SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oneonta inducted its second class of 69 first-generation students into the Alpha Alpha Alpha national honor society during a ceremony on April 23, 2023, at Morris Hall. Alpha Alpha Alpha, known as Tri-Alpha for short, was founded in 2018 to recognize and celebrate the hard work and academic success of first-generation university students. Students qualify for induction into Tri-Alpha if they meet the following criteria: The student has earned at least 30 credits/semester hours in the academic year toward an associate degree or baccalaureate degree; the undergraduate student has achieved an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; and neither of the student's parents, stepparents, nor legal guardians, completed a bachelor's or associate's degree.

Three SUNY Oneonta students have been named 2023 recipients of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. Melissa Rose "Rosie" Garrecht, Jamie Crique and Robert C. "Bobby" Lang were among a select group of State University of New York students recognized by SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. during a reception in their honor Monday, April 24. All three students are seniors and will graduate in May. "These are exceptional student leaders who have served as role models for their campus peers," said SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle. "We're extremely proud of Rosie, Jamie and Bobby, and I am confident that their exemplary service and achievements here will be the groundwork for wonderful things beyond SUNY Oneonta." The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, or CASE, 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, campus involvement, community service and the arts.

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.

Six SUNY Oneonta students won the highest possible honor at the 2023 National Model United Nations conference in New York City from April 10-14. SUNY Oneonta students represented Cambodia this year, and they were one of just 24 delegations to receive the Outstanding Delegation Award. The National Model United Nations (NMUN) is a non-governmental organization formally associated with the United Nations. The first simulated conference of the NMUN, known at the time as the Model Assembly of the League of Nations, took place nearly 100 years ago at Syracuse University in 1927. Since 2005, SUNY Oneonta political science majors have learned about global issues and the United Nations through a Model United Nations course that culminates in a trip to the NMUN Conference in New York City, where students have the opportunity to engage with peers from around the world. "The conference was an amazing opportunity to collaborate with other amazing college students and aspiring leaders from across the world and negotiate and problem solve with them about complex topics, such as safe nuclear waste management, nuclear facility safeguards and the United Nations sustainable development goals," said August Heminway, a dual-major in Criminal Justice and Political Science at SUNY Oneonta. More than 90 colleges and universities participated in the 2023 NMUN conference, each representing a different country. Each nation's delegates join one of 13 committees focusing on issues such as environmental impact, atomic energy, human rights and peacebuilding. Before the conference, students prepare for the Model UN by researching and learning about their committee's topics. This year, Oneonta students Aliyah Abdelsalam and Daniela Suarez were members of the General Assembly First Committee, and John Furgele and August Heminway were members of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Angela Wayman and Alex Headley served on the United Nations Environmental Assembly committee and won an Outstanding Position Paper Award for their work. "The Outstanding Position Paper Award is for the two-page papers each committee submitted before the conference started, based on the work we did in class," said Matt Murphy, associate professor of international relations and comparative politics and the Model UN course instructor. "Angela and Alex's submission was among the top ten papers of about 90 teams on that committee." All six SUNY Oneonta students won the Outstanding Delegation Award based on their performance and preparedness. "There were a couple of unusual instances at the Model UN where students from other universities became swept up in the bargaining and competitiveness, leading to arguments and highly escalated tempers," said Murphy. "Our students were consistently pushing for diplomacy and reasonable discussion. I believe that's one of the reasons we were recognized for Outstanding Delegation."

