SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oneonta Senior Esteban Castro's "Angry King | Lonely King | The Beholder of Love," a three-panel mural, is featured at the Open Space Gallery on the SUNY Oneonta campus. Created over two weeks, Castro painted this 10 x 45-foot original work on-site. Referencing the long history of public murals and graffiti art, along with his personal experience in fashion design and drawing, he has created three unique pieces that speak to the self-harmful effects of unmitigated anger and the need for love and community to heal and grow. While reminiscent of masters like Basquiat and Herring, his style is distinct and includes consistent patterns like dashed outlining within steady outlines, crowns, and a "seeing heart" that make this mural recognizably his. "Angry King | Lonely King | The Beholder of Love" by Esteban Castro is on view now until Nov. 12.

As a student at SUNY Oneonta, Class of 2022 alumna Nicole Bausenwein became interested in international development, learned how to write a grant and conduct research, and participated in the SUNY COIL Global Commons summer program, which allowed her to collaborate with a Non-Government Organization in Nigeria. Now, she's putting these skills and experiences to use as one of the first Peace Corps volunteers to return overseas after the agency's unprecedented suspension of operations in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Serving as a youth in development volunteer in Guatemala, Nicole is working alongside community members to support urgent development efforts, build critical connections, and engage in COVID-19 response and recovery work. She arrived in Guatemala on Oct. 4 and will be stationed there until December 2024.

After more than a year of research, late nights in the lab and practice, five members of SUNY Oneonta's 2022 iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team presented their project in Paris last week while competing in the iGEM Grand Jamboree, an annual event showcasing the projects of more than 400 teams from around the world. Despite being one of the only teams from a public liberal arts college in an event dominated by large research universities, the SUNY Oneonta team won a silver medal for the third consecutive time. "This is a phenomenal result," said Associate Professor Kelly Gallagher, who advises the team alongside Associate Professor Jill Fielhaber. "There appeared to be a larger-than-usual group of bronze medals this year, so a silver is a huge accomplishment. Our team really held their own alongside much larger teams from very well-endowed research universities. We are extremely pleased with the results." The team - made up of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, earth science and computer science students - arrived in Paris on Tuesday, Oct. 25, and presented to a panel of judges Wednesday. When not preparing and practicing, they spent time staffing their team booth, attending conference sessions and workshops, and networking. They also did some sightseeing, visiting the Louvre and Tuileries Gardens, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, going out for team dinners, and celebrating their silver medal with a river cruise on the Seine. Inside the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles - the largest venue in Europe, just 15 minutes from the Eiffel Tower - the team went toe-to-toe with students from 40 other countries, presenting projects on how to solve local problems, all over the world, using synthetic biology. Teams design, build, test and measure systems of their own creation using interchangeable biological parts and standard techniques of molecular biology. The SUNY Oneonta iGEM team's project, "CyanoSpectre," involved engineering a cyanophage "toolkit" that other synthetic biologists can use to make it easier to genetically engineer and build beneficial properties into cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are fast emerging as sustainable biotechnologies in the world of synthetic biology. They are used to produce plastics, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, biofuels and more, giving the team's work an extremely practical purpose. This is SUNY Oneonta's fourth iGEM team and third time competing in the Grand Jamboree. The competition, which requires collaboration with other teams, gives students experience working with others and networking, as well. In the past, Oneonta students have collaborated with teams from Russia and Sweden, and this year the team worked with Maastricht University in Netherlands. After their public presentation, one of the students, chemistry major Jacob Aubrey, got to meet Peter Weigele, who sequenced Syn5 at MIT years ago. (Syn5 is a bacterial virus that the Oneonta iGEM team used as a reference genome for much of their project.)

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized students who have attained gold level leadership milestones through the college's LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) 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 college 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 attain 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. Completion of 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.

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized students who have attained silver level leadership milestones through the college's LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) 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 college 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 attain 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. Completion of 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.

SUNY Oneonta honored 15 recipients of the Jean Parish Scholarship during a reception on Thursday, Oct. 20. Their work was selected to be featured in the Jean Parish Scholarship: 2021-22 exhibition, which opened on Oct. 11 and runs through Nov. 5 in the college's Project Space Gallery.

