17 SUNY Oneonta students recently traveled to Peru to study tropical biology. The group spent one week in the Andes Mountains learning about ecosystems in the highlands, as well as agricultural practices and culture. Students also learned first-hand the effects of high elevation on the human body! A highlight of their time in the mountains was the visit to the ancient Incan town of Machu Picchu, considered to be one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

2018 graduate Kayla Clohessy was selected by the SUNYAC as the recipient of the Dr. Delores Bogard Award.

When the faded banners on the exterior of SUNY Oneonta's Fine Arts building were removed at the end of the spring semester, they were replaced with brand new ones designed by an art major from Colonie, NY. The college selected Briela Tollisen's banners through a competitive process developed by Facilities and the Art Department. The banner replacement project was an assignment for Tollisen's Advanced Graphic Design class, and the experience mimicked one of a professional artist responding to a call for proposals for a public work. Specifications for the banners were announced to students in October before a half dozen designs were selected for further consideration. The field was then narrowed to three. Finalists presented their work, from vision to production, to the college in November. After thoughtful discussion of the merits of each set of banners, the college settled on Tollisen's designs. ICG believes that each is a well-executed work that could stand on its own. As a series, the banners present a wide range of aesthetics that showcase the creativity that SUNY Oneonta students possess.

Sixteen SUNY Oneonta students have received Fellowships for Internship Support, so that they may be paid while completing invaluable immersive learning experiences this summer.

Eight SUNY Oneonta students completed internships and also received payment during the Spring 2018 semester, thanks to a number of Fellowships for Internship Support.

Forty eight seniors were recognized for community service efforts during a ceremony at SUNY Oneonta's Alumni Hall Theater last week. The event, which was held May 11, was hosted by the Center for Social Responsibility and Community and was a celebration of seniors who volunteered 350 hours or more during their time at SUNY Oneonta. This year's senior class had 589 seniors who logged 60,517 hours of service in their four years.

More than 200 SUNY Oneonta students were selected to present at the 2018 SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC), hosted by SUNY Oneonta on April 20. Students from 28 SUNY colleges and universities presented 179 research projects in two poster sessions, and another 100 projects in oral presentations throughout the day. Every spring, SURC brings together undergraduate researchers and faculty mentors for two daylong programs of presentations, performances, art displays and poster sessions held on two separate campuses. The second SURC event was April 21, at Monroe Community College in Rochester.

Twenty four peer tutors through SUNY Oneonta's Center for Academic Development & Enrichment have attained National Tutoring Association Level 1 Certification. In addition to being recommended as a peer tutor by a faculty member in each department for which the tutor provides tutoring, these tutors have completed at least eight hours of training and have completed at least 10 hours of supervised tutoring. Their Level 1 certification is valid for two years.

SUNY Oneonta recognized more than 50 outstanding students during an Academic Achievement Awards reception on May 3. One to three students were chosen from each of the college's academic departments and programs to receive the 2018 Academic Achievement Awards. Each student selected one faculty guest to accompany them to the recognition event. In addition to their excellent work in the classroom, students were honored for distinguishing themselves in many ways, including research, activism, mentoring, athletics, involvement in campus activities and volunteerism.

Nine new members were inducted into SUNY Oneonta's Alpha-Kappa-Iota chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. The students were inducted during the History Department's Awards & Phi Alpha Theta Induction Ceremony last week in Le Cafe at Morris Conference Center. The special guest was Elizabeth Mosher, Daughters of the American Revolution State Chairperson and SUNY Oneonta alumna. Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of history, and is the second oldest such society in the United States. The society has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters. Phi Alpha Theta was established on March 17, 1921 at the University of Arkansas by Professor Nels Cleven. In order to be inducted, undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours (4 courses) in History, achieve a minimum GPA of 3.1 in History and a GPA of 3.0 or better overall. A maximum of 3 credit hours of online, transfer, or AP credits may be applied to the membership eligibility requirement. Membership is not limited to History majors.

Students from 17 colleges and universities gathered April 13-14 to showcase and discuss their research at the college's Morris Conference Center for the 23rd annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference. Organized by SUNY Oneonta students, the conference featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Raymond Angelo Belliotti of SUNY Fredonia titled "Plato & Soul Searing Love." Twenty-one students from across the country were selected to present their scholarly work during the two-day conference. Initiated in 1995, the SUNY Oneonta Philosophy Conference has become one of the most respected events of its kind in the United States, hosting students from prestigious institutions such as Harvard University and from as far away as the University of Hawaii and University of Padua (Italy).

