SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oneonta's first cohort of ACE (Advancing Completion through Engagement) students had the chance to sharpen their networking skills in a unique, "speed dating" style event held Wednesday in the Hunt Union Ballroom. Community members volunteered their time to serve as networking mentors, meeting with students for a series of short conversations designed to simulate real-world networking scenarios. The experience helped students practice introductions, make professional connections and build confidence for future opportunities. Local leaders who served as mentors included Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek; University Council member and alumnus Will Rivera '09; Sean Lewis of the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce; and Sarah Hartmann, CEO of Vesucre and The Makery Oneonta.

Eight SUNY Oneonta students are exhibiting artwork in the "Hartwick X SUNY Oneonta Student Show 2025" at CANO (Community Arts Network Oneonta). The "Hartwick X SUNY Oneonta Student Show" is an ongoing collaboration between Hartwick's Foreman Gallery and the Galleries at SUNY Oneonta, on view until Oct. 24 at CANO in downtown Oneonta. A closing reception is set for Friday, October 24, from 5-7 p.m. at CANO. SUNY Oneonta is featuring the work of eight students who are the 2025-2026 Jean Parish Scholarship: Symon Andriyevsky, Sydney Creason, Sean Eaves, Abigail Fish, Jessie Reed, Mordue Reinhardt, Alexis Rockefeller and Zoe Zappala. Hartwick is featuring the work of art students from the Hartwick Senior Class of 2026.

Thirty-five students were elected to serve in Student Association positions for the 2025-2026 academic year at SUNY Oneonta. The Student Association serves as the liaison between the administration, faculty and students. Elected students sit on external committees where they voice student input on decisions that affect the campus community. 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 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.

Six SUNY Oneonta students were immersed in hands-on, grant-funded learning experiences abroad this summer in subjects ranging from biology to music under the guidance of faculty mentors. The trips were made possible by the Tyler Center for Global Studies, which awarded a $20,000 grant to SUNY Oneonta to fund student international research and creative activities. SUNY Oneonta was among 12 universities across the country to be selected by the Tyler Center for Global Studies. SUNY Oneonta opened applications to all students and selected a cohort of six students as its first class of Tyler Fellows. Each student chose a different destination, spending just under a week to more than a month engaged in their project. Among their SUNY Oneonta faculty mentors were Assistant Professor of Photography Wesley Bernard, Associate Professor of Spanish Maria Cristina Montoya, Associate Professor of Music Adam Kent and Associate Professor of Biology Kiyoko Yokota. Now back on campus, students have been working on personal reflections about their travels and projects, networking with their peers in the program and will participate in a virtual Tyler Fellowship conference on Nov. 20. All six Tyler Fellows also presented their research during the Student Research and Creative Activity Summer Showcase on campus in the Hunt Union International Lounge on Sept. 23. Read the full story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news/students-receive-new-grant-travel-abroad-projects

This summer, SUNY Oneonta's sunny, quiet campus quad was filled with the buzz of 145 accepted students arriving early to learn what to expect as new first-year students. But this was no tour, these students moved into the residence halls for four weeks. Designed to make the huge transition to college a little less intimidating, the AOP (Access and Opportunity Program) Summer Academy has been welcoming new students since the 1990s. From morning to night, the students' days are designed to familiarize them with collegiate academic and social expectations, school policies, student services and learning resources at SUNY Oneonta. Throughout the week, there were presentations and tours of departments including Financial Aid, Counseling, Academic Advisement, Career Planning & Networking, Global Education and Student Accounts. Students were able to ask questions about internships, studying abroad and course selections. See the full story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news/summer-academy-students-learn-secrets-success

SUNY Oneonta students have taken the world by storm this summer, with nearly 70 embarking on a record number of immersive, international learning adventures. This year, the university offered seven different summertime faculty-led programs (FLPs), which are short-term study abroad opportunities. Lasting anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, FLPs incorporate coursework, cultural experiences and often service-learning opportunities. Students get to apply their classroom knowledge in a completely new setting and learn unique subject matters not regularly taught on campus. This is the most extensive summer offering SUNY Oneonta has had, and the Office of Global Education hopes to offer seven FLPs again next year. "Faculty-led programs give our students a 'mini study abroad,' if you will, and foster deep academic exploration while enhancing cultural awareness, making the learning experience truly unforgettable," said Office of Global Education Director Michelle Lopez. "We're incredibly happy to be able to offer so many life-changing opportunities for experiential learning, something we prioritize at SUNY Oneonta!"

