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.

In the Project Space Gallery at SUNY Oneonta, Nicholas Stein, of Otego, NY, is exhibiting artwork in a solo show consisting of physically manipulated film photographs called "Voids in Humanity" until Oct. 25. Stein is a senior majoring in Art and Design at SUNY Oneonta. "Voids in Humanity consists of a series of conceptual photographs that explore the shared human experiences of absence, loss and emotion," said SUNY Oneonta Art Gallery Director Sarah Simpson. "Through the use of vague silhouette figures burnt into the photo negatives, the human form is presented both as a symbol and a personification of memory or trauma. These images act as a conduit for memory and meaning, referencing the emotional weight that various experiences can carry within us. The exhibition will encourage viewers to reflect on how society and they themselves create and neglect these so-called voids." Admission to the gallery and reception is free and open to the public, and visitors can receive parking passes through the University Police Department. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, contact Sarah Simpson at Sarah.Simpson@oneonta.edu or 607-436-2445.

For its opening production of the 2025-2026 academic year, the SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department presented "The Firebugs" with 22 students. "The Firebugs," written by Swiss playwright and novelist Max Frisch, is dark comedy that explores themes of morality, complicity and the dangers of ignoring evil. In the midst of escalating arson attacks plaguing his city, businessman Gottlieb Biedermann finds himself entangled in a precarious situation. At home, his attempt to maintain a facade of normalcy clashes with the reality of his own complacency as he unwittingly harbors potential firebugs under his roof. As the story unfolds, Biedermann's struggle to reconcile his moral stance with his actions culminates in a disastrous and ironic conclusion. "The Firebugs has a great deal to say about the times we live in," said SUNY Oneonta Professor of Theatre History, Dramatic Literature and Acting John McCaslin-Doyle. "For example, when the leading character cries out, 'I can't be scared the whole time!' it seems that between politics and advertising, the media is working overtime to keep the population in a state of anger and fear." The performance, directed by McCaslin-Doyle, was a joint production made possible by the Theatre Department faculty and staff and students from the Mask and Hammer theatre club. Rehearsals began at the beginning of the fall 2025 semester, and the show ran four times in the Hamblin Theatre on campus from Oct. 2-5. Students fulfilled cast and crew roles, including lighting and sound design and operation, props coordination, stage management, deck and construction crew, electricians and costume stitchers.

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

Eight SUNY Oneonta students had their artwork on display in the Jean Parish Scholarship: 2025-2026 exhibition in the Project Space Gallery. An opening reception in the gallery was held on Thursday, Sept. 4. Jean Parish Scholarship: 2025-2026 is a group exhibition featuring work by the 2025-2026 student recipients of the Jean Parish Scholarship: Symon Andriyevsky, Sydney Creason, Sean Eaves, Abigail FIsh, Jessie Reed, Mordue Reinhardt, Alexis Reckefeller and Zoe Zappala. Faculty Emerita Jean Parish enjoyed a lengthy teaching career at SUNY Oneonta, leaving behind a gift to provide financial assistance to students studying art. One of the two endowed funds she set in place supports the Jean Parish Scholarship, distributed by the Art Department through a competitive process every fall semester. Art majors already enrolled in the program are eligible to apply during or after their first semester, and the department gives several non-renewable awards for the academic year. Admission to the gallery and reception is free and open to the public, and visitors can receive parking passes through the University Police Department. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

SUNY Oneonta students are getting firsthand experience in their fields of study this summer through research and creative projects on topics ranging from local lake water quality to a paleoanthropology field school abroad. With guidance and support from faculty members, 20 SUNY Oneonta students are involved in a variety of new and continuing research and creative projects on and off campus through the university's Summer Research Fellowship Program. The 2025 Summer Research Fellowship recipients receive financial support from University Advancement's Student Research and Creative Activity Grant Fund, with additional funding from the Office of Alumni Engagement. Students receive grants of up to $3,000 each, with a maximum of $6,000 for two or more students working together on a single project. In addition, students who must remain on campus for their research stay at SUNY Oneonta for free this summer. "The summer fellowships provide students with a great opportunity to do concentrated, in-depth, faculty-led research and creative projects without sacrificing their ability to earn money at a time when so many students are home working summer jobs," said Audrey Porsche, associate director of scholarly activities. The students will share their projects with the campus community during the Summer Research Fellowship Showcase on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Full Story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news/summer-2025-student-research-fellowship-projects

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

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.