A group of SUNY Oneonta students' community outreach project has helped educate an entire elementary school of children this semester on the basics of environmental sustainability and stewardship. Through the college's Harvest Share Buddies service learning initiative, biology and sociology students spent time in 12 different classrooms at Riverside Elementary School in Oneonta, teaching children about food, the environment and plant biology. In their assigned K-5 classrooms, SUNY Oneonta students presented weekly interactive lessons and got to know the children. Concepts literally came to life for the kids, as vegetable grow boxes were built and installed in the classrooms, giving students a firsthand look at where food comes from. Students grew tomatoes, lettuce and a variety of herbs and spices. When full-grown, the ingredients will be harvested and used to make pizza for the children. This is the second year of the program, which is organized by Assistant Professor of Biology Sean Robinson and Associate Professor of Sociology Greg Fulkerson. On the last visit of the semester, fourth graders in one classroom recalled all they had learned from the SUNY Oneonta students and brainstormed ways to help "reduce, reuse and recycle." Takeaways included riding a bike instead of driving, not polluting, starting a compost pile, shopping local and growing food at home. Third-grade teacher Jacqueline Scanlon said her pupils loved having the college students come in each week. "We called them our SUNY friends, and whenever it was time for a visit, their eyes would light up," Scanlon said. "It's great for these kids to meet the college students and gain a mentor of sorts, and it's also something I appreciate because, with pressures on curriculum, this is a topic we don't often get to talk about. But it's so needed!"

More than 300 students met requirements for graduation from SUNY Oneonta following the Fall 2017 semester. Graduates were honored at a December recognition ceremony hosted by College President Nancy Kleniewski and held in the Dewar Arena of the Alumni Field House. They also are eligible to participate in the college's commencement on May 12.

A total of 185 SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the fall 2017 semester. To qualify for the Provost's List, a student must earn a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while carrying a course load of 12 hours or more.

SUNY Oneonta's Fed Challenge team of economics and business economics students took third place overall at the 2017 College Fed Challenge, held Nov. 14 at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Donning blazers and nametags and standing in front of an audience and panel of judges, the students delivered a 15-minute presentation in which they analyzed economic conditions and recommended a course for monetary policy. Five students - Melissa Voyer, Heather Teichman, Carlos Salomon, Mike Deyak and Kevin Stearns - presented, while a group of non-presenters supported teammates and toured the vault at the Fed. Forty-three teams competed in the preliminary rounds on Oct. 31. Twelve teams advanced to the Nov. 14 semifinals, and three teams made it to the finals, where SUNY Oneonta took third place, Rutgers University - New Brunswick took second, and Pace University came in first.

Eight SUNY Oneonta students participating in the Pine Lake Archaeological Field School this summer are seeing firsthand what it would be like to work as archeologists. The immersive learning experience takes students to Hartwick College's Pine Lake Environmental Campus in West Davenport, about eight miles from SUNY Oneonta. There, they spend about eight hours a day learning basic methods in field archaeology, including surveying and excavating techniques, mapping and laboratory analysis. The summer program, which is offered every other year, is a collaborative effort of SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick, with SUNY Oneonta providing most of the equipment. Students can earn six credits by taking the summer course.

Seventeen SUNY Oneonta students participated in the 2017 National Model United Nations Conference in New York City from March 19-23. The Oneonta delegation represented South Africa.

This fall, SUNY Oneonta will welcome approximately 1,100 freshmen and 600 new transfer students hailing from across New York, as well as from 12 other states and countries. New students moved in on Aug. 24, and the fall 2016 semester starts Aug. 29. Our newest Red Dragons will officially join the Oneonta family when they walk through the historic pillars of Old Main during the traditional Pass Through the Pillars ceremony on the campus quad the night before classes begin.

A total of 27 students were elected this spring to Student Association positions for the 2016-2017 academic year at SUNY Oneonta. Students are elected to Student Association positions by their peers in the student body. Elections for executive board positions were held April 7-8, and senators and judicial officers were elected April 14-15.

Twenty-eight members of SUNY Oneonta's Zeta Beta Tau fraternity chapter helped organize SUNY Oneonta's third annual Gift of Life Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive on Oct. 26 and 27.

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized nearly 100 alumni during the 2015 Alumni of Distinction Presentation of Honors.