SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oneonta inducted 19 students into its Edward K. Griesmer chapter of National Residence Hall Honorary, a branch of the National Association of Colleges and University Residence Halls, in April.

Sixty one SUNY Oneonta students were recently inducted into the Tau Sigma National Honor Society, which is designed exclusively for transfer students. The mission of the organization is to recognize and promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students. The minimum academic average required for membership is either a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent thereof) or an academic average that places the prospective candidate in the top 20 percent of all incoming transfer students during their incoming semester.

More than 700 students have been awarded scholarships at the annual scholarship dinner held on April 4. SUNY Oneonta's scholarship funds total over $60 million and are the result of contributions from donors, corporations and foundations. It is the largest endowment among SUNY comprehensive four-year colleges.

SUNY Oneonta recognized more than 50 outstanding students during an Academic Achievement Awards reception on May 1. One to three students were chosen from each of the college's academic departments and programs to receive the 2019 Academic Achievement Awards. Each student selected one faculty guest to accompany them to the recognition event. 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.

The SUNY Oneonta History Department faculty recognized 12 students for academic achievement and outstanding essay writing during an awards ceremony this spring.

Twenty-four new members were inducted into SUNY Oneonta's Alpha-Kappa-Iota chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. The students were inducted during the History Department's Awards and Phi Alpha Theta Induction Ceremony last week in Le Cafe at Morris Conference Center. The special guest was Elizabeth Mosher, Daughters of the American Revolution State Chairperson and SUNY Oneonta alumna. Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of history, and is the second oldest such society in the United States. The society has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters. Phi Alpha Theta was established on March 17, 1921 at the University of Arkansas by Professor Nels Cleven. In order to be inducted, undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours (four courses) in History, achieve a minimum GPA of 3.1 in History and a GPA of 3.0 or better overall. A maximum of 3 credit hours of online, transfer, or AP credits may be applied to the membership eligibility requirement. Membership is not limited to History majors.

Twenty-three students from SUNY Oneonta's School of Economics and Business were inducted into the college's Beta Gamma Sigma honor society chapter during a recognition ceremony on April 26. 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.

Seven SUNY Oneonta students presented their research during the fifth annual SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC) on April 26. SURC is a multidisciplinary spring semester event that brings together undergraduate students and faculty mentors from across the SUNY system for a full day of activities, including sessions devoted to student presentations (oral, performance, artistic displays, and poster), a luncheon and keynote speaker(s), a SUNY Graduate School and Career Fair, and professional development workshops. This year, SURC was held at three different SUNY schools - Adirondack Community College and Farmingdale State College on April 26, and Niagara County Community College on April 27. Students could choose which host campus they wanted to present at. SURC is supported by the Offices of the Chancellor, Provost, and Research Foundation, as well as SUNY student and faculty governance organizations.

More than 100 students presented projects at SUNY Oneonta's annual Student Research and Creative Activity Day event on April 18-19.

Four SUNY Oneonta students are among 210 State University of New York students chosen to receive the 2019 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson presented the awards to the students during a reception in their honor today in Albany. "Today's award recipients emerged from their campuses this year as the top scholars, athletes, performers, and achievers, as well as a tremendous source of inspiration," said Chancellor Johnson. "The students being recognized today made the choice to become leaders on their campuses, prioritize their studies, and serve their communities. Congratulations to this year's awardees, and I applaud you for pursuing excellence in all that you do." The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence is the highest honor that SUNY bestows upon students. It is presented annually to SUNY students who demonstrate academic excellence and integrate it with accomplishments in other areas, such as leadership, career achievement, campus involvement, athletics, community service, or creative and performing arts. Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews the accomplishments of exemplary students. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor's Office for a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the award. Since the Chancellor's Award program was implemented, 92 SUNY Oneonta students have received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. The four SUNY Oneonta students selected to receive the 2019 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence are James Bethel, Madeline Frank, Rosario Rodriguez and Karly Schuhart.

Artwork by many student artists will be on display in SUNY Oneonta's Martin-Mullen Art Gallery for the "Annual Student Juried Art Exhibition 2019" in the Fine Arts Center from April 8 to May 11. Featured artworks were chosen from an open jury process and works entered by the art faculty. Painting, drawing, sculpture, digital print, digital video and an assortment of mixed media make up this year's offerings. All are invited to attend the exhibition.

