Mollie Goodwin Recognized for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity

2014 May 13

Mollie Goodwin of Laurens, NY, was one of 12 SUNY Oneonta students recognized during a reception on May 7 for outstanding research and creative activity. Goodwin was one of five students selected to receive the 2014 College at Oneonta Foundation Honorable Mention for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity.

Students were nominated for the awards by their faculty sponsors, and finalists were ranked and selected by members of the college's Committee on Research. During the college's annual Student Research and Creativity Day on March 26, finalists presented their work to a team of reviewers, who ranked and selected the winners.

Goodwin worked with Jeffrey Heilveil of the Department of Biology on a project titled "Genetic Diversity of Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa virginica(L.) in New York State." Goodwin was the primary presenter for the project. She plans to complete a master’s in biology in December 2014 and is considering moving on to a Ph.D. program in zoology.

Created to recognize and promote undergraduate scholarship and creative activity, Student Research and Creative Activity Day has become the premier on-campus event for academic student exhibition. A total of 191 students, supported by 73 faculty sponsors, participated in this year's event, which featured presentations on a wide variety of topics across academic disciplines.

Most of the award-winning projects were supported through SUNY Oneonta's Student Grant Program, which is funded by the College at Oneonta Foundation and Oneonta Alumni Association through the generosity of alumni and friends of the college. Supporting academic opportunities outside the classroom is a top priority for the foundation. More than $54,000 was available this year for student grants, and the college's D'Antonio travel program, also supported through charitable gifts, has allocated $75,000 to support more than 350 student trips to conferences and academic meetings over the last five semesters.