SUNY Oneonta

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Hal Luftig '79, owner and theater producer at Hal Luftig Company, on April 19 for the college's Goodrich to Broadway alumni networking event. As a leading producer of New York, London and global theater for 25 years, Hal Luftig has collaborated with some of its most brilliant creative artists. He has won four Tony Awards, including two as lead producer, and two Olivier Awards, also as lead producer. The Goodrich to Broadway event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Yfran Garcia '09, a paid social lead at Spotify, on April 15 for the college's Mixing Board to Management alumni networking event. Garcia turned his passion for professional gaming into a rewarding career. For the past few years, he has been applying his knowledge and experience of gaming to business social media marketing campaigns. The Mixing Board to Management event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Neil Mazzella '73, owner and chief executive officer at Hudson Scenic Studios, on April 12 for the college's Goodrich to Broadway alumni networking event. Hudson Scenic Studio is a premier provider of custom fabrication, automation and bespoke finishes, servicing the entertainment and architectural industries. In the last 27 years, Mazzella's shows have included The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, Angels in America, Monty Python's Spamalot, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Coast of Utopia and Spring Awakening. The Goodrich to Broadway event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Sydni Allen '18, social and digital media specialist for TLC at Discovery, Inc., on April 7 for the college's Academics to Agencies alumni networking event. The Academics to Agencies event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alum Abby Watson '15, business planning manager at Charter Communications, on March 31 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. Charter Communications, Inc. is a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 31 million customers in 41 states through its Spectrum brand. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alum Adam Shapiro '12, senior associate at the American Jewish Committee, on April 1 for the college's annual Campus to Capitol alumni networking event. The American Jewish Committee works to enhance the wellbeing of Jewish people and those of Israel and advances human rights and democratic values. The Campus to Capitol event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alum Rob Khan '93, managing partner at Green Key Resources, a national executive recruiting firm, on March 25 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. Khan is a co-founder of a national executive recruitment and temporary staffing organization with multiple disciplines including accounting-finance, alternative asset management, creative/digital, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, human resources, information technology, legal support, office support, human resources and pharmaceutical across multiple offices: New York Metro area, Chicago IL, Orlando and Tampa FL, Rockville MD, Cary NC, Denver, CO, Columbus OH, and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia PA. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Greg Floyd '80, co-anchor with CBS News in Albany, on March 24 for the college's Academics to Agencies alumni networking event. Originally an intern at Albany's CBS 6 in 1979, Floyd went on to become the news director at WENT radio in Gloversville. From there he worked as a television anchor/reporter at WTEN and FOX23 in Albany, and WRNN in the Hudson Valley. His overseas assignments include reporting on Operation Desert Shield in 1990 and the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The Academics to Agencies event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum singer/musician Ryan Quinn '13 on March 18 for the college's Mixing Board to Management alumni networking event. Quinn has appeared on Season 10 of "The Voice," and Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. His passion for performing took root at SUNY Oneonta, where he taught himself to play guitar, studied voice with Music Department Lecturer Colby Thomas, and sang in three campus ensembles: the Hooked on Tonics a cappella group, the Funk Band and the Mothers of Intention Frank Zappa tribute band. The Mixing Board to Management event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alum Lauren Yedvab '92, chief medical officer at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, on March 11 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. Yedvab is an accomplished healthcare executive with extensive experience providing leadership, strategic direction, and administrative oversight to major teaching hospitals in New York City. Prior to joining Overlook, she held positions with Northwell Health, the largest integrated health system in New York State and the deputy executive director of Lenox Hill Hospital. She began her career at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital as an administrative fellow. She was named one of Crain's New York Business 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in 2005. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alum Thomas Boran '84, chief data officer at West Highland Support Services, Inc., on March 17 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. At West Highland, Boran is a member of the executive team who is responsible for the development and client positioning of products and services. He provides consulting and advising on next-generation trading systems, data services and platforms for alpha generation; and enhances clients' ability to better optimize their use and TCO of OMS/EMS systems, traditional/alt data and information. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alumni Heidi Schulman-Cohen '81 and Carol Silverman '83 on March 8 for the college's Goodrich to Broadway creative alumni networking event. Heidi Shulman-Cohen has been working on costumes and wardrobe in the film and television industry for over 30 years. Her resume includes such features as "Sleepless In Seattle," "Hand That Rocks The Cradle," "Angel Heart," "Big Daddy," "Captain Ron," and "The Professional." She has also been a part of such blockbusters as "As Good As It Gets," "Independence Day," "Godzilla," and "Quiz Show." Her television work includes serving as wardrobe supervisor on the longest-running show in broadcast history, "Guiding Light." Silverman is an Emmy award-winning set decorator for film and television. Her work can be seen on Saturday Night Live, in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, and in the feature film Rough Night, among others. The Goodrich to Broadway event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Alex Fredkin '14, vertical marketing manager for Pandora, on March 4 for the college's Mixing Board to Management alumni networking event. Fredkin focuses on the small to medium-sized business segment for Pandora, a subscription-based music streaming service owned by Sirius XM Holdings. The Mixing Board to Management event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alumni Scott Leyton '78 and Bill Fried '84, on March 3 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases - Real Estate alumni networking event. Scott Leyton founded Ornstein Leyton Company in 1991 with Alec Ornstein. He is a banker and real estate expert who has taken advantage of prevailing economic environments to locate and maximize the potential of properties in and around the tri-state area, with a primary focus on the New York Metropolitan Area. Bill Fried is a partner of Herrick, Feinstein LLP, and co-chair of the firm's litigation department, where he focuses on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on construction and real estate disputes, trust and estate litigation, and business divorces. Bill's clients, which include financial institutions, corporations, real estate owners, sponsors, developers, contractors and construction professionals, Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alum Michael Yannucci '05, principal at Massapequa Public Schools, on Feb. 18 for the college's Campus to Capital - Political Science alumni networking event. Dr. Michael Yannucci was the principal of Lockhart Elementary School and has been an elementary assistant principal in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District for four years. Prior to that, he worked in the Rocky Point School District as an elementary reading teacher and a coordinator of English language arts, reading, library media and art. The Campus to Capital event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alumni Breanna O'Shea '18 and Serina Aridi '19, both corporate analysts, on Feb. 17 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. O'Shea and Aridi work for JPMorgan Chase & Co., an investment bank and financial services holding company that is ranked by S&P Global as the largest bank in the United States and the fifth-largest bank in the world by total assets, with total assets of US$3.213 trillion. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Riis Massey-Williams '17, an influencer/strategist for Ketchum, on Feb. 24 for the college's Academics to Agencies - Communications alumni networking event. Massey-Williams is an account executive on the New York Ketchum influencer team at Ketchum, a global public relations firm. She served as an intern in the company's fellowship program and was hired full-time following graduation. The Academics to Agencies event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met with alum Bianca O'Brien '85, managing partner at NY Life, on Feb. 25 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. After earning her business degree in economics at SUNY Oneonta, O'Brien recognized the career opportunities at New York Life with its defined path to advancement and ability to fast-track. During her corporate career, she excelled in various positions. Today, O'Brien has taken on a leadership role in the coaching and development of the field management teams. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Jill Reda '14, manager of synch licensing at BMG, on Feb. 8 for the college's Mixing Board to Management alumni networking event. Ms. Reyda currently works at BMG Rights Management in the synch department, tracking synch income and revenue. Her tenure at BMG started in copyright where her specialties were catalog maintenance, song delivery and copyright notice creation. She has also interned with ASCAP and The ASCAP Foundation in client services, development and fundraising. The Mixing Board to Management event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Richard Keitel '83, professor of theater at Point Park University, on Feb. 15 for the college's Goodrich to Broadway alumni networking event. Mr. Keitel came to Point Park after teaching for six years at the University of Pittsburgh. He loves the enthusiasm of students, and his philosophy is to try to make each student the best actor and director he or she can be. He is currently performing with Pittsburgh Playback Theatre. The Goodrich to Broadway event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum David Gaber '09, managing partner and co-founder at Arrow Search Partners, on Feb. 11 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. Mr. Gaber has over 10 years of executive recruiting experience. After graduating with a BS from SUNY Oneonta, David accepted a position at Merrill Lynch with an eagerness to learn the ins and outs of the financial industry. His firm specializes in placements within Accounting, Finance, Operations, and Tax Verticals across a range of industries. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Students from SUNY Oneonta met online with alum Rich Saperstein '81, founder and chief investment officer at Treasury Partners, on Feb. 3 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking event. In 2020, Mr. Saperstein ranked sixth on Barron's annual listing of America's "Top 100 Financial Advisors. Barron's has also ranked him fourth in New York State among the country's "Top 1200 Financial Advisors." He is a member of Barron's "Advisors Hall of Fame" and is also a top-ranked Forbes and Financial Times advisor. Backpacks to Briefcases is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Forty members of SUNY OnMark, SUNY Oneonta's Chapter of the American Marketing Association, attended the American Marketing Association's 41st Annual International Collegiate Conference from March 12-14 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where they earned an impressive award and gained professional development. After a long drive, challenging competitions, and a year of hard work, the club earned sixth place in the 'Chapter of the Year' competition out of 380 colleges and universities. The club also received a Commendable honor for its Case Competition submission and placed third in the AMA Poster Session Competition and third in the AMA GivingTuesday Campaign. In addition, AMA recognized one of the club adviser's, Stephen Walsh, as Outstanding Faculty Adviser of the Year.

