four months. Unlike other turtle species, they hatch in the fall and overwinter in their nest, surviving the bitter cold before emerging in the spring.  

“I was fortunate enough to see some of the footage as it was filmed, said Rhonda Pitoniak ’01, M ’16, director of SUNY Cortland’s Adirondack facility, where many students, faculty, staff and alumni experience nature’s wonders each day.  

“The crew would send videos daily to the headquarters to be sure they were capturing what the BBC wanted.  Even though it was a two- to three-second snippet on the trailer, I was thrilled to see the turtles, knowing they had been here. I look forward to seeing the show in its entirety.” 

The six-episode series debuts Sept. 11 on BBC One in the United Kingdom. A release date in the United States has not yet been announced.  

The Parks Family Outdoor Center was the perfect place to film that process, Pitoniak said. But it took a lucky bit of networking from alum Mike Reid ’03, a biologist and project manager with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, for the BBC to find it. 

According to Pitoniak, Reid was at his daughter’s play rehearsal when he met another parent, Patrick Baker, a physiological ecologist who teaches at West Point. They soon started talking. 

"Patrick asked Mike if he knew of a place in the Adirondacks where some filming of turtles could be done,” Pitoniak said. “Patrick did his Ph.D. research on painted turtles and was seen as one of the most knowledgeable on the subject. The BBC had contacted Patrick, which is why he was looking for a place to shoot.” 

Reid then pointed Baker in the right direction. Much of the Adirondacks is state owned and designated “Forever Wild,” making filming or other commercial activity difficult. But SUNY Cortland had accessible land in the area with the waterfrontage and forest the BBC needed.

Despite the ideal conditions, filming was difficult. Pitoniak said heavy loads of equipment were used to record the turtles, and that drone shots were taken of the lake and surrounding terrain. 

“The crew had to wait for or help create specific light opportunities to capture the quality of film needed for this kind of program. I think one thing you will notice is the amazing clarity of the film shot,” Pitoniak said. 

Prior to the film crew arriving, there was more than a year of conversations and emails, according to Pitoniak. The BBC wanted to ensure the university’s facility and property were the right look and fit for the BBC’s needs. Due to that and a COVID delay, initial contact was made in March of 2020 but onsite filming didn’t take place until April 2021. 

Pitoniak said the film crew was a pleasure to work with. Most of all, she’s happy that it adds to the long list of ways SUNY Cortland encourages a commitment to ecology, sustainability and the study of biology. 

“The groups that visit our facilities are so varied in their purpose for their visit. Alumni are here on vacation; college programs range from science education to history to community building and beyond. Our message is slightly different for each group, but one of the main goals is to get folks to allow themselves to be fully present.” 

SUNY Cortland faculty and staff members can score two free tickets and a free trip to this year’s historic Cortaca Jug game at Yankee Stadium in exchange for serving as a bus chaperone on game day.

Departure from campus will take place at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, with a return from the Bronx scheduled for 30 minutes after the game ends. Buses should to arrive back in Cortland the same day at approximately 8 p.m.

Volunteers will be expected to help load buses in the morning and account for all riders on the return trip to Cortland. Interested faculty and staff members should email Kevin Pristash, director of Campus Activities and Corey Union.

A limited number of tickets remain available on Ticketmaster to the popular rivalry game between SUNY Cortland and Ithaca College, and the Yankee Stadium match-up is within striking distance of the Division III national attendance record.

All students, faculty, staff and alumni who have not already purchased tickets are strongly encouraged to buy tickets as soon as possible due to limited inventory. A campus ticket sale took place exclusively online from Sept. 12 to 18. Charter bus tickets for students also sold out.

The Cortaca Jug game set a national NCAA Division III attendance record in 2019, with 45,161 people at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The final attendance number for this year’s game at Yankee Stadium could exceed that milestone.

“The response to this game is extraordinary,” SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “The support and spirit shown by our students, alumni, employees and families is unlike anything else in Division III athletics.”

The 63rd edition of the annual rivalry game between Cortland and Ithaca College kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, in the Bronx. Ithaca and Cortland are ranked 13th and 14th respectively in the D3football.com Top 25 poll through Week 4.

Fans are encouraged to review the Yankee Stadium Reference Guide for information about Stadium policies and prohibited items. Additionally, fans should visit the 2022 Cortaca Jug website for more information about the historic game.

SUNY Cortland will hold several events to observe Latine History Month, also known at National Hispanic Heritage Month, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

The occasion was first federally celebrated in 1968 and was expanded into a month-long celebration in 1988. Sept. 15 is a significant date as the anniversary of independence for countries including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

For more information, contact event organizers AnnaMaria Omilanowicz, director of the Multicultural Life and Diversity Office, or Bekeh Ukelina, acting coordinator of Latinx and Latin American Studies.