Alyssa Carbone of New City, N.Y., has been selected to receive a State University of New York Association of Council Members and College Trustees scholarship. Alyssa is a recipient of the Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship, awarded by the State University of New York Association of Council Members and College Trustees (ACT). She graduated from SUNY Oneonta in December 2021 as a Spanish major with many achievements and has enrolled at the University of Buffalo School of Law. This scholarship recognizes Alyssa for her outstanding academic performance and commitment to her campus community. Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship applicants must have achieved a dean's list GPA as of the last reporting period and they must demonstrate that they identified a need in their campus community and provided or service or solution to address it. Three letters of recommendation are also required. The scholarship will provide Alyssa with $1000 and a $250 donation to the charity of her choice. Only five nominees receive this scholarship each year: two from university colleges, two from university centers and doctoral degree institutions, and one from technical colleges. All recipients were invited to an awards luncheon on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Turning Stone Casino & Resort in Verona. "In my application for the scholarship, I noted my experience in various executive diversity-related board positions in my work helping to give marginalized students a voice and promoting diversity-related events," said Alyssa. "In addition to diversity and equity work, I sought to assist domestic and international students with their transition to on-campus life, serving as an Office Assistant for the Office of Global Education and an international student mentor." While she attended college at SUNY Oneonta, Alyssa served as secretary for Vice-Presidential Affairs for the SUNY-wide Student Assembly and on numerous campus councils, committees and task forces. She was the vice president of the Hispanic Organization for Learning Advancement club and a volunteer tutor with the Multicultural Community Center. Alyssa was also the student coordinator for the Students of Color Coalition and The Luminous Letter Project, a letter-writing advocacy project for LGBTQIA+ people in federal and state prisons and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers. She has widely presented her research on climate change and how it affects Latinx communities in the United States, most notably as a Refugee Representation Intern at Human Rights First in NYC. "I also sought to keep students engaged with the many opportunities SUNY Oneonta has to offer," said Alyssa. "I served as a founding board member of The Nebula Society, a Resident Advisor and served as Senator and later Attorney General on the Student Association, representing the voices and concerns of students across campus."

Hannah Goldberg, of Romulus, NY, will present her research on live music festivals to an international audience of students and professors during the 13th International Music Business Research Days (IMBRA) in Vienna, Austria, from Oct. 18-20. Hannah, a member of the Class of 2023, is a SUNY Oneonta Music Industry major with a minor in Audio Arts Production. She will be virtually presenting at the conference and is one of four students selected from universities around the world to showcase their research during the Young Scholars' Workshop section of the 13th IMBRA. The three-day event will feature multiple presentations on "parallel worlds in the music industry." The conference begins with the Young Scholars' Workshop on Oct. 18, where Hannah will present her music industry festival research to students, professors and future colleagues attending the 13th IMBRA. The Young Scholars' Workshop provides the four students with a mentor who will give feedback after their presentation. Hannah has 30 minutes to present her research, followed by a 10-minute mentoring session, concluding with a Q&A session with the audience. "My topic of research is music industry festivals," said Hannah. "The live music scene encompassing factors including COVID-19, the impact it had on the live scene, and coming back from that." During her sophomore year at SUNY Oneonta, Hannah began her research when she became involved with the Well Dunn Foundation. The national foundation helps students in music industry programs pursue internships that often include live music experiences. "A lot of the opportunities that come about through this foundation are live music," said Hannah, "So Professor Nancy Tarr told me I should get involved and submit an application. I did and interned at the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee." Shortly after Hannah arrived in Tennessee and helped set up for the music festival, Bonnaroo 2021 was canceled due to Tropical Depression Ida. Fortunately, the event's cancellation is "what started the independent study idea," said Hannah. "Professor Tarr said, 'Why don't we interview the people you met there and review some other industry professionals, get a sense of the live scene and how everything runs, the organization and all of that.' After that, she suggested I submit my research to continue the study." Hannah's presentation also includes research on the financial impact of COVID-19 on musicians. "Coming back from that kind of changes our approach to live music," she said. "How the trends in the industry are going now, coming back from being virtual, musicians having to make money in other ways, and how that is kind of sticking with us. So, opening the conversation about different avenues of income, how musicians are affected, how we can all work together to continue this career path, the things that are going toward live music, and people going back to live music but still having hesitation with COVID-19." Additionally, Hannah will present her research on gender equality in the music industry. "When it comes to audio, especially being an engineer, the percentage of women represented in that field is small," said Hannah. "It's important to encourage and emphasize that, especially through education. SUNY Oneonta has been great for me because I have met many women who are empowering and encouraging me to break the mold."