Forty music industry students from SUNY Oneonta took a faculty-led field trip from Jan. 16-19 to attend the world's largest music products trade show, The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show, in Anaheim, Calif. The NAMM Show is an annual event that brings together leaders of the music products, pro audio and event technology industries for four days of product introductions, business opportunities, networking and inspiration. The students got to preview and test new products from more than 7,000 brands; enjoyed special events, live music and celebrity appearances; and attended dozens of educational sessions tied to today's trends. Students also got to hear interviews with the music world's top innovators, artists and professionals, including Finneas O'Connell, who took home Grammys for record of the year, album of the year, song of the year, non-classical engineered album and non-classical producer of the year at the 62nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 26. O'Connell is a musician/producer and is superstar Billie Eilish's brother. SUNY Oneonta students also got to watch 1970s R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire perform and hear artist, songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff speak. NAMM gave SUNY Oneonta students a first-hand look at how music retail and music business go hand-in-hand. They were able to test out the latest products, see lots of live performances, and attend cutting-edge demonstrations as well as panel discussions about upcoming technologies and marketing techniques. A group of students also got to volunteer at NAMM's She Rocks Awards show, which pays tribute to women in the music industry. While in California, the students also visited Paradigm Talent Agency, where SUNY Oneonta music industry students have completed internships. The NAMM trip is a long-running SUNY Oneonta tradition. Music Department faculty have been taking students to the event for more than 25 years. Lecturer Nancy Tarr, who has accompanied Oneonta students on the trip for the past five years, said it's a wonderful opportunity for students to meet and learn from people who have been in their shoes. It shows students that they, too, can be successful someday. This trip was made possible, in part, by support from the Caroline ('67) and David D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund.

