Campus Champion

Senior Elizabeth Verboys has brought a strong voice and strong action to Cortland. As president of Students Advocating for Empowerment and Resilience, Elizabeth is lead coordinator and promoter for this year’s Take Back the Night march on Oct. 28 — using her own personal story to let survivors of sexual assault know they’re not alone. After graduation, the dual business economics and communication studies major plans to continue growing Wisdom Wings, a nonprofit she created in high school that supplies care packages to organizations supporting all survivors of abuse and domestic and sexual violence.

From climate change to air pollution to water scarcity, the world’s environmental challenges pose serious threats now and in the future.

A new science-related major at SUNY Cortland will help students understand those issues — helping to prepare them for meaningful careers that protect the planet down the road.

The university recently launched a new bachelor’s degree in environmental science that allows students to take an interdisciplinary approach to the subject while following their personal interests in biology, chemistry or geology. The new program utilizes SUNY Cortland’s outdoor education resources throughout New York state and emphasizes undergraduate research experience across the sciences.

“SUNY Cortland has a history of embedding environmental science across the campus,” said Gayle Gleason, associate professor and chair of the university’s Geology Department. “This new major will highlight that work front and center.”

The program seeks to attract students who have enjoyed Advanced Placement Environmental Science previously or other courses focused on the health of the environment. The university will continue to offer an environmental geoscience major with a foundation in earth science and geology, but the new offering expands opportunities in disciplines such as biology and chemistry.

“In the past, students have said that they wanted a broader perspective — maybe more biology, more chemistry, a little less geology — and that’s what this new major does,” Gleason said. “It gives students a lot of choices (with upper-division science courses) so they can do what they’re interested in.”

Potential research projects could explore water quality and the effects of road salt on the Tioughnioga River in Cortland; soil health and development; nitrates and other pollutants; or far-reaching work that stretches across biological sciences, chemistry, geology and other disciplines at the university.

Regardless of the path they choose, all students will pursue fieldwork at SUNY Cortland’s W.H. Parks Family Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education, which includes facilities at Brauer Field Station near Albany, N.Y., Hoxie Gorge seven miles from campus, and Raquette Lake, N.Y., in the Adirondacks.

That unique outdoor campus in the Adirondack wilderness spans more than 440 acres and stands out as the only National Historic Landmark in the SUNY system. Gleason said the nearby Hoxie Gorge nature preserve and Brauer Field Station, located near the base of the Helderberg Escarpment, prove just as valuable. The latter recently added new water monitoring wells so that students can conduct pump tests to see how water flows through the ground. The facility’s plant diversity also stands out.

SUNY Cortland’s new environmental science major also will include an internship requirement, following the model of the university’s environmental geoscience major. Potential locations could span the Department of Environmental Conservation to local soil and water conservation districts. Those could also turn into potential employers, along with the U.S. Geological Survey.

“We find that (the internship) has been a really transformative experience for our students,” Gleason said. “You can just see the maturity that happens during it — the learning, the confidence. They really transition well as a result.”

She credited the new major’s development to the shared expertise of colleagues across academic departments spanning the sciences, geographic information systems and mathematics as well as the leadership of Li Jin, a professor of geology who will serve as program coordinator. 

SUNY Cortland environmental science majors will be well-trained scientists “who can do the whole thing,” Gleason said, taking into account animal behavior as well as ground, soil and water quality to monitor the health of the environment.

Now more than ever, environmental science work is critical, she said. 

“Our health as individuals and as a human population depends upon the health of our environment, and I think that a lot of young adults are feeling the stress of what is going to happen to our planet,” Gleason said. “This is a way that they can put that focus and that energy into productive solution building.” 

Learn more online about SUNY Cortland’s new environmental science major.

SUNY Cortland’s student scientists will engage with successful alumni when the Michael J. Bond ’75, M.D. Alumni/Undergraduate Research Science Symposium returns on Friday, Oct. 23. 

The event highlights undergraduate research, shows how that experience can build a foundation for career success, and offers current students an opportunity to network with alumni. 