Some 2022 Latine History Month events have already taken place, including Un Verano Sin Ti Karaoke on Sept. 20 and Chips and Salsa on Sept. 22. The following events are planned:

• Tuesday, Sept. 27: Sip and Paint your Flag, Corey Union Voice Office, 6 to 8 p.m. Hosted by La Familia Latina, Black Student Union and Know Your Roots.
• Monday, Oct. 3: (Re)Constructing Blackness: Afro-Mexican Racial Formation Across Borders, Corey Union Fireplace Lounge, 3 to 5 p.m. Presented by Roberto Rincon, assistant professor of Africana and Latinx Studies, SUNY Oneonta.
• Monday, Oct. 3: Gender Roles, Corey Union, Room 209, 7:30 p.m. Hosted by La Familia Latina and Men of Value and Excellence.
• Thursday, Oct. 6: Sandwich Seminar, Puerto Rico – United States Relationship, Old Main Colloquium, noon to 1 p.m. Presented by Lorraine Lopez-Janove, chief diversity and inclusion officer.
• Monday, Oct. 10: Mi Gente Happy Hour, Corey Union steps, 3 to 5 p.m. Hosted by Ritmo Latino and La Familia Latina. Rain location, Corey Union Exhibition Lounge.
• Tuesday, Oct. 11: Homophobia in the Black and Latino Communities, Corey Union Fireplace Lounge, 6 p.m. Hosted by La Familia Latina, Black Student Union and PRIDE.
• Wednesday, Oct. 12: Letters to My Son, Lastenia Larriva de Llona, Corey Union Fireplace Lounge, 5 to 6 p.m. Presented by Odalis Patricia Hidalgo, instructor, Modern Languages Department.
• Thursday, Oct. 13: Sandwich Seminar: Latin Jazz and the Big Bands, Corey Union, Room 209, noon to 1 p.m. Presented by Lewis Rosengarten, director of the Educational Opportunity Program.
• Wednesday, Oct. 19: Celebrating Latine History Month podcast, online via Soundcloud. Hosted by La Familia Latina, the Multicultural Life and Diversity Office and Counseling and Wellness Services.

Seven new members were inducted into the SUNY Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame during its annual ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 10. The 2022 honorees are:

• Bill DeSario ’68, wrestling
• Rory Whipple ’76, men’s lacrosse, wrestling 
• Dan MacNeill ’79, football (player and head coach)
• Michelle Franklin Rauber ’91, ^M ’96, women's cross country/track and field
• Sarah Child ’07, field hockey
• Donnalyn Cross Moran ’12, softball, and
• Jerry Casciani (honorary), men’s lacrosse head coach; football, wrestling and men’s lacrosse assistant coach; associate professor and chair emeritus of physical education 

In addition to Saturday night's official ceremony, the inductees will be introduced at halftime of the Cortland football game versus The College of New Jersey earlier that afternoon. 

Established in 1969, the C-Club Hall of Fame recognizes Cortland alumni who competed as athletes at the College and who have since distinguished themselves in their professions and within their communities. Honorary members are recognized for their long and significant contributions to SUNY Cortland athletics. New C-Club members have been added annually and this year's ceremony will bring the Hall of Fame roster to 282 alumni and 32 honorary members.

Nominations for the 2023 C-Club Hall of Fame voting will be accepted until January 15, 2023. The nomination form is available online at: http://www.cortlandreddragons.com/nominations. A person must be nominated to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame.

A detailed look at this fall’s inductees follows below.  

Bill DeSario ’68 

Bill DeSario was a two-time Division I All-America wrestler at Cortland who went on to enjoy more than 45 years as a highly successful educator and coach in Suffolk County. 

* A North Bellmore, N.Y., native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cortland in 1968, a master’s degree in physical education from SUNY Brockport in 1969, and a professional diploma in school administration from Long Island University-C.W. Post in 1979 

* Competed in varsity wrestling at Cortland for three years from 1965-68 along with freshman wrestling and freshman soccer 

* Two-time NCAA Division I All-American at 123 pounds, finishing fourth in 1968 and sixth in 1967 

* Three-time State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) champion – 130 pounds in 1966 (Cortland won the team title) and 123 pounds in 1967 and 1968 

* Registered a then-school record 64 career victories in three varsity seasons from 1965-68 

* Won 130-pound titles at the 1967 and 1968 4-I tournaments, which featured top collegiate and AAU wrestlers from Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York 

* Finished fourth at 125.5 pounds at the 1968 Final U.S. Olympic Trials 

* Named to the East All-Star Team as top the senior east of the Mississippi River at 123 pounds by the NCAA in 1968 

* Wrestling team captain and the team’s Red Letter Award as both a junior and a senior 

* SUNY Brockport’s varsity wrestling head coach in 1968-69, leading the program to a 9-4-1 record and SUNYAC runner-up finish and being named honorable mention for the Amateur Wrestling News Collegiate Rookie Coach of the Year award 

* Physical education teacher in the Babylon public school district from 1969-2001 and the Director of Physical Education and Athletics at Babylon from 1989-2000 

* Posted a combined 386-164-6 record during his 37-year wrestling coaching career that included one year at SUNY Brockport, 20 years at Babylon (1969-89), 10 years at Commack High School (2000-10) and six years at Ward Melville High School (2010-16); his 377 high school dual meet wins rank third in Suffolk County history 

* Earned 10 league wrestling Coach of the Year honors; his teams won 15 league/conference titles and his wrestlers claimed 15 sectional titles, seven state titles, 12 all-state honors, 67 all-county awards and 88 league/conference titles 

* His coaching at Babylon also included junior high co-ed track, freshman/junior high football, junior high softball and middle school baseball 

* A 2010 National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee for lifetime service to the sport of wrestling 

* Junior High Wrestling Chairperson for Suffolk County from 1990-2004 and President of Suffolk County Wrestling Coaches Association from 2007-15 

Rory Whipple ’76 

A lacrosse midfielder and All-America wrestler at Cortland, Rory Whipple is one of the NCAA’s most successful men’s lacrosse coaches with 359 wins over 38 seasons. 