Nine students from SUNY Oneonta participated in the college's first Sophomore Service Day event on Saturday, Oct. 15. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the students washed the outside of nearly every Main Street storefront window, with additional help from three volunteers from the college's wrestling team. This event was the first service day specifically for sophomores, allowing the participating students to acquaint themselves with the community while making a difference. Sophomore Service Day was an initiative of the Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC) at SUNY Oneonta. "After sore shoulders, our group of students felt very proud of their accomplishments when they looked at all the windows sparkling," said Linda Drake, CSRC director. "When students volunteer to improve our downtown, it really cements the feeling of community - and the sense that we all belong here."

SUNY Oneonta student Skyler Reed has been selected to receive a national scholarship for students interested in pursuing careers in astronomy, specifically the planetarium field. Skyler, a member of the Class of 2024, received the Hamilton Planetarium Scholarship in recognition of his work at the SUNY Oneonta planetarium. A Communications Studies major, Skyler is also president of the student-run Nebula Society. The Nebula Society is composed of students from a variety of majors interested in learning how to conduct planetarium shows on campus, exploring the connections between storytelling, graphic design, music, coding and science. Using the Digistar 6 software, the Nebula Society works with other campus organizations to host music nights and open mic presentations in the planetarium. Skyler has produced and facilitated shows using the SUNY Oneonta Digistar planetarium system since 2020. He has completed multiple astronomy courses and plans to explore his options in the planetarium field after graduation. "Skyler is an excellent planetarium presenter and is very skilled at using our Digistar planetarium system," said Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Dr. Valerie Rapson. "He has spent countless hours presenting planetarium shows to the campus community and teaching other students how to use the planetarium. Through partnerships with student clubs, local bands and academic departments across campus, Skyler has helped increase awareness of the planetarium and all it has to offer. He will make a great astronomy educator and planetarium director in the future." The Hamilton Planetarium Scholarship ranges in value from $500 to $5,000 and may be renewed on an annual basis. Grantees also receive a free one-year membership in the International Planetarium Society and their local regional planetarium association. Only a handful of students have received the scholarship each year over the past decade, with as few as one student a year and as many as three. Applicants for the Hamilton Planetarium Scholarship must meet the criteria by answering six questions regarding planetarium experience, talents of value in the profession, non-traditional experiences, and how they would explain a controversial astronomy topic to their audience. Additionally, they must share their other experiences in the astronomy field at large, as well as why they want to pursue a planetarium career.

Pitching tents, cooking and camping under the starry night sky, jumping into swimming holes, hiking, and seeing the geology of the Adirondack Region first-hand? All in a day's work during this year's GEOFYRST trip, an immersive outdoor experience for new SUNY Oneonta students. Sixteen first-year SUNY Oneonta students took part in GEOFYRST (Geologic Experience Outdoors: the First-Year Regional Summer Trip), a one-credit pre-semester fall course exploring New York and the Northeast. On Aug. 18, students dropped off their belongings for the semester at their residence hall rooms on campus, then packed up vans with gear and hit the road, returning six days later with observations, photos, stories and new friends. Students were accompanied by lead instructor Dr. Keith Brunstad and assisted by Dr. Les Hasbargen along with three student mentors - Nicholas Walters (Geology), Sam Martin (Adolescence Education Earth Science/Earth Science), and Samantha DeSousa (Meteorology), who took this course when she was an incoming first-year student. An exciting highlight of the trip included visiting Barton Garnet Mine on Gore Mountain, where the hardest, most rare garnet in the world is found. Garnet is the New York State gemstone, but most of the garnets found here are not gemstone quality, instead being used as abrasives in waterjet cutting, blast media, grinding and polishing around the world. While on Gore Mountain, students also went on a scenic gondola "sky ride" to the summit of the mountain, which is 3,563 feet in elevation. They also visited Split Rock Falls and the Champlain Thrust Fault at Rock Point in Burlington, Vermont. On the last day of their trip, students stayed at the Thayer Farm Complex at the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station in Cooperstown, NY, relaxing and preparing for the start of the fall semester. The annual trip, which began in 2007 and is open to all first-year students regardless of major, is special for a number of reasons, Hasbargen said, including the fact that "the outdoors becomes our classroom." "It engages new students and fosters a welcoming, inclusive environment in which a cohort of students can build life-long friendships and connections," he said, "while at the same time exposing students to the outdoor environment through geology to gain an appreciation of how the Earth works. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and getting to know all of the students."