Sixteen students and the SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department will present "EVIL DEAD: The Musical," a theatrical rock performance based on the "Evil Dead" franchise. Beginning Wednesday, April 26, the production stars Ash, the housewares employee turned demon-killing hero, and its plot and characters are a mix of the "Evil Dead," "Evil Dead II" and "Army of Darkness" films. "EVIL DEAD: The Musical" features five unsuspecting college students who travel to an abandoned cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway, accidentally unleashing an evil force that turns the group into demons. With the help of his iconic chainsaw, Ash must defeat the demons as all characters sing and dance to songs specifically written for the musical. The SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department will perform the production several times throughout the week with help from the Mask and Hammer student theatre club. Faculty and staff make up the show's director, light designer, technical director, costume designer, costume shop manager and assistant technical director. The choreographer, sound designer, stage manager, production coordinator, dance captain, assistant light designer, assistant stage managers and cast are SUNY Oneonta students. "The musical fits a mostly student-populated audience well and has an excellent score. It is a rock musical, and the songs are quite popular," said "EVIL DEAD: The Musical" Director and Associate Professor of Acting, Directing and Movement Kiara Pipino. "I hope to see more people coming to see the production, considering its popularity. It is time to see theatre make a real comeback after the pandemic. A live theatrical experience is so much more fulfilling than what any streaming service can provide." "EVIL DEAD: The Musical" can be seen in the Goodrich Theater at SUNY Oneonta from Wednesday to Friday, April 26-28, at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, April 29, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at https://oneonta.universitytickets.com/, in person at the Hunt Union Information Desk from Monday to Saturday between 1 and 10 p.m. and in person at the box office in the Fine Arts Center one hour before each scheduled performance. View ticket pricing and additional information online at https://suny.oneonta.edu/theatre-department/season-shows.

SUNY Oneonta senior Samuel Rodriguez is one of just 46 students in the SUNY system to receive the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for Student Excellence. Awardees were recognized during a ceremony in Albany on Monday, April 17. Now celebrating its fourth class of awardees, the award recognizes outstanding Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students for their academic merit and perseverance. The honor is named in memory of Norman R. McConney, Jr. (1946-2016), a graduate of the University at Albany and former assistant dean for special programs at SUNY. McConney, alongside former Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, helped create the EOP as a statewide program.

The SUNY Oneonta 2023 Juried Student Art Show features more than 80 works by 50 talented student artists. The exhibition opened on March 28 and will run through May 13 in the university's Martin-Mullen Art Gallery on campus. Featured artwork was submitted by students and selected by Art Department faculty members. This year's award winners were chosen by invited jurors President and Founder Karen Shafer and Director of Program Initiatives Dan O'Neil at Aunt Karen's Farm. Located in Mount Vision, Aunt Karen's Farm is a quiet residency program for artists, educators, administrators, environmentalists and agrarians to incubate new work and celebrate nature. The show highlights the different mediums and themes explored by students over the academic year. Prints, 3D models, clay sculptures, digital designs, photographs, drawings and mixed media make up this year's offerings. SUNY Oneonta student Victoria Villaverde designed the show's poster. On March 30, an opening reception celebrated student talent with an award ceremony and refreshments. During the reception, Gallery Director Sarah Simpson thanked College President Alberto Cardelle, Provost Enrique Morales-Diaz, School of Liberal Arts and Business Dean Elizabeth Dunn, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of SUNY Oneonta Foundation Paul Adamo and Art Department Chair and Assistant Professor Katherine Spitzoff for their continued support of the galleries. "In addition, we would like to thank the faculty who work hard every day to teach and inspire our students, the staff for their crucial help and of course, our students, who put in hard work, thinking both critically and creatively, and sharing their art with us," Simpson said. "A special thanks to Audrey Porsche, Associate Director of Scholarly Activities, and Ben Wendrow, Director of Development, for their support in making these awards a reality." Winners of the following special awards were announced: Jean Parish Art on Campus Award, Excellence in New Media Award, Helen and George Zimmerman Memorial Award, Golden Artist Colors Inc. Award and the Martin-Mullen Creativity Award. Faculty Emerita Jean Parish enjoyed a lengthy teaching career at SUNY Oneonta, leaving behind a gift to provide financial assistance to students studying art. One of the two endowed funds she set in place supports the Jean Parish Art on Campus Awards, facilitating the purchase of student work to be displayed on campus. Excellence in New Media is a new award celebrating the work of students who excel in newer and non-traditional art practices. A permanent virtual gallery space to display the digital art that is purchased through this award is being built, mirroring the beautiful examples of physical art purchased for display across campus through Jean Parish. Professor George Zimmerman was a teacher at SUNY Oneonta for 32 years and was instrumental in developing the Art Department. Helen and George's family has generously made donations in their memory for the awards. Golden Artist Colors is an artist materials manufacturer founded in 1980 and is dedicated to creating and sharing the most imaginative and innovative tools of color, line and texture for inspiring those who turn their vision into reality. They have graciously shared gift certificates for the Golden Artist Colors Inc. Awards. The Martin-Mullen Art Gallery and Martin-Mullen Creativity Awards are named after two previous faculty members, Minnie Martin and James Mullen. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Twenty students in SUNY Oneonta's Marketing Club, OnMark, traveled to New Orleans last week to attend the 2023 American Marketing Association's Annual International Collegiate Conference, where they were ranked among the Top 10 Collegiate Chapters of the Year. OnMark received this recognition among 333 competing colleges and universities. Schools are judged based on their accomplishments, with each chapter submitting an annual report detailing their fundraiser events, membership drives, community service, career development workshops, and other AMA competitions in which the club participated throughout the year. This was an improvement from last year, when OnMark was named one of the Top 15 Collegiate Chapters of the Year at the 2022 conference in Chicago. Attendance at the conference was made by possible in part by a grant from the D'Antonio Travel for Excellence Fund.