* The Rochester, N.Y., native earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cortland in 1975 and an associate degree in recreation from Farmingdale State in 1974 

* Competed in wrestling and men’s lacrosse for two seasons each at Cortland from 1974-76 

* Posted a 35-13 combined wrestling record and won two Red Letter Awards 

* Earned All-America honors with a sixth-place NCAA Division III tournament finish at 150 pounds in 1976, a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title at 158 pounds in 1975, a SUNYAC runner-up showing at 150 pounds in 1976, and two state runner-up finishes 

* Midfielder on Cortland’s men’s lacrosse teams that won the 1975 NCAA Division II title in addition to qualifying for the national tournament in 1976  

* All-American in both lacrosse (1973, 1974) and wrestling (1974) at Farmingdale State 

* Collegiate men’s lacrosse head coach for 38 years with a combined record of 359-212; currently ranks 10th all-time in wins among men’s lacrosse coaches across all NCAA divisions 

* Coached seven seasons at Clarkson University from 1980-86 (after three seasons as assistant coach), followed by 12 seasons at Hartwick College (1987-98), seven years at Bryant University (2000-06), two seasons at Florida Southern College (2009-10) and 10 years at the University of Tampa (2012-21) 

* Cortland men’s lacrosse assistant coach in 2022 

* During his coaching tenure at Tampa he led the Spartans to a 131-38 record, seven NCAA Division II tournaments (including three national semifinals), and six Sunshine State Conference (SSC) titles, and he was named SSC Coach of the Year four times 

* Hartwick’s career leader with 114 wins, including the program’s first NCAA playoff berth in 1995 

* Head coach of the 1994 Iroquois National Team that finished fifth at the World Lacrosse Championships in England  

* Coached Iroquois Under-19 team at the World Championships in Japan in 1996, a bronze medal at the 1999 World Games in Australia and a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Baltimore, and was an assistant coach for the Iroquois National Team that finished fourth at the 2002 World Championships in Australia 

* Head wrestling coach at Clarkson for 10 seasons from 1976-86, leading the program to multiple top-20 national rankings 

* 1989 inductee into both the Upstate New York Wrestling Chapter and U.S. Lacrosse Chapter Halls of Fame, and a 2010 National Junior College Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee 

* Has directed and coached various wrestling and lacrosse youth programs in Rhode Island and Florida 

Dan MacNeill ’79 

Dan MacNeill is the most successful head football coach in school history in his 23-year tenure at Cortland and was a four-year player for the Red Dragons in the late 1970s. 

* The Walton, N.Y., native graduated from Cortland in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Villanova University in 1994 

* A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at linebacker and defensive tackle at Cortland from 1975-78 and a team tri-captain during his senior year 

* Cortland’s head football coach for 23 seasons from 1997-2019, posting a 155-85 (.646) record, with eight or more wins 10 times, to set school records for victories and winning percentage (minimum three years coached) 

* His Red Dragon teams earned 17 postseason berths, including six NCAA Division III tournament showings, three ECAC bowl wins and a New York Bowl victory 

* 2008 Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year finalist as Cortland finished 11-2, advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals to tie for fifth nationally, and was recognized as the East’s top team with the Lambert Trophy and ECAC Team of the Year awards 

* 2015 HERO Sports Division III National Coach of the Year, D3football.com East Region Coach of the Year, and the head of the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year as Empire 8 co-champions finished 9-3 and advanced to the NCAA second round 

* Two-time New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2012 

* His teams tied for ninth nationally four times - NCAA second round in 2010, 2012 and 2015 and NCAA first round in a 16-team field in 1997 – and won at least a share of eight conference titles – NJAC in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012, and Empire 8 in 2015 and 2019 

* Posted a 13-10 record versus Ithaca College in the annual Cortaca Jug rivalry game 

* Coached 30 All-Americans, 94 All-East and 77 All-ECAC players, and his players earned 50 All-Empire 8 and 204 All-NJAC honors during his Cortland tenure 

* Assistant coach at Division I-AA Villanova University for 13 years from 1984-96, including defensive coordinator for nine seasons 

* Assistant coach at Port Byron (N.Y.) Central High School from 1980-82 and a graduate assistant at Ithaca in 1982 and 1983 

* Spearheaded Cortland Football’s “Get in the Game” national bone marrow registry program, which was responsible for adding more than 2,100 potential donors to the national registry and resulted in seven transplants 

* Founding member and involved for more than 20 years with the CNY National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame 

Michelle Franklin Rauber ’91, M ’96 

Michelle Franklin-Rauber was a three-time national champion distance runner at and has been one of New York State’s top track and field and cross country coaches since the mid-1990s at Tully High School. 

