SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oneonta's Music Industry students continued a longstanding tradition in late January, touring the world's largest not-for-profit music expo and trade show, The NAMM Show, in Anaheim, Calif. The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show, held Jan. 21-25 at the Anaheim Convention Center, brought together leaders, innovators, experts, artists and creators from the music products, pro audio and sound, and entertainment technology industries for a rousing reunion. Despite the damage caused by the Southern California wildfires, air quality remained safe all week, with no fire-related impact on Anaheim or the surrounding areas. Fifteen SUNY Oneonta Music Industry majors and Music Industry Club members traveled with Associate Professor Paul Carter to Anaheim for three days of product introductions and demonstrations, educational sessions and panel discussions, and - perhaps most importantly - networking and inspiration. "The highlight of my NAMM trip this year was getting my first brand endorsement as a drummer and artist," said Aidan Loeffler, a Music Industry major. "I met the brand No Nuts cymbal sleeves at NAMM last year, and have been using them since. I got an endorsement from them this year, which I am extremely excited about! It is one of the first big steps in my career as a drummer!" Students enjoyed special events, live music and celebrity appearances while exploring the latest industry trends through demonstrations, panel discussions and educational sessions on modern marketing techniques. They also tested new products from over 4,000 brands, including Roland electronic drum sets, Ernie Ball Music Man guitars and cutting-edge audio editing software. Highlights included meeting artists like John Otto (Limp Bizkit), Mick Thomson (Slipknot), Gary Holt (Slayer), Zack Grooves, and Johnathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett. While in California, students maximized their trip by networking at events and directly with brands and artists on the show floor. Returning attendees, like Loeffler, reconnected with peers and past contacts from across the country. They wrapped up their experience with a visit to Disneyland. "This trip always provides a wonderful opportunity for students to meet music industry professionals, hear inspiring presentations and see great performances," said Carter. "There is an invaluable component to the trip where students meet others who have been in their shoes, making it easier for them to stay connected long after NAMM concludes." Faculty in SUNY Oneonta's Music Department have taken students to The NAMM Show for 29 years. The NAMM trip was made possible, in part, by support from the Caroline ('67) and David D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund.

As part of the SUNY Washington Internship Program, SUNY Oneonta junior Brandon Cirincione, a Political Science and Economics dual major, is interning this semester in Washington, D.C. with Congressman Nick LaLota, who represents New York's 1st District. The work hits close to home for Cirincione, as he is a resident of Congressman LaLota's district. His days are spent gaining firsthand experience with the legislative process, constituent services and policy research. On Fridays, he joins fellow SUNY Washington interns for seminar classes, where they engage with speakers on a variety of topics and tour the city. Last Friday, the group got to visit the National Archives (home to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution) and the National Museum of African American History & Culture. In the coming weeks, they will also meet and get advice from SUNY Washington alumni who now work for congressmen, senators and more. Cirincione is a recipient of the university's James '75 and Mary Ajello Internship Fund, which encourages students to undertake internship opportunities by offsetting a variety of costs like housing, food, tuition and program fees, transportation and airfare, and by providing a living stipend. "This internship is a pivotal step in my academic and professional journey as it allows me to apply the knowledge and skills I've developed through my studies in a real-world setting," Cirincione said. "My long-term goal is to attend law school and pursue a career in public service, where I can continue to make a positive impact through policy and advocacy. This opportunity is not only enhancing my professional development but also reinforcing my passion for government and public policy."

Nine SUNY Oneonta students were selected to serve as Dragon Guides during the spring 2025 semester. In addition to leading activities for new students and their parents during orientation sessions, Dragon Guides welcome new students into their new community by leading small groups, answering questions about the university and college life, and mentoring new students throughout their first semester. With assistance from the Office of Move-in Orientation, and Welcome Programs and the Office of Student Experience, the Dragon Guides reach out to their mentees throughout their first year at the university to revisit their goals from orientation and offer support on reaching those goals. They also sponsor connection groups for new students to participate in, which will encourage and support engagement.