The symposium begins with a 3 p.m. welcome from Dr. Michael Bond ’75 and Dr. William C. Baerthlein ’76. 

Bond, the retired medical director of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in Orlando, Florida, and Baerthlein, a physician whose scholarship and expertise on methods for delivering babies greatly influenced reproductive medicine, have helped grow the symposium with their support.  

The first symposium brought roughly 40 alumni and students to the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House. Now in its 11th year, the event will feature 150 people whose scientific work fills Bowers Hall. 

Guest alumni speakers will include Dr. Brendan Flynn ’12, chief resident of general surgery at Walter Reed Medical Center, Danielle Kuhn ’11, branch chief of the Smoke and Target Defeat Branch at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command  Chemical Biological Center and Cooper Malanoski ’19, a post-doctoral research assistant in Oxford University’s Department of Earth Science. The trio of scientists will share their personal experiences and lessons with current students. 

Seniors Zachary Taylor and Shreya Dhital will be featured William C. Baerthlein ’76, M.D. Student Presenters, selected for the high quality of their work. Taylor will discuss “Constraining the Chondritic Nature of Enceladus’ Core: Implications for the Search for Life,” while Dhital will speak on “The Development of an Automated Cell Assurance Monitor.” 

The alumni presentations will be Flynn’s “He Who Would Become a Surgeon,” Kuhn’s “Clearing the Smoke: How Undergraduate Research defined my Path to the Forefront of Defense Science” and Malanoski’s “From Cortland to Oxford: How a Strong Undergraduate Foundation Prepared Me for a Career in Science.” 

“After going on to Baylor and then Oxford, I realized just how high-quality my education at Cortland was and how well it prepared me,” said Malanoski, who added he wants to show students that that the opportunities available to them are “limitless.” 

“Cortland provides an excellent platform for going on to a master’s and a Ph.D., and it’s absolutely possible to go from here to some of the top universities in the world,” he added. 

A lab crawl and student poster presentations will follow the speakers, introducing research projects with a focus on biology, chemistry, geology, geography, psychology and physics. The evening will conclude with stargazing during a show at the Margaret Baerthlein Davis, Ralph L. Davis and Syzman Family Planetarium at 7 p.m.

Full schedule for the 2026 Michael J. Bond ’75, M.D. Alumni/Undergraduate Research Science Symposium 

Location: Bowers Hall Lecture Hall, Room 1129 

3 to 3:10 p.m.: Welcome, Dr. Michael J. Bond ’75 and Dr. Bill Baerthlein ’76  

Plenary Session I 

3:15 to 3:45 p.m.: Alumni Panelist: Cooper Malanosky ’19  

From Cortland to Oxford: How a Strong Undergraduate Foundation Prepared Me for a Career in Science 

3:50 to 4:10 p.m.: William C. Baerthlein ’76, M.D. Student Presenter: Zachary Taylor  

Constraining the Chondritic Nature of Enceladus’ Core: Implications for the Search for Life  

Faculty mentor: Frank Rossi, professor of chemistry, Sean Nolan ’11, M ’12, co-coordinator of adolescence education: science 7-12, planetarium director and lecturer of physics 

4:15 to 4:45 p.m.: Alumni Panelist: Danielle Kuhn ’11     

Clearing the Smoke: How Undergraduate Research Defined my Path to the Forefront of Defense Science 

4:45 to 4:55 p.m.: Break (light refreshments) 

Plenary Session II 

5 to 5:20 p.m.: William C. Baerthlein ’76, M.D. Student Presenter: Shreya Dhital 

The Development of an Automated Cell Assurance Monitor 

Faculty mentor: Theresa Curtis, professor of biological sciences 

Student Author: Melanie Richter 

5:25 to 5:55 p.m.: Alumni Panelist: Dr. Brendan Flynn ’12 

He Who Would Become a Surgeon 

6 to 7 p.m.: Bowers Hall Lab Crawl and Student Research Poster Presentations 

7 to 7:30 p.m.: Planetarium show 

Lab Crawl Poster Presentations

Biology 

Raising Muskellunge for Release to Combat Declining Populations in the St. Lawrence River, Thousand Islands Region 