Eighteen SUNY Oneonta students were selected to serve as Dragon Guides for the 2025-2026 academic year. In addition to leading activities for new students and their parents during six daylong summer 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.

Two SUNY Oneonta Physics students reached new heights after spending a week at a NASA facility in June, launching their first rocket into space. Students Ethan Biles and Jack Millen took their education beyond the classroom by joining Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Joshua Nollenberg at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Located on Virginia's eastern shore, Wallops is home to NASA's annual RockOn! workshop, an immersive program where college students and faculty collaborate to build scientific instruments, attach them to a rocket and launch the rocket into space. Biles and Millen prepared for RockOn! weeks in advance as part of their Physics summer internship course. While NASA provided everything at the workshop from detailed instructions to hands-on assembly, Nollenberg used the lead-up time to introduce the students to numerical methods for solving physics-based problems. After completing several simulations, the team turned its focus to understanding the rocket's flight trajectory using equations of motion. "We have equations of motion that describe the position and also the angular position in polar coordinates relative to a launch site," said Nollenberg. "What we want to do is find the best trajectory to get into orbit that minimizes the amount of mass that's usedso what we do is develop a Hamiltonian [technique] that gives us a series of cost functions that describe how much cost there is to changes in our position, our angle, our velocity, our angular velocity and also the mass loss." Although RockOn! is limited to just 28 teams, each consisting of two students and one faculty member, college and university groups from across the country compete for a spot in the program. Each team was responsible for assembling scientific instruments housed within a canister, which was then stacked alongside others to form the rocket's internal structure, as provided by NASA. Once complete, a final outer "skin" was added to enclose the stacked canisters and seal the space-bound vehicle. Teams spent the first day, June 20, learning the skills they'd need for the week. They dedicated the next few days to assembly and concluded the week by watching their rocket launch on June 26. "For assembling the components, it was very similar to following a LEGO assembly manual," said Millen. "At the end of each stage, we would await an inspection from the RockOn! Team to ensure we followed all directions correctly and that our components would be 'launch-proof.'" The rocket used for RockOn! was a two-stage Terrier-Improved Orion sounding model, measuring 40 feet in length and capable of traveling at about 1000 meters per second. Sounding rockets are unmanned, suborbital vehicles designed specifically for scientific research. After the rocket touched down, Biles, Millen and Nollenberg recovered their equipment to collect data on pressure, temperature, acceleration, gyroscopic movement, magnetism, humidity and orientation. "My favorite part of the RockOn! experience would be soldering the circuits. I've always had an affinity for electronics and circuitry," said Biles. "The feeling of launching a rocket was breathtaking. The joy you get from seeing your labor in space is something else." Nollenberg selected Biles and Millen to participate in RockOn! based on their strong academic performance, but the program also served as an opportunity for growth. They deepened their understanding of numerical methods, learning to model rocket flight, simulate heat transfer and solve engineering optimization problems. These skills are essential for predicting how their electronics would perform under real-world conditions. While Biles and Millen worked from their strengths, they also developed new problem-solving skills, especially in debugging code. At first, they were surprised by how often errors occurred in longer programs, but they quickly adapted. "They grew a 'weakness' in the sense that they anticipated that they would be spending just a little bit of time debugging," said Nollenberg. "They built up a lot of intuitiveness to hunt down where the mistakes might be in the code when things were working incorrectly. They knew there might be a mistake, and that was okay. You just find a mistake and fix it, and that's something I saw grow a lot during that process." Biles and Millen received funding for their internship course through the Experiential Learning Center and the National Science Foundation. Full story with visuals: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news/physics-students-launch-rocket-nasa-facility

Six hundred twenty-nine SUNY Oneonta students completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree following the Spring 2025 semester. Family, friends, faculty and staff gathered on campus to celebrate the scholars, athletes, activists, artists and leaders who make up SUNY Oneonta's Class of 2025 during Spring Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 17. The day before commencement, seniors took part in the Pass Through the Pillars tradition. With friends, family and 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.

