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DEVELOPMENT & AWARDS
Reinert Named to International Double Reed Society
Before his passing in July, Bob Reinert, Crane faculty emeritus and honorary 2005 alumnus, was selected to be an honorary member of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS). His name joined that of some very prestigious names in the bassoon and oboe world.
On September 21, a Celebration of his life was held on the stage of Hosmer Hall. In attendance were former students, colleagues, family and friends.
NEW INITIATIVES
Theatre Students Travel to Hong Kong to Present Work
Move over Broadway. Three SUNY Potsdam drama majors have hit the international educational theatre scene.
In July, a trio of seniors presented the performance they created in one of their applied theatre classes at the Hong Kong Drama/Theatre and Education Forum in China as part of a conference featuring theatre students from around the world.
Melissa Brewer of Vooheesville; Erin Gandia of Natural Bridge; and Tiffany Weller of Potsdam researched female soldiers’ experience in Afghanistan and Iraq through books, magazines, articles and interviews with women who lived the experience.
Dr. Jay Pecora, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, submitted the students’ piece to the conference, and though it was one of more than 100 entries from all over the world, he had faith in their work.
Dr. Pecora noted attending a conference of this caliber was not only great for the students, but for the Theatre Program and the entire College as well.
COLLEGE NEWS
Anthropology Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Celebration
SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Anthropology recently kicked off a yearlong celebration recognizing 2007 as the 50th anniversary of the department’s academic development, excellence and success at the College.
The anthropology faculty teaches an average of 1,200 students per semester, which means that more than a quarter of all students on campus take an anthropology class every semester. The department also was the first among all other New York universities to establish a chapter, the Alpha Chapter, of the national Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honorary Society.
“As faculty members and scientists, we pride ourselves in the ways we reach out to our students, both by working with them on real research projects and by emphasizing an applied approach to the discipline,” said Dr. John Omohundro, SUNY Potsdam distinguished teaching professor.
GIVING & AWARDS
SUNY Potsdam Wins Admissions Advertising Award
SUNY Potsdam’s “Get There from Here” television commercials recently took home the gold from the prestigious “Admissions Marketing Report” Admissions Advertising Awards in the Television Advertising/Series category for schools with 2,000 to 4,999 students.
The annual Admissions Advertising Awards program is the oldest and largest educational advertising awards competition in the country. More than 2,100 entries were received from more than 1,200 colleges, universities and secondary schools. Entries were received from institutions in all 50 states and several foreign countries.
GIVING & AWARDS
Endowed Scholarship to Honor Former Mathematics Chair
The Vasily Cateforis Scholarship that was initiated in 2004 by the SUNY Potsdam Department of Mathematics faculty to honor their former chair and faculty colleague, Dr. Vasily Cateforis, was awarded for the first time in the fall 2007 semester to a student in the mathematics BA/MA program.
Thanks to the leadership of former Mathematics Chair Dr. Laura Person; current Mathematics Chair Dr. Joel Foisy; Chair of the Vasily Cateforis Scholarship Committee Dr. Blair Madore; mathematics alumna and professor of mathematics at Manhattan College Dr. Kathryn Weld ’77 (who served as the alumni chairperson for the scholarship fund drive) and the generosity of many faculty colleagues and former students, the Vasily Cateforis Scholarship was fully funded and endowed in 2006.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
WAIH 90.3 Radio Receives Upgrade
SUNY Potsdam’s student-run radio station WAIH 90.3 has updated its equipment, increased the quality of its broadcast and now includes a Web-cast option for listeners as part of the renovations to the existing station.
Upgrades include adding pop filters for greater clarity to the radio announcer’s speaking voice and purchasing a $6,500 studio control board to replace the one currently being used.
This is just the beginning of the station’s efforts to increase the quality of the broadcast and additional equipment will be purchased in the future.
The radio station, which targets a college-aged audience, can also be heard through the computer and pod or netcast-enabled audio devices as well. The station is accessible for Web-streaming by visiting the Web site at www.theway903.com.
GIVING & AWARDS
Shattuck establishes scholarship in memory of Susan Holly Dierks ’75
John E. Shattuck of Brownville, NY, has established a full-tuition endowed scholarship at SUNY Potsdam in memory of his wife, Class of 1975 alumna Susan Holly Dierks, that will help finance the education of an early childhood education major.
The Susan Holly Dierks ’75 Scholarship for Early Childhood Education will be awarded for the first time this academic year. To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must have completed a full year of study at SUNY Potsdam, have at least a 3.0 grade point average and be an early childhood education major.