One hundred sixty SUNY Oneonta students completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree following the fall 2024 semester. Graduates were honored and recognized during the Fall Commencement, held Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in the Dewar Arena of the Alumni Field House. The day before commencement, seniors took part in the Pass Through the Pillars tradition. With friends, family, faculty and staff cheering them on, seniors walked through the pillars a final time, representing the end of their Oneonta journey and transition into the alumni family.

In the fall 2024 semester, the SUNY Oneonta Investment Management Team, consisting of Alexander Deiters, Justin Gulbin and Matthew Sperling advised by Assistant Professor of Finance Dr. Catalina Hurwitz, participated in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge. This international competition involved more than 2,400 universities using the Bloomberg Terminal for investment education. Teams received a virtual $1 million and had five weeks to develop investment strategies. The SUNY Oneonta team ranked in the top 16%, finishing 420th globally with an absolute profit of $64,915 and a relative profit of $70,037. Dr. Hurwitz praised the competition for enhancing students' understanding of economic stability, global events and market trends within a short time. Department Chair Dr. Izabella Lokshina highlighted the advantage gained through practical experience using Bloomberg Terminal for real-world market analysis.

Two hundred fifty-eight SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the fall 2024 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.

More than 1275 SUNY Oneonta students earned Dean's List honors for the fall 2024 semester. To qualify for the Dean's List, a student must earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher while carrying a course load of 12 hours or more.

Cassondra Blewett, of Binghamton, NY, was awarded a prestigious scholarship from Tau Sigma, the National Transfer Honor Society. Chosen as one of only 62 national recipients and one of just five students from the SUNY system, Blewett's achievement reflects both her academic excellence and dedication as a transfer student. This scholarship honors students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, academic success and commitment to their community. Blewett's recognition is a testament to her hard work and exceptional accomplishments in her academic journey.

Five SUNY Oneonta students became Making Cent$ Peer Mentors at the end of the fall 2024 semester. Making Cent$ Peer Mentors are students who have initially started as Making Cent$ Interns. During their time as interns, they train with Making Cent$ staff members to learn information that will help them improve their proficiency in financial literacy and help the students around them with financial topics. As interns, these students help complete tasks to keep the Making Cent$ Program running. They also act as a connection to the student community and provide a lot of outreach to their peers. After around a year of training, Making Cent$ Interns take the Making Cent$ Intern Financial Wellness Exam, designed to demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired through their training. After passing this exam and demonstrating their abilities to host different Making Cent$ activities, a Making Cent$ Intern earns the title "Making Cent$ Peer Mentor." Making Cent$ Peer Mentors host one-on-one meetings with students to discuss student loans and help other students create or improve their budgets. They also often become the primary host of activities like Money Personalities. They continue outreach to other students and have a high level of mentorship with newly hired Making Cent$ Interns. Each student started their Making Cent$ Internship in February 2024 and excelled throughout their internship. Daily, they demonstrate a dedication to helping their peers with financial literacy and other aspects of their daily lives.

Six students from SUNY Oneonta's Marketing Club, OnMark, collected 72 items for a food drive held on Nov. 19 to give back to the community. OnMark collected 103 lbs of food and donated everything to Your Safe Haven Food Pantry in Oneonta. This was the first time the club held a food drive.

Eighty-three SUNY Oneonta students received the Richard Siegfried Student Award in the fall 2024 semester for earning a total GPA of 3.9 or higher. To be eligible for the award, a student who meets the GPA requirement must either be a full-time first-year or transfer student. Students received the award on Dec. 3 following the annual Richard Siegfried Junior Faculty Prize for Academic Excellence Lecture. Dr. Chelsea McCracken, assistant professor of media studies at SUNY Oneonta, was this year's Junior Faculty Prize recipient. McCracken delivered this year's Richard Siegfried Lecture, titled "Visualizing Hollywood's Gender Inequities Through Female Dialogue" at the Morris Conference Center on campus. The award is named in memory of Richard K. Siegfried, SUNY Oneonta Professor of Theatre from 1958 until 1995. Professor Siegfried (or Sieg as generations of students fondly called him) epitomized excellence in his academic life, through imagination, meticulous scholarship and discipline, and through his expectation of the same pursuit of excellence in his students and colleagues. His dedication brought excellence to his work in such historical theater worlds as Aristophanes, Moliere, Ibsen and Chekhov, his rigorous study of the skills of voice and movement, and his leadership in improvisation's imaginative creativity.