After two years of canceled flights and postponed itineraries, SUNY Oneonta students were once again able to travel internationally and take part in life-changing study abroad programs across the world this summer. Through the college's Office of Global Education, 12 SUNY Oneonta students completed summer exchange programs at the American College of Greece in Athens, Greece this summer. Seven other students participated in exchange programs in different countries. "The full re-opening of study abroad programming is something to celebrate," said Global Programs Coordinator Denise Leinonen. "These experiential learning opportunities enrich the lives of our students and offer experiences that further develop important skills such as intercultural communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and independence. Ask anyone who has been on one: study abroad trips are life-changing."

SUNY Oneonta's campus is anything but quiet this summer, with 40 students engaged in research projects covering a wide array of disciplines, from anthropology to sport sciences. Inside a Physical Science laboratory, the seven members of SUNY Oneonta's 2022 iGEM team are hard at work on their project "CyanoSpectre" - engineering a cyanophage "toolkit" that other synthetic biologists can use to make it easier to genetically engineer and build beneficial properties into cyanobacteria. Their faculty mentors are Associate Professors Kelly Gallagher and Jill Fielhaber and Professor Bill Vining. The team - made up of biology, chemistry and biochemistry students - will travel to Paris in late October to compete in the iGEM Grand Jamboree, an annual event showcasing the projects of more than 400 multidisciplinary teams from 40 countries around the world. Until then, their progress can be followed on the college's iGEM website. This is SUNY Oneonta's fourth iGEM team and third time competing in the Grand Jamboree. This is the most robust and discipline-diverse Summer Research Fellowship Program the college has ever offered, according to Kathy Meeker, director of the Grants Development Office. Nearly $90,000 in Student Research Grants was given to support students in their research. Through financial support from the College at Oneonta Foundation, 30 student participants received stipends of up to $3,000 each, in addition to project-related funding and campus housing. Students will present their findings during a special showcase Sept. 8-15 in Hunt Union. "Being able to engage in experiential learning like summer research is a life-changing opportunity for students because it's a chance to use their knowledge in a real-world setting," Meeker said. "Many of these students will have their research published and go on to become experts in their field. It also helps them decide whether they want to pursue higher education after graduation and facilitates indispensable relationships with faculty mentors, as well."

SUNY Oneonta's campus is anything but quiet this summer, with 40 students engaged in research projects covering a wide array of disciplines, from anthropology to sport sciences. Outside on the Red Dragon soccer field, area girls ages 9 to 11 took part in a four-day summer sports and life skills camp in mid-July called "Getting a Move on Girls Sports" to empower young women and help them "feel confident in their ability to participate in sports teams without the bias of societal views." It was part of a research project called "Implementation of a Life Skill Curriculum in a Youth Sport Setting" that three Sport & Exercise Sciences students are working on alongside Assistant Professor Katherine Griffes. Students' work included preparation and training for, as well as hosting, the sports camp, overseeing the entire curriculum, and supervising counselors and campers. With the camp successfully finished, their work will now focus on data collection and analysis. Witnessing students realize the value in their coursework and see the impact they can have on their community, "was so rewarding," Griffes said. This is the most robust and discipline-diverse Summer Research Fellowship Program the college has ever offered, according to Kathy Meeker, director of the Grants Development Office. Nearly $90,000 in Student Research Grants was given to support students in their research. Through financial support from the College at Oneonta Foundation, 30 student participants received stipends of up to $3,000 each, in addition to project-related funding and campus housing. Students will present their findings during a special showcase Sept. 8-15 in Hunt Union. "Being able to engage in experiential learning like summer research is a life-changing opportunity for students because it's a chance to use their knowledge in a real-world setting," Meeker said. "Many of these students will have their research published and go on to become experts in their field. It also helps them decide whether they want to pursue higher education after graduation and facilitates indispensable relationships with faculty mentors, as well."