Faculty mentors: Andrea Dávalos, associate professor of biological sciences; Li Jin, professor of biology 

External project mentor: John Farrell, professor of environmental biology (SUNY-ESF) 

Student presenter: Ava Schiff 

Authors: Ava Schiff, John Farrell 

Oneida Lake 2026 Creel Survey Results: An Analysis of Recreational Fishing Activity 

Faculty mentors: Andrea Dávalos, associate professor of biological sciences; Li Jin, professor of biology 

External project mentor: Tom Brooking, Cornell Biological Field Station 

Student presenter: Jon Hall 

Authors: Jon Hall, Noah Hyde, Tom Brooking 

Rooted in Place: How Lived Environment Shapes Geological Understanding 

Faculty mentor: Katie Laux, assistant professor of biological sciences 

Student presenter: Aidan Bassett 

Science Laboratory Funding and Teacher Perception of Student Learning  

Faculty mentor: Katie Laux, assistant professor of biological sciences 

Student presenters: Annabelle Wolchak, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald 

A Rubric-Guided Approach to Inquiry-Based Redesign  

Faculty mentor: Katie Laux, assistant professor of biological sciences 

Student presenter: Kayla Pendergast 

Analysis of the Toxicological Effect of BPA and BPAF using Zebrafish Embryos 

Faculty mentor: Santanu Banerjee, associate professor of biological sciences 

Student presenter: Rachida Ali Noma 

Trends of Flower Shape Evolution among Young and Synthetic Nicotiana Polyploids and their Progenitors 

Faculty mentor: Elizabeth McCarthy, associate professor of biological sciences 

External project mentors: Mark Chase, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, U.K.; Corinne Mhiri, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France; Marie-Angèle Grandbastien, INRAE, France; Jacob Landis, research associate, Cornell University; Pamela Soltis, distinguished professor, University of Florida; Douglas Soltis, distinguished professor, University of Florida 

Student Presenter: Kaylee Hughen 

Authors: Kendra Muscato, Marissa Mc Lean, Isabelle Deutz, Kaia Farley, Rowan Fox, Francesca Gambale, Erin Hamm, Kylie Nolan, Colin Woodruff 

Are there Differences in Flower Shape Evolution Between Diploid and Polyploid Nicotiana Species? 

Faculty mentor: Elizabeth McCarthy, associate professor of biological sciences 

External project mentors: Mark Chase, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, U.K.; Corinne Mhiri, INRAE, France; Marie-Angèle Grandbastien, INRAE, France; Jacob Landis, research associate, Cornell University; Pamela Soltis, distinguished professor, University of Florida; Douglas Soltis, distinguished professor, University of Florida 

Student Presenter: Kylie Nolan 

Authors: Kendra Muscato, Marissa Mc Lean, Isabelle Deutz, Kaia Farley, Rowan Fox, Francesca Gambale, Erin Hamm, Kaylee Hughen, Colin Woodruff 

Chemistry 

Assessing River Health Post-Dam Removal Through Macroinvertebrate Community Recovery 

Faculty mentors: Andrea Dávalos, associate professor of biological sciences; Li Jin, professor of biology 

External project mentor: Jeremy Dietrich, New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University 

Student presenter: Minju Kim 

Analysis of PET Leachates in Simulated Ocean Water 

Faculty mentor: Jeffrey Werner, chair and professor of chemistry 

Student presenter: William Snyder 

Calorimetric Investigations of Indomethacin-Polymer Amorphous Solid Dispersions 

Faculty mentor: Sarah Wolf, assistant professor of chemistry 

Student presenter: Hawa Oulale 

Structure Guided Insights Into Streptomyces Hygroscopicus Subsp. Jingganensis L-DOPA 2,3 Dioxygenase 

Faculty mentor: Katherine A. Hicks, professor of chemistry 

Student presenter: Amelia T. Konstanty 

Student authors: Reese Chudoba, Darien DeFrancesco, Kellen G. Dickman 

Synthesis of Membrane-Permeant ApppI Analogs 

Faculty Mentor: Frank Rossi, professor of chemistry 

Student Presenter: Charles Sorrentino 

Student Author: Zachory Taylor 

Geography 

Using Geo AI and Machine Learning to Estimate Exurban Growth in Finger Lakes, N.Y. 