Three SUNY Oneonta students are studying abroad during the spring 2023 semester through programs offered by the university. SUNY Oneonta offers summer and semester programs through 12 study abroad and exchange international partner universities and many short-term faculty-led programs through the Office of Global Education (OGE). Of the 12 available programs, these students are studying abroad at Seinan Gakuin University in Japan, Hankuk University of Applied Sciences in South Korea and the American College of Greece in Greece. Two students received scholarships from SUNY Oneonta to study abroad, including the Bill and Khuki Woolever Scholarship, Gary '71 and Pamela '73 Tutty Study Abroad Scholarship and the Global Connectedness Fund. One student received a scholarship from their study abroad university after being nominated by SUNY Oneonta. More than 20 scholarships were established by the SUNY Oneonta Foundation to provide support for students who might otherwise not have the financial means to study abroad. Scholarships are made possible through gifts from alumni, faculty, staff and community members, and are awarded each semester to qualifying students.

Gideon Plamondon and Destiana De Jesus are the first two SUNY Oneonta students to be selected for a mentorship program offered by the Country Music Association (CMA). Plamondon and De Jesus are among 41 college and university students from across the country to be selected for this opportunity. As members of the CMA's Educational Leadership Class of 2024, they will meet country music industry professionals through a year-long program that includes panels, seminars and courses. In addition to being the first SUNY Oneonta students selected, Plamondon and De Jesus are two of the three SUNY applicants ever to be accepted into the mentorship program. A highlight of the program will be a trip to Nashville in August for the organization's annual Leadership Summit, a multi-day conference full of professional development, industry education and networking. The summit will also allow the accepted students to meet one another and get a glimpse of what their year will look like as they partake in remote courses.

Beginning Wednesday, April 5, the SUNY Oneonta Mask and Hammer Theatre Club presents "boom," a play written by American playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. This production features a character named Jules, who is a marine biology grad student, and a journalism student character named Jo. After Jo answers Jules's online personal ad that offers a "no strings attached" experience, the future of humanity rests upon them as an apocalyptic event wipes out most forms of life on Earth. In addition to the roles of Jules and Jo, a third character, Barbara, serves as an audience guide for humanity's end. The "boom" production can be seen in the Hamblin Theater at SUNY Oneonta from Wednesday to Friday, April 5 to 7, at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, April 8, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at https://oneonta.universitytickets.com/, in person at the Hunt Union Information Desk from Monday to Saturday between 1 and 10 p.m. and in person at the box office in the Fine Arts Center one hour before each scheduled performance. Ticket pricing and additional information can be viewed online at https://suny.oneonta.edu/theatre-department/season-shows.

