09/25/2026
Two SUNY Cortland faculty members have earned competitive fellowships from the State University of New York to further their academic work related to timely social topics.
Christopher Badurek, professor of geographic information systems, will focus on artificial intelligence (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.
The SUNY Academic Affairs Fellows Programs provide support across four key areas that align with the SUNY General Education Framework and systemwide priorities.
Badurek joins the second cohort of SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellows. He is one of 11 faculty and staff members from across the system who will help colleagues consider ways to incorporate AI into the student experience responsibly.
The cohort’s work seeks to provide professional development resources for the effective and ethical use of AI in teaching and learning. This year’s focus aims to offer support for discipline-specific exploration and integration of AI.
Lister, who initially participated in the fellowship program in 2025-26, will join the third cohort of Civil Discourse and Civic Education and Engagement Fellows. The group includes 12 colleagues across SUNY who were announced in celebration of Constitution Day.
Lister also is contributing to the university’s participation in the Advancing Campus Pluralism initiative, a partnership between 10 SUNY campuses and the non-profit Interfaith America. That effort focuses on new curriculum and programming to promote civil discourse.
Badurek and Lister both earn a stipend to support the integration of their topic areas into coursework and they will consult on SUNY’s general education efforts.
More information about both fellowship recipients is included below.
Christopher Badurek
Specializing in geographic information systems and serving as the co-coordinator of SUNY Cortland’s computer applications program, Badurek has led the university’s participation in several AI-focused partnerships across SUNY. His research integrates AI analytical tools, machine learning and geospatial data for land use change modeling and large-scale environmental data analytics such as estimating exurban growth in New York state. That work has been supported by NASA, the National Science Foundation and SUNY.
In addition to developing and teaching interdisciplinary ethics courses titled “AI, Technology and Society” and “Geo AI for Good,” Badurek is leading curriculum innovation to place AI literacy at the center of the interdisciplinary computer applications minor, including both generative and agentic AI applications.
Badurek serves as SUNY Cortland’s lead for the SUNY-funded Advancing AI for Public Good collaborative initiative with Binghamton University. An award-winning mentor of undergraduate and graduate research, he continues to support student work across STEM, social sciences and humanities disciplines in alignment with that effort.
Karen Lister
As a licensed clinical psychologist and forensic evaluator, Lister has worked closely with individuals involved in the criminal justice system and victims of violence. Her work in outpatient and inpatient settings highlights the importance of professional civic engagement and discourse and continues to be central to her teaching and scholarship.
At SUNY Cortland, Lister has developed the university’s forensic psychology minor and four courses focused on the intersection of psychology and the law. Civic discourse is integral to her teaching as students focus on current issues such as criminal justice reform, human trafficking and working with marginalized groups involved in the criminal justice system.
Lister has supervised student research assistants to strengthen media literacy and highlight the importance of ethical and professional practice. These projects have examined how the media frames mass shootings and sexual abuse allegations as well as popular media portrayal of psychopathy and intimate partner violence.