Campus Champion

The work of Kharmen Wingard M ’11 as assistant director of SUNY Cortland’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) emphasizes four qualities: listening, empathy, positivity and resourcefulness. Those tenets have helped change the lives of many first-generation college students. On any day, the job may require a phone call on a student’s behalf or helping run EOP’s Summer Institute. He also serves as an advisor, advocate and mentor for EOP scholars throughout their educational experience. Whatever the work required, seeing a transformation from curious first-year student to confident senior is all the motivation Kharmen needs. 

For as long as he can remember, Timothy Duerr ’17 has been fascinated with a scientific feature of salamanders. Not only can the amphibians regenerate their amputated limbs, but they know exactly what to grow back, regardless of whether they’ve lost a hand or an entire arm.

It’s a biological mystery that could one day spur human applications, and Duerr was part of the nine-person research team that recently published a breakthrough study about the process in Nature Communications, a highly regarded scientific journal.

The work already has earned the attention of National Geographic, CNN and Popular Science. 

“Limb regeneration (in humans) is still a ways away, but I think we’ve definitely uncovered an important aspect of it,” said Duerr, a former high-achieving SUNY Cortland biology major who is now a research scientist in Northeastern University’s Institute for Chemical Imaging of Living Systems.

The recent journal article reflects more than five years of research in Duerr’s budding academic career. It’s also a piece of a much larger scientific puzzle. Questions about limb regeneration have motivated researchers for more than a century, according to SUNY Distinguished Teacher Professor of Biological Sciences Peter Ducey.

“Tim’s paper is one of many that are moving us forward,” said Ducey, who was Duerr’s academic advisor and research mentor during his undergraduate days. “But this question about how things regenerate has been a fundamental question in science for over a century. And his team, they are making some really important steps forward in this pursuit we’ve had as a society for a long time.”

At its core, the research paper dives deeper into the biological processes that allow axolotls — a type of salamander — to regrow exact missing limbs in the proper places.

Retinoic acid, which exists in humans and salamanders, has long been known to play an important role in the regeneration process. As Duerr explains it, when a salamander’s upper arm is amputated, the presence of retinoic acid helps regrow the full appendage. But when the salamander receives an amputation at the wrist, retinoic acid is absent as its hand reappears. So higher concentrations of retinoic acid result in an arm’s regrowth, while lower concentrations are responsible for a hand.

One of the recent publication’s key findings is that the concentration difference is controlled by an enzyme known as CYP26B1, which breaks down retinoic acid to ensure the salamander’s correct limb regrows. The enzyme also exists in humans. 

“This is something that — at least mechanistically during regeneration — people haven’t seen before,” said Duerr, noting that the research team also uncovered a particular gene controlling skeleton growth in the upper arm.

That gene, known as Shox, existed at the salamander’s upper arm amputations but not at the wrist, suggesting that its activation also depends on retinoic acid concentration.

“We think this is a really interesting finding, not only in the context of limb regeneration, but with skeletal development in general,” Duerr said. “We would think that a phalanx (finger) would grow the same way as the humerus (in the arm). But what we’re seeing is that these bone growth programs might depend on very specific genes that are specific to the location of where they are in the body. 

“So I think that’s a new frontier there that hasn’t been explored very much.” 

Duerr started working on the project when he was a doctoral student at Northeastern. He was excited by the research potential and wanted to see it through to completion. So after earning his Ph.D. in biology in 2021, he opted for a postdoctoral position in the lab of James Monaghan, his advisor at Northeastern and the study’s lead author.

“Everything seemed to be coming together and telling a really cool story,” said Duerr, who has contributed to approximately 15 scientific papers to date. “I found it hard to leave that behind.” 

That appreciation for “cool science,” a term that both Duerr and Ducey used, traces back to his time at SUNY Cortland. Ducey recalled Duerr’s innate curiosity about interesting scientific questions in classes and research labs. It’s a quality that has bonded the pair beyond graduation.

“Tim’s ability to understand the big ideas as well as the multitude of details was supplemented by his knack for solving problems as they arise,” said Ducey, suggesting that his former student’s aptitude was exceeded by his effort, humility and kindness. “We all could see that he was heading toward a very successful career in science.”

Duerr, who grew up in Massapequa, N.Y., began pursuing undergraduate research as a sophomore, and he embarked on a multiyear joint project that considered the evolutionary ecology of invasive flatworm species at the genetic level. The question originated in Ducey’s lab, then relied on molecular biology approaches and techniques in the lab of Patricia Conklin, professor emerita of biological sciences.