Twelve SUNY Oneonta students got hands-on experience with wetlands restoration during a service-learning trip in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward last week. Working with a nonprofit organization called Common Ground Relief, the students worked to help restore and preserve Louisiana's disappearing coastal wetlands by planting hardy, fast-growing native plants and removing invasive species in coastal areas imperiled by hurricanes, development and engineering projects that have eroded land and endangered wildlife. Using recycled Christmas trees and Tallow trees, the team built berms to help prevent erosion and stabilize newly planted vegetation, worked in a native tree nursery, visited Common Ground's Outdoor Learning Center, helped out with various projects at Docville Farm and learned about cultural complexities, the role of physical landscapes and environmental issues in the region. The New Orleans trip is a component of Disaster Geographies, a course taught by Associate Professor Wendy Lascell, who accompanied the students, along with Linda Drake, executive director of the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community. Lascell has taken several groups of students to New Orleans, including Class of 2020 alumna Amy Shultis, who now works for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Shultis met up with students while they were in town. Service-learning trips such as this one give students an invaluable experience for both academic and personal growth, Lascell said. They are engaged in service, immersed in an unfamiliar culture, and confronted with real-world problems that don't have easy solutions. In conjunction with the service activities, students immersed themselves in New Orleans culture. They saw the Mississippi River and spent time in the French Quarter, heard live jazz and tried popular Cajun cuisine such as alligator, crawfish, raccoon, hog and shrimp. The students returned to New York with photographs to show and stories to tell.

SUNY Oneonta business administration and accounting students are as busy as ever this tax season as they continue to help classmates, university employees and area residents prepare and file their simple tax returns via a campus program that is nearly a decade old. A total of 19 students have been thoroughly trained through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program during the spring 2023 semester. The VITA program is part of a three-credit course offered for a second year at SUNY Oneonta, where students spend a large portion of the semester getting certified and preparing tax returns for those with a salary of $60k or less. "Preparing other people's tax returns gives the students experience in meeting people and interacting with them in ways that demonstrate competence, professionalism, poise, punctuality, courtesy and empathy," said Lisa Flynn, associate professor of accounting and the course's instructor. "The students have learned how to ask for sensitive financial information in ways that put the client at ease to the greatest extent possible." Students work in pairs to complete client returns, ensuring accuracy as they handle sensitive information. Among the 19 preparers are four returning student coordinators, who have been given increased responsibility and an increased sense of "ownership" in the program. The service provided by the students in the VITA program is free. VITA students who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information. Additionally, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site prior to filing. "The students have learned the importance of attention to detail and have experienced how important it is to 'get things right' the first time," said Flynn. "There are still several open appointments that we hope to see fill up before we complete the VITA portion of the course." Students have already filed returns for 22 clients, both federal and state, with an additional 10 appointments scheduled. After all appointments conclude on April 12, the course will finish with lessons on international taxation in various countries. SUNY Oneonta has been a VITA partner organization for many years, thanks to William "Jeff" Weinell, a business lecturer and advisement coordinator who passed away in 2020. Weinell, who also served as a mentor and advisor to various campus clubs, initiated and grew the VITA program, which, was initially held off campus and was a volunteer opportunity for a small number of students.

A second Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppy is being raised on campus at SUNY Oneonta, thanks to the university's new Guiding Eyes club. "Emoji," a 3-month-old yellow Labrador retriever weighing in at just 16 pounds, arrived on campus Sunday, March 19, and is being raised by Kirstin Kavountzis, a junior Dietetics major from Washingtonville, NY. Kavountzis is the secretary of SUNY Oneonta's new Guiding Eyes for the Blind club. Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a nonprofit organization that provides guide dogs to people experiencing vision loss. SUNY Oneonta's first Guiding Eyes puppy, a black Lab named "Ink," arrived on campus in late January and is being raised by the club's president.