* A native of Homer, N.Y., she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Cortland in 1991 and a master’s degree in elementary education from Cortland in 1996 (also took grad courses in spring of 1998) 

* Women’s cross country/track and field distance runner at Cortland after transferring from Edinboro University 

* Three-time NCAA Division III track and field national champion in 1998 (1,500-meter indoor title, 3,000-meter and 10,000-meter outdoor titles) and earning New York Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honor 

* Two-time cross country All-American, finishing 17th nationally in 1989 and 1995 

* Six-time State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) track and field champion – indoor 1,500 and 3,000 meters in 1998, outdoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters and 4x800-meter relay in 1998, and 4x800-meter relay in 1990 

* Member of Cortland women’s cross country teams that won 1989 and 1995 NCAA titles, indoor track and field teams that finished third nationally in 1990, fifth in 1996 and ninth in 1998, and outdoor track and field team that tied for seventh in 1998 

* Part of five SUNYAC championship teams (1989 and 1995 cross country, 1990 and 1998 indoor track and field, 1998 outdoor track and field) 

* Rondout Valley Central Schools elementary education teacher (1991-94) and cross country and track and field coach (1992-94) 

* Elementary education teacher in Tully since 1994 and Tully High girls’ cross country coach since 1997, girls’ outdoor track and field head coach since 1998 (assistant coach 1995-98), and girls’ indoor track and field head coach since 2018 

* 2017 New York State Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year and 2018 Niagara Association Bob Ivory Coaching Award winner 

* Her Tully cross country teams have won three state titles (2013, 2014, 2018) and were runners-up five times, in addition to winning 12 sectional titles and 20 Onondaga High School League (OHSL) championships 

* Her Tully outdoor track and field teams have won 12 sectional titles and 21 OHSL crowns and her indoor track and field teams won league titles in 2018 and 2019 and one sectional title 

* Coached more than 50 individual and 10 relay state championship track and field qualifiers, including four state champions, along with five cross country state title-winners, a USATF cross country champion and a Pan American cross country champion 

* Created Tully Junior Cross Country program for boys and girls grades 3-6 and Junior Outdoor Track and Field program for boys and girls grades K-6 

* Member of Homer High Athletics Hall of Fame inaugural induction class in 2005 

Sarah Child ’07 

Sarah Child is a former All-America field hockey player at Cortland who has established herself in the science world with her studies of Antarctic glaciers and other remote sensing and data processing work. 

* The Cooperstown, N.Y., native earned a bachelor’s degree in geographic information systems from Cortland in 2007, a master’s degree in geographic information science from the University of Edinburgh in 2009 and a doctor of philosophy in geology from the University of Kansas in 2019 

* Four-year starting defender on Cortland’s field hockey team from 2003-06 

* Played in 75 games, 69 as a starter, and helped lead a defense that allowed only a combined 77 goals over her four seasons 

* Third team All-American as a junior in 2005, a two-time All-North Atlantic Region selection (2005-06), and a three-time All-State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) honoree (2004-06) 

* Her teams posted a combined record of 66-7, won four SUNYAC titles, advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament semifinals in 2003, and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals three straight years from 2004-06 

* During her senior year the Red Dragons finished 19-1, including an 18-0 mark prior to the NCAA tournament – the first time Cortland posted an unblemished regular-season record (matched once since by the 2009 team) 

* Four-time SUNYAC academic award winner and four-time NFHCA national academic squad selection 

* Received Cortland’s Olive C. Fish Award in Geography in the spring of 2006 

* Currently a research scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where her research with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) focuses on multi-decadal changes in glacier dynamics for the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets 

* She is a co-Principle Investigator for projects awarded federally funded grants to better understand external forces affecting Antarctica and Greenland glacier behavior and subsequent sea level rise 

* Her research in glaciology has been published in peer-reviewed, international journals as well as presented at several international conferences and meetings 

* Received the 2016 Jack Dangermond/Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (Esri) Geospatial Technologies Student Award while at the University of Kansas for her work standardizing the state of Kansas’s geological databases and creating an automated template for future geological mapping 

* 2013 SUNY Cortland Young Alumni of the Year award winner 

* Special teaching assignments have included: core teaching in the summers of 2013 and 2014 at the all-girls science and math camp TechTrek, run by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to help empower 12 and 13-year-old girls in the STEM fields; and conducting remote sensing of glaciers course at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks’s McCarthy Glacier Summer School in 2022 

Donnalyn Cross Moran ’12
Donnalyn Cross Moran was one of the nation’s top Division III softball players during her four-year Red Dragon career and is among the best players in the history of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). 