“It was awesome to be able to combine those experiences and work in both of those labs,” said Duerr, who earned several awards and distinctions at the university, from a perfect grade point average to the Biological Sciences Department’s Outstanding Achievement in Research Award.

The summer before his senior year, Duerr was one of just 20 students from across the country selected for a two-month undergraduate research experience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He recalls Ducey encouraging him to apply for the opportunity during a visit to his office.

“I think that’s something so unique about Cortland, that I was able to develop such a close relationship with my professors, Dr. Ducey especially,” said Duerr, noting that he still consults his former advisor on pivotal decisions in his life and career. “I really think that (the Biological Sciences Department) is a true gem — really the entire STEM program in general. The professors were just absolutely amazing.”

When he began his pursuit of a Ph.D. in 2017, shortly after graduating from Cortland, Duerr said he felt well-prepared because his undergraduate experience taught him how to understand and digest scientific literature. Support from his wife, Emily, a middle school teacher of children who are deaf, has proven just as valuable in his young career.

Now, he’s the one producing ground-breaking research. 

Ducey, who has taught at SUNY Cortland for 35 years, shared a lesson passed on by his own mentor many years ago about the indescribable thrill that comes when a former student achieves a level of science that surpasses a faculty member’s.

“It’s so clear that’s exactly what’s happening here,” Ducey said.

When asked if there eventually could be human application for limb regeneration research, Duerr suggested it may not come in his lifetime, but that the recent research article brought the scientific community a step closer. He credited powerful technologies that are helping lead a revolution in biomedical research, allowing scientists to interrogate important questions on a single-cell level. 

One thing that Duerr could confirm: he considers the recent publication to be the prize work of his academic career to date, the reward for many years of hard work.

“It was a big one,” he said. “But it was worth every second of it.”

Throughout his 13 seasons with the SUNY Cortland men’s soccer program, head coach Steve Axtell ’08, M ’14 has built a program known for overcoming challenges and serving others.

Axtell put the culture into practice recently, joining more than 120 stand-up paddleboarders on June 22 for The Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis, an 80-mile journey from Bimini, Bahamas to Lake Worth Beach, Florida — longer than the distance from Syracuse to Binghamton.

Partnering with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Central New York Chapter, Axtell raised more than $2,500 to not only participate in the event, but also include 12-year-old Noah Bowen, a young Binghamton resident who lives with his mother, Amanda, and has cystic fibrosis (CF). Noah will be an honorary member of Cortland’s men’s soccer team during the 2025 season.

“It’s hard to understand how much people struggle with CF because you don’t see it,” Axtell said. “I knew nothing about CF but learned it all in a matter of eight weeks. I have three daughters, and I can’t imagine how hard that would be as a parent.”

Throughout his training, Axtell would listen to the story of the Piper’s Angels Foundation, the organization that originated The Crossing in 2013. Piper’s Angels Foundation founder and CEO Travis Suit started the organization after his daughter, Piper, was diagnosed with CF at 4. The organization has raised more than $3.9 million during the 13-year history of the event, in which only 975 paddlers have braved the trek across the Straits of Florida.

Upon arriving in Bimini, Axtell and Noah participated in several activities, including a rose ceremony that paid tribute to past, present and future individuals who are affected by CF. 

“He had this huge, three or four-day experience that helped his perspective with CF. He saw himself in a bigger community that he doesn’t normally see,” Axtell said. “It was just amazing to see all of that come to fruition.”

Once on the water, Axtell was not only challenged by the physical trials inherent from a 14-hour trek across open waters, but also unexpected environmental dangers. Axtell faced swells of five to six feet, severe sea sickness and a lightning storm that forced event officials to relocate the paddlers five miles outside of the original path to continue.

“It was exhausting. It never stopped,” Axtell said. “The (lightning) storm was the loudest, brightest, scariest thing. I could taste the adrenaline in my sweat. There was a point where I was laying on my board and looking up at the sky. But after a minute, I told myself to keep paddling, we’re not going to finish thinking like that.”

Axtell plans to apply the lessons learned from his journey into practice as the Red Dragons welcome Noah onto the sidelines during the upcoming season, which kicks off Friday, Aug. 29. The squad’s first home game takes place Saturday, Sept. 6, against Vassar.

“If you truly have gratitude towards the community that you’re in, you want to give back to it. I want Noah to always feel like my family, our team and our alumni will have his back,” Axtell added. “My hope is that it’s not just a thing for this fall, but it’s something we can provide for him until he graduates and carves his own path.”