Sixty-seven recent SUNY Oneonta alumni are continuing their education at the university through graduate programs after earning their bachelor's degree in December 2024, May 2025 or August 2025. These students began their graduate studies at the start of the summer 2025 term or will begin in the fall 2025 semester. SUNY Oneonta offers 14 graduate programs that are in person, online or a mix. Students can enroll in master's degree or certificate programs that include Biology, Lake Management, Museum Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Literacy Education, Educational Technology, School Counseling and Special Education. SUNY Oneonta's graduate programs frequently receive external recognition for quality, affordability and career outcomes, including: No. 114 on U.S. News and World Report's 2025 list of the nation's "Best Online Master's in Education Programs." No. 1 on Intelligent.com's list of the "Best Online Master's in Reading and Literacy Programs of 2025." No. 11 on TheEdAdvocate.org's list of "2023 Best Online Master's In Reading Education Programs" in the country. No. 2 in the nation on the OnlineMastersDegrees.org list of "Top Nutrition Master's Programs Online for 2024." No. 3 in the nation on EduMed.org's 2024-25 list of "Best Online Nutrition Master's Degrees." No. 7 in the nation on OnlineU's "2025 Best Master's Degrees in Nutrition Online." In addition to highly competitive tuition rates and graduate student scholarships, many programs offer Graduate and Teaching Assistantships, which include tuition waivers or stipends. SUNY Oneonta graduate students develop meaningful relationships with outstanding, accessible faculty who are experts in their fields, experienced, caring teachers and advocates for their students' successes. After completing their degree program, graduates join a network of successful alumni whose experiences at SUNY Oneonta opened new doors, fostered personal and professional growth and enriched their careers.

More than 1,175 SUNY Oneonta students earned Dean's List honors for the spring 2025 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.

More than 50 SUNY Oneonta students received an Academic Achievement Award on May 7, 2025, during the 37th annual recognition reception on campus. Each academic department chooses one to three students who stand out from the rest of their peers in their major to receive this award. Undergraduate Academic Achievement Awards recognize exceptional seniors after reviewing their scholarly accomplishments. To be eligible for an Academic Achievement Award, seniors need a 3.5 GPA in their major. Faculty nominate students in their department at SUNY Oneonta based on further academic or professional pursuits and a demonstration of leadership on- and off-campus. Graduate Academic Achievement Awards recognize academic performance, leadership and excellence in scholarship. Awards are made to post-baccalaureate students at SUNY Oneonta, whether they do most of their work on campus or through a distance-learning format. Awardees may excel in various areas, including exemplary work on a thesis or other capstone project, leadership and involvement in department, campus or community activities, or exceptional academic or professional performance in the classroom and beyond.

More than 280 SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the spring 2025 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.

Four SUNY Oneonta M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics students attended the Annual Meeting & Expo (AME) of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NYSAND), held on Friday, April 25, at Union College in Albany, NY. The AME conference features a range of nutrition and dietetics events, including keynote addresses, panel discussions, and poster presentations by students, interns and professionals. Emily Mueller presented research titled "Effectiveness of Postpartum Nutrition Education To Optimize Maternal and Infant Health: A Quasi-Experimental Study." Leah Hamm presented research titled "Assessing the Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Program in Kindergarten Aged Students." Emily Hoy presented research titled "The Effect of a Tailored Nutrition Intervention on Sports Nutrition Knowledge and Running Performance in Recreational Runners." Tania Young received the NYSAND award for "Outstanding Dietetic Student."