SUNY Oneonta's campus is anything but quiet this summer, with many students engaged in research projects covering a wide array of disciplines. This is the most robust and discipline-diverse Summer Research Fellowship Program the college has ever offered, according to Kathy Meeker, director of the Grants Development Office. Students will present their findings during a special showcase Sept. 8-15 in Hunt Union. In the basement of the Physical Science Building, two students carefully observe and analyze dental replicas from chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans and monkeys, checking the surface of the teeth for enamel defects, which reflect growth disruptions during the animal's life. They're working alongside Assistant Professor of biological anthropology Kate McGrath, who has done extensive research on the topic. McGrath says the project, called "Measuring the effect of early life stress on great ape bone and tooth development," will "form the most comprehensive analysis of skeletal stress markers in our closest living relatives." Three students are involved. Without the students' help, McGrath would not be able to analyze her existing datasets this summer, as planned, affecting future external grant applications with the Leakey Foundation and National Science Foundation. The project will have all kinds of practical applications, she said, including helping us understand how stress affects development in human beings. "Being able to engage in experiential learning like summer research is a life-changing opportunity for students because it's a chance to use their knowledge in a real-world setting," Meeker said. "Many of these students will have their research published and go on to become experts in their field. It also helps them decide whether they want to pursue higher education after graduation and facilitates indispensable relationships with faculty mentors, as well."

The following were students who graduated from SUNY Oneonta during the spring 2022 semester. The college's commencement ceremony was held on Saturday, May 21.

SUNY Oneonta's campus is anything but quiet this summer, with 40 students engaged in research projects covering a wide array of disciplines, from anthropology to sport sciences. With the help of 16 faculty members, students from 15 different majors are getting hands-on experience, working in the lab, mentoring local children and more as part of their research. They will present their findings during a special showcase Sept. 8-15 in Hunt Union. This is the most robust and discipline-diverse Summer Research Fellowship Program the college has ever offered, according to Kathy Meeker, director of the Grants Development Office. Nearly $90,000 in Student Research Grants was given to support students in their research. Through financial support from the College at Oneonta Foundation, 30 student participants received stipends of up to $3,000 each, in addition to project-related funding and campus housing. "Being able to engage in experiential learning like summer research is a life-changing opportunity for students because it's a chance to use their knowledge in a real-world setting," Meeker said. "Many of these students will have their research published and go on to become experts in their field. It also helps them decide whether they want to pursue higher education after graduation and facilitates indispensable relationships with faculty mentors, as well."

After two years of canceled flights and postponed itineraries, SUNY Oneonta students are once again able to travel internationally and take part in life-changing study abroad programs across the world this summer, with more set to leave in the fall. Through the college's Office of Global Education, 12 SUNY Oneonta students completed summer exchange programs at the American College of Greece in Athens, Greece this summer. Some of the students received scholarships through the College Foundation to help fund their experiences. The full re-opening of study abroad programming is something to celebrate," said Global Programs Coordinator Denise Leinonen. "These experiential learning opportunities enrich the lives of our students and offer experiences that further develop important skills such as intercultural communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and independence. Ask anyone who has been on one: study abroad trips are life-changing." When not in class, the students went scuba diving, took part in a sunset meditation experience in Cape Sounion, went cliff jumping on the Greek islands of Hydra and Santorini, went to Poseidon's Temple and the top of the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, and took part in other incredible sightseeing opportunities.

Six students in Dr. Jeff Heilveil's BIOL 285: NY Stream Biota: Identification and Ecology class spent two weeks of their summer break wading in local streams and rivers and getting up close and personal with insects of the region. The intensive, 16-day field experience let students learn first-hand about the ecology of streams and rivers, helping them see the vast diversity of insects in New York, as well as how human actions affect aquatic systems. They learned to identify the organisms (algae, insects, fish, etc.), used different types of gear and were introduced to questions and problems in the field. Student projects this year compared water chemistry above and below beaver dams, looked at insect community changes as you move downstream in rivers, examined whether there were more zooplankton (microscopic animals) attached to rocks or carried in the current, and more.