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.

Two hundred fifteen SUNY Oneonta graduate students completed the requirements for a master's degree, Certificate of Advanced Study or Advanced Graduate Certificate 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.

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 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.

Steven Martin ('26) and Joel Zea ('25) were both accepted into the SUNY Pre-Medical Opportunity Program, an enrichment program to aid EOP students from across SUNY in their goals to pursue careers in the health professions. After completing this program, students are more prepared to gain entrance to graduate school or advanced degrees related to health professions. Participants receive modest financial support and attend a summer program, virtual workshops, mentorship meetings and clinical observations.

Daniela Hernandez ('24) and Nicolai Glouchkov ('26) were among just 50 SUNY students statewide to receive the prestigious Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence for 2025. The award recognizes students in the Educational Opportunity Program for demonstrating academic success and perseverance in the face of personal and educational challenges. Hernandez and Glouchkov were part of the 6th class of honorees and were recognized by the SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor King at a ceremony in March. The award is named after Norman R. McConney Jr., a graduate of the University at Albany and former assistant dean for special programs at SUNY, who played a critical role in the creation of EOP as a statewide initiative to increase access to higher education for underserved students.

Miranda Bartels, of Holbrook, NY, became a Making Cent$ Peer Mentor in the spring 2025 semester. Bartels is studying Early Childhood/Childhood Education (B-6) at SUNY Oneonta. 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. Bartels started her Making Cent$ Internship in February 2025 and has excelled throughout her entire internship. Daily, she demonstrates a dedication to helping her peers with financial literacy and other aspects of their lives.

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.

SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle rocked a custom pair of sneakers at Spring Commencement this year, designed and painted by none other than graduating Fashion & Textiles student Colby "Cobe" Aaron. The project was born out of a mentorship between Cobe and alumnus Scott Saltzman, Class of 1986, who is PUMA's national sales manager and returns to campus often to work with fashion students and faculty members. When Associate Professor Sarah Portway learned of Cobe's passion for sneaker design, she connected him with Scott, and the two bonded over their mutual love of kicks. After Cobe gifted Scott with a custom pair, Scott had an idea: To continue to build Cobe's portfolio, why not have him design a custom pair for Dr. Cardelle, who also happens to have a love of cool shoes (and socks!)? Scott gave Cobe a pair of fresh white, leather PUMAs, and Cobe finished the custom Oneonta pair in just four days. President Cardelle proudly wore them onstage Saturday, May 17, turning heads and walking in style. Now that he has graduated, Cobe-originally from Long Island and a transfer from Jefferson Community College-hopes to break into the footwear industry, and already has a solid foothold. "This was a very big opportunity because it was a chance to further connect with Scott and a chance for people to see my work," Cobe said. "And it meant a lot to me that the president actually wore them to graduation."