Dierks passed away in April 2007 at the age of 54 after a 10-year battle with cancer. She was a project specialist for the Head Start program in Watertown, NY, where she had worked for 12 years.
The couple was married on April 9, 1995, in Black River, NY. Shattuck is a computer programmer with Jefferson County.
GIVING & AWARDS
SUNY Potsdam Earns Accolades For Fundraising Work On Mary E. English Commons
SUNY Potsdam’s Advancement team, led by Development Officer, Nancy Griffin, earned top honors from the State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) in Development – Comprehensive Four-Year Colleges category for work on the “Campaign for The Mary E. English Commons: Celebrating the History and Traditions of SUNY Potsdam.”
Griffin led the effort to raise $100,000 to create the project and an additional $47,000 to create an endowment to fund updates to the exhibit. Approximately 50 donors contributed to the exhibit, including alumni, emeriti, faculty, staff, reunion classes, two alumni associations and organizations.
The Mary E. English Commons is a permanent exhibit area designed to showcase SUNY Potsdam’s rich history and traditions dating back to the founding of the St. Lawrence Academy in 1816.
Project freelancers included Peter Shrope, exhibit designer; Suzanne Langelier-Lebeda Hon. ’06, graphic designer; and Betsy Baker, editor. Project volunteers included co-chairs Molly Hershman Amoriell ’71, Vicki O’Neill Hayes ’90 and Jane Gatta Subramanian ’72, along with 40 researchers that included current faculty and staff, alumni, emeriti and students.
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GIVING & AWARDS
Teaching and Non-Teaching Faculty Member Share SUNYCUAD Kudos for Work on Opera
Mona Ouimet Vroman ’85, SUNY Potsdam development officer, and Carleen Graham, director of SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music Opera Ensemble and faculty member, organized the November 2006 world premiere opera event “The Sailor-Boy and the Falcon” featuring Metropolitan Opera star and alumna Stephanie Blythe ’93 was selected by the State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) in Development Best of Category Award in the special events category.
Planning for the very detailed event began in June 2005. Over the course of the project, Vroman and Graham led a team of College Advancement professionals in a number of planning activities.
The opera’s four performances raised more than $200,000 for the renovation of the Sara M. Snell Music Theater. More than 1,700 people attended the four performances. The production was an example of campus and community collaboration with Dr. Paul Siskind ’86, composer; Carleen Graham, director; Dr. Christopher Lanz, conductor; Dr. Alan Steinberg, librettist; Dr. Kirk Severtson, vocal coach; Dr. Robin Collen, choreographer; Jefferson Reed, technical director; and Karen Glass '88, set designer.
Blythe’s return to SUNY Potsdam for a three-week residency provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for college students of Crane’s Opera Ensemble to work and perform with her on the same stage.
RESEARCH
Closing Cultural Gaps Through Music: Crane Students Perform in China
A group of 25 SUNY Potsdam students from The Crane School of Music’s Touring Concert Choir traversed the globe in July to participate in the 2007 Beijing International Choral Festival. The choir performed both traditional western songs and Chinese folk songs. The concerts were held in Beijing at the Tianjin Grand Theater and the Beijing Concert Hall at Xinhua Gate.
Under the guidance of conductor Dr. Rebecca Reames, an associate professor of choral music education at Crane who accompanied the choir, the students practiced weekly, and to prepare themselves for their cultural immersion, they took turns presenting information about modern Chinese culture to the class.
“The festival is designed to unite people from different cultures and demonstrate that as educators, we are embracing music from a global perspective,” Dr. Reames said. “This experience helped prepare the students for future endeavors as music educators and members of a global world.”
COLLEGE NEWS
Faculty Member Selected as Fulbright Scholar
Dr. Gregory A. Gardner, assistant professor of business administration at SUNY Potsdam, was selected by the U.S. Department of State as Fulbright Teaching Fellow in Ukraine for the 2007-2008 academic year. He is teaching classes in Western business practices and approaches and conducting RESEARCH in economic development at Kherson State University in Kherson, Ukraine.
Recipients of Fulbright Scholar Awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields.
NEW INITIATIVES
Online HERC Consortium Helps Potsdam Recruit the Best Faculty and Staff
SUNY Potsdam is now one of 23 Upstate New York colleges that is participating in the new Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (UNY-HERC) that works to effectively recruit and retain diverse and qualified faculty and staff and assist the spouses and partners of faculty and staff in securing area employment.
