Campus Champion

Larry Smith, a janitor with Custodial Services, brings good vibes with him wherever he’s needed, from West Campus Apartments to Winchell Hall. Since joining SUNY Cortland as a bus driver in 2008, Larry has become a favorite of students who enjoy his welcoming personality. Described as a hard worker who never says ‘no,’ he says he always tries to help others because he may need it in return someday. He’s a big believer in the need for more kindness in the world, delivering it one smile at a time and making Cortland a happier place for nearly two decades. 

The return of the Michael J. Bond ’75, Ph.D. Alumni/Undergraduate Science Symposium to SUNY Cortland won’t just bring together students and alums, it will unite guest speakers that trace a decades-long lineage at the university. 

Two of the symposium’s speakers, Janice Edgerly-Rooks ’77 and Michael Wolfin ’11, graduated almost 35 years apart. Yet both found inspiration for successful careers in science thanks in great part to SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences Terrence Fitzgerald, who retired last December. 

The 10th annual event will take place on Friday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 9 p.m. The symposium will feature a cross section of graduates who will speak to students. Events such as a lab crawl, student research poster presentations and a planetarium show go from 7:30 to 9 p.m. 

“I would not be working in animal behavior, ecology or entomology if I had not met Terry as an undergraduate,” said Edgerly-Rooks, the Michael and Elizabeth Valeriote Professor in the Biology Department at Santa Clara University. “His approach to science was what I was looking for, without even knowing that was the case. I was hooked almost immediately.” 

Wolfin shared a similar connection to Fitzgerald.  

While Frank Rossi, professor and chair of the Chemistry Department, was already his chemistry research advisor while he was at Cortland, Wolfin discovered a passion for entomology — the study of insects —   in his senior year through Fitzgerald. That set him on his path as a professor at Penn State. 

“I was never really interested in insects or entomology before I met Terry and then he just opened up this entire world to me,” Wolfin said. “It opened up this entire tiny world to me that before I didn't know was there.” 

The two alums’ paths first crossed just recently when Wolf was interested by a talk Edgerly-Rooks gave at an Entomological Society of America meeting. He later found out she was a fellow Red Dragon, and invited her to give a virtual seminar last year to his students. The Bond Symposium will be the first chance for the two to meet in person.

To Fitzgerald, it’s a pleasure to see two branches of Cortland’s family tree of scientists fulfill their potential — and it serves as an example of what can be achieved. 

“Both exemplify how diligence in the studies that our current students are undertaking can lead to extremely successful careers,” said Fitzgerald, who plans to meet with both alums when they come to campus. “That both became entomologists will also serve to show students that career opportunities exist in areas of biology they probably have never previously considered.  

“Also, I think that both Janice and Mike will emphasize the importance of going beyond coursework and engaging in original research with a faculty member.”   

Dr. Michael Bond ’75, M.D., who retired as the medical director of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in Orlando, Florida, first funded the annual symposium through an endowment created with a significant planned gift.  

In the 10 years since it began as a gathering of some 40 alumni and students in the basement of the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House, the symposium has grown to a campus event of more than 150 people, celebrating academic excellence as well as student and alumni research in Bowers Hall. 

Now Edgerly-Rooks, Wolfin and fellow speakers Adam Mathews ’07, associate professor of geography at Binghamton University, and Stephanie Grube ’10, an obstetrician-gynecologist and assistant professor at Hofstra University, will have a chance to inspire another new generation of Cortland scientists when they return to campus in late October. 

Edgerly-Rooks looks forward to sharing research lessons that were less of a focus when she was an undergrad. Wolfin hopes students walk away from the symposium knowing that they can make a career in the sciences if they stay dedicated. 

“I wish there was something like this (when I was a student) where I could talk to other people who have gone into science before me and heard what they learned and learned their lessons,” Wolfin said.  

“Work hard, work honestly, and you can do whatever you want,” he added. “I know that sounds cliche, but I would have never imagined that I would be a professor at a research one institution studying the exact same research questions that I did at SUNY Cortland.” 

SUNY Cortland made a place for itself yet again among highly regarded schools in the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings.  

The university climbed several spots from last year, establishing Cortland on an upward trend among some of the best educational opportunities in the region and country. 

Rankings include:  

• #13 in Top Public Universities for Regional Universities North.
• Tied for #33 among all schools in the Regional Universities North category.

Last year, Cortland was 49^th in Regional Universities North and 17^th among Top Public Universities. 

Methodology for U.S. News rankings are made in part from student reviews, graduation outcomes, faculty resources, financial resources and data from the National Science Foundation and Department of Education. 

The new rankings followed recognition from Niche.com that saw SUNY Cortland earn national prominence at #23 in Best Colleges for Sport Management in the U.S.; #2 for Best College Athletics in New York; and #66 for Best College Athletics in the U.S — all in the top 5%.  