Twenty-one SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College students faced off in a start-up pitch competition that was as much about passion as it was about business acumen. Held in SUNY Oneonta's Morris Conference Center on May 6 and judged by a panel of local business leaders, the inaugural Oneonta-Hartwick Student Start-up Challenge and Pitch Competition marked the first business pitch competition jointly executed by the two institutions. The event drew inspiration from similar competitions that SUNY Oneonta students have participated in both on and off campus, including a global fashion merchandising competition known as ESRAP and a Business Idea Pitch Competition held by SUNY Oneonta's Entrepreneurship Club. The competition drew budding entrepreneurs from a diverse range of disciplines, including Business Administration, Fashion and Textiles, Biochemistry, Mathematics, Communication Studies and Music Industry. Ideas were presented by both solo entrepreneurs and teams of three to four, bringing 21 students together to present 14 different business pitches. Students from both Hartwick and SUNY Oneonta worked on their pitches with faculty through independent course studies, the Entrepreneurship Club and Adam Chaloeicheep, who was the inaugural entrepreneur-in-residence for both institutions. "Entrepreneurship, in my experience, is a powerful bridge: as you grapple with what to build--riding the emotional highs and lows, pivoting and searching for proof that an idea deserves to exist--the road can feel lonely," said Chaloeicheep. "Sharing that journey with peers fuels motivation and mutual support. A joint competition would tighten the bond between our campuses while showing the rest of the state that bright, innovative minds are thriving here. Watching teams from both schools pitch--side by side and head-to-head--captures exactly the collaborative spirit we want to cultivate." Read the full story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news-events/oneonta-hartwick-pitch-event-brings-entrepreneurs-together

SUNY Oneonta student Jhesenia Ayora of Peekskill, NY, received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for her upcoming study abroad program in Spain during the fall 2025 semester. Ayora is a dual major in Sociology and Spanish and will graduate in December 2025. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a prestigious and competitive U.S. State Department-funded initiative designed to expand American undergraduate students' access to international study and internship opportunities. Named after the late Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman of New York, the program aims to support students seeking to study abroad, helping them develop the critical language skills, global perspectives and intercultural competencies necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

On Wednesday, April 9, 16 SUNY Oneonta students volunteered at the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club (OBGC) during "Work Together Wednesday," a national event that is part of Week of the Young Child. Work Together Wednesday celebrates the value of collaboration and teamwork through activities that encourage children to engage in group projects and puzzles. SUNY Oneonta student volunteers, including NCAA Division III athletes and students from a variety of academic programs, joined in to support the event. This initiative coincided with NCAA Division III Week, a time when the contributions of student-athletes and the broader impact of Division III athletics are recognized and celebrated. Oneonta Public Transit brought nearly 120 children from the Bugbee Children's Center and Oneonta YMCA to the OBGC for the community event. Catholic Charities, the local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency for Bugbee Children's Center, sponsored the event.

Thomas Passannante, of Oakdale, NY, was inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics and Astronomy Honor Society, on Saturday, April 26, during the Physics & Astronomy's Spring 2025 Recognition and Awards picnic ceremony held at College Camp. Passannante is studying for a dual major in Adolescence Education and Physics, with a concentration in Applied Physics. Undergraduate candidates must have completed at least three semesters of full-time college work and at least three semester courses in physics and astronomy that can be credited toward a physics and astronomy major. Sigma Pi Sigma exists to honor outstanding scholarship in physics and astronomy, to encourage interest in physics and astronomy among students at all levels, to promote an attitude of service, and to provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics and astronomy. Founded in 1921, Sigma Pi Sigma is a member honor society of the Association of College Honor Societies. Election to Sigma Pi Sigma is a lifetime membership. A local charter was granted to the university in 1975. Passannante joins an elite group of students from SUNY Oneonta's Physics and Astronomy program who have accepted the invitation to Sigma Pi Sigma and its vast network of over 100,000 scientists, educators, and advocates.

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."

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."

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."

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.

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.

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.