As a powerful Nor'easter pummeled the East Coast early this week, bringing heavy snow and damaging winds and sending service and road crews into overdrive, three SUNY Oneonta Meteorology majors were in their glory, appearing live on The Weather Channel to give their expert opinions on the storm. Although most students were home for spring break, seniors Erin Duke and Jacob Coffey and junior Eleni Konstantelos happened to be in the right place at the right time Monday, when a field producer with The Weather Channel contacted Dr. Leigh Fall, associate professor and chair of the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department. National correspondent Justin Michaels and his team were being sent to cover Winter Storm Sage live from Oneonta, the producer had explained to Fall. They had seen that SUNY Oneonta had a meteorology program and wondered if any students would like to be interviewed on camera by Michaels. Duke, Coffey and Konstantelos, who had all stayed in town for one reason or another, jumped at the chance. With coordination and encouragement from Dr. Fall, Duke, of Rhinebeck, NY, appeared live at 9 p.m. Monday, followed by Konstantelos, of Astoria, NY, at 10 p.m. Coffey, of Patchogue, NY, appeared the following day. Stationed at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets, the students calmly and enthusiastically answered Michaels' questions, speaking about the path of the storm as well as the topography of the area and how that affects total snowfall accumulations. When the coverage was all said and done, the Oneonta students had appeared four times on national television. Off-camera, Michaels and his team asked the students about their plans for the future and encouraged them to dream big. Konstantelos said she hopes to pursue a career in aviation meteorology, air quality resources or paleoclimatology. Duke wants to earn her master's degree and study mountain meteorology and cloud physics. While she'll "always be grateful for this chance to try live tv," she thinks her dream job would be "doing research on the weather, rather than broadcasting it." Fall said she is "extremely proud" of Duke, Coffey and Konstantelos. "I'm delighted that we could shine a spotlight on these awesome students," she said. "They are proof of the caliber of SUNY Oneonta's meteorology program as a whole, and I'm so happy that they could have this opportunity."

Nearly 300 SUNY Oneonta students completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree following the Fall 2022 semester. Graduates were honored and recognized during Fall Commencement, held Dec. 11 in the Dewar Arena of the Alumni Field House. The day before commencement, seniors took part in the Pass Through the Pillars tradition. With friends, family and faculty and staff cheering them on, seniors walked through the pillars a final time, representing the end of their Oneonta journey and transition into the alumni family.

Six SUNY Oneonta students from several anthropology courses have their work featured as part of the "Unessays" exhibit in the Anthropology Teaching Gallery. In lieu of writing a final paper, the students created physical displays of their topics in paleoanthropology and the anthropology of death, reproduction, sexes and gender. Located on the first floor of the Physical Science Building, the Anthropology Teaching Gallery will feature these projects throughout the Spring 2023 semester. The exhibit represents final projects from five courses: Anthropology of Reproduction, Anthropology of Sexes and Genders, Paleoanthropology, Forensic Anthropology and Anthropology of Dying.

Beginning Friday, March 3, 11 SUNY Oneonta students will have a role in the Theatre Department's production of "Bernhardt/Hamlet," a play written by American playwright Theresa Rebeck. The production shows the challenges faced by 19th-century actress Sarah Bernhardt in her role as Shakespeare's Hamlet. The real-life Bernhardt performed as Hamlet in 1899, and this play captures both the drama and comedy of the international celebrity's performance during that time. The SUNY Oneonta production of "Bernhardt/Hamlet" is directed by John McCaslin-Doyle, professor of theatre history, dramatic literature and acting, with help from the Mask and Hammer theatre club, an active and dynamic campus organization that promotes opportunities for students of all majors to become involved in theatre activities. The production can be seen in the Hamblin Theater at SUNY Oneonta on Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and from March 7 to 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at https://oneonta.universitytickets.com/, in person at the Hunt Union Information Desk from Monday to Saturday between 1 and 10 p.m. and in person at the box office in the Fine Arts Center one hour before each scheduled performance. Ticket pricing and additional information can be viewed online at https://suny.oneonta.edu/theatre-department/season-shows.

The SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department's production of "Nordost" was selected to perform at the Kennedy Center Region I Festival (KCACTF) at Cape Cod on Feb. 2. The production featured six SUNY Oneonta students, including one student stage manager and another who oversaw lighting. Kiara Pipino, associate professor of acting, directing and movement, directed "Nordost." KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing and design. The KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has severed as a catalyst for improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents.

Ink, a 4-month-old black Labrador Retriever puppy, is making history at SUNY Oneonta as the first pup to be raised on campus for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that provides guide dogs to people experiencing vision loss. His puppy raiser, and roommate, is junior Anthropology major Taylor Hendrickson, president of the university's new Guiding Eyes for the Blind club.

A total of 23 students' artwork is on display in SUNY Oneonta's Open Space Gallery. Titled "Black, White, & Full Color," the exhibition features work by students who took a Writing About Literature course with Dr. Sheena Mason, assistant professor of English. The exhibition is inspired by the concept of double consciousness and illustrates the questions of societal interpretations of race and the practice of racialization through the lens of racelessness, an overview of contemporary and historical literature on the subject and personal experience. "Black, White, & Full Color" is a collective single piece of work created with language-based drawing, blackout poetry, books and PowerPoint. It is inspired by the work of conceptual artist Glen Ligon, critical engagement with the idea of race and practice of racialization, and modern literacy sources such as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Paul Gilroy and Frantz Fanon. The exhibition opened Tuesday, Jan. 24, and will run through Feb. 18. The Open Space Gallery is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. An opening reception will be held Thursday, Feb. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m., with an inclement weather date set for Thursday, Feb. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m.

A total of 36 students across courses taught by Dr. Sheena Mason, assistant professor of English, have their artwork exhibited in SUNY Oneonta Project Space Gallery. "Art Across Campus: Literature in Translation" showcases the final projects of students from courses outside of the Art Department. The exhibition opened Tuesday, Jan. 24, and will run through Feb. 18. "Art Across Campus: Literature in Translation" features painting, drawing, sculpture, black-out poetry and collage art styles. The contributing students are part of the Postcolonial Literature and Culture: The Americas, Creolization in Literature, African American Women Writers and Postcolonial and Culture: Africa courses. The Project Space Gallery is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. An opening reception will be held Thursday, Feb. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m., with an inclement weather date set for Thursday, Feb. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m.

More than 1,250 SUNY Oneonta students earned Dean's List honors for the fall 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.

More than 250 SUNY Oneonta students earned Provost's List honors for the fall 2022 semester. To qualify for the Provost's List, a student must earn a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while carrying a course load of 12 hours or more.

August Heminway, of Ridgefield, CT, completed a photo documentary project titled "A Rural Devotion" for an independent study at SUNY Oneonta examining underfunded or overlooked volunteer fire departments. From October to December 2022, August spent time with the West Oneonta Fire Department and observed its training and operations. "Firefighters are humanitarians who do uncontroversial work, saving lives daily even in proven harm's way," said August. "The lack of resources these rural departments experience magnifies the power of their actions and devotion to their community." Following a course with Wesley Bernard, assistant professor of photography at SUNY Oneonta, August joined the SUNY Oneonta Photo Society. He is currently the president of the club, as well as the president of the Taekwondo club on campus. "I think his project is meaningful and vitally important," said Bernard. "Most humble quiet stories go unnoticed unless a documentarian pushes them out into the public eye. The strength of the story comes from the caring photographer." A dual major in Criminal Justice and Political Science, August will be graduating in May 2023. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school and gain experience working with human rights non-governmental organizations. "Though this project doesn't directly relate to my majors, I'm interested in documentary photography," said August. "I hope to be able to meld that work in the future with human rights and conflict work, which is along the lines of my career goal to become a United Nations War Crimes Investigator." August Heminway's photo documentary, "A Rural Devotion," can be viewed here: https://augustheminwayphoto.weebly.com/a-rural-devotion.html