A total of 196 students received the SUNY Oneonta 2018-2019 Susan Sutton Smith Award for academic excellence. To be eligible for the award, a student must be a freshman, sophomore or junior with a grade-point average of 3.9 or higher. Student award winners receive a certificate, a gift card to the campus bookstore, and an invitation to attend the annual Susan Sutton Smith Lecture and reception. Dr. Tracy Betsinger, associate professor of biological anthropology, will deliver this year's Susan Smith Lecture titled, "Babies Are Us: What Can We Learn from Fetuses and Infants from History and Prehistory," on Tuesday, April 9, 7 p.m. in the Otsego Grille, Morris Conference Center on campus.

On Thursday, March 28, and Friday, March 29, a group of 20 student members of WONY 90.9 FM, SUNY Oneonta's student-run radio station, took a Student Association-sponsored field trip to Boston to visit a few of the largest public media institutions in the United States. The students received private guided tours of WGBH and WBUR. They also visited the PRX Podcast Garage and WTBU, Boston University's student-run radio station. The group was accompanied by Dr. Andrew Bottomley, WONY faculty advisor and assistant professor of Media Studies in SUNY Oneonta's Communication & Media Department. It was a rare chance for students to get a behind-the-scenes peek at professional broadcasting studios, interact with experienced journalists and top industry executives, and learn about internship and career opportunities.

More than 300 graduates were recognized at SUNY Oneonta's Winter Commencement on December 2, 2018. Students who completed the requirements for bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and certificates of advanced study in the Dewar Arena of the Alumni Field House.

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!

Twelve members of SUNY Oneonta's Habitat for Humanity club spent their spring break building houses in Vero Beach, Florida. The students worked closely with the Indian River Habitat for Humanity, helping build and refurbish homes and volunteer in any way they could. They also spent time at the "ReStore," where they organized, moved and sold at a discount items that had been donated. Habitat for Humanity members took over the SUNY Oneonta Snapchat for a day to give their peers an inside look at their work.

Eight SUNY Oneonta students traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico over spring break to continue Hurricane Maria cleanup efforts through NECHAMA, a volunteer-driven nonprofit. The students cleaned, swept, hammered, painted, worked on roofs and more to help improve the area. They were accompanied by Associate Professor of Biology Sean Robinson and Center for Social Responsibility and Community Director Linda Drake. They stayed in an Airbnb with other NECHAMA volunteers, got to see the lush flora and fauna of the island, went on some very muddy hikes, and did some sightseeing in Old San Juan.

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.

Four SUNY Oneonta education students traveled to Cali, Colombia over spring break with assistant professor Dr. Thor Gibbins. The students completed field experience in bilingual schools - one an affluent foreign-school and the other in a less-privileged area. Students said the trip was eye-opening. "We were able to compare education systems in the United States to those in Colombia," said Mckenzie Hyer, an Early Childhood/Childhood Education major from Cobleskill, NY. "We saw how some schools are given more opportunities and resources than others, just as you can observe in the United States, and to see how that influences children in both societies is something I will continue to consider as I grow as an educator."

Two SUNY Oneonta seniors traveled with professor Dr. Robert Compton to Zimbabwe during spring break to learn about development in an environment of economic turmoil. Students learned about the political development and political economy of Zimbabwe and the difficulties of NGO operating under unstable socio-economic conditions. The students met with and received briefings from a large array of groups including Parliament staff and elected national legislators, the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust, the Clerk of Parliament, the National Association of NGOs, the University of Zimbabwe, the US Embassy, and a brief stopover to the opposition MDC offices. There, they saw the after-effects of the riots in Zimbabwe after the elections and the accompanying damage to the offices, which included shattered windows and the charred markings of a fire bomb. Students also did some sight-seeing, visiting Heroes Acre (built by the North Koreans) and Domboshawa Park (one large granite formation for miles and miles), took a tour of Mbare high density suburbs, visited Victoria Falls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides, and enjoyed the sunset on a Zambezi River cruise. They also visited the Mbizi Game Reserve and the famous Hwange National Wildlife Reserve, where they saw animals including zebras, bushbucks, hippos, baboons, giraffes, elands, and elephants. Despite experiencing electoral conflict, violence and a declining peacetime economy, the students found that Zimbabweans were hospitable, friendly and hopeful for the future. Prior to arriving in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, the students spent several days in Johannesburg, South Africa and attended a theater performance in Newtown and participated in a Graffiti Tour. They also visited the University of Johannesburg.

