The gift is from the estate of Dr. Frederick B. Kilmer, who was the original science director for Johnson & Johnson from 1888 to 1933. It was made to SUNY Potsdam by a member of Dr. Kilmer’s family who wishes to remain anonymous
in memory of a family friend, Rebecca R. “Becky” Pratt, a 1997 politics graduate of SUNY Potsdam who passed away in 2001.

“We are exceptionally thankful for this remarkable
gift. The impact of this donor’s generosity will undoubtedly be a fitting tribute to Miss Pratt and her family,” said Dr. Schwaller. “The College is working with the donor and the Pratt family to determine how best to use the gift to enhance the student experience and how the contribution will be designated as a lead gift to inspire others to invest in SUNY Potsdam.”

Becky’s Place at Pratt Commons is being funded in partnership with Potsdam Auxiliary and College

Educational Services, Inc. (PACES), SUNY Potsdam’s five-year capital plan funds and the generosity of the anonymous donor. The anticipated
completion date is August 2008.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Crane Opera Ensemble to Present World Premiere
A taste of England will be part of this year’s Opera Ensemble performance as visiting professor Garth Bardsley brings the world premiere of the original musical he is writing with fellow Englishman, Ben Parry, to the stage.

After auditioning a large turnout of 66 students, a final 45 were cast to play roles in the premiere of “The Highwayman,” with lyrics by Bardsley and music by Parry, as well as substantial excerpts from Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” and “Die Zauberflote.” The performances will take place April 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and April 13 at 3 p.m. in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater.

Bardsley is teaching at Potsdam for the 2007-2008 academic year in place of Carleen Graham, who is on sabbatical. He is a senior lecturer at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. Parry is director of music at St. Paul’s School in London. He will be visiting Potsdam to work on the opera production and to hold master classes with several Crane students and groups.

NEW INITIATIVES
President Signs the Climate Commitment
SUNY Potsdam President Dr. John F. Schwaller has signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment and pledged to address global warming by neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions of the College and to accelerate the campus’s research and educational
efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.

“Although SUNY Potsdam is one of the largest consumers in the North Country region, we are continually looking for ways to lessen our energy needs and support sustainability,” said Dr. Schwaller. “We pledge to do our part to make our local practices more ecologically sound.

DEVELOPMENT & AWARDS
Scholarship Golf Classic Connects Students and Donors

At the 19th SUNY Potsdam Scholarship Golf Classic, generous community and corporate sponsors teed off in support of SUNY Potsdam student scholarships. Thanks to the support of the more than 150 golfers and dozens of generous sponsors, this year’s tournament raised approximately $50,000 for the College’s Scholarship Fund and students’ dreams.

“The scholarship I received has provided me motivation to truly excel while at Potsdam. It also made me feel very welcome and greatly enhanced my smooth transition from JCC to Potsdam.”
-Calvin Burr ’09 Scholarship recipient

www.potsdam.edu/golfclassic

COLLEGE NEWS
Volunteer to Work with New Freshmen
“We C.A.R.E.” (College Active Retention Effort) is a campus-based program celebrating its third year at Potsdam. Regional alumni, college employees and student leaders volunteer to keep in regular contact with a group of students to help them with questions or problems,
and to remind them of important campus deadlines. If they desire, they also send their students some small gifts, such as something appropriate at the beginning of the college year. For the gifts, the Student Government Association has been helpful in partially subsidizing these costs.

If you’re interested in helping our new freshmen during the 2008-2009 academic year or if you need additional information about the program, please contact Joe Sarnoff, director of retention programs, at askjoe@potsdam.edu.

SPORTS
ECAC West Hockey League Welcomes Lady Bears
The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) recently announced that they are admitting the SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team into the ECAC West Women’s Hockey League beginning with the 2008-2009 season.

“We’re excited to become a part of ECAC Women’s Hockey. This is a tremendously competitive league. We are looking forward to the competition as we develop our team for the 08-09 season,” said Bears Athletic Director Jim Zalacca.

ECAC West boasts two of the nation’s top women’s programs, the Elmira College Soaring Eagles and the 2006-07 National Champion, the SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals. Other members include Buffalo State, SUNSUNSUNY Cortland, SUNSUNSUNY Oswego, Utica College, Chatham University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Neumann College.