Twenty-six SUNY Oneonta students were involved in the Theatre Department's production of "The Tempest," the final production of the fall 2024 semester. "The Tempest," written by William Shakespeare, features the King of Naples and his followers after being cast ashore on a desert island by a violent storm. "There are so many story elements included in this production," said show director and Professor of Acting and Directing Andrew Kahl. "There are moments of spectacle and magic, rich poetic language, political intrigue, physical comedy and a sweet love story. Getting all the pieces together in a cohesive production felt like a meaningful challenge. Working with our professional guest artist, MaConnia Chesser, was an honor and privilege for our faculty and students." Chesser was the Theatre Department's artist-in-residence for the fall 2024 semester and played Prospero, the protagonist in "The Tempest." The artist appeared in the performance courtesy of the Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. SUNY Oneonta's production of "The Tempest" was a joint performance made possible by Theatre Department faculty and staff, and students from the Mask and Hammer Club. Rehearsals began this semester in September with cast and crew exploring the text and playing through the scenes to make sense of relationships and character intentions. Full-stage rehearsal for "The Tempest" began shortly after Chesser joined the cast in early October. "The play offered design and production challenges, including the spectacle of a storm at sea that opens the play and moments of depicted magic that will challenge our sound, light and scenic designers," said Kahl. "The island setting needed to be mutable, changing based on the characters' perceptions on stage from an inviting tropical paradise to an ominous or dangerous place. At the center of it all lies the play's language and actors' capacity to decode, express and embody the meanings and intentions of the characters so that the audience can fully understand the play."

In October, two SUNY Oneonta students volunteered as yoga instructors during a five-week EDD Adaptive Sports class. The class, held in the Alumni Field House dance studio on campus, saw more than 20 EDD athletes in attendance. First-year students Rose Dailey and Sofia Demaris helped weekly with set up, breakdown and supporting the athletes. "I greatly enjoyed watching the athletes interact with the students," said Dr. Katherine Christison, assistant professor of exercise science and the class instructor. "Watching and mirroring the students' poses helped the athletes feel comfortable and confident with their own skills. Sofia and Rose brought such positive presences to the space and helped the athletes feel at home in the class."

During the fall 2024 semester, the SUNY Oneonta Career Planning and Networking Center awarded a total of $97,500 to 67 students from Incremental Funds issued to the university by the State University of New York system. Students received funding for credit-bearing, unpaid internships to help offset the costs associated with completing unpaid internships on and off campus. The Career Planning and Networking Center on campus helps provide career counseling and helps students find and secure internships in their fields of study. To help with the application and registration process, the Career Planning and Networking Center hired Internship Facilitators to assist students, faculty and staff. SUNY Oneonta is committed to helping students pursue experiential learning opportunities to explore their field of interest while gaining experience to prepare them for life after graduation. Internships are one of many real-world learning opportunities students can secure through the university's Experiential Learning Center. In addition to providing financial support to students pursuing internships, SUNY Oneonta awards more than $100,000 annually in student grants for research and travel to professional conferences and has 23 different scholarships for students who study abroad or participate in faculty-led trips. As part of the Drive for 135 initiative, the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association and the Career Planning and Networking Center invite alumni to submit internship opportunities that will allow current and future students to gain critical real-world experiences. Through this initiative, SUNY Oneonta hopes alumni will help secure 135 new or recommitted internship opportunities for students. Alumni can support this initiative by offering internship opportunities within their organizations or networks. While we cannot guarantee student applications for every position, your contributions are vital to their success. Hosting organizations will have the responsibility of reviewing applications, conducting interviews and selecting interns from the pool of eligible students.