Among other Niche honors Cortland placed in the to near the top 100 for Best Colleges for Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in America (101) and Best Colleges for Education in America (103). 

Cortland also was ranked #72 in the country out of 585 in the nonprofit media company Washington Monthly’s Master’s University Rankings — a finish good for a national place in the top 15%. 

“Recognition like this highlights the extraordinary education SUNY Cortland delivers, from the classroom to our larger campus community,” President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “These rankings also are a testament to the life-changing faculty members who teach and mentor our students across exceptional programs in the arts and sciences, education and professional studies. We’re very proud to be included again among New York’s top medium-sized public universities.” 

For more on SUNY Cortland’s accomplishments past and present, explore the school’s Accolades page. 

Leatrice Oram, who most recently has served as chief of staff at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire, will join SUNY Cortland as the university’s new chief of staff following a national search. She will begin Thursday, Nov. 20.

“Leatrice brings a diverse skillset and a deep appreciation for the values of public education to this role,” said SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum. “Her impressive career of more than 35 years in higher education spans experiences in academic affairs, accreditation, student services, admissions and academic compliance. She also is well-versed in leadership, change management and communications, and I know she will excel in this role.”

SUNY Cortland’s chief of staff serves as a key member of President’s Office and the university’s executive leadership team, working closely with many campus partners on strategic priorities, projects and special initiatives.

Since 2021, Oram has worked in a key cabinet-level position at Keene State. Her major duties included advising campus leadership on policy and institutional strategy, researching and responding to critical issues and overseeing correspondence with internal and external constituents on behalf of President Melinda Treadwell, who recently was named president at SUNY Geneseo.

Oram also managed strategic initiatives within the college’s strategic plan, represented the campus in local matters with the City of Keene and served as the institution’s primary liaison to state, regional and federal delegations.

She previously served from 2016 to 2021 in leadership roles related to academic affairs, accreditation and compliance at Antioch University in Ohio. Prior to that, she enjoyed a 14-year tenure at Antioch University New England in Keene, New Hampshire, where she started as director of admissions and ultimately rose to associate provost for academic affairs and chief student services officer.

Oram also was the dean of admissions for Landmark College in Putney, Vermont, where she worked from 1992 to 2002. Her higher education career began in 1988 as associate director of student affairs at the Julliard School in New York City.

Oram earned her B.A. in romance languages and literature from University of Chicago, her M.A. in higher and adult education from Teachers College Columbia University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in leadership and change from Antioch University. She also completed executive leadership intensives in technology, managing change and strategic planning from Higher Education Resources Services (HERS)/Wellesley Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration in Massachusetts.

Caroline Levine, the author of the 2023 book The Activist Humanist: Form and Method in the Climate Crisis, will discuss “A Tale of Three Pipelines” on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at SUNY Cortland.

Levine, the David and Kathleen Ryan Professor of the Humanities at Cornell University and a distinguished scholar in 19th century literary studies and the humanities, will begin at 5 p.m. in Brockway Hall Jacobus Lounge.

The talk, which continues “Water,” SUNY Cortland’s 2025-26 interdisciplinary series of lectures, discussions, film screenings and art exhibitions focusing on different aspects of this essential natural element, is free and open to the public.

A week before Levine’s talk, the university’s Common Read Book Club holds its first meeting of this year on Wednesday, Oct. 8. All are welcome. The gathering will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. in Corey Union, Room 301-303.

SUNY Cortland’s Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee (CICC), an all-campus committee of faculty and staff, in partnership with the Student Government Association (SGA), encourages the campus community to explore throughout 2025-26 the possibilities of how “Water” impacts our lives.

This year, the CICC partnered once again with SGA in choosing the three common read books advancing the “Water” theme. They are The Water Dancer, a 2020 novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates; The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World, a 2017 work of nonfiction by Jeff Goodell; and We Are Water Protectors, the 2020 Caldecott Medal award-winning children’s book by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade. The CICC encourages faculty to consider including these common read texts — or excerpts from them — in their Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 classes.

Caroline Levine

Levine, who has a commitment to making her work accessible to a broader audience through various platforms, including podcasts and public presentations, has previously focused her work on the concept of “forms” as they relate to art, politics and society. In her theory of forms, she argues that they are not just artistic structures but also fundamental to social and political life, influencing how we understand and organize the world around us.

Levine’s recent work has applied these formalist methods to the climate crisis, highlighting how understanding forms can empower humanists to engage in large-scale political action and advocate for climate justice.

In her talk, Levine will explore water through the lens of form — examining routines, pathways and enclosures. The discussion will draw on her most recent work, The Activist Humanist, and a 2015 one, Forms: Whole, Rhythm, Hierarchy, Network.

