SUNY Oneonta

For its showcase production of the 2024-2025 academic year, the SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department presented the Tony Award-winning musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" with 24 students. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is a fast-paced musical comedy set in ancient Rome, book written by American playwrights Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics written by American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Bursting with mistaken identities, slapstick humor and a cast of lovable misfits, the story follows Pseudolus, a clever slave determined to win his freedom through a series of outrageous schemes. As chaos unfolds with star-crossed lovers, a hapless captor and an eccentric Roman household, this classic farce delivers non-stop laughs. Perfect for fans of witty humor and timeless theater, it's a must-see for audiences of all ages. "Along with being a really funny show, Forum is fun to perform in and has many challenges for designers, managers, directors, etc. It is also the first production in which Stephen Sondheim wrote both the music and the lyrics that made it to Broadway," said Professor of Theatre History, Dramatic Literature and Acting John McCaslin-Doyle. "In his early twenties, Sondheim wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy. After Forum Sondheim would write the books and lyrics to productions like Anyone Can Whistle, Do I Hear a Waltz, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeny Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Passion, Assassins, The Frogs and more. Many of these productions have been revived in recent years and some are currently running on Broadway. Sondheim died in 2021 and it seems right to introduce his work to students and local audiences." The performance, directed by McCaslin-Doyle, ran four times from April 23 to April 26 with help from the Mask and Hammer student theatre club. Faculty and staff made up the show's stage set and properties designer, lighting designer and technical director, costume shop manager and designer, sound designer and choreographer. The vocal director was a local professional and teaches at Hartwick College. SUNY Oneonta students made up the performance's cast, stage managers and crew.

One hundred thirty-nine SUNY Oneonta students participated in the 2025 Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) showcase on April 16 in the Hunt Union Ballroom. The annual SRCA showcase gives students the chance to share their scholarly and creative work with the campus community through academic conference-style presentation sessions. This year's single-day event featured 109 projects, making it one of the largest showcases of Student Research and Creative Activity ever presented at SUNY Oneonta. Students presented research for completed and ongoing projects on topics representing a wide variety of academic disciplines such as science, history and art. Projects were completed under the mentorship of 54 faculty sponsors. Nineteen of the 109 projects received grants through the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, funded by the University Foundation and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association. "This has been another great celebration of the research, scholarship, and creative activities our students have undertaken," said Associate Director of Scholarly Activities Audrey Porsche, whose office coordinates the SRCA showcase. "It's made possible in part, through charitable gifts to the University Foundation and Alumni Association. The showcase provides a great opportunity for our students to share what they have accomplished alongside their faculty sponsors. These students are getting research and creative experiences that will help them post-graduation, whether they are going on to graduate school, internships or starting their careers. It's all great experiential learning in action!"

Seven SUNY Oneonta students were inducted into the Omicron Delta Epsilon honor society on Friday, May 2, during an induction ceremony held in Morris Hall on campus. Omicron Delta Epsilon is an international economics honor society with 717 chapters located in 11 countries. It is one of the world's largest academic honor societies. To become a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, SUNY Oneonta undergraduate students must complete 12 credit hours of economics courses, have a GPA of at least 3.0 overall and in economics courses and have a B in an economics honors program (if the chapter's college or university offers it). Graduate students must complete one semester of full-time work with a major or minor in economics and have a 3.0 GPA.

Three SUNY Oneonta students have been named 2025 recipients of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. Fernando Trejo, Emily Petramale and Aaron Paul were among a select group of State University of New York students recognized by SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. during a reception in their honor in Albany on Tuesday, April 29. All three students are members of the Class of 2025. "We are so proud of Fernando, Emily and Aaron and all they have given to the SUNY Oneonta community," said President Alberto Cardelle. "They are true leaders and inspiring role models, and their achievements here are just the beginning. I can't wait to see the difference they'll make in the world beyond our campus." The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, or CASE, is the highest honor that SUNY bestows upon students. It is presented annually to SUNY students who demonstrate academic excellence and integrate it with accomplishments in other areas, such as leadership, campus involvement, community service and the arts.

SUNY Oneonta accounting and business students received firsthand experience for the future by preparing income tax returns for the community, continuing an annual tradition in Alumni Hall and the ExCL Center on Dietz Street. Through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, 30 students were extensively trained and were available through April 13 to provide basic tax return preparation and filing free of charge. Their services were available to area residents, with appointments available on Wednesdays, 5:30 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon. The team was excited to be able to assist community members and completed more than 60 tax returns this year. The tradition, which was started years ago by a beloved former professor, William "Jeff" Weinell, is part of a three-credit class taught by Assistant Professor of Accounting Charlene Foley-Deno. To ensure privacy, the students escort each client into an office space to begin the intake interview. Completed returns are reviewed by student coordinators and, finally, by Foley-Deno before clients return the following week for an exit interview. At the exit interview, the team assigned to the client meets with them to review the details of their return. "We used to do the returns side-by-side with clients in a computer lab in one sitting, but this really brings a new level of professionalism, how it's done in the real world, and also allows for collaboration among the students," Foley-Deno explained. "All of this-dealing with the public, working with all kinds of people, 50 hours of training, attention to detail, being professional-it's a low-stakes environment providing a huge benefit. They are on their home turf, where they feel comfortable and confident and have each other, and there's just so much potential for growth. It's really fun to watch them as they transition."