As Axtell’s focus shifts to the Red Dragons and their upcoming season, he remains engaged with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Central New York Chapter. He plans to continue to advocate for individuals with CF not only through the team’s relationship with Noah, but by encouraging others to take the same approach that helped spark a life-changing adventure.

“I would love for more people to hear this story and then spend a half hour to research cystic fibrosis,” Axtell said. “If people read this story, do their own research and educate themselves on it, I would call that a win.”

A new partnership between SUNY Cortland and SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse is creating an effective way to speed up the path to a career in physical therapy. 

The 3+3 Doctor of Physical Therapy Program will let applicants earn an undergraduate degree in exercise science from SUNY Cortland and a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) in under six years of study. A normal process would require seven.

“Our hope is that this program will continue to attract students to SUNY Cortland and Upstate and ease their transition from their B.S. in exercise science into their DPT program,” said Bry Bellovary, associate professor and chair of the Kinesiology Department. “This will help support SUNY Cortland’s status as top location for students seeking physical therapy careers.” 

College Factual’s 2025 list ranked SUNY Cortland in the top 3% nationally — and the top SUNY school — for undergraduates majoring in health, physical education, fitness and recreation majors.  

The exercise science program is already a big draw for students interested in physical therapy careers and the new pathway will add something to the Kinesiology Department that’s been in high demand, according to Bellovary. 

A 3+2 program in Applied Kinesiology and Athletic Training is also offered through the department, but the 3+3 Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is its first to partner with another school.

Physical therapy is a field that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects to grow 15% from 2022 to 2032.

“The most common question, especially at Open House events, from incoming students and their families is if SUNY Cortland has any partnership with DPT programs,” Bellovary said. 

Inaugural students in the program begin this fall semester. Future participants will need to apply to both SUNY Cortland and Upstate by Feb. 1 each year. Only high school students can apply. 

The idea for the partnership came out of the university’s Pre-Health Advisory Committee, according to Bellovary. SUNY Upstate Medical University had similar partnerships with other SUNY schools. With only a 30-mile distance between the two universities, the 3+3 program was seen as an effective way to better serve students. 

“Students in a 3+3 program benefit in two key ways: affordability and having a guaranteed pathway to a DPT program,” said Derek Sexton, graduate admissions coordinator for the College of Health Professions at Upstate. “Students in the program attend their undergraduate institution for three years instead of four, saving them an entire year’s worth of tuition and other fees.”

Another advantage, according to Sexton, is that the process for acceptance into the 3+3 begins in high school, letting students who would normally apply for highly competitive DPT programs as rising college seniors get an early start.

To be enrolled in the program, candidates must be admitted by both SUNY Cortland and SUNY Upstate Medical University. High school seniors who meet the following criteria will be considered for an interview for the 3+3 DPT program at SUNY Upstate Medical University: 

• Recommended minimum unweighted high school grade point average of 90% or higher. 
• Four years of science and four years of math, with Regents, honors, AP or IB courses recommended. 
• Eight hours of observational experience with a physical therapist through participation in a Health Explorers Post, New Visions Program, shadowing or volunteer work is required. Applicants need to be able to articulate what physical therapists do and show knowledge about the field of physical therapy.  

Those interested can learn more about SUNY Cortland’s exercise science major and Upstate’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. 

Katrina Ludwikowski grew up exploring museums and historical sites in America and Europe with her mother, a former schoolteacher in Poland, and her father, a World War II history buff.

“Every family vacation was a history one,” Ludwikowski said.

Already the SUNY Cortland sophomore history major and anthropology minor has given a virtual poster presentation at an international seminar in Tokyo, Japan.

Ludwikowski presented “Civil War Statues, Cultural Heritage or the Manifestation of False History?” on June 14 during the 2025 International Seminar on Heritage Interpretation and Presentation for Future Generations.

“Hers was one of only seven poster abstracts that were accepted from so many around the world, and she was the only undergraduate to present a poster,” said her mentor, Bekeh Ukelina, a professor in the university’s Africana studies and history departments and director of the university’s Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies. A total of 120 scholars applied, he noted.

“The only other time we had an undergraduate student participate in this seminar, it was last year in London,” Ukelina said. “Generally, it’s all graduate students.”

While Ludwikowski logged on virtually from her home in Syosset, N.Y., Ukelina attended the seminar at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, where he took part in a panel discussion and later was available to answer audience questions about Ludwikowski’s work.

Ludwikowski’s poster, during sessions on “Voices of Future Generations on Contested Heritage — Pathways to Peacebuilding and Reconciliation,” accompanied those of six other presenters from around the world, including three doctoral degree candidates, two master’s degree candidates and one independent researcher.