* The Binghamton, N.Y., native earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing sciences from Cortland in 2012 

* Four-year starting softball second baseman from 2008-11 

* Career .404 batting average (including a .451 average in 2011, .416 in 2010 and .401 in 2009) with 17 homers, 43 triples, 36 doubles, 103 RBI, 197 runs, 70 steals, .672 slugging percentage in 196 games played, all as a starter; Cortland's career leader in hits (260), triples, steals and runs scored 

* Graduated as the NCAA Division III career leader with 43 triples (currently ranks second) 

* Set Cortland school single-season records of 73 hits and 59 runs scored in 2011 and 15 triples in 2010, and also ranks second and third on the single-season triples list with 13 in 2009 and 11 in 2011 

* Three-time first team All-American (2009-11) and four-time All-Northeast Region, including first team three times (2009-11) 

* Two-time ECAC Upstate NY Player of the Year (2010-11), 2009 First Team All-ECAC Upstate NY and 2008 ECAC Upstate NY Rookie of the Year 

* SUNYAC Softball Player of the Decade (2010-19) 

* Three-time SUNYAC Player of the Year (2010, 2011, co-Player in 2009), four-time first team All-SUNYAC and 2008 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year 

* 2011 NCAA World Series All-Tournament Team and four-time NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team 

* Three-time selection to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team (2009, 2010, 2011) 

* Team qualified for four NCAA Division III tournaments, advancing to the World Series three times (fourth place in 2011, tied for fifth in 2008, tied for seventh in 2009), and won three SUNYAC titles (2008, 2010, 2011) 

* 2010-11 SUNY Cortland C-Club Senior Female Athlete of the Year 

* Cortland Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative and selected for NCAA Leadership Conference in 2009 

* Started her own dog training company in 2016 and has trained more than 10 police K9’s, including SUNY Cortland’s bomb detection dog, RED 

* Also runs a dog daycare and boarding facility in Cortland, which opened in May 2020 

* Has offered free training classes to a local dog rescue since 2016 

* Has donated dogs to Operation Build Up, which assists struggling veterans and first responders, and has trained and donated dogs to the John Sonny Burke Police Academy and the City of Cortland Police Department  

Jerry Casciani (honorary) 

Jerry Casciani’s rich association with SUNY Cortland for more than five decades has included serving as men’s lacrosse head coach, assistant coach for wrestling, football and men’s lacrosse, and physical education associate professor and chair. 

* A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1959 from Springfield College (where he was a football offensive and defensive back), a master’s degree in physical education from Penn State in 1960, and a doctorate degree from West Virginia University in 1980 

* Began working at Cortland in 1970 as a physical education instructor, was promoted to assistant professor three years later, was named associate professor in 1981, and served as the chair of the Physical Education Department from 1990-97, 1998-2000 (interim dean of Professional Studies in 1997-98), and from 2000 until his retirement in 2008 as Associate Professor and Chair Emeritus of Physical Education 

* As men’s lacrosse head coach for seven seasons from 1984-90 his teams posted a combined 60-44 record and made six NCAA Division III tournament appearances, including national semifinal showings in 1985 and 1986 

* Led Cortland to four SUNYAC men’s lacrosse titles, with the team never losing a league game (24-0 record; the conference did not sponsor the sport during his final three years), and was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1986 

* Men’s lacrosse assistant coach for nine seasons from 1974-82, during which time the program made eight NCAA appearances and won the 1975 NCAA Division II title 

* Football assistant coach for 13 seasons (1970-75, 80-86), primarily working with linebackers and defensive ends 

* Wrestling head coach during 1971-72 season and assistant coach for two other seasons in the early 1970s 

* Head lacrosse and wrestling coach, and assistant football coach, for three years at Baltimore Junior College from 1964-67; his 1967 lacrosse team was undefeated and won the unofficial national junior college championship 

* Held teaching and coaching positions at York (Pa.) Junior College and Manhasset (N.Y.) High School in the early-mid 1960s 

* Prior to his arrival at Cortland he was the district chairman of health and physical education of the Northeastern School District of York County (Pa.) 

* Infantry Medic in the U.S. Army in 1960-61 

* Played semi-professional football in Pennsylvania for two seasons 

* Received Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2015 from Lewiston-Porter Central High School 

* Researched and wrote an extensive campus essay on the genesis and evolution of physical education at Cortland, including the history of Cortland Athletics, as part of the College’s 2018 Sesquicentennial history project 

* Has worked numerous summer lacrosse camps and clinics at Cortland, and has served as the Cortland/Homer Youth Hockey President 

The nose knows. If Annabella Nilon of Horseheads, N.Y., has her way, that is just the beginning.  

Nilon hopes to create a model for detecting specific odors using bioreceptors, the sensitive cells used by living things to identify everything from frightened skunks to cooling pizza.  

It’s part of her SUNY Cortland undergraduate summer research fellowship project to study olfactory receptors, including those found in the body beyond the nostrils. Nilon’s project has support from the U.S. Department of Defense, with hopes that it may lead to a biosensor with receptors capable of detecting dangerous chemicals or other airborne threats. 

She is one of six 2022 SUNY Cortland undergraduate research summer fellows supported by SUNY Cortland donors. From late May until Aug. 2, the program provides students with a residence hall bed, a campus research space and a $4,000 stipend. The Undergraduate Research Council gives an additional $2,000 to the faculty who mentor a student. 

Money and housing aside, students still must supply the most important thing: hard work. Nilon, a biomedical science major, was partly inspired to study olfactory receptors due to her interest in their complexity and use of intracellular pathways.  