UNY-HERC’s Web site www.unyherc.org features the collaboration of nearly two dozen Upstate New York colleges and universities that are working together to cohesively provide employment listings at each of their respective higher education institutions and address dual career needs in higher education. UNY-HERC also provides online information on local real estate, healthcare, arts and cultural resources and childcare, along with other helpful centralized links that can assist individuals and families new to a particular area.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Hands-On Opportunities Prepare Students for the Workforce in Record Numbers
Applying their talents and the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom, SUNY Potsdam’s students have been afforded the distinct opportunity to devote time and resources back into the local community and beyond, and they are doing it in record numbers.
The Office of Experiential Education capitalizes on this winning concept, which allows both students and employers the ability to profit from the experience. The office, formerly known as the Internship Program, coordinates internships, service learning and volunteerism opportunities for students.
Statistics show that in the fall 2006 semester alone, 144 students participated in an internship opportunity earning 472 college credit hours and completing 18,880 contact hours at a wide range of sites. This number is an increase of 12.5 percent over the fall 2005 semester, when 128 students participated.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Four Students Win Prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award
Four SUNY Potsdam seniors were awarded the very prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence in April for demonstrating outstanding achievement as a student in the SUNY System.
Colette Hall, a music education major from Red Hook, NY; Danielle Hall, a psychology and dance major from Springfield Center, NY; Shari Jessie, a psychology and English major from the Bronx, NY; and Rebecca Polmateer, an anthropology and archaeology major from Schuylerville, NY, were honored by then SUNY Chancellor John Ryan and received a framed certificate and a medallion that may be worn at Commencement.
The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and been recognized, for the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts or career achievement.
GIVING & AWARDS
Leadership Through Service Award Bestowed Upon Dr. Neil R. Johnson
SUNY Potsdam selected Dr. Neil R. Johnson, former chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education and co-founder of the Stimulating Opportunities After Retirement (SOAR) program, to be the recipient of the 2007 Leadership Through Service Award.
SUNY Potsdam established the Leadership Through Service Awards to honor those outstanding individuals who have demonstrated a commitment of service to the Potsdam community. Each year, award recipients are acknowledged for demonstrating a special contribution to the betterment of the Potsdam region through dedicated service.
GIVING & AWARDS
DiGiovanna Named SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor
The SUNY Board of Trustees recently approved the appointment of Dr. Joseph DiGiovanna, SUNY Potsdam professor of philosophy, to the rank of distinguished teaching professor.
The Distinguished Teaching Professorship recognizes and honors mastery of teaching.
For this prestigious tribute to be conferred, candidates must have demonstrated consistently superior mastery of teaching, outstanding service to students and commitment to their ongoing intellectual growth, scholarship and professional growth and adherence to rigorous academic standards and requirements.
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GIVING & AWARDS
Three Faculty Win Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence
Three SUNY Potsdam faculty members were recently honored by the State University of New York with the prestigious 2007 Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence.
Professor of Geology Dr. Robert Badger was given the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, Professor of Chemistry Dr. Maria Hepel was given the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities and Associate Professor of Modern Languages Dr. Lora Lunt was given the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.
The Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence are system-level honors conferred to provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.
GIVING & AWARDS
Russells Create Scholarship to Encourage Distance Education
To encourage SUNY Potsdam students to broaden their educational experience by taking courses through distance education, Thomas L. and Jane D. Russell of Raleigh, NC, have established a distance education scholarship that coincided with Mr. Russell’s 50th Class Reunion at SUNY Potsdam. The first recipient of the $1,000 scholarship will be awarded in 2008.
The Thomas L. and Jane D. Russell Distance Education Scholarship also honors the memory of Mr. Russell’s parents, Lee and Ella Russell, who made it possible for Mr. Russell to be a student at SUNY Potsdam.
Along with students taking more distance education courses, the Russells’ scholarship encourages the College to develop more distance education programs, particularly in The Crane School of Music.
A 1957 alumnus of The Crane School, Mr. Russell is director emeritus of the Office of Instructional Telecommunications at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. His career, spanning more than 40 years, includes teaching instructional technology, RESEARCH and distance education at elementary through university levels.
Mrs. Russell taught at the elementary through university levels and then enjoyed her career as a university law librarian. From The University of Florida, she moved up to a position at The University of Missouri, Kansas City, and on to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The 2007-2008 academic year marks the 40th anniversary of the Potsdam Brass Quintet, which will be celebrated during a three-day festival from April 18 to April 20, 2008. All members of the Potsdam Brass Quintet from the past 40 years will return for a weekend of recitals, clinics and master classes. Canadian Brass will join the festivities with a recital in Hosmer Hall on April 19.
