07/17/2026
The SUNY Cortland Alumni Association will recognize seven graduates during the university’s 2026 Alumni Awards Ceremony on Saturday, July 18, in Old Main Brown Auditorium.
The event is held during Alumni Reunion weekend, which is expected to draw roughly 400 attendees across two full days of events.
The Alumni Association will honor two graduates with its Distinguished Alumni Award, three Distinguished Educators Award recipients, one young alumna with the Rising Star Award and an Outstanding Alumni Volunteer.
The 2026 award recipients are:
- Allison Sesso ’97, Distinguished Alumna. Named “The 100 Most Influential People of 2025” by Time magazine, Sesso has assisted millions of American families burdened with medical expenses as chief executive officer and president of Undue Medical Debt.
- Ezra Scott ’10, Distinguished Alumnus. A dedicated public servant and community leader, Scott serves as special assistant for intergovernmental and community affairs in the Executive Office of the New York State Department of Public Service.
- Pamela Kocher Brown ’92, Ed.D., Distinguished Educator. A professor of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Brown led the development of one of the nation’s first fully online doctoral programs in her discipline.
- Yusuf Muhammad Jr. ’99, M ’01, Distinguished Educator. Named the 2025-26 Principal of the Year for the Atlanta Public Schools, the former Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) scholar has earned recognition for his commitment to equity in education.
- Heather Kelly Marzullo ’03, M ’10, Distinguished Educator. A life-changing teacher in the Syracuse City School District, Marzullo has remained deeply connected to the university through Cortland’s Urban Recruitment of Educators (C.U.R.E.) program.
- Louis Chistolini ’65, C.A.S. ’79, Outstanding Alumni Volunteer. An educator by trade, Chistolini works tirelessly to connect Red Dragons through popular alumni events in the Syracuse area.
- Angelica Ford ’17, Rising Star. The former kinesiology major turned entrepreneur has established two mission-driven businesses that promote health and inclusivity.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Allison Sesso ’97
Allison Sesso ’97 has earned a reputation as a trailblazer through her role as chief executive officer and president of Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that focuses on the elimination of personal medical debt.
Case in point: last year, Time magazine listed the former SUNY Cortland political science major among “The 100 Most Influential People of 2025,” a list that also included Serena Williams and Mark Zuckerberg.
Since Sesso took the reins of Undue Medical Debt in 2020, the organization has purchased and forgiven $22 billion in personal medical debt while relieving more than 10 million American families from financial burdens. The nonprofit has made an estimated 14% dent in the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., while also leading research on the root causes and developing policies aimed at preventing them in the first place.
Prior to Undue Medical Debt, Sesso served as deputy executive director during a 16-year career with the Human Services Council, an advocacy organization that represents 170 nonprofits and 200,000 workers providing 90% of the social services in New York City.
Her early career experiences in social work and advocacy helped inform Sesso’s larger-scale influence today. She initially pursued an internship with the New York Public Interest Research Group, which hired her to run its operation at Nassau Community College after her Cortland graduation.
She moved to Florida to work for a nonprofit helping victims of violence and sexual abuse and eventually transitioned to a position in investment banking before a fellowship with the University at Albany’s Center for Women in Government and Civil Society. Sesso holds an M.P.A. from CUNY’s Baruch College.
In 2017, she was named one of the 25 most influential leaders in Manhattan by City & State New York. She also was honored on the TIME100 Health and TIME100 Philanthropy lists in 2025.
Ezra Scott Jr. ’10
Scott has a simple message for aspiring changemakers.
“Know the process and know the people in the process,” says Scott, who served as keynote speaker at SUNY Cortland’s most recent Student Conference on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice. “When you understand both, you amplify your impact and create lasting change.”
His life’s work has certainly made a lasting impact on others.
As special assistant for intergovernmental and community affairs in the Executive Office of the New York State Department of Public Service, Scott builds partnerships between elected officials and community organizations to advance New York’s clean energy goals, helping to foster public confidence in government. He previously pursued a competitive two-year executive fellowship as an Empire State Fellow.
A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., Scott is a first-generation college graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. A student-athlete on Cortland’s men’s basketball team, he went on to earn graduate degrees in strategic management, human resource management and early childhood education from Niagara University.
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, he became the youngest African American elected city councilmember in Niagara Falls’ history. The founder of the Niagara Falls Peacemakers, Scott also led a coalition dedicated to youth engagement and public safety.
In 2024, Scott became the founding chapter president of Albany Professionals Under 40 & Friends. 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.
For more than a decade, Scott has inspired positive change through his leadership in government, education, workforce development and civic organizations across New York state.
Distinguished Educator Award
Pamela Kocher Brown ’92, Ed.D.
For more than 30 years, Pamela L. Kocher Brown ’92, Ed.D., has taught various topics related to exercise and sport science. A professor of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, she also has led pioneering contributions in online education.
Among her many awards and honors, Brown has earned the North Carolina SHAPE Linda Harrill Rudisill Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education Distinguished Teacher Award. She also helped lead the creation of one of the nation’s first fully online doctoral programs in kinesiology, assisting more than 100 graduates that completed the program.
“My experience at SUNY Cortland showed me the importance of always putting people first,” Brown said. “A good teacher builds relationships that are the foundation for success. They understand what excites their students and use it to foster learning.”
Brown’s teaching has exhibited her range in providing valuable lessons in the field of exercise in sport science. She began her career in 1992 at the University of North Carolina as a lecturer before a stint as an instructor and head coach of women’s soccer and women’s tennis at Chowan College in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.