Faculty mentor: Christopher Badurek, chair and professor of geography, co-coordinator of the Computer Applications Program 

Student presenter: Caitlin Bodary 

Geology 

Eurypterid Molting Pots: A New Discovery on the Living Habits of Lower Devonian Sea Scorpions 

Faculty mentors: Christopher McRoberts, distinguished professor of geology; Steven Mize. associate program coordinator for the Facilities Planning, Design and Construction Office 

Student presenter: Nicolas Hayes 

Psychology 

The Effect of Specific Environmental Enrichment Stimuli on Sex Differences in Ethanol Consumption in Male and Female Rats  

Faculty mentor: Joshua Peck, associate professor of psychology 

Student presenters: Kate Conklin, Aiden Pickard, Mary Repass 

Physics 

Stellar Evolution Through the Lens of Spectroscopy 

Faculty mentor: Sean Nolan ’11, M ’12, co-coordinator of adolescence education: science 7-12, planetarium director and lecturer of physics.

Presenter: Zachary Taylor 

Student co-author: Doug Stickles 

Steps to Creating an Observation Schedule for the Nancy Grace Roman Coronagraph Instrument 

Faculty mentor: Dmitry Savransky, associate professor of astronomy (Cornell University) 

Presenter: Doug Stickles 

An Alternative Formulation of the Restricted Three-Body Problem 

Faculty mentor: Eric Edlund, chair and associate professor of physics 

Presenter: Mathew Paglino 

A key contributor to the SUNY Cortland Cupboard was recognized recently for her work to help address student food insecurity.

Lauren Scagnelli ’12, M ’14, the university’s health and wellness program coordinator, was one of 11 faculty and staff members from across the SUNY system to be named a Basic Needs Champion. Honorees were recognized during SUNY’s Basic Needs Summit on Sept. 24 for their commitment to addressing barriers and supporting access to essential resources for students.

“SUNY has a steadfast commitment to ensuring students have the support they need to thrive throughout their academic journeys and beyond,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “The Basic Needs Summit highlights remarkable individuals who uphold that commitment and continuously champion initiatives like the meal swipe donations program and food pantries that support students as they complete their studies.”

The SUNY Cortland Cupboard has become an important resource for students in need of food assistance. Located in Old Main, the space offers food staples and personal hygiene items through Cortland ID card access — no questions asked.

Scagnelli has been involved with the effort since it launched in 2017. Offerings and hours have expanded over time due in large part to her guidance. During the 2025-26 academic year, a record 3,293 visits were made.

“We want college to be accessible for everyone who wants to attend it and further their education,” said Scagnelli, who has worked on campus for more than a decade. “We know that students can’t reach their full potential academically when they’re struggling with their basic needs.”

Food insecurity is one of many health-related topics that Scagnelli has worked to address, but it’s also one of the most prominent. According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Society, more than 20% of students at four-year public universities face food insecurity. 

“I could not do this important work by myself. It really takes our whole team of dedicated employees, students and our partners to combat food insecurity.” She praised many people who keep the SUNY Cortland Cupboard operating: support assistant Ryan Morales, a committee of employee volunteers and students. Financial support is provided by the SUNY system as well as donors to the university.

The cupboard also has partnered with the Food Bank of CNY and Seven Valleys Food Rescue locally. Cortland Auxiliary Services, the university’s dining services provider, regularly offers pre-packed meals ready to heat and eat and participates in the national Swipe Out Hunger program, which allows Cortland students to donate meals from their meal plans to assist other students in need.