COLLEGE NEWS
Potsdam Brass Quintet’s 40th Anniversary Celebration
A Saturday banquet to honor the quintet’s former members and a Sunday Crane alumni brunch will provide opportunities to socialize with former faculty and friends as the Potsdam Brass Quintet enjoys its place as one of the nation’s longest-running brass ensembles.
Established in 1968, the quintet has performed in concert throughout the United States and Canada and is active in its longstanding role as music educators through the presentation of clinics and workshops for teachers and young audiences alike throughout New York State and the nation.
Additional information is available at http://www.potsdambrassquintet.com.
SPORTS
Alisha Schaad Repeats as All-SUNYAC
As a sophomore, Alisha Schaad of Central Square, NY was named to the 2007 SUNYAC Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference Second Team. The Bears’ leading scorer in 2007, Schaad finished with 43 goals and 11 assists, setting school records for goals and points in one season.
Schaad was on the All-SUNYAC Second Team following her 2006 season, when she scored 34 goals and four assists. She was also the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year.
SPORTS
Bear Women Among Nation’s Most Improved Teams
The SUNY Potsdam women’s basketball team was recently noted as being the 12th-most improved NCAA Division III program. After finishing 2-23 in 2005-06, Tara Ruckh’s Bears went 11-15 in 2006-07 and earned its first SUNYAC playoff berth since the ’97-’98 season.
“It’s all on the players,” Ruckh said. “Because of them, we have a higher level of expectations. It was an expectation we had coming into the season.”
Now that the Bears have cracked into the conference’s top eight, team goals are being set higher.
SPORTS
Berkman, Hondorf Earn Top SUNYAC Honors
Senior goalie Brian Hondorf of Webster, NY, was named to the 2007 SUNYAC Men’s Lacrosse All-Conference First Team while SUNY Potsdam head coach Rick Berkman earned Coach of the Year honors following a 4-2 campaign within the SUNYAC.
Three other Bears, senior Matt Vaverchak of Binghamton and sophomores Corey Reinhart of Albany and A.J. Lalonde of Rochester, were selected to the All-SUNYAC Second Team. Hondorf and Vaverchak were selected to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.
SPORTS
Jay Green to Head Women’s Hockey Program
Jay Green, a member of the Bears’ staff, has been selected to lead the women’s hockey comeback at SUNY Potsdam. He transitions from serving as the director of athletic facilities to serving as head coach.
“Isn’t it ironic that a nationwide search for a women’s hockey coach led us right into our own back yard and uncovered Jay Green. He clearly distinguished himself from a very strong pool of candidates with his enthusiasm for returning to the coaching world, his knowledge of the sport, and his own playing background. I have been amazed at the community’s show of support for the addition of women’s hockey to our SPORTS offering and am confident that the program’s development is in capable hands with Jay as our coach,” said Athletic Director James Zalacca.
Green was the assistant men’s hockey coach with former coach Ed Seney for three seasons. Prior to coaching the Potsdam men, Green was head coach at Norwood-Norfolk for six years. After college, Green played professional hockey in Europe for three years before serving as a head coach in the Bay Harbor California Minor Hockey Association. Green was also head men’s hockey coach at North Adams State College of Massachusetts in 1988-89. In 1989, he returned to Europe to head Sweden’s Sudrets Hockey Club for two years.
SPORTS
Aaron Saul Named Men’s Hockey Coach
Aaron Saul, a former Potsdam assistant coach, has been named the new head coach of the men’s hockey team. Saul will replace Glenn Thomaris, who retired in the spring.
“We’re tremendously excited that Aaron has agreed to coach our men’s hockey team. While the competition for the position was great, his passion for coaching, his ability to recruit high quality student athletes, and his work ethic clearly separated him from the rest of the field. Our department is happy to be reunited with him and we look forward to many years of top flight hockey with Aaron Saul as our coach,” said Athletic Director James Zalacca.
Coach Saul comes to Potsdam from Elmira College where he has been the assistant hockey coach since first leaving Potsdam in 2001. He is also the head men’s golf coach at Elmira. In addition to his work with the Soaring Eagles, Saul has also been active in hockey schools and clinics having coached in the Paul Vincent Hockey School since 1998.
SPORTS
SUNY Potsdam Diver Places Eighth in NCAA 3-Meter Event
Nathan LaRowe of Latham, a freshman diver at SUNY Potsdam, finished eighth in the 3-meter diving competition at the NCAA Division III Championships at the University of Houston. By finishing among the nation’s top eight divers, LaRowe was automatically named an All-American.
LaRowe’s success in the 3-meter dive followed a 10th place finish in the 1-meter dive the previous day.
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