LaRowe Leads NCAA 1-Meter Diving List
SUNY Potsdam diver Nathan LaRowe broke both school and conference records for the 1-meter diving event in a meet against St. Michael’s College. LaRowe totaled 329 points for the 1-meter dive in six dives.

The sophomore from Latham, NY, smashed the previous Potsdam record (308.70), which LaRowe set himself last January. He also broke the SUNYAC record (328.65) set in 2007 by SUNY Oswego diver Kevin Morgan. LaRowe also owns the SUNYAC record for six dives from the 3-meter platform (347.60). He holds the Potsdam records for 11 dives from the 1-meter (455.70), six dives from 3-meter (347.60) and 11 dives from the 3-meter (495.05). LaRowe has now positioned himself as the number one NCAA Division III 1-meter diver in the nation and has already qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Kraus Named Academic All-District
Jamie Kraus, a member of the SUNY Potsdam volleyball team, has been named to the Academic All-American District 1 Women’s Volleyball Second Team. The All-District team is selected by the College Sports Information Directors Association
(COSIDA) and presented by ESPN Magazine.

A Potsdam senior with a 3.90 grade point average, Kraus is a music business major. A New Paltz, NY, native, Kraus recently made her fourth consecutive appearance on the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) All-Conference Team.

SUNYAC Honors Three Volleyball Players
The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) has chosen three SUNY Potsdam volleyball players for 2007 East Division
honors. Freshman setter Kim Plummer was named the Rookie of the Year while senior Jamie Kraus was chosen as a first team middle hitter. Sophomore Priska Wilson was selected as libero for the second team.

Plummer, the Bears primary setter and a Horseheads native, finished regulation play with 1094 sets to average 8.75 per game. She also tallied 38 aces as one of the team’s top servers. A New Paltz native, Kraus is now making her fourth consecutive appearance as an all-conference team member. During regular season action she led the Bears with 314 kills and 107 blocks.

Wilson, now making her second All-SUNYAC appearance, is from Warwick, NY. She led her team with 632 digs for a 4.94 digs/game average. Wilson also served 37 aces during ’07 regulation
play.

2008 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
The Department of Athletics recently announced the Bears 2008 inductees for the Sports Hall of Fame. They include Peter Eberhardt ’78, Jennifer Ims Hallworth ’94 and John Ivery ’95. The induction ceremony will be held on July 12 as part of the College’s Annual Reunion Weekend.

An All-American member of the swim team, Eberhardt was team captain during the Bears two SUNYAC Championships in ’77 and ’78. Hallworth, a volleyball player from 1990-93, was awarded both All-SUNYAC and All-Academic honors. An All-American goalie, Ivery played on the men’s lacrosse team during both the 1994 and 1995 seasons.

NEW INITIATIVES
Helen Hosmer Bust Unveiled

Local physician and sculptor Dr. John B. Savage (l) and Potsdam President Dr. John F. Schwaller.

The likeness of one of SUNY Potsdam’s most legendary music educators will now live on forever in the concert hall that bears her name. Thanks to the generosity of donors Michael Maresca, MD and Barbara Maresca along with donor and sculptor John B. Savage, Jr., MD, Dr. Helen M. Hosmer’s bronze bust graces the Hosmer Concert Hall.

After attending a performance of “Rodelinda” in May 2006 at the Metropolitan Opera featuring the world-renowned talents of Class of 1993 alumna Stephanie Blythe and Class of 1981 alumna Renée Fleming, Drs. Maresca and Savage discussed ways in which they could facilitate the creation of bronze busts representing some of The Crane School of Music’s most accomplished and successful alumni.

After much discussion about who should get the first honor, it was decided it would be most appropriate to recognize the legacy and vision of Dr. Hosmer with the inaugural sculpture.

SUNY Potsdam officially became SUNY’s only “All-Steinway” School with the conveying of the prestigious title by Steinway & Sons Senior District Manager Ray Rotuna (l to r) and Steinway & Sons National Director of Institutional Sales Sally Coveleskie to The Crane School of Music Dean Dr. Alan Solomon and SUNY Potsdam President Dr. John F. Schwaller. The presentation took place before a performance by internationally acclaimed Steinway Artist Jeffrey Siegel (seated).