The SUNY Cortland Cupboard is open in the Old Main Basement, Room B-05, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information about the cupboard and food insecurity resources are available online.

Photo above, left to right: Merryl Tisch, SUNY Board of Trustees chair; Aisha Adam Bechir, president of SUNY Student Assembly and SUNY trustee; Lauren Scagnelli ’12, M ’14, SUNY Cortland’s health and wellness program coordinator; and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.

Leaders from SUNY Cortland and Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) were joined by SUNY and New York state officials on Oct. 8 to celebrate the continued success of ASAP|ACE, the nation’s leading college retention and completion model.

SUNY Cortland recently launched its Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) program in Fall 2026, while TC3 highlighted a strong inaugural year for its Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) program.

Through the highly successful student retention model, eligible undergraduates can access funds to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation and other costs of attendance as well as comprehensive personalized advisement and career development assistance to help overcome barriers that prevent them from obtaining a degree.

The event highlighted the impact of ASAP|ACE on students at the two nearby institutions and across SUNY. New York State Sen. Lea Webb and SUNY University Director for ASAP|ACE Jennifer Bashant joined SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum, TC3 President Amy Kremenek, ASAP|ACE staff members and supporters, and student participants from both schools.

“I tell people all the time that I have no problem bragging about the colleges and universities in my district,” said Sen. Webb. “I very proudly talk about the work that’s happening, and today’s announcement is a continuation of that.

“I really believe that education is not only a great equalizer; it is really a pathway for shared collective progress.”

Gray Lewis, a cinema study major and ACE scholar from Lansing, N.Y., offered a unique perspective on the retention initiative. They benefitted from ASAP at TC3 before attending SUNY Cortland.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for (ASAP),” Lewis said, noting that they originally did not plan to attend college. “With their help and support, and the support of other students and teachers, I eventually graduated and was able to transfer to here, and I am excited to see where the ACE program takes me. …

“I really do think that programs like this open doors for students, even if they decide they don’t want to go to college, and then all of a sudden they do, like I did,” Lewis said. “They open thousands of doors to career paths and graduation.”

That sentiment was echoed by Jewle-Krystal Fisher, a human services major at TC3 from Ithaca, N.Y.

“A lot of us have the capability, but we don’t have the financial stability for (college),” said Fisher, a mother of two who works full-time as a program assistant at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. “So these programs are door openers for a lot of us that just need that extra cushion.”

Launched by SUNY in 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature included an additional $8 million in the 2026-27 Enacted State Budget to bring ASAP|ACE to 10 more SUNY campuses across the state, including SUNY Cortland, demonstrating the university’s commitment to improving student success across New York. The university previously announced its ACE participation in June and quickly reached its full capacity for the program, with 150 students enrolled.

“As a university, we work hard to not only recruit and enroll hard-working students, but also to support them in ways that will help pursue high-impact learning experiences and stay on track to graduate,” said President Bitterbaum. “That’s exactly what ACE strives to do for qualifying students.”

TC3 joined the ASAP initiative in Fall 2025, achieving a fall-to-spring retention rate that far exceeded the college’s general population. Like SUNY Cortland, TC3 filled all 150 student openings this past fall — underscoring interest in the program.

“The SUNY ASAP program has been a great success in our first year of having the program at TC3,” said President Kremenek. “There is nothing more fulfilling than watching a student succeed, especially one who has overcome obstacles, and the SUNY ASAP program helps make that happen.”

ASAP and ACE are part of the SUNY Board of Trustees’ and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.’s vision of advancing student success and upward mobility within the SUNY system. As of the Fall 2026 semester, ASAP|ACE is serving 10,000 students across 44 SUNY campuses.

Bashant, whose work extends across the SUNY system, praised those student participants.

“To the students that are here today, and those across all of SUNY, I want to let you know how proud we are of you,” she said. “You are the beating heart of this program.

“We believe deeply in your potential, and you are the reason that we all come to work every day.”