She arrived at UNC Greensboro in 2001, earned her doctoral degree in 2003 and ascended in the department. Currently, Brown serves as the graduate program director for the Department of Kinesiology.
Yusuf Muhammad ’99, M ’01
Throughout his career as an educator and school administrator, Yusuf Muhammad ’99, M ’01 has passed on the gifts he discovered as an EOP scholar at SUNY Cortland — namely opportunity and a commitment to service. His success, both in New York City and Atlanta, is evidence of his ability to bring those values to fruition.
Muhammad began his career as a social studies teacher at Benjamin Banneker Academy in New York City and later earned his first administrative role as acting principal in 2012. During his tenure as principal, the school increased its graduation rate to 95%, which was 15% above the state average.
His first full-time principal role came in 2013 at City Polytechnic High School. His track record of success continued as the school’s pathways in technology early college and work-based learning model helped increase graduation rates and decrease suspension rates.
He moved to Atlanta in 2016, serving as principal at Carver High School from 2016 to 2018 before taking on the principal role at The STEAM Academy at Carver in 2018. In 2022, Muhammad was named principal at Phoenix Academy and more recently named the 2025-26 Principal of the Year for Atlanta Public Schools. A tireless supporter of his alma mater, he served as keynote speaker at the university’s 2024 Abraham Lincoln De Mond 1889 Day event, which recognizes the legacy of the university’s first African American graduate.
Heather Kelly Marzullo ’03, M ’10
Heather Kelly Marzullo ’03, M ’10 has spent more than 22 years as a role model in the Syracuse City School District (SCSD), helping students envision success and the opportunity to attend college.
“My career is defined by the belief that a distinguished educator does not just deliver content, but actively dismantles barriers to ensure every student — regardless of background — has a seat at the table of opportunity,” Marzullo said.
Since 2004, Marzullo has been a champion for student success in Syracuse, teaching at Percy Hughes Magnet School as a fifth and sixth grade teacher before joining HW Smith School in 2015, where she continues to teach today.
In 2014, Marzullo was named the SCSD Teacher of the Year. She also earned the SUNY Cortland Civic Engagement Leadership Award that same year for her efforts to mentor future Cortland educators. Throughout her career, she has made significant contributions to the university’s C.U.R.E. program, assisting close to 200 scholars who hope to follow her example in urban education.
Leading book circles, earning grants to enhance learning and fostering opportunities for discussions regarding race and culture, Marzullo’s support for her students extends beyond their educations — inspiring growth and opening doors long after they leave her classroom.
Outstanding Alumni Volunteer
Lou Chistolini ’65, C.A.S. ’79
If you attend an event hosted by Lou Chistolini ’65, C.A.S. ’79, you will find him donning his SUNY Cortland gear with pride. The Syracuse, N.Y., area includes more than 9,000 Red Dragon alumni, and they can gather for Cortland-themed events thanks in large part to Chistolini’s efforts.
An annual highlight for Central New Yorkers is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which takes place in downtown Syracuse. Chistolini has hosted a SUNY Cortland alumni event at Mulrooney’s for several years and has seen participation increase over time. In addition, he coordinates an annual Cortaca Jug watch party for Cortland fans in the Syracuse area.
When asked about his continued desire to create opportunities for fellow Red Dragons, Chistolini expressed appreciation for his SUNY Cortland experience. He credits the university for providing direction and inspiration for a long career in education, which stretched across several school districts in the Central New York region for more than 50 years.
“I owe a lot to the college,” Chistolini said. “If I can spread the word of Cortland, that’s how I want to help the college succeed. When people bring their families, especially high school students, it gives me that opportunity to spread the word.”
The steady increase in attendance at alumni events hosted by Chistolini reflects his consistency and aspiration to keep the SUNY Cortland spirit intact for Central New Yorkers.
“I realize that this award is not a finish line, but more of a continuation of strengthening the bond between SUNY Cortland and alumni,” Chistolini said. “Hopefully more alumni will be involved with hosting events themselves or generating interest to attend more events.”
Rising Star Award
Angelica Ford ’17
When Angelica Ford ’17 attended her first-year Orientation, she was provided with a mantra that became a guiding principle that guided her in athletic competition, across the graduation stage and into the business world.
Ford has used that mantra — “feel the momentum” — as motivation that led to great success through multiple mission-focused businesses in Chicago.
During her time at SUNY Cortland, Ford was a decorated swimming and diving athlete who still owns records in the 200- and 400-yard individual medley. Ford also earned the 2017 Grace Mowatt Award, provided to a senior student-athlete across the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) based on career academic and athletic achievement.
After graduation, Ford was driven by a passion to help individuals with disabilities, one that developed as a volunteer with Adaptive Fitness Programs in Niagara Falls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That passion for helping others inspires two businesses that she currently owns and operates in the Chicago area: Fueled by AF, a vegan and gluten-free snack company that employs individuals with disabilities, and Ability Fitness, a fitness business that builds adaptive in-home gyms and training programs for people of all abilities.
Her work has been recognized nationally on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for creating Chicago’s first adaptive manufacturing plant and for her efforts to make employment accessible to people with disabilities.
When asked to provide words of guidance to future Cortland students, Ford’s response echoed what she heard as a student: “Visualize your success,” she said. “Feel the momentum and achieve your dreams.”
As a bright young entrepreneur and advocate for inclusion, Ford has done just that for herself and others.