Owen Hodkinson ('23) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Owen and his project partner, Cassidy Napolitano ('23), finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Dr. Portway's Fashion Entrepreneurship course made me realize my creative side when it comes to business planning," said Owen. "Her course pressured me to pay close attention to instructions, while at the same time allowed me to think creatively in order to differentiate myself from others. Being able to stand out in any industry is helpful, as well as being able to complete tasks in a timely manner, which her bi-weekly deadlines trained me to achieve." Owen and Cassidy, who submitted their AquaFeet project as a team, took third place in the undergraduate competition. "AquaFeet is a sock brand specializing in self-repairing socks," said Cassidy. "AquaFeet socks can mend holes and tears easily with a little bit of friction and water, made possible by Squitex technology." The plan prioritized four Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Responsible Consumption and Production; Good Health and Well-Being; and Life Below Water. "According to the ESRAP guidelines, the business had to be completely ethical across all fronts," said Owen. Originally, the duo faced an ethical dilemma with AquaFeet because the proteins necessary to create the self-healing fibers of the socks were harvested from squids. "Luckily, scientific advancements were made a couple of months before we started working on the brand, and the proteins were able to be mimicked with no harm to squids," said Owen. "Cassidy and Owen's successful teamwork for this competition is a fantastic example of two exceptional Red Dragons growing intellectually, thriving socially, and living purposefully," said Dr. Portway. "Their place among the top three in this highly competitive and international competition is a remarkable and well-deserved achievement. They worked tirelessly and demonstrated a deep commitment to sustainability, professionalism, creativity and achieving a long-term goal."

Cassidy Napolitano ('23) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Cassidy and her project partner, Owen Hodkinson ('23), finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Dr. Portway's Fashion Entrepreneurship course has helped in my career goals by giving me a true understanding of what a sustainable business model is," said Cassidy, who is participating in the SUNY Oneonta FIT Visiting Student Program. "Going into the industry next year, I feel more prepared to combat this issue and educate others. I also feel comfortable identifying unsustainable practices within a company's supply chain and taking action against them." Owen and Cassidy, who submitted their AquaFeet project as a team, took third place in the undergraduate competition. "AquaFeet is a sock brand specializing in self-repairing socks," said Cassidy. "AquaFeet socks can mend holes and tears easily with a little bit of friction and water, made possible by Squitex technology." The plan prioritized four Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Responsible Consumption and Production; Good Health and Well-Being; and Life Below Water. "According to the ESRAP guidelines, the business had to be completely ethical across all fronts," said Owen. Originally, the duo faced an ethical dilemma with AquaFeet because the proteins necessary to create the self-healing fibers of the socks were harvested from squids. "Luckily, scientific advancements were made a couple of months before we started working on the brand, and the proteins were able to be mimicked with no harm to squids," said Owen. "Cassidy and Owen's successful teamwork for this competition is a fantastic example of two exceptional Red Dragons growing intellectually, thriving socially, and living purposefully," said Dr. Portway. "Their place among the top three in this highly competitive and international competition is a remarkable and well-deserved achievement. They worked tirelessly and demonstrated a deep commitment to sustainability, professionalism, creativity and achieving a long-term goal."