She also finds it fascinating that these receptors are found in the body beyond the nostrils. So, while it may be true that the nose knows, to a lesser extent, so does the skin, lungs and elsewhere. There's limited understanding of what these oddly placed receptors do and Nilon is eager to find out. 

The guidance of her mentor, Theresa Curtis, professor of biological sciences, has been an immense help. 

“I have been working with Dr. Curtis for over a year now and I have had the best experience,” Nilon said. “Dr. Curtis is the most supportive mentor in and out of the lab and I truly feel like she has helped me grow immensely as a student researcher. (She) gives me the independence to come up with new ideas and try new things, but she always is there to guide me in the right direction and answer any questions I may have.” 

The research is a matter of careful observation and exact measurements. Nilon says the most complicated issue so far has been the cyclic AMP (cAMP) assays — a test measuring molecules that deliver signals within cells. 

Although developing a biosensor isn’t easy, the same biological components that challenge Nilon can also set it apart from other sensors. Theoretically, once it’s perfected it could be cheaper to make, more sensitive and easier to adapt to changing situations. 

“By genetically altering easy-to-grow cells to express known olfactory receptors, we could create a low-cost field portable biosensor that could detect any odorant of interest," Nilon said. 

So far, she's been pleased with her progress. She presented her findings at the university’s annual Transformations: A Student Research and Creativity Conference event. It focuses on student research under the direction of a faculty member that showcases problem-solving skills, creative activity and new conceptual outcomes. 

“I was satisfied with the data I presented, and it was nice to see many students and faculty at the event. I am looking forward to presenting again next year.” 

Whatever results ultimately come from her research, the knowledge Nilon gains from her summer research will be a big lift in her career goal of attending medical school to become a physician. 

"My experiences at Cortland have helped me immensely. I am able to further expand my knowledge of biomedical sciences through my cellular physiology research," Nilon said. "I have also gained strong leadership skills from being the president of both Premed Club and Biology Club, as well as a resident assistant. The support and mentorship I have received from the staff at SUNY Cortland has been amazing and pushes me closer to my goal every single day." 

Every student's summer research fellowship is supported by alumni and other donors who fund permanent undergraduate research endowments managed by the Cortland College Foundation. Nilon's donors were Dr. Michael Bond '75 and Dr. Wayne Marley '75. 

For more information about Transformations and the opportunities made possible through the Undergraduate Research Council, visit SUNY Cortland's website. 

In the last couple years, Americans have reopened disputes about ideas that once seemed settled.

Once acceptable books, lessons and discussions are banned in many classrooms. Social and news media are plagued by misinformation. The reality of the science that underpins modern life has come into question.

At SUNY Cortland, the 2022-23 Rozanne M. Brooks Lecture Series will take on  these timely topics in six separate lectures or poster sessions on the theme of “The Culture of Truth.” The series’ talks and accompanying receptions, starting on Sept. 21, are free and open to the public.

“Over the last decade, ‘truth’ has seemed to become a rare resource,” said Brooks lecture series organizer and Brooks Museum director Sharon Steadman, a SUNY distinguished professor and chair of SUNY Cortland’s Sociology/Anthropology Department.

“The Brooks Lecture Series this year investigates why truth seems so fleeting in today’s world, but also where we might find it in the most surprising places,” Steadman said.

Among the presentations:

• The Highest Calling: Teaching the Truth — Lin Lin, an associate professor in SUNY Cortland’s Department of Childhood/Early Childhood Education., will discuss why teachers are pushing back against laws in some states that prevent educators from teaching history honestly. She will share her experiences with Chinese education and her work in developing teachers to have the courage to teach what they know to be true. Sept. 21.

  
  

• False Speech and the First Amendment  — Nina Brown, assistant professor in Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, will explore what false communications — including fake news, campaign lies and digital deepfakes — are protected as free speech under the U.S. Constitution.  She will discuss why the First Amendment often protects false speech, even when it causes harm. Oct.12.
• Students Speak the Truth — A student panel will discuss ideas about how students can express their own truth. TBA in November.
• Science and Truth: Ignorance is the Objective — Robert Darling, SUNY distinguished teaching professor of geology at SUNY Cortland, will explore how scientific theory and testing can help people figure out what is and isn’t true. Darling will discuss using the language of scientific communication to discern between ‘belief’ and ‘fact.’ March 22.
• Don’t say 'It’s going to be okay': Learning and Teaching in the Age of Climate Collapse — Jeremy Jiménez, an assistant professor in SUNY Cortland’s Foundations and Social Advocacy Department, will share how Singaporean youth perceive climate crisis denial and minimization and express their views while living under an authoritarian government. March 22.
• Evolution and All That’: Why Americans Can’t Stop Fighting about Creationism — Adam Laats, an assistant professor in Binghamton University’s Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, will explain that it’s not lack of information about evolution that leads people to deny evolution. It’s a lack of trust of mainstream institutions, including scientists. April 12.

The talks all take place on Wednesdays and begin at 4:30 p.m. in Moffett Center, Room 115. Seating will be limited and cannot be exceeded so attendees should  come early to secure a seat.

A reception to welcome each speaker one half hour before the talk may be announced. Events in the series are subject to change.