The Activist Humanist connects formal analysis to climate activism and social justice. Levine’s research examines how different structures — routines, networks and even built environments — shape human experience and enable collective action. Levine’s earlier theoretical work, Forms, won the James Russell Lowell Prize from the Modern Language Association and was named one of Flavorwire’s “10 Must-Read Academic Books of 2015.”

Levine, who earned her Ph.D. in English from the Birkbeck, University of London, also wrote The Serious Pleasures of Suspense: Victorian Realism and Narrative Doubt (2003) and Provoking Democracy: Why We Need the Arts (2007).

To participate as a faculty or staff member in the CICC committee, submit an event, volunteer to support this year’s activities and programming, or for more information, visit the CICC website for details, or contact organizer Benjamin Wilson, professor in the Economics Department.

SUNY Cortland will celebrate its transfer and non-traditional students — two groups that often overlap with a wide range of valuable lived experiences — with five different social activities just for them planned during the week of Oct. 20 to 24.

This fall, about 400 transfer students started their SUNY Cortland journey. An additional 150 to 200 will join this coming spring.

“SUNY Cortland strives to offer a supportive and inclusive community to all new and returning transfer students,” said Gregory Diller ’07, coordinator of transition programs.

He noted that Advisement and Transition provides several social and academic programs to assist new transfer students with their transition to the university and continues to show support throughout their time on the campus.

“We are proud to continue to be a place that new transfer students can feel comfortable and find their sense of belonging,” Diller said.

Cortland also enrolls some 200 non-traditional students.

“This diverse population brings a wealth of life experiences and unique perspectives to our campus,” said Evan Mills, academic success  advisor to the Non-Traditional Student Organization.

The university defines non-traditional students as undergraduate students who are 24 years of age or older or, regardless of age, may have dependent children, be working full-time, have military experience or have made a break in education at some point after high school.

“We’re grateful for their perspective in our classrooms and are honored to support them as they work towards earning a SUNY Cortland degree,” Mills said.

The week will feature highlights on faculty and staff who experienced the transfer process, opportunities to recognize non-traditional and transfer students, and workshops and activities, including an area door decorating contest featuring prizes awarded by Tau Sigma, the national honor society for transfer students, and a weeklong Instagram Takeover by the Transfer Network Team filled with transfer student facts and campus community spotlights.

A series of profiles in the Oct. 21 Bulletin will offer reflections by campus community members who have experienced college as a transfer student or a non-traditional student.

Events for these students include:

Transfer Trivia: Monday, Oct. 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Corey Union Fireplace Lounge. Students can join classmates for multiple games of trivia and win Cortland prizes.

Game Night: Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Corey Union Exhibition Lounge. Hang out with other transfer students, enjoy cookies and lemonade, and play board games. Gluten free cookies will be available.

Donuts and cider celebration: Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — or while supplies last — at Newmark Pavilion beside the Memorial Library entrance. Transfer and non-trad students are invited to enjoy donuts and cider with classmates or faculty and staff members who are helping celebrate the week.

Study Abroad 101 transfer edition: Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m. in Old Main Colloquium (Room 220). This specialized session will share more about how to get started with the study abroad process, including how to search for programs, identify courses to take abroad, get courses approved, understand program costs, apply for scholarships and more.

Rock painting and record decorating: Thursday, Oct. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Corey Union, Room 204-205. Cortland transfers and non-trads can decorate an old record or a rock and turn it into art. All materials will be provided. Tau Sigma will offer this activity to de-stress from midterms and have some fall fun. Participants who are new students this fall are invited to join and get involved with Tau Sigma.

As an advocate for peace whose talent in combat sports made him a 2013 New York State Golden Gloves Champion, Ezra P. Scott, Jr. ’10, strives to inspire communities, bridge divides and cultivate the next generation of leaders.

Scott, currently an Empire State Fellow at the New York State Department of Public Service, will discuss his guiding principle, “I am, because we are,” from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, in the Corey Union Function Room.

A public servant, educator and community leader whose career reflects an unwavering commitment to equity, justice and empowerment, Scott will deliver the keynote speech during SUNY Cortland’s 14th annual Student Conference on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice.

“My message to aspiring changemakers is simple,” Scott said. “Know the process and know the people in the process. When you understand both, you amplify your impact and create lasting change.”

The conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Corey Union. Anyone can attend the conference and everyone is asked to register by Friday, Oct. 10. There is no registration cost for the SUNY Cortland community. The registration cost for non-SUNY Cortland students is $25 and, for all other registrants, $30.

For more information, contact the university’s Multicultural Life and Diversity Office or visit  cortland.edu/multicultural.

The annual student-led event allows participants to examine problems and concepts across a wide range of disciplines with scholarly presentations, interactive workshops and cultural performances. Diversity-related topics — explored through the prism of the presenter — may include race/ethnicity, class, gender, culture, sexuality or orientation, disabilities/abilities, religion or age.