Ukelina, who had observed Ludwikowski’s capabilities in his HIS 290: Historical Methods course, noted that Ludwikowski’s participation resulted from an encounter last spring with one of the international seminar speakers, who had visited SUNY Cortland to discuss “Contested Heritage: Japan, Korea, China and the Struggle for Historical Narratives at UNESCO.” Hyunjae Kim is a professor of heritage studies at University of Cambridge.

"I feel it's important to invite external speakers and visitors because it helps with connecting both students and faculty with international events," Ukelina said. 

“(Ludwikowski) asked them a question and then approached me with another friend and spoke with me about UNESCO Cultural Heritage projects,” Ukelina said. “We stayed in touch throughout the class.”

“She was pretty confident about the work she undertook, and 90% of the work she did herself,” Ukelina said. “What I saw was very special. It was a very competitive poster.”

“(Ukelina) is the one who gave me the idea to look at the (American) Civil War, as the seminar was not only about heritage but also about peacebuilding and how the new generation can help in this aspect,” Ludwikowski said. “For example, the seminar was in Japan so in the first part they talked about conflict in postwar Korea and Japan and how they can offer resolutions to improve the relationship between these countries.

“This led me to talk about how the newer generation can help change the narrative of the Civil War, especially in the South.”

Ludwikowski’s poster shared scholarship about how today’s youth have been raised with more information and far less tendency to accept the carefully constructed myth of the “noble lost cause” in American history, which started circulating in textbooks and newly erected public statues some 25 to 30 years after the war itself was over.

“My poster was about how these statues have led to people thinking the confederacy was part of southern culture itself, like their heritage,” Ludwikowski said. Meanwhile Black Americans of the era lacked the education and opportunity to push back on the false history.

“A week after this conference, I heard someone say, ‘Oh, yeah, the South didn’t really do anything wrong.’ It’s still deeply embedded in the Southern curriculum and the Southern culture now. I say, ‘Oh, my generation is working on it.’ But it’s still there.”

“The monuments theme is very important as I currently have a research grant from UNESCO Korean National Commission working on American Confederate monuments," Ukelina said.

As a child, Ludwikowski visited art galleries and historical sites in Poland and England with her parents.

“The city of Kraków is like a museum itself as the Jewish ghettos are still there, both for World War II and the medieval era, as well as old medieval-era towns underneath the city and medieval castles in the city itself,” Ludwikowski said. “While visiting my mom’s village, I actually stayed in her childhood home, the same house where three Nazi soldiers once lived with my grandmother.”

She also experienced her father’s chosen sites such as the WW II-era British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s bunker in England.

“I was more interested in the human side of the war, so social policy and things relating to how the ‘non-Aryan’ were treated by the Germans were more up my alley,” Ludwikowski said. “For example, with rationing, while the common folk had to abide by government regulation — milk only going out to those below the age of 5, limited amount of meat in circulation — those with money were often able to get around it through the black market or being able to go to restaurants more frequently.”

Since enrolling at Cortland, Ludwikowski has found her primary interest is studying the cultural connections established between Medieval Europe and certain Asian and African countries amid a golden age.

That natural curiosity, along with her virtual poster presentation experience this summer, point to a bright future.

“She’s an up-and-coming scholar,” Ukelina said. “I would be surprised if she didn’t get a Ph.D. in the future. She has an analytical mind and is a very serious scholar.”

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SUNY Cortland’s high-achieving students from the Spring 2025 semester have been recognized with the posting of the university’s Dean’s and President’s lists and Part-Time Student Awards. 

The honors, which recognize academic excellence, are now available online. 

Student honorees included: 

- 1,187 named to the President’s List, given to students who achieve grades of A- or better in each of their courses for a given semester. Students also must meet additional criteria. 

- 2,737 named to the Dean’s List, the highest ranking for undergraduate students in their respective academic areas of the university across the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Professional Studies and the School of Education. A minimum 3.3 semester grade point average is required. Students also must meet additional criteria. 

- 56 recipients of the Part-Time Student Award For Academic Achievement, which recognizes academic excellence among part-time undergraduate students. 

SUNY Cortland has received regional and national attention for its academic success, including a place in the top 10% of the nation’s best colleges and being 25th in New York state in College Factual’s 2025 rankings – the best overall of the SUNY comprehensive colleges. 

SUNY Cortland’s student-athletes have excelled throughout the 2024-25 academic year, both in and outside of competition. 

That much was evident recently with a series of academic honors at national and statewide levels.