The 2022-23 Brooks Lecture Series is sponsored by the Cortland College Foundation and Cortland Auxiliary. For more information, contact Steadman at 607-753-2308.

Three SUNY institutions, including SUNY Cortland, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, will collaborate in an unprecedented joint, virtual civic discussion around the theme of money in politics to mark Constitution Day.

Calling itself the Freedom of Speech Team, the group, which also includes SUNY Plattsburgh, Nassau Community College and MassBay (Massachusetts) Community College will hold the three consecutive student-centered educational and participatory activities during a “Your Vote and the First Amendment” event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Organizers are concerned about political financing, especially as it influences people’s right to hear a variety of perspectives, said one organizer, John Suarez, director of SUNY Cortland’s Institute for Civic Engagement.

“This is a timely discussion, especially with the important midterm elections arriving in November,” he said.

With that in mind, the consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. FEC decision will be a major topic, Suarez said. Elected representatives in districts containing the three campuses have been invited to join the virtual meetings.

Activities will include:

• Keynote speech. Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer at Syracuse University, will speak from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Visit the Your Vote and the First Amendment link to register and attend.
• Video and “Talk-Back.” Students and local elected officials will view a video, “The Cost of Campaigns,” and then discuss money in politics from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by lunchtime reflection until 1 p.m. Visit the Your Vote and the First Amendment – Session II link to register and attend.
• Moderated Discussion. A deliberative dialogue on campaign financing and the U.S. government’s system of checks and balances will be followed by a large group debrief from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. Visit the Your Vote and the First Amendment – Session III link to register and attend.

Each year, SUNY Cortland’s Institute for Civic Engagement holds a Constitution Day event to connect with students on topics related to the history of America’s government and the importance of voting.

Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day), is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. Normally observed on Sept. 17 — the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia — when Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday.

This year, organizers have asked faculty to encourage their students to register and participate in one, two or all three of the events. Those interested in learning more about the Constitution Day program may contact Suarez for more information or comments at 607-753-4391.

Meanwhile, Constitution Day organizers have reached out to their area elected officials, seeking representation from both Democrat and Republican parties, to give students an opportunity to converse with them.

“Constitution Day helps us educate our students on civics,” Suarez said. "This event will give students an opportunity to engage with elected officials."

Long before personal money management guru Cary Carbonaro ’90 became “the Money Queen,” she was a SUNY Cortland student working toward becoming a social studies teacher.

As a college student Carbonaro, author of the 2015 book The Money Queen’s Guide for Women Who want to Build Wealth and Banish Fear (ranked by Amazon as the No. 1 Bestseller in Wealth Management New Releases), was a bit puzzled by her peers’ finances. 

“When everybody got their student loan checks, it was a massive party day at Cortland College, where everybody was going out and spending money and the bars were packed,” recalled Carbonaro. “I wondered what was going on here and ‘Why am I not getting a check?’ 

“And then I realized: I didn’t have any debt,” said Carbonaro, whose colleagues eventually began to call her “the Money Queen.” Now she’s a national profile financial advisor to women who has at times rated just behind financial advisor, author and podcast host Suze Orman in popularity.

But back in college, Carbonaro didn’t think about money like the average first-year student, having worked summers during high school on Long Island under the mentorship of her banker father. When she turned 18, her dad spelled out her choice: Attend a state school and leave with no debt, or go to a private school and become heavily in hock to student lenders. 

“‘What’s a student loan? What’s debt? Why would anyone want to do it?’” she wondered at the time. “But everybody did it, and then they paid and paid and paid and paid for years and years to come.”

Since Cortland, Carbonaro has built a career educating people about managing their money, focusing on giving women the tools they need to become financially independent.

Carbonaro currently is transitioning from working for Goldman Sachs to taking on the role of head of women and wealth at Advisors Capital Management, a registered investment advisory firm that has employed other major talent including former Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan. 

At this highly successful phase in her life, Carbonaro has turned her attention to her alma mater, finding a way to honor and empower Red Dragons looking to pursue a career in business.

She endowed a new $1,000 annual scholarship through the Cortland College Foundation and made an additional sponsorship gift to move up when students begin to receive it to Fall 2023.

The Cary Carbonaro ’90 Scholarship for Business Economics will be open to business economics majors with satisfactory academic achievement. The scholarship is not limited to women. However, all applicants are asked a supplemental essay question: “How do you envision yourself supporting women in business in the future?”

While a student, Carbonaro advanced women’s empowerment as a founding sister and first chapter president of the Gamma Theta chapter of Sigma Delta Tau at SUNY Cortland, an outgrowth of the 100-plus-year-old sorority that originated at Cornell University.

Graduating as a secondary social studies major, although she loved the idea of becoming a teacher, Carbonaro instead immediately landed a job in the management training program of her father’s employer, J.P. Morgan Chase. 

“And I thought, I really like this money thing,” Carbonaro said. “So, I went back to college for my MBA at night in marketing and finance. And I decided I would be teaching about money instead of history. And that’s what I do.” 

What Carbonaro calls “the three ‘Ds’: divorce, death, disability,” can wreck the life of someone who doesn’t know how to earn their own money or who lets their emotions drive important financial decisions. 