Thirty-six students were elected to serve in Student Association positions for the 2024-2025 academic year at SUNY Oneonta. Student Association serves as the liaison between administration, faculty and students. Elected students sit on external committees where they voice student input on decisions that affect the campus community. Senate meetings are Tuesday nights at 6:30 in the Hunt Union Waterfront. The Student Association of SUNY Oneonta is dedicated to fostering and maintaining meaningful relationships between students, faculty and administration to be effective in advocating for and allocating resources towards bettering the well-being of the student body. The Student Association strives to promote an inclusive, academic and social experience that encourages student growth and participation by advancing advocacy, transparency and communication between the branches of the Student Association, the broader Oneonta community and the collective student body.

The SUNY Oneonta iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team traveled to Paris in late October to compete in the annual iGEM Grand Jamboree and received a gold medal in its first-ever collaboration with students and faculty from Hartwick College. The iGEM Grand Jamboree is a competition where teams of students from around the world "push the boundaries of synthetic biology by tackling everyday issues facing the world." More than 450 teams registered for the competition this year, making the 2024 Grand Jamboree the largest in iGEM history. This was the fifth competition for the SUNY Oneonta team, which won silver medals in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. "We could not be prouder of this year's team, not only for their success, but also for their enthusiasm and dedication to having a positive impact on the world," said Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Kelly Gallagher, who advises the team alongside Associate Professor of Biology Jill Fielhaber. "Receiving a gold medal represents the culmination of countless hours spent both in and outside of the lab from every student," said Dr. Fielhaber. "Our team's first collaboration with students and faculty from Hartwick College makes receiving SUNY Oneonta's first gold medal all the more significant." This year's team included 16 SUNY Oneonta students from a wide variety of majors - including Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Dietetics, Early Childhood/Childhood Education, Earth Science, English, Exercise Science, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology - who worked on both the scientific and human practices aspects of the project, Hartwick team members included majors in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together under the mentorship of faculty from both SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick, the students worked on a project titled, "pHish and CHIPS," to create a device that would neutralize water automatically after detecting the presence of extreme pH imbalances. "It all started with thinking about what the CHIPS and Science Act meant for upstate New York and all the investment in semiconductor manufacturers that has impacted the state," said Dr. Gallagher. Signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act has accelerated the development of new semiconductor chip fabrication plants throughout the United States, with two plants planned for construction near Oneonta. Research for the team's "pHish and CHIPS" project began in April 2024. According to the team's project description, water is crucial to the manufacturing process of semiconductor chips. Prior to release or recycling of these chips, fabricators purify their wastewater by adjusting the pH level and removing contaminants called polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). With millions of gallons of water to process daily, real-time pH adjustment presents sustainability and water management challenges. Part of the iGEM students' goal was to use their knowledge of synthetic biology to design a pH-sensitive wastewater system that would "turn on" and release buffers to neutralize the water in the presence of pH extremes during the chip fabrication process. While one part of the team was concerned with the research and development of the pH device, the human practices group investigated the ethical and regulatory landscape of the project and how to best engage public interests and concerns. This included how to successfully approach corporate sponsorship, researching what human impacts are related to these types of waste streams, where current holes in regulations exist and what can be done to help close those gaps, and how the group can improve industry issues. Together, the full team worked on "pHish and CHIPS" with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Six (Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) and Nine (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation) in mind. The 2024 iGEM Grand Jamboree was four days long, from Oct. 23-26, at the Paris Convention Center - a roughly 15-minute drive from the Eiffel Tower. At the conference, the team had a booth set up and coordinated times for each member to represent "pHish and CHIPS." With guidance from their faculty advisors, each student was prepared to answer questions during the judging session by being an expert on at least one part of their project. When they weren't at the booth, the students explored the other presentations at the Grand Jamboree. The iGEM team was supported by the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, the SUNY Oneonta iGEM Team Fund, funding from University Advancement, Access and Opportunity Programs, the Science and Technology General Fund, the Provost's Office, and the Caroline '67 and David D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund, which is funded by the University Foundation and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts and grants to the university.