COLLEGE NEWS
Potsdam Officially Breaks Record with Largest Freshman Enrollment in 25 Years
SUNY Potsdam welcomed its largest freshman class in a quarter century this semester with a total of 837 full-time first-year students.

Even though admission to SUNY Potsdam is becoming increasingly selective, the College’s Class of 2011 broke the admission record set back in 1982.

Included in this year’s incoming freshmen were 13 students at the top of their class, including five valedictorians and eight salutatorians.

Director of Admission Tom Nesbitt attributes the increase to a number of factors, including SUNY Potsdam’s fine reputation for high quality academic and student life programs as well as implementation of an aggressive marketing and recruiting effort.

COLLEGE NEWS
Potsdam Ranked among Top Universities in the North
Understanding the power of peer education and the reality that, often times, those given the opportunity to teach learn most, SUNY Potsdam and The Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club entered into a partnership that is enriching and supporting the students of both institutions.

Potsdam President John F. Schwaller and Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Denise White signed the agreement in October formalizing the partnership in which SUNY Potsdam will work to support the Boys and Girls Club in the program areas of character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; arts; sports, fitness and recreation; culture; and technology.

COLLEGE NEWS
Potsdam Ranked among Top Universities in the North
For the ninth consecutive year, SUNY Potsdam is ranked among the top public and private regional universities in the northern United States in the University-Master’s category of the 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s guide, “America’s Best Colleges.”

“It is encouraging to know that all the efforts made by so many at SUNY Potsdam do not go unnoticed,” said Dr. John F. Schwaller, president of SUNY Potsdam. “While it is gratifying to be recognized by U.S. News and World Report as an exceptional regional university, we work hard to be more than the story numbers alone can tell.

Our students are fully enriched by the handcrafted education and personal attention we offer, and our distinguished alumni often remind us of how important the Potsdam experience has been in their lives.”

DEVELOPMENT & AWARDS
Retired Professor and Wife Establish Scholarship
Dr. Neil Johnson, SUNY Potsdam retired professor and former chair of Health and Physical Education, and hiswife, Marilyn, retired physical education instructor and coach at Clarkson University, have contributed a lead gift to establish an endowed scholarship for a student majoring in Community Health.

The Neil and Marilyn Johnson Scholarship will provide a $1,000 award each year to a Community Health major with financial need, to be awarded for the student’s junior and senior years.

While the criteria have not been finalized, the Johnsons’ intent is to help students who are involved in athletics or other fitness activities, and also students who are interested in working with the elderly, which is a growing field with many opportunities for graduates in Community Health.

Preference may also be given to students from St. Lawrence County, where the Johnsons have resided for 44 years.

Dr. and Mrs. Johnson have also established the Neil Johnson Excellence in Community Health Award, which is given to the top Community Health major who is a role model for physical fitness and wellness. The couple has funded the award each year since 2000.

COLLEGE NEWS
National Survey Reaffirms Potsdam’s Academic Excellence
According to the results of a recent national survey, seniors and first-year students rank SUNY Potsdam above peer institutions for numerous academic and social opportunities as well as for engaging practices associated with high levels of learning and development.

The 2007 report from The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) measures five key areas of educational performance: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences and supportive campus environment.

In all areas, SUNY Potsdam seniors rate the College higher than its peers. Seniors exceeded their peers in more than half of the questions across the five categories.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
115 Students Volunteer for Make a Difference Week
With students out in force using volunteer opportunities to help others, SUNY Potsdam celebrated “Make a Difference Week” from October 21 to October 27. A total of 115 student volunteers helped their neighbors and had a positive impact on their community, raising more than $5,000 dollars for different local and national charities.

Senior Dana Farley of Redwood, NY, got involved with the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce’s Fright Night Event because she wanted experience working with children outside of a classroom setting. “Not only does it feel good that you did something for your community, but it also gives you a chance to meet new people,” Farley said. “I met some students that go to SUNY Potsdam that I would have never met otherwise and also met people within the community.”

DEVELOPMENT & AWARDS
Potsdam Takes Home Three SUNY Student Affairs Awards
SUNY Potsdam won top honors from the State University of New