Students in Colombia have traveled to three cities - Manizales, Cali and Cartagena - to conduct research at three public higher education institutions that have been engaged with SUNY Oneonta through COIL (Collaborative Online International/Intercultural/Interdisciplinary Learning) since 2014. These are the Universidad de Cartagena, Universidad del Valle, and Universidad de Caldas. The students are collecting data through interviews and ethnographic observations, and have presented to faculty and students at these institutions. The objective of their work is to "investigate opportunities accessible to undergraduate students through COIL to become intercultural and linguistically competent," according to Associate Professor of Spanish Maria Cristina Montoya, a faculty sponsor for the trip along with Spanish Lecturer Alejandra Escudero. "By investigating different avenues to bring meaningful education for all and to advance towards a more equal and sustained access to global learning opportunities, their aim is to observe social justice through the implementation of COIL," Montoya said. A highlight of the trip so far has been meeting (and getting a photo with) Francia Marquez, an environmental activist from southwestern Colombia who has become a national phenomenon since becoming the country's first Black vice president last week. While abroad, the students are maintaining a blog to recount their experiences.

Twenty-four SUNY Oneonta students have been selected to serve as Dragon Guides for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition to leading activities for new students and their parents during seven daylong summer orientation sessions, Dragon Guides welcome new students into their new community by leading small groups, answering questions about the college and college life, and mentoring new students throughout their first semester. With assistance from the Office of Student Success, the Dragon Guides will reach out to their mentees to revisit their goals from orientation and offer support on reaching those goals. They will also be sponsoring connection groups for new students to participate in, which will encourage and support engagement.

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.

Seven SUNY Oneonta students have spent the last month digging into the past and honing skills for the future during the Pine Lake Archaeological Field School, now in its 19th year. A collaborative effort between SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College, the Archaeological Field School introduces students to the basic methods archaeologists use to identify, excavate, record and interpret archaeological sites. SUNY Oneonta provides most of the equipment, while Hartwick provides the place - Pine Lake Environmental Campus, located in West Davenport, NY. Tucked away in a field nestled between Pine Lake and Charlotte Creek, students work each day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., sifting through excavated dirt and searching for evidence of ancient hunter-gatherer communities in an area believed to have been a gathering place for Native American people thousands of years ago. The school, which began June 1 and runs until July 1, drew students from SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Albany, SUNY Buffalo and Syracuse University. This is the only pre-historic field school in the region, according to SUNY Oneonta Anthropology Professor Renee Whitman, who started the field school in 2003 and co-directs it now. It's also one of the only field schools where students spend time in the field and in the lab, processing found artifacts, analyzing and completing data entry. "You become an archeologist here - you're really doing it," said Whitman. "Students learn everything they need to know in order to work in archaeology, setting up units, mapping, recording, the lab component, data entry, report writing, sometimes exhibit design, all of it!" Over the years, Archaeological Field School students have found hundreds of artifacts that give us a glimpse into the past, from 4,000-year-old cooking hearths to fire pits, and more. This year, students have found hundreds of flakes of chert (a type of rock used to make tools and weapons,) pieces of pottery, nutting stones and a full projectile point, known to most as an arrowhead. They also found quartz that's not local to the region, indicating that it had been traded. "The first time students find these artifacts, they're like, 'Oh my god - this is 2,000 years old," Whitman said. "And they're hooked. It never really gets old." Field school students learn skills that can be applied to all kinds of disciplines. Many are anthropology majors, but the program is open to all and often attracts students studying history, geoscience, biology, geography, chemistry and other fields. Even if a student isn't interested in going into the field of archeology, they leave with basic skills that can be applied in any setting. "It's a bit like boot camp," said Hartwick Assistant Professor of Anthropology Dr. Namita Sugandhi, who co-directs the four-week session alongside Whitman. "It teaches students work ethic, how to work with others and independently, and how to be observant and detail-oriented. But it's also an amazing opportunity to build connections. There's no cell service out here, so everyone becomes incredibly close." When they're not in the field or the lab, students cook and have meals together, hang out and stay in cabins at Pine Lake. Class of 2013 alumnus Kasey Heiser majored in anthropology and attended the field school as a student in 2011. After graduating, he earned his master's degree in anthropology at Binghamton University and, like many other field school alumni, has worked in Cultural Resource Management (required archaeology before construction can begin to mitigate impact) since then. He has returned to Pine Lake almost every year to serve as a field assistant. "The field school taught me so much, from how to work with others to the basics of what I needed to know for CRM," Heiser said. "Now, working with FEMA and other organizations on grant applications and other projects, whenever there is a historical aspect, I'm the one who gets asked those questions."