 “Men always feel like it’s going to work out way more than women feel like that,” she said. “For women, debt is a really big burden and so is fear. It stops women from putting money in the stock market, or for investing in themselves, and from taking risks men take. So now you can see why I have a big job: to change the world on this.”

A frequent keynote speaker in her specialty, Carbonaro also has been a guest on “Fox & Friends,” “The Today Show,” CNN, CNBC, CBS, Fox News, ABC and NPR and is a frequent guest on Fox 5, PBS Nightly Business and WPIX NY. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, New York Post, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, AARP, Time Magazine, Money Magazine, Bloomberg, Bankrate, Forbes,Kiplinger’s, U.S. News & World Report and Investor’s Business Daily. She also has served as the Orlando Sentinel’s “Money Matters Hotline” expert.

Happily remarried for eight years, Carbonaro draws on personal experience to prepare clients.

Both a registered investment adviser and a certified financial planner with more than 30 years of experience in financial services, in 2014 she was named an Ambassador for the CFP® Board, one of only 50 in the U.S. 

A fiduciary, which means her clients pay a fixed fee rather than a percentage of their capital, Carbonaro began to really focus on her female clients following her own drawn-out and costly divorce.

“Now it’s literally my life’s work is to make sure that stuff doesn’t happen to women,” Carbonaro said.

In recent years she has found other ways to be a strategic philanthropist, having supported disadvantaged women and children by co-founding and contributing to the Women’s Giving Alliance of the Community Foundation of South Lake.

Carbonaro worries about young students ­­— especially young women — managing their money for the first time. 

“If your parents didn’t tell you, if nobody told you, then maybe you didn’t know about money,” she said.

Her advice to all Cortland students is to learn while still in college how to live on a budget, pay off credit card every month or place the card off-limits, spend less than is earned and, once out in the working world, always sign up for the company 401K retirement savings plan. 

“Because those skills will last a lifetime,” Carbonaro said.

The SUNY Cortland women’s golf team will be participating this season in the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Honor Bag program. 

In the program, women’s golf teams around the country identify a fallen service member and honor him or her by carrying a commemorative golf bag during tournaments throughout the fall season. At the end of the fall semester the golf bag will be raffled off, with all proceeds going to Folds of Honor to support the service member’s family. The cost to enter the raffle is $20 per entry. 

Cortland is honoring Cpl. Aaron Griner, who was killed while serving our country on June 28, 2005. Griner enlisted in the U.S. Army in Feb. 2004 and became a combat medic while being stationed at Fort Drum in New York, where he met his wife, Amanda. Four months before being deployed to Afghanistan, Aaron and Amanda welcomed their young son, Austin. Today, Amanda and Austin reside in Upstate New York, not far from Fort Drum, where Austin is a star high school basketball player eager to head off to college in just more than a year. 

For more information on the raffle, visit the Cortland Women’s Golf web page at: https://www.cortlandreddragons.com/sports/womens-golf 

Dear faculty and staff,

The 2022 SUNY Cortland Handbook has been posted to the university’s website. This is an important reference for faculty, staff and students on key policies and responsibilities across campus.

A log of changes from the 2021 edition and archives of past handbooks are also available online.

This year, several key sections of the SUNY Cortland Handbook were removed and added instead to the 2022-23 Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs. These changes were made to streamline and better organize important university policies and procedures related to academics in the catalogs.

Please refer to the change log to learn more about how these documents have been restructured. A video recording of a virtual meeting discussing these changes is available through Webex.

Many thanks to the Handbook Committee and the many faculty and staff who reviewed and offered updates to this year’s edition.

All the best,

Erik J. Bitterbaum

President

Dear students,

I want to inform you that faculty and staff and SUNY Cortland’s Student Health Service are hearing about positive cases of COVID-19 among our students. The pandemic is still with us, but I believe that the university’s vaccine requirement and your attention to COVID-19 safety policies make this a safe place to live, work and study.

It is important that each of us take seriously our personal responsibility to protect the health of our campus community. A reminder was shared with residential students on Wednesday.

Please note:

• If you are symptomatic, do not attend class and call Student Health Service at 607-753-4811, even if your symptoms are mild.
• You may use your own rapid test kit or schedule an appointment to test through a healthcare provider of your choice. Residential students may acquire a test through their residence hall office.
• Students who test positive should return home to their permanent address as soon as possible to isolate. If you are unable to travel, you are required to isolate in place, whether you live on or off campus. If you’ve tested positive, contact your associate dean to explain the reason for your absence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that individuals wear a face covering for five days after leaving isolation.
• Students isolating on campus should complete a form to arrange for meal pickup.

Additional information on SUNY Cortland’s policies is available on the COVID-19 safety information page, which is regularly updated.

You know the best and most common ways to stay safe. Stay up-to-date with vaccines and boosters and consider getting a booster dose. Wash your hands frequently. Wear a well-fitting face covering in public settings. Most importantly, stay home if you are sick.

I ask that you be mindful of all members of the campus community during this time. Please test if you are symptomatic and stay home if you are positive. This is the best way to keep SUNY Cortland healthy and safe.

All the best,

Erik J. Bitterbaum

President