SUNY Cortland’s Dowd Gallery will present “Discardia,” an exhibition that brings together an all-female roster of contemporary creators whose artwork relies on discarded, repurposed and found materials.  

On view from Thursday, Oct. 22 to Friday, Nov. 27, the show features a range of mediums, genres and artistic practices by New York state artists Leslie Brack, Leeza Meksin, Ahndraya Parlato, Anastasia Sargent and Lilian Shtereva.  

A free opening reception with refreshments will take place on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Dowd Gallery. 

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with hours extended on Thursday until 7 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. 

Additional events during the exhibition include: 

• A visiting artist talk by Parlato on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m. in Dowd Gallery 

• A gallery walk-through led by Sargent and Shtereva on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m. 

Visit the Dowd Gallery website and Facebook page, or follow @dowdgallery on Instagram for more information. 

At varying stages of their careers, the artists behind “Discardia” share an interest in the cultural, aesthetic and material possibilities for what has been cast aside. Collectively, their work invites viewers to reconsider everyday objects and waste, exploring questions of consumption, reuse, value and transformation — and the capacity of art to generate new meanings and associations from the discarded.  

The exhibition was conceptualized and curated by Wylie Schwartz, assistant professor of art and art history at SUNY Cortland, and Ithaca-based artist Leslie Brack, who teaches painting as a lecturer at Cornell University.  

“Together, the artists in ‘Discardia’ challenge conventional distinctions between art and waste, permanence and disposability, value and worthlessness, depletion and continued life,” Schwartz said. “Through acts of collecting, recontextualizing, transforming and reimagining, they demonstrate how the overlooked scraps can become sources of aesthetic discovery and unexpected possibilities.” 

Brack contributes to the exhibition a series of “portraits” of dumpsters and roadblocks. By isolating overlooked objects, she seeks to draw attention to their individuality based on their diverse designs and accumulated histories of everyday use, encouraging viewers to look more intently at objects in the built environment that typically escape notice.  

Parlato, an assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, creates photographic still lifes that incorporate refuse and thrifted objects, designed to focus on the unexpected relationships and associations that emerge when disparate materials are brought together. She is interested in the capacity of found objects to evoke meanings beyond their original contexts and the ways we are often drawn to things for seemingly irrational or unconscious reasons.  

“I often think about how objects act as receptacles for emotion and memory — and how the meanings we invest in them can be difficult to parse or understand,” Parlato said. “The intensity of these attachments often exceeds our ability to explain them.”  

Leeza Meksin’s work, paintings and sculptures are constructed from combinations of found fabric, ceramic pieces, paint and packing materials. The Ithaca-based artist’s paintings consist of structures made of recycled packaging with neoprene stretched over top. They incorporate found objects such as glass slides, beads and plastic vials, or handmade ceramic additions in some cases.  

Meksin described her practice as rooted in an exploration of how the language of the materials themselves makes meaning through juxtaposition; binaries such as old and new, traditional and unconventional, clothed and naked, and public and private are often at stake.  

Additionally, the exhibition’s work by Cornell M.F.A. students Sargent and Shtereva highlight the emerging artistic perspectives alongside those of more established practitioners.  

Sargent makes mixed-media sculptures combining natural, industrial and found objects as reflections on time and speed, from the geological to the digital. As part of that interest in time and its material impact, Sargent placed her family photographs outdoors. They became vulnerable to the weather, as the chemistry of the prints dissolved and blurred the images, casting them into a painterly space open to subconscious readings.  

Shtereva will build a site-specific work created in response to the architecture of Dowd Gallery and the exhibition’s theme, in which her materials, their history, her own history, and the exhibition space come into dynamic relation. The Brooklyn-based artist has collected textiles from abandoned factories and family residences in her native Bulgaria where she was born and raised.  

This extensive textile archive has crossed multiple borders and undergone near-constant transformation. In her ceramic work, Shtereva seeks to create whimsical, slightly functional vessels inspired by animal forms, infusing them into her installations as vital and playful participants.

SUNY Cortland students will walk to help fight hunger on Sunday, Oct. 25, with several fall-themed activities for local families. 