Six SUNY Oneonta students from SUNY Oneonta's Communication and Media department traveled to the Big Apple on Oct. 24 for the "Classes to Careers" track of the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking trip. Students visited three well-established alumni at their Manhattan offices and heard about their experiences going from students to top executives. The event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Eighty four SUNY Oneonta students from SUNY Oneonta's School of Economics and Business traveled to the Big Apple on Oct. 24 for the college's annual Backpacks to Briefcases alumni networking trip. Students visited 18 well-established alumni at their Manhattan offices and heard about their experiences going from students to top executives. The event is designed to inspire students to jumpstart their careers by beginning to build their professional networks. It is funded by the Oneonta Student Association and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts to the Fund for Oneonta.

Zanida Banks-Rollins was one of just 32 students from across the country to attend "The Hubb," an invitation-only networking and professional development summit in Nashville where college students learned firsthand from music industry executives. The summit took place Sept. 8 and 9 and was hosted by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a talent and sports agency based in Los Angeles.

Sixteen Geology and Earth Science majors journeyed to Death Valley to develop geologic field mapping skills. Led by their professor, Dr. Les Hasbargen, the students gathered at the lowest dry point on the North American continent at Badwater, hiked into deep narrow canyons and over colorful badland divides in Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch, and explored a deep crater left by a violent volcanic eruption at Ubehebe Crater. The capstone course required the students to describe the rocks and types of environments in which they formed, and to map out how plate tectonic activity has shifted, tilted, broken and deformed those rocks. The students camped in tents and experienced a rare flash flood which came through camp early one morning. The rising waters drenched some gear. It was an eventful, mostly sunny and hot experience in one of the driest places in North America!

Thirteen students from SUNY Oneonta's School of Economics and Business and Political Science traveled to Washington D.C. over spring break for a health policy workshop on Medicaid, Medicare and the political debate on Universal Healthcare. They were accompanied by Dr. Kpoti Kitissou, Michelle Thibault and Dr. Gina Keel. The trip was part of Dr. Kitissou's special topics course on Health Economics. The workshop was coordinated by John Kaelin, Senior Advisor to the Centene Corporation (Class of 1977). Students had discussion sessions with a US House of Representatives member, a US Senate Finance Committee member, health policy staffers, health insurance companies and policy directors, and lobbyists. They also attended a House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee hearing and the Hill's Women in Congress event. The trip culminated with presentations from students on a research question on health economics or policy topic each developed over the week. An alumni event was held March 7, 2019, to complement the learning experience and provide networking opportunities for the participants.

SUNY Oneonta music industry students got to rock out alongside the field's finest last week at a global music products trade show in Anaheim, Calif. From Jan. 24 to 27, the students attended The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show where, each year, leaders of the music products, pro audio and event technology industries gather for product introductions, business opportunities, networking and inspiration. There were more than 400 educational sessions, 7,000 brands represented and 115,301 registered industry professionals right at students' fingertips. Students got to test new products, attend demonstrations and meet producers and musicians, including Michael Clifford, guitarist for 5 Seconds of Summer. Clifford appeared during the Gibson Experience and revealed his new signature guitar, the Melody Maker, which fans will soon be able to purchase. SUNY Oneonta students got a first-hand look at how music retail and music business go hand-in-hand, testing out the latest products, seeing lots of live performances, and attending cutting-edge demonstrations. The NAMM trip is a long-running SUNY Oneonta tradition. Music Department faculty have taken students to the event for 25 years. Lecturer Nancy Tarr, who has accompanied Oneonta students on the trip for the past four years, said experiential learning is key to one's education. "Whenever you can see people doing what you want to be doing someday, and you can talk to them about how they got there, that's a wonderful opportunity," she said.