SUNY Oneonta

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.

More than 40 SUNY Oneonta students provided sports and exercise workshops to local children during a new "Little Red Dragons" program held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5 at the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club (OBGC). Students from several majors participated in the pilot program as part of their Human Growth and Motor Development course. "The Little Red Dragons program is an experiential learning assignment," said Dr. Katie Griffes, the course's instructor and assistant professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences. "It is designed to give students hands-on experiences implementing and observing content they have learned throughout the semester." Dr. Griffes collaborated with OBGC staff over the summer to come up with a partnership that would serve both the college and the community. This fall, students enrolled in Griffes' Human Growth and Motor Development course came up with a name for the program, which will continue to be a course requirement each semester. Each day of the program featured multiple hour-long fitness workshops, beginning at 4 p.m. and running as late as 8 p.m. Ten to 15 children in various age groups participated in a range of activities, including martial arts fundamentals, soccer ball control and balance, throwing and catching, fine motor skills, tic tac toe and running, proper weight room use and resistance training, softball, and more. Two to three students led each session, with a 5:1 ratio of children to instructor. To prepare for the program, each group of students spent several hours in and out of class designing lesson plans based on their interests and backgrounds. Each workshop outline included instructional strategies, plans for giving feedback, safety measures and rules, materials, developmental considerations and potential adaptations. The pilot program was a win-win, offering fresh, fun programming for OGBC members, and valuable experience for the Oneonta students, many of whom plan to work with children and teens in health and fitness industries as coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists and other movement-based professions. "I'm over the moon about the Little Red Dragons program," said Robert Escher, executive director of the OBGC. "This is such a great win for everyone. We're happy to be here to serve as a vessel for the curriculum, program and students. We're grateful for all this additional great programming to offer our kids, and we're looking forward to future programs."

SUNY Oneonta recently recognized students who have attained platinum-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 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.

Thirty-five SUNY Oneonta students recently volunteered their time and efforts to help prepare a holiday initiative that will bring joy and light to the city of Oneonta and its residents this season. On a chilly mid-November morning, the students gathered downtown in Neahwa Park to hang lights and decorations and help set up for the Oneonta Festival of Lights, a free annual drive-through holiday lights display that will kick off Dec. 18. Students worked from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and, despite the cold, were joyful and enthusiastic. Their attention to detail, artistic eye, willingness to help, and especially height were greatly appreciated! The students, who were recruited by the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community, included members of the softball team and several Greek organizations. This is the third annual Oneonta Festival of Lights, sponsored by First Night Oneonta and Five Star Subaru. More than 30 local organizations and businesses take part and create individual light displays, including the college. The event, which runs until Jan. 1, is dedicated to the late John Hayen, the college's assistant men's soccer coach, who was known for his elaborate holiday light displays.

Five SUNY Oneonta students created a virtual presentation this fall for the National College Fed Challenge, a team competition for undergraduate college students inspired by the work of the Federal Open Market Committee. The competition encourages students to learn more about the U.S. macro economy, the Federal Reserve System and the implementation of monetary policy. The Fed Challenge was formerly an in-person event for participating students but has moved to a virtual format to allow schools outside the current Fed Challenge districts to compete in a newly created "at-large" region. About 40 teams across the district submitted recorded presentations in October, for review by the Federal Reserve. To prepare for the presentation, SUNY Oneonta students worked closely with their faculty advisor, Christine Storrie, associate professor of economics, and Logan Conte, the course's TA, both during and outside of class time. They learned how to research economic indicators, create complex graphs using Excel and link economic theory to current economic conditions. Students who participated in the Fed Challenge enrolled in Econ 3216, the College Fed Challenge Preparation course offered each year in the fall semester. This three-credit course is offered on a condensed schedule, concluding in early November. This year's course finished on Monday, Nov. 7, just a few days after hearing that the SUNY Oneonta team had not advanced to the semifinal round. While only a maximum of five representatives formally present to the judges during the recorded presentation, all team members work on it equally. To select the five representatives, all team members present the policy recommendation they have come up with before a panel of economics, business and accounting faculty and field. The criteria for choosing the representatives include presentation skills, the ability to answer questions clearly and knowledge of macroeconomics and monetary policy. The faculty panel scores each team member, and the top five become the team's representatives. This semester, the presenters were Noah Davis, Dasia Harrigan, Joseph Grogan, Ryan Vogel and Justin Almanzar, and Timothy Cronin served as the alternate and was also the emcee at the evening performance. "Additionally, the team prepares a performance on campus in front of faculty and students. Each team member enrolled in the course contributes to this performance. This year, the live performance was on Oct. 11," said Storrie. "The presentation was entirely student-run and included a live version of their competition presentation, an overview of the College Fed Challenge competition and recruitment information for future semesters and a question-and-answer session with the audience. There were more than 85 people in attendance." Current students and alumni alike say the experience of preparing for the Fed Challenge competition is a valuable opportunity to build skills that will serve them well in their careers after graduation. "Alumni who took the course and participated in the Economic Club's Life After Graduation Series all made a point to mention their experience in Fed Challenge," said Storrie. "They've concluded that their Fed Challenge Experience was the most useful and practical course they took while at SUNY Oneonta. It gives students a hands-on experiential learning opportunity, working with a team on a common goal in a fast-paced environment against a tight deadline."

"Project Open Call: Fall 2022" is a group show of new work submitted by current SUNY Oneonta students to the Martin-Mullen Gallery's open call. The exhibit is on view from Nov. 15 - Dec. 10, with an artist reception on Thursday, Nov. 17, 4-6 p.m.

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.

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.

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 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."

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."

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."

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."