This year’s conference theme, “Rivers of Culture: Flowing Through Diversity,” reflects the ever-evolving and interconnected nature of students’ identities, experiences and communities, said conference organizer Kyrstin White ’25, program coordinator with Cortland’s Multicultural Life and Diversity Office.

“Just as rivers gather strength by drawing from countless streams, our collective understanding of diversity grows when we come together to share knowledge, challenge assumptions and celebrate differences,” she said. “Through this theme, we aim to honor the rich cultural currents that shape our campuses, society and future.”

SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum, Vice President for Student Affairs C. Gregory Sharer and student chair Jake Niederbuhl will welcome participants at the conference, which is expected to attract approximately 250 attendees from eight educational institutions across the state.

Sean Platt, the current president of the SUNY Cortland NAACP Chapter – Unit 29AW-B, will deliver the annual student keynote speech at noon in the Corey Union Function Room. Platt, a physical education major with a minor in Africana studies from Baldwin, N.Y., also serves as vice president of Men of Value and Excellence (MOVE), as a Male Multicultural Initiative student facilitator, and as coach of women’s club basketball. A Cortland Urban Recruitment of Educators (C.U.R.E.) scholar, he plans to use his career in physical education to unite people from all backgrounds through movement, physical literacy and wellness.

Ezra P. Scott Jr. ’10

As an Empire State Fellow since 2023, Scott serves as special assistant for intergovernmental and community affairs in the Executive Office of the New York State Department of Public Service. He engages to build trusted partnerships with elected officials, community organizations and agency leadership to advance New York’s clean energy goals while fostering public confidence in government.

A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., Scott is a first-generation college graduate who earned an associate’s degree from SUNY Niagara and then a bachelor’s degree in sociology from SUNY Cortland. A student-athlete on Cortland’s men’s basketball team, he also helped organize the Save the Kids from Incarceration (STKI) Conference, using Hip Hop and Lowrider cultures to engage youth of color, advance transformative justice, dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and challenge the criminalization of young people. During his graduation year, Scott was recognized with the CNY Peace Award by the CNY Peace Studies Consortium.

He later enrolled at Niagara University, earning graduate degrees in strategic management, human resource management and early childhood education.

As a student success coach at Niagara Falls High School, Scott helped increase graduation rates from 67% to 85.5% and partnered with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center on equity-driven public health initiatives.

At 29, Scott became the youngest African American elected city councilmember in Niagara Falls’ history, advocating for fiscal accountability, youth justice, health equity, transit protections and statewide driver’s license reform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he championed vaccine access.

The founder of the Niagara Falls Peacemakers, Scott led a coalition dedicated to youth engagement and public safety. Under his leadership, the Peacemakers earned a 2020 Golden Apple Award for teachers and inclusion in the 2024 documentary “Tale of Two Cities: Reclaiming Niagara Falls and Salinas.”

In 2024, Scott became the founding chapter president of Albany Professionals Under 40 & Friends, which earned him the 2025 Super Connector Award during Albany Black Restaurant Week. He also serves on the executive committee of the NAACP Albany Branch, is a founding member of the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce and contributes to the Reimagine Albany Coalition, focused on reconnecting neighborhoods divided by I-787. He was a 2025 Big Benefactor — Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region.

Scott also was honored with the 2025 SUNY Niagara Distinguished Alumni Award, the 2021 Leadership Niagara Emerging Leader of the Year, Niagara University’s 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award and the Buffalo Changemakers 30 Under 30 Class of 2016.

He is the father of Ezra III and Khari.

SUNY Cortland continues to honor Latiné Heritage Month with a series of educational, cultural and social events running through Wednesday, Oct. 15.

“Each year at SUNY Cortland, we observe Latiné Heritage Month, also known as National Hispanic Heritage Month, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of people whose heritage come from Latin America,” said organizer Jose Ortiz, assistant professor of foundations and social advocacy.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on Sept. 15 and ending on Oct. 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988. The day of Sept. 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Campus events, which may be updated, include:

• A presentation on the history of the game of Dominoes will be given at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9 in the Corey Union Voice Office. Sponsored by La Familia Latina and the Caribbean Student Association, the evening starting will continue with a tournament in this tiles-based game.
• A Celebration for Latiné Heritage Month will take place on Friday, Oct. 10. Hosted by La Familia Latina in collaboration with the Caribbean Student Association and Ritmo Latino, the event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Corey Union Exhibition Lounge.
• A Chips and Salsa social will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Organized by Ritmo Latino in collaboration with the Spanish Club and Mu Sigma Upsilon Inc., the gathering will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Exhibition Lounge.

For more information, contact Ortiz or River Vooris, assistant director of multicultural life and diversity.