Twelve SUNY Oneonta students were inducted into Iota Iota Iota (Triota), the academic honor society for the field of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Iota Iota Iota is named for the ancient goddesses Inanna, Ishtar, and Isis. Triota strives to maintain feminist values central to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: egalitarianism, inclusiveness, and celebrating the diversity of gendered experiences. The organization also works to enhance the experience of students in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and recognize their academic achievements.

Seventeen students from SUNY Oneonta's School of Economics and Business were inducted into the college's Beta Gamma Sigma honor society chapter during the spring 2022 semester. Only the best business students in the world, and the professionals who earned the distinction of "the Best in Business" during their academic careers, can claim membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. Students ranking in the top 10 percent of the baccalaureate and top 20 percent of graduate programs at schools accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business are eligible for this invitation. Beta Gamma Sigma has installed collegiate chapters and inducted students on six continents. SUNY Oneonta's School of Economics and Business offers majors in business economics, professional accounting and economics; concentrations in accounting, finance, international business and economics, and marketing; and cooperative programs in business administration, management science, and fashion merchandising management, advertising and marketing communications, manufacturing management, and textile development and marketing.

Over 200 SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the spring 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.

After a two-year break, SUNY Oneonta music industry students resumed a longstanding tradition last week, visiting and taking part in the world's largest music products trade show, The NAMM Show, in Anaheim, Calif. Held June 3-5 at the Anaheim Convention Center, The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show brought together leaders, innovators, experts, artists and creators across the music products, pro audio and sound, and entertainment technology industry for a rousing reunion. The annual event was not held the past two years because of COVID and was reimagined and rescheduled for June this year instead of the customary January to avoid any lingering travel restrictions. Ten SUNY Oneonta music industry majors and Music Industry Club members traveled with Lecturer Nancy Tarr to Anaheim to take part in three days of product introductions and demonstrations, educational sessions and panel discussions, and - perhaps most importantly - networking and inspiration. Students enjoyed special events, live music and celebrity appearances; attended dozens of demonstrations, panel discussions and educational sessions tied to today's trends and marketing techniques; and got to preview and test new products from 3,500 brands, from Ciari Guitars' folding guitar to the SoulPedal, a shoe insole that offers wireless control of wah, volume and MIDI parameters. Another highlight included meeting Derek Dixie, music director for global superstar Beyonce. While in California, the group met up with 2007 SUNY Oneonta graduate Noah Rakoski and learned about his work as head of West Coast Label Relations for YouTube Music at Google. Thanks to Rakoski, Oneonta students got to tour Google's impressive facility. Faculty in SUNY Oneonta's Music Department have taken students to The NAMM Show for 25 years. This was the sixth NAMM trip organized by Tarr, who said this type of experiential learning is key to a great education. "It's a wonderful opportunity for students to meet and learn from people who have been in their shoes," she said. Tarr is executive director of Well Dunn, a music nonprofit that connects college students with internships in the music and entertainment industry. While at NAMM, she was featured in a "Turn Up Her Mic: Creating Gender Equality for Music Directors" panel discussing and empowering women working behind the scenes in the live music industry. This trip was made possible, in part, by support from the Caroline ('67) and David D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund.

Over 1,200 SUNY Oneonta students earned Dean's List honors for the spring 2022 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.

Rising seniors Neida Bautista and Jamie Crique have been accepted into the 2022 Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Pre-Medical Scholars Program. This program is offered by SUNY exclusively to talented and capable EOP students who want to pursue a career in medicine to help address racial and income disparities in medical education. Neida and Jamie will receive access to several services and experiences, including clinical and lab experiences, mentoring, MCAT preparation, exposure to the medical school environment and curriculum, research experience and more. The program also includes a three-day residential experience at Stony Brook University this summer.

SUNY Oneonta recognized more than 50 outstanding students with its 2022 Academic Achievement Awards. One to three students were chosen from each of the college's academic departments and programs. In addition to their excellent work in the classroom, students were honored for distinguishing themselves in many ways, including research, activism, mentoring, athletics, involvement in campus activities, and volunteerism.