Among the recent honors:

• Men’s track and field junior Isiah Brunache and graduate student Josh Jeffes were honored as national first team Division III Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-Americans for the 2024-25 season by the College Sports Communicators (CSC). Read more

• Senior field hockey midfielder Hanna Corrigan was recognized as a national third team Division III At-Large Academic All-American for the 2024-25 season by the CSC. Read more

• Brunache, sophomore men’s lacrosse player Sean Kavanagh and senior women’s golfer Sophie Oristian earned State University of New York (SUNY) Spring Scholar Athletes of the Year Awards, while Brunache and Kavanagh also were selected as State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Spring Scholar Athletes of the Year, in their respective sports for the 2025 season. Read more

Isaiah Brunache

Brunache is an exercise science major with a 3.97 cumulative GPA. He was the national runner-up in the shot put at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships last month and was named both the Niagara Region and State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.

He set school and SUNYAC records in the shot put with his distance of 18.21 meters (59’ 9”) at nationals outdoors and he set school indoor records in the weight throw (19.14 meters/62’ 9.5”) and shot put (17.57 meters/57’ 7.75”) indoors.

Josh Jeffes

Jeffes is a sport management major with a 3.61 GPA. At the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, Jeffes anchored the Red Dragons’ national championship 4x400-meter relay team that set a school record of 3:12.59, and he earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter dash. He set the school record in the 500 meters (1:04.14) and was part of the school record-setting 4x200-meter relay (1:27.00).

Jeffes was named both the SUNYAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year, winning 200-meter and 400-meter dash titles at both conference championships. He holds school outdoor records in the 400 meters and as part of the 4x400-meter relay.

Hanna Corrigan

Corrigan is a fitness development major who graduated in May with a 3.60 overall GPA. She recorded 18 goals and five assists for 41 points and scored four game-winning goals, and she was recognized as an NFHCA first team All-American, the NFHCA Region 3 Player of the Year and the SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Year.

She ranks eighth at Cortland in career assists and tied for 10th in goals and points. Corrigan also was selected to compete at the Senior Nexus Championship July 18-20 in Virginia Beach, Va. — an event that serves as a selection opportunity for the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Sean Kavanagh

Kavanagh is a physical education major with a 3.54 overall GPA. The midfielder earned second team United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-America honors and first team All-SUNYAC recognition after recording 48 goals and 31 assists for 79 points. He led Cortland in assists and was second in both goals and total points. Kavanagh also earned a spot on the SUNYAC all-tournament team. He helped the Red Dragons finish 19-3 win the SUNYAC title and advance to the NCAA Division III tournament quarterfinals to tie for fifth place nationally. 

Sophie Oristian

Oristian graduated in May as an exercise science major with a 3.63 overall GPA. She tied for third place at the Northeast Women’s Golf Conference (NWGC) Championship to earn first team all-conference honors and help Cortland win the league title and earn an NCAA Division III tournament automatic berth. She was Cortland’s top performer at nationals. Oristian was a four-time All-NWGC honoree, earning first-team honors in 2025, 2023 and 2022, along with a second-team honor in 2024 (tied for sixth).

Cortland student-athletes have now earned 46 Academic All-America honors, including four this past school year, and 26 since 2011.

A sustainable back-to-school sale is coming to the SUNY Cortland campus, allowing students to start the year off “green.”  

From Thursday, Aug. 21, to Saturday, Aug. 23, during move-in weekend, students will be able to shop the Red Dragon ReUse pop-up sale in the Outdoor Pursuits garage at the Student Life Center.  

The three-day event takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

“After three successful years of collecting donations, we are excited to take the next step in our partnership with Cortland ReUse,” said SUNY Cortland Chief Sustainability Officer Matt Brubaker. “With the Red Dragon ReUse sale, everyone wins. Students can purchase gently used items for their rooms at a great price, and Cortland ReUse is able to use the money from the sales to help the Cortland community.” 

The sale includes area rugs, storage drawers, trash cans, desk lamps, mirrors and more.  

The 2025 Red Dragon ReUse donation collection was the biggest one to date, with an estimated 40 tons worth of items donated and diverted from landfills.  

“Red Dragons know the importance of donating,” said Carrie Narrow, executive director of Cortland ReUse, a community run nonprofit organization. “Now we want to encourage them to reuse.”  

Whether students wait to do their back-to-school shopping once they’re on campus or just need to pick up a few items they forgot, the sale will have something for everyone. 

“This is a full circle moment for this initiative and creating a circular economy at SUNY Cortland,” said Megan Swing, the university’s energy and sustainability engagement coordinator. “Students can start the school year with responsible consumption and end it with responsible disposal by donating back to Cortland ReUse.”