Meet The Staff
Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research
Carleen Graham is Professor of Music and has directed The Crane Opera Ensemble since 1991. Her stage directing credits include the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the Orchestra Filarmonia das Beiras in Aveiro, Portugal, Central City Opera, Berkshire Opera Company, Tanglewood Music Center and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She received the 2009 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2006 SUNY Potsdam President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the 2007 Potsdam College Foundation Board Fundraising Volunteer of the Year. Carleen received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ohio University-Athens, a Master of Music and Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory of Music, and a Doctor of Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include opera and performance pedagogy, education outreach and arts advocacy. She is a member of OPERA America, the National Opera Association, and the College Music Society and has articles published in The Journal of Singing, and in Opera America publications. She is thrilled to be involved with the Center for Undergraduate Research and looks forward to interacting with faculty and students from all departments on campus.
Interns
Veronica Lavia is a sophomore majoring in Visual Art with concentration in Video Art and a Film Studies Minor. She is from Carmignano, Italy, a little village in the Florentine hillside. Veronica is very interested in the Arts, in particular in Video and Digital Art, and she loves to write and read and she is fluent in Italian, English, Spanish and French. She has traveled all over Europe visiting countries like: Spain, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Greece and Austria. While stateside, she has visited Mexico and Canada. After graduation, Veronica planes to continue in film studies for her goal in life is to become a movie director.
Starr Ritchie is a graduate student in the Educational Technology Specialist program at SUNY Potsdam. She was born and raised in the Adirondacks in Saranac, New York. After graduation she hopes to teach at the college level and work for a major animation studio as an animator.
Office Assistants
Natalie Gaynor is a freshman at SUNY Potsdam double majoring in Music Education and Music Performance with a concentration in Flute. She is from Stratham, New Hampshire and hopes to one day be a public school music teacher and band director.
Miguel Herrera is a freshman majoring in Business Administration and Math. He was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He would like to be a statistician or market researcher after graduation.