SUNY Oneonta students were recognized for attaining gold-level leadership milestones in the spring 2025 semester through the university's Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program. LEAD@Oneonta is a comprehensive leadership program based on current research and guidelines from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. All students can choose to participate in the LEAD program, which aims to better prepare them for life after earning their degree by providing a comprehensive picture of leadership and the skills needed to be a good leader. Students can attain a silver, gold or platinum level. To reach each level, students must meet a mix of programmatic and experiential leadership requirements, including completion of online courses, attendance at educational events, and membership and leadership in one or more of SUNY Oneonta's 100+ student-run clubs and organizations. Completing a leadership level is recognized on campus as a credential that can be used, for example, when running for office or applying for STEP (Student Travel for Excellence Program) funding. The program also provides students with a leadership record that can be submitted to potential employers.

Twelve of the nearly 50,000 panels of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt filled the Hunt Union Ballroom at SUNY Oneonta from March 21-23, each stitch and patchwork square telling a story of lives lost to the AIDS crisis. For many, including SUNY Oneonta student and Otsego Pride Alliance Vice President Kerri Lincoln, the quilt's arrival was not just a powerful tribute but a deeply personal mission. Lincoln, a Women's and Gender Studies major and Oneonta local, began her journey to bring the quilt to Oneonta nearly a year and a half ago. Inspired by a conversation with one of her children, she realized that the AIDS Quilt was becoming a fading memory for younger generations. Determined to change that, Lincoln took it upon herself to bring this piece of history closer to home. Securing the quilt required persistence and began about a year and a half earlier. Lincoln worked with the National AIDS Memorial to meet the requirements for hosting a display and coordinated multiple fundraisers to cover expenses. Basket raffles and community donations played a vital role in making the project possible. Lincoln also collaborated closely with SUNY Oneonta's faculty and staff, who provided support throughout the planning process and assisted with the installation itself. As a nontraditional student, Lincoln worked with Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies Dr. Chloe Diamond-Lenow to incorporate the AIDS Memorial Quilt into her independent study course. Lincoln's coursework included research about the quilt's creation and significance, organizing its display and using it as a text to explore intersectionality, public health and art as resistance. "Kerri took Intro to Queer Studies with me last semester. In the class, one of the assignments for students is to do a research project where they look at the history of a queer trans activist," said Dr. Diamond-Lenow. "Kerri chose to research Cleve Jones, the initial creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and called the project "Stitching Resistance". At that time, she already knew she was bringing the quilt to campus. So we created a 4000-level independent study course, which gave us more opportunities to have one-on-one conversations. I was really just there to support Kerri in organizing the event. But we also framed the AIDS Quilt in relation to queer studies and queer theory." The quilt's arrival was deeply emotional for Lincoln. Seeing the panels unfold, including one featuring Henry Nicols of Cooperstown, underscored the personal connection this project held. Nicols, who contracted HIV as a child through a hemophilia treatment, became a prominent AIDS activist before passing away in 2000. His father, Hank Nicols, attended the event as a speaker, adding another layer of meaning to the display. For Lincoln, memorable moments extended beyond the installation itself. Conversations with visitors revealed how deeply the quilt resonated with those who viewed it. Attendees shared memories of loved ones lost to AIDS, and some expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reflect on a chapter of history that has too often been overlooked. The quilt's presence also served as a reminder of ongoing struggles. Lincoln expressed concern about recent cuts to HIV research and prevention efforts, emphasizing that the need for awareness and advocacy remains crucial.

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."

Twenty-seven SUNY Oneonta students volunteered at the annual Adaptive Basketball Clinic on campus, created through a partnership between the Sport and Exercise Sciences department and EDD Adaptive Sports. The event, held in the Alumni Field House on April 12 from 12 to 2 p.m., allowed area residents with varying intellectual and adaptive disabilities to hone their skills in basketball through different technical and shooting drills. SUNY Oneonta's Sport and Exercise Sciences department has developed a relationship with EDD Adaptive Sports, a non-profit organization that offers adaptive sports programs to children and adults with any disability. EDD Adaptive Sports' programs allow people of all ages to participate in a variety of free athletic and sport-related activities, including basketball, biking, kayaking, soccer, swimming, pickleball, rowing and yoga. This was the third year that SUNY Oneonta and EDD Adaptive Sports worked together to make the basketball clinic a successful day for everyone involved. Twenty-one of the student volunteers were from the SUNY Oneonta men's and women's basketball teams. The basketball teams picked the drills they wanted to teach to EDD's athletes, resulting in a rotation through five stations that focused on skills like dribbling, shooting and passing. With participant ages ranging from early childhood to late adolescence, modified basketball hoops and other equipment allowed every athlete to maximize their performance. Among the student volunteers were Exercise Science seniors Emilia Montgomery and Alana Batson, who provided training to the other volunteers on how to interact and work with the EDD athletes. Montgomery is also on SUNY Oneonta's field hockey team, and Batson was one of the volunteers from the women's basketball team. "Emilia and Alana were integral in the training and organization of this event," said Assistant Professor of Exercise Science Katherine Griffes, Ph.D. "Both students have been involved in the development of adaptive sport events in the past, and it was impressive to see them step up into leadership roles for this program. Their academic and professional experiences absolutely prepared them for their new roles, and their roles as student athletes ensured they recognize and value the importance of creating inclusive sport environments." "I want to be an occupational therapist when I grow up. So I took the lead with this because it's something that I'm extremely passionate about," said Montgomery. "Ensuring that everybody has fair access and availability to playing sports and using my role through being a field hockey player here at Oneonta is important to me. I've really tried to make that a part of my time here and just involving myself, involving the community and students with disabilities as much as I can." "There are limited opportunities for people with physical and cognitive disabilities to get out there and be active," said Batson, who is studying to become a physical therapist. "This is just creating more opportunities for them to have fun and be active in a safe environment. So that's pretty much what we've been saying in the training. The primary focus is to have fun, let them have fun, and provide a safe space for them to get active and have a good time."

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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."

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.