The 32nd annual Cortland CROP Hunger Walk takes place at Grace & Holy Spirit Church, 13 Court St. in Cortland. 

Registration, activities and refreshments will be available starting at 12:30 p.m. The event will feature crafts, a costume contest, fall treats and other family-friendly activities, including petting miniature horses. 

Community members may register as individuals or teams, make donations, or sponsor participants. All proceeds support the fight against hunger locally and across the globe. 

Part of a global walkathon sponsored by Church World Service, the event helps raise millions for global and domestic disaster relief, agricultural development, refugee resettlement and emergency food aid. 

Twenty-five percent of funds raised stay in the local community to support food pantries and feeding programs, including the SUNY Cortland Cupboard. 

For more than two decades, SUNY Cortland has been a major driver behind the success of the event. Golden Sneaker plaques are awarded each year to the campus groups that raise the most money. The cost of the plaques is underwritten by the James M. Clark Center for Global Engagement. 

For more information, contact local CROP Hunger Walk coordinators Jim FitzGerald, coordinator for circulation help in Memorial Library; Jeanine Rose, tutor in SUNY Cortland’s Learning Center, Lauren Scagnelli, health and wellness program coordinator; or Tricia Wilder, executive director of the Cortland Interfaith Council.

The SUNY system’s chief academic officer visited SUNY Cortland recently to learn more about student and faculty research and tour several of the facilities where it takes place.

SUNY Provost Melur “Ram” Ramasubramanian, who also serves as president of the SUNY Research Foundation, spent several hours on Sept. 18 meeting faculty members leading impressive grant-funded work as well as undergraduates participating in key SUNY initiatives, including the system’s AI for Public Good initiative.

“It was an honor to host Provost Ramasubramanian,” said Ann McClellan, who serves as SUNY Cortland’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We like to talk about the importance of high-impact learning at SUNY Cortland, and undergraduate research is one of the clearest examples of that type of work.

“To meet and hear from the people behind the research proves critical to demonstrating the value of SUNY’s investment.”

Ramasubramanian met with representatives from all three of SUNY Cortland’s academic schools — Arts and Sciences, Education and Professional Studies — during his half-day visit.

Among the recent highlights that he learned about in person:

• Student researchers who participated in SUNY’s AI for Public Good initiative: Two dual majors — Shreya Dhital, a biomedical sciences and mathematics major, and Camilla Piano, a criminology and social philosophy major — represented the university at SUNY’s Advancing AI for Public Good summer research program hosted at Binghamton University.

• Faculty-led research on AI: Seven faculty and staff members contributed to a discussion about the topic. They included Erblin Shehu, an assistant professor of health, who is examining how AI-driven hiring technology affects employment opportunities for people with disabilities; Deborah Silvis, who is considering how young children engage with AI and ways to address the equity challenges it creates; and Lauren deLaubell, librarian in Memorial Library, who was selected as a SUNY AI for Public Good Fellow in 2025-26.

• Preparing future teachers for AI topics: Representatives from the university’s School of Education highlighted additional efforts to prepare future teachers through SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grants. Their current project, a collaboration between university librarians and faculty in all three academic schools, focuses on six teacher education modules that support critical and effective AI use to support diverse learners.

  Those topics cover information literacy for future educators; sociotechnical implications in educational contexts; and using AI in various other capacities — to promote scaffolded writing practice, design inclusive lessons, write individualized education programs for students with disabilities and support teaching learning in physical education.

  Each module provides foundational concepts related to generative AI, application within various education contexts, critical evaluation of AI outputs and principles for ethical use. The team is gathering evidence of the modules’ impact through a pre- and post-administration of the GenAI Literacy Assessment Tool, faculty scoring of key assignments and a satisfaction questionnaire to inform a broader implementation in Spring 2027.

• Recent SUNY Faculty Fellowship recipients: SUNY Cortland continues to be well-represented in the SUNY Academic Affairs Fellows Programs. Christopher Badurek, professor of geographic information systems, will focus AI for the public good while Karen Lister, associate professor of psychology, continues efforts dedicated to advance civil discourse, civic education and engagement in the classroom.