Five SUNY Oneonta students traveled to Seoul, South Korea over spring break for a short-term cultural immersion program called "The Philosophies of Peace," which let them explore philosophical, cultural, social, religious and historical aspects of various conceptions of, and issues surrounding, the notion of peace. Accompanied by SUNY Oneonta philosophy adjunct professor Daniel Patrone, the students visited Confucian Temples to learn about Confucian philosophy and its enduring place in Korean culture. They met with monks at a Buddhist temple to learn about Buddhist thought, practice and temple life. And they examined issues in political and international justice as they visited the DMZ, where students toured the Demilitarized Zone; learned about the history and current political situation involving North and South Korean relationships and U.S. and Chinese involvement in these; and met and spoke with a North Korean defector about life in North Korea, his experiences defecting, and the prospects of a stable and lasting peace in the region. Students were immersed in various aspects of Korean history and culture, visiting several palaces and museums, touring significant cultural sites in the city, and attending contemporary and traditional Korean dance and music performances. In concert with the college's partnering institution there, students also visited Sungkyunkwan University to meet with students and faculty and attend philosophy classes with their Korean peers. In the evening, students from SKKU hosted SUNY students at a traditional Korean BBQ for a chance to learn more about each other and to develop new friendships.

Four SUNY Oneonta art students traveled to South Africa over spring break for a week of academic and cultural exchange with students at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where Nelson Mandela once studied. Working closely with Wits University host students and host faculty member, Dr. Alison Kearney, SUNY Oneonta students were able to develop a greater understanding of identity politics, social justice, and human rights through art and creative research and applied-service learning activities at the Wits University, Wits Art Museum, and Play Africa, a non-profit community organization that serves families and children from disadvantage backgrounds.

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.

A total of 227 SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the fall 2018 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.

Nicole Faraci, an undergraduate research student in psychology, is receiving a 2019 Psi Chi Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) Regional Research Award for her work titled "Disordered Eating Behaviors, Social Closeness, and Greek Life Membership," with Professor Katherine Lau from SUNY Oneonta's Department of Psychology. Nicole will be publicly recognized at the Psi Chi awards ceremony at EPA in Times Square in March, and she will deliver a presentation summarizing her research.

Ten SUNY Oneonta students traveled to the Pacific for Geography 294 to soak up the sun, fun, views, culture and history of the 50th state - Hawaii. Accompanied by professors Wendy Lascell and Ken Johnson, the students visited popular landmarks, were immersed in the Hawaiian way of life and participated in various eye-opening activities. One of their first stops was the Tantalus Overlook, where they were treated to a spectacular view of the Honolulu side of the island. Next, they visited a Japanese Buddhist temple and cemetery complex. Other points of interest included Ioni Palace, Kualoa Regional Park, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor, and a Senior Community Center. One particularly interesting stops was at the Kualoa Regional Park, a state park that manages sustainable ancient fish ponds which have been struggling with pollution. At the state park, the students saw first-hand Hawaii's cat overpopulation problem. At the park, and in many places in Hawaii, there are huge groups of feral cat colonies. Students spoke with people who feed the state park colony and take care of them - about 70 cats in total. It is a major issue in Hawaii, as the government and locals are at odds about what to do. Other notable items on the itinerary included visiting the University of Hawaii and the Bishop Museum; snorkeling at Haunama Bay Nature Preserve; taking a tour of Hawaii's Plantation Village; hiking Diamond Head Crater; and seeing a hula dance and gorgeous sunset at Waikiki!

A total of 1,584 SUNY Oneonta students earned Dean's List honors for the fall 2018 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.

In early January, 11 SUNY Oneonta students traveled to Japan for their class, Biology 271 - Global Studies in Conservation and Sustainability, taught by Dr. Kiyoko Yokota. The goal of the two-and-a-half week course was to teach the students how they can meaningfully contribute to conservation and sustainability efforts around the world, according to Yokota, who accompanied the students along with professor Paul Lord. While in Japan, students visited Tokyo and the islands of Chichijima and Hahajima. The locals of Chichijima and Hahajima work with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to remove invasive species and prevent the transfer of new invasive species onto the island. They also work to protect the populations of indigenous species like the Japanese wood pigeon and the Bonin flying fox.

Yahayra (Yaya) Colon, a Criminal Justice at SUNY Oneonta, will be serving an internship with the Illinois State Police.

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized 83 students who have attained 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.