Michelangelo Zacchia ('22) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Michelangelo finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Dr. Portway's Fashion Entrepreneurship course really helped me establish myself as a self-starter with industry-ready ideas," said Michelangelo. "For the ESRAP competition, I had the choice of working with a team or doing it individually. I wanted to challenge myself to actualize one of my ideas from start to finish, on my own." Michelangelo created a sustainable patchwork denim company called Dehydrated Denim that encourages sustainability through irresistible silhouettes. "In today's industry, one pair of denim jeans requires approximately 1,800 gallons of water to produce," said Michelangelo. "Dehydrated Denim jeans require 80 percent less water and encourage consumers to cultivate relationships with their clothing and planet. Our brand has a take-back system that allows us to actualize a sustainable circular economy." Life Below Water and Clean Water and Sanitation were the Sustainable Development Goals Michelangelo used for Dehydrated Denim. "Kudos to all the Red Dragons who faced the intimidation of a global jury formed by industry leaders and did it anyway," said Dr. Portway.

Samantha Alberts ('22) was one of four SUNY Oneonta Fashion and Textiles students who placed among the top 10 finalists in the 2022 Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Production (ESRAP) Student Merchandising Competition. The global competition challenges undergraduate students to develop fashion retail business plans that are sustainable and socially responsible. Competitors are judged by a panel of industry professionals and faculty in the sustainable fashion field. Samantha finished among the top 10 finalists after developing business plans in Dr. Sarah Portway's Spring 2022 Fashion Entrepreneurship course using the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and triple-bottom-line frameworks. "Learning how to create a business from the very beginning and all the troubles along the way has taught me what it may be really like to be an entrepreneur in the fashion industry," said Samantha. "I think a lot of the information I learned showed me what to look out for in a failing or thriving business, from the budgets, the pricing, the business concept, the target market, and everything else. I loved how this class took me out of my comfort zone and showed me another side to the industry." Samantha's business plan for Fungi Chic focused on a virtual wholesale store that sells leather-alternative products made from Mycelium. "Mycelium is the root-like structure from mushrooms that grows underground and covers our entire planet," said Samantha. "We have discovered that this structure can be grown in sheets to resemble the look, feel and durability of leather. This is a very new and innovative material making its way into the fashion industry." The Sustainable Development Goals that her project incorporated were Life Below Water and Life on Land. "Kudos to all the Red Dragons who faced the intimidation of a global jury formed by industry leaders and did it anyway," said Dr. Portway. In addition to participating in the ESRAP competition, Samantha worked alongside Dr. Portway to give a presentation at the SUNY Digital Learning Conference held earlier this fall on campus. The project topic was "Faculty and Student Perspectives on Cultivating Career Readiness with Online Experiential Project-Based learning." This presentation discussed the semester-long project Samantha and Dr. Portway worked on in the Fashion Promotion class during the Fall 2021 semester, based on creating a promotional event for a fashion brand. Both she and Dr. Portway worked with SUNY Oneonta alumnus and PUMA Select Brand Manager Scott Saltzman ('86) during this project's duration. "Who better to have helped us with this project than an alumnus who works for PUMA," said Samantha. "This project would not have been possible without having Scott as the main contact and joining us most weeks via Microsoft Teams for our classes."

More than 40 SUNY Oneonta students received the Richard Siegfried Student Award this semester for earning a total GPA of 3.9 or higher. In order to be eligible to receive the Richard Siegfried Student Award, a student must be a full-time freshman or transfer student with a total GPA of 3.9 or higher. The award is named in memory of Richard K. Siegfried, SUNY Oneonta Professor of Theatre from 1958 until 1995. Professor Siegfried (or Sieg as generations of students fondly called him) epitomized excellence in his academic life, through imagination, meticulous scholarship and discipline, and through his expectation of the same pursuit of excellence in his students and colleagues. His dedication brought excellence to his work in such historical theater worlds as Aristophanes, Moliere, Ibsen, and Chekhov, to his rigorous study of the skills of voice and movement, and to his leadership in the imaginative creativity of improvisation.