Ramasubramanian also visited several academic spaces that have benefitted from SUNY’s investment in capital funding tied to research. Those facilities spanned the sciences in Bowers Hall as well as the Professional Studies Building, which included laboratories for exercise physiology, human performance and biomechanics.

“For our students interested in exercise science — as in any science-related discipline — it’s critically important to have modern equipment,” said Professor of Kinesiology Kevin Dames, an expert on biomechanics who helped show off the space in the university’s Professional Studies Building with Associate Professor Bry Bellovary and Associate Professor Jason Parks. “One of the highlights of the provost’s visit was seeing our motion capture system, which equips students to collect, measure and interpret human movement.

“Training students on modern biomechanical tools and techniques used in clinical practice, research institutions and applied sport settings empowers us to produce competitive graduates,” Dames said. “We were honored to show off our facilities.”

Ramasubramanian’s visit also included a tour of the Cornish-Van Hoesen Hall C-Wing, which recently received a major $27 million renovation that included state-of-the-art spaces for communication and media studies majors.

“He saw a lot in a short amount of time,” McClellan said. “But more than the facilities, meeting the people behind the research and learning was the highlight of his visit.”

SUNY Cortland men’s track and field athlete Isaiah Brunache ’26 has been named the 2025-26 Division III Commissioners Association Region III Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. 

Representing the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), Brunache was one of 10 men in the country who were regional winners of the award, which was voted upon by the conference commissioners within each of the regions. 

The regional student-athlete award winners were graduating seniors from 2025-26 and were selected based on academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership and a personal statement. 

“To say I am happy with my decision (to attend Cortland) would be an understatement,” said Brunache as part of his personal statement. “Cortland was a big change for me. I had a full roster of teammates, several coaches, and an athletic department that wanted to see me do well and would invest in me to do so. Along with that, I had an institution that wanted me to leave not just as an athlete, but as a student proud of my academic journey. 

“This place truly developed my curiosity and cultivated within me a drive to reach for the unknown, inspiring me to pursue research in my graduate studies. This only happened because I had professors within my college who passionately exposed me to their areas of expertise in the classroom. The dedication to pursue a better version of myself has in large part come from the dedication I have for track. It started before Cortland, but it was honed by it. It is easy to devote oneself to something when you feel you have immense support.”

Brunache, an exercise science major who graduated in May with a 3.91 GPA, earned many accolades while at Cortland. A seven-time All-America thrower, he was the national runner-up in the shot put at both the 2023 and 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, as well as finishing fifth in the weight throw and seventh in the shot put indoors in 2026, seventh in the weight throw indoors in 2025, eighth in the discus outdoors in 2026, and eighth in the shot put indoors in 2025. He also qualified for nationals in events on six other occasions. 

He is the school record-holder in the indoor weight throw, the indoor shot put and the outdoor shot put. His success led him to be a three-time USTFCCCA Niagara Region Field Athlete of the Year and an 18-time All-Niagara Region honoree. He was also a five-time All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference champion and two-time runner-up. 

Brunache won eight SUNYAC titles, finished as a runner-up six times and placed third twice for a total of 16 All-SUNYAC honors. He was voted as the SUNYAC Field Athlete of the Year three times, was the 2024 and 2025 SUNYAC Outdoor Championship and 2026 SUNYAC Indoor Championship Most Valuable Performer of the Meet, and was named the 2023 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year 

Honored as both a 2026 and 2025 CSC First Team Academic All-American, Brunache was a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection. His success led him to b a six-time SUNY Scholar Athlete of the Year and five-time SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. In addition, he was the 2025-26 SUNYAC Dr. Sam Molnar Award winner as the conference’s top senior men's student-athlete, the SUNY system’s overall Men’s Division III Scholar Athlete of the Year and was chosen as the SUNY Cortland Athletics Men's Senior Athlete of the Year.