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado visited campus on Sept. 18 to officially launch the Empire State Service Corps, share good news about the initiative, and celebrate SUNY Oneonta's record student participation in the program. Announced by Governor Kathy Hochul in May as the sixth proposal from her 2024 State of the State agenda, the Empire State Service Corps-spearheaded by Delgado and SUNY-aims to increase civic and public service opportunities for students by creating paid service positions for more than 500 students across the SUNY system. The program is funded by a $2.75 million expansion of community service endeavors. King and Delgado met with University President Alberto Cardelle, students in the inaugural class and campus coordinators for a roundtable discussion and news conference, announcing that the Empire State Service Corps has been formally accepted as an AmeriCorps partner. This means that, upon completion, participating students will be considered AmeriCorps alumni and be eligible for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, a scholarship they can use for graduate school or to repay student loans. "National and community service has the power to unite New Yorkers, address pressing social issues, and improve the lives of those who participate in it," Delgado said. "Today we celebrate the launch of the Empire State Service Corps, which will, in its first year, create 500 new meaningful, paid service opportunities for SUNY students while addressing critical community needs. I am grateful for Governor Hochul's leadership in establishing the new Office of Service and Civic Engagement, which will expand and enhance service opportunities across New York State, to make service more accessible, inclusive, and widespread. The Empire State Service Corps is a wonderful first step toward expanding service opportunities and creating a stronger, more unified and resilient state." SUNY Oneonta has 48 Empire State Service Corps student members, the most of any participating SUNY. Students begin their assignments in September in a variety of high-need areas such as K-12 tutoring, SNAP and basic need outreach, peer mental health, sustainability, anti-hate and anti-bias prevention, nonpartisan civic engagement, and FAFSA completion. Local site assignments include the Salvation Army, Oneonta City School District, Village of Cooperstown and Gilbert Lake State Park, to name a few. Students will perform 300 paid public service hours over a year. "Making a difference by serving others is at the heart of our mission at SUNY Oneonta," said President Alberto Cardelle. "We appreciate the paid public service opportunities made possible through this effort, championed by the Governor's Office and SUNY. I am proud that our students responded to this call to serve Oneonta and the surrounding region so enthusiastically."

Twenty-five SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad during the fall 2024 semester through programs offered by the university. SUNY Oneonta offers summer and semester programs through study abroad and exchange international partner universities and many short-term faculty-led programs through the Office of Global Education (OGE). Of the available programs, these students are studying abroad at the American College of Greece in Greece, Seinan Gakuin University in Japan, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Yonsei University Mirae Campus in South Korea, Instituto Lorenzo de' Medici and John Cabot University in Italy, Univesitat Politecnica de Valencia, Universidad de Granada Centro de Lenguas Modernas, University of Salamanca, University of Barcelona, University of Granada and Study in Valencia in Spain, Study in Portugal Network (SiPN), Linneaus University in Sweden, Bond University in Australia and University of Toulouse - Jean Jaures in France. Thirteen students received scholarships from SUNY Oneonta to study abroad, including the Bill and Khuki Woolever Scholarship, Caroline Turner '53 Study Abroad Scholarship, David '77 and Nancy Frick Global Connections Scholarship, David Daly '82 & Arthur Dauria Scholarship for International Travel, Gary '71 and Pamela '73 Tutty Study Abroad Scholarship, Gerald J. Ferrante '77 Scholarship in Memory of Margaret A. Ferrante, Julia D. Galusha '71, '75 Endowed Fund for Global Connectedness, Klaritch Family International Education Scholarship, Tracey (Wolf) '86 & Keith '87 Drayer Annual Fund for Global Experiential Learning and the Global Connectedness Fund. One student received a scholarship from their study abroad university after being nominated by SUNY Oneonta. More than 20 scholarships were established by the SUNY Oneonta Foundation to provide support for students who might otherwise not have the financial means to study abroad. Scholarships are made possible through gifts from alumni, faculty, staff and community members, and are awarded each semester to qualifying students.