With a theme of celestial beauty and ethereal design, 30 SUNY Oneonta fashion students brought "Whispers of the Cosmos: Ethereal Elegance" to life on May 3, producing the annual Spring Fashion Show in the Alumni Field House. The annual spring Fashion Show at SUNY Oneonta is a cornerstone event organized by the Student Fashion Society (SFS), showcasing the creativity and craftsmanship of students in the Fashion and Textiles program. This highly anticipated event has been a campus tradition for over 25 years, drawing large audiences to celebrate student-designed collections. Held each spring, the fashion show features original clothing lines designed, constructed and modeled by students. Collections are presented on a runway, often set up in the Dewar Arena of the Alumni Field House, with themes ranging from "Cocktail Hour" to "Life's a Circus." A panel of judges evaluates the collections based on criteria such as innovation, craftsmanship, fit, presentation and salability, with awards given to top designers. The SFS manages all aspects of the show, from publicity and logistics to sponsorships and event coordination. This hands-on experience allows students to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, enhancing skills in design, event planning and marketing. The fashion show complements SUNY Oneonta's Fashion and Textiles curriculum, which offers specializations in merchandising and design. Students gain practical experience in areas like apparel construction, pattern making and fashion marketing, preparing them for careers in the fashion industry. The annual Spring Fashion Show highlights student talent and embodies SUNY Oneonta's commitment to experiential learning and community engagement in the fashion industry. The SFS extends its gratitude to the Office of Alumni Engagement for coordinating the Skybox VIP Access experience and to the alumni who attended in support of the Student Fashion Society. Their continued engagement and encouragement serve as a valued source of inspiration for current students.

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."

Three SUNY Oneonta Dietetics students presented research from a yearlong, grant-funded project called "The Body Project" at the Annual Meeting & Expo (AME) of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NYSAND). The conference was held 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. Students Sabrinna Mena, Katie Daniszewski and Brendan Heaney received the Poster Award in recognition of their research and scholarly work. The Body Project is a peer-led body image and eating disorder workshop designed to challenge harmful appearance ideals and promote healthier attitudes. The project was supported by the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, which is funded by the University Foundation and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association, and facilitated by the Senate Committee on Research and the Faculty Center. The project built on earlier research conducted in spring 2024, when students completed a campus-wide needs assessment. The survey found high rates of eating disorders, disordered eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction among SUNY Oneonta students. Sixty percent of respondents showed signs of elevated eating disorder risk, and 42% were at moderate to high risk for compulsive exercise. In a pilot group of seven students, participants completed surveys before and after attending The Body Project workshop. Results showed improvements in eating and exercise behaviors. On average, eating disorder risk scores dropped by more than seven points, and compulsive exercise scores decreased by nearly 2.5 points. These findings suggest The Body Project may be an effective tool for improving body image among SUNY Oneonta students.

Forty-three SUNY Oneonta students traded the classroom for real-world, firsthand experience in motor development through a new program called Developing Red Dragons. During the spring 2025 semester, SUNY Oneonta Exercise Science students gained hands-on experience working with children ages 3-16 as part of a new initiative in their Human Growth and Motor Development course, which builds on the success of the Little Red Dragons program launched in fall 2022. The course focuses on the developmental changes people undergo throughout life. Students explore factors that impact motor development, stages of movement and why individuals grow and develop differently. Developing Red Dragons serves as a precursor to Little Red Dragons, allowing students to observe children in real-world environments before designing their own sports and exercise workshops later in the curriculum. "It's one thing for me to describe how someone with small hands may struggle to use a normal-sized fork, but to see it with their own eyes sinks in the content," said Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Science Katherine Griffes. "One student told me now that anytime he sees his nephew or nieces, he can't help but notice the class concepts because he is used to looking for them. That's a huge win in my book, that students are more aware of the developmental aspects of life that are happening right under our noses all of the time." Read the full story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news-events/exercise-science-initiative-connects-campus-and-community

Twelve SUNY Oneonta students served as Peer Leaders this semester in "The Body Project," a body image and eating disorder workshop developed through a Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) grant. The program builds on grant-funded research from spring 2024, when students conducted a campus-wide needs assessment. That survey found high rates of eating disorders, disordered eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction among SUNY Oneonta students. Sixty percent of respondents showed signs of elevated eating disorder risk, and 42% were at moderate to high risk for compulsive exercise. In response, The Body Project was launched to address the concerns through peer-led workshops focused on challenging harmful appearance ideals and encouraging healthier attitudes. Read the full story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news-events/suny-oneonta-students-create-peer-led-body-image-workshop

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.

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