The Personal Finance Achievement Award is given to students through the SUNY Oneonta financial wellness program, Making Cent$. Making Cent$ staff, interns and volunteers put together numerous events and activities that help students improve their proficiency with financial literacy. Students participating in Making Cent$ earn credit for Making InCENTive$, which leads them to the Personal Finance Achievement Award. This award recognizes a student's dedication to improving financial literacy by completing core activities in six personal finance categories and continually participating in the program. After finishing the Making InCENTive$ path, students complete an exit interview during their final semester to help improve the Making Cent$ program, earn their Personal Finance Achievement Award in receive a Making Cent$ graduation cord.

The SUNY Oneonta Men's and Women's Track & Field teams had five individuals and two relays receive All-SUNYAC honors at the SUNYAC Championships on Feb. 23-24. Senior Aidan Kelly was the SUNYAC Champion in the men's heptathlon. Senior Isabella Fabrizio earned All-Conference in the women's shot put and weight throw, junior Marco Alter in the men's weight throw, senior Jonthomas Bierman in the 800-meter run, and senior Ejim Nnate in the 60-meter hurdles. The Red Dragons won both the men's and women's distance medley relays.

Gideon Plamondon and Destiana De Jesus are the first two SUNY Oneonta students to be selected for a mentorship program offered by the Country Music Association (CMA). Plamondon and De Jesus are among 41 college and university students from across the country to be selected for this opportunity. As members of the CMA's Educational Leadership Class of 2024, they will meet country music industry professionals through a year-long program that includes panels, seminars and courses. In addition to being the first SUNY Oneonta students selected, Plamondon and De Jesus are two of the three SUNY applicants ever to be accepted into the mentorship program. A highlight of the program will be a trip to Nashville in August for the organization's annual Leadership Summit, a multi-day conference full of professional development, industry education and networking. The summit will also allow the accepted students to meet one another and get a glimpse of what their year will look like as they partake in remote courses.

More than 250 SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the fall 2022 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 students from two separate disciplines, geology and biology, teamed up this summer and put their skills to the test during an 18-day field trip to the Rocky Mountain region. The trip, led by Associate Professor of Paleontology and Geology Leigh Fall and Biology Professor Donna Vogler, let 12 students learn first-hand about the flora, fauna, formations and ecosystems in Colorado, Arizona and Utah. Surrounded by desert, mountains and tumbleweeds, students honed their observation and identification skills, collecting geological and ecological data and analyzing that data to better understand how the natural world works. Spending time at the Grand Canyon, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Arches National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park, students practiced identifying rocks, fossils, plants, and animals, recorded their observations in a field notebook, and synthesized their data in field presentations. At night, students set up camp and prepared meals, and then tented under the stars. Ecology and geology may seem like very different disciplines, but both are essential for understanding the evolution of the landscape, according to Fall. "Each influences the other in a variety of ways," she said. "For example, the type of rocks and their weathering products can promote or inhibit particular plant growth in an area." The geological exposures in the Rocky Mountain region offer a natural laboratory for examining the geological processes that has shaped the area. Equally important, Vogler said, the Rocky Mountain region provides a unique opportunity to study wildlife in the field and in an unfamiliar area of the country. Students said the trip impacted them in many ways, allowing them to make close friendships, validating their choice in major, seeing beautiful landforms and, most importantly, taking what was learned in the classroom and applying it in the real world.

Nine students have volunteered to serve as members of The Oneonta Future Alumni Network (OFAN). In this role, they assist the SUNY Oneonta Division of College Advancement and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association in reaching its goals by facilitating an active relationship between students and alumni with a sense of pride, loyalty, and tradition. Members help develop and improve student programs on campus that will create a stronger sense of school identity. The Oneonta Future Alumni Network also enhances the education of students and prepares them to serve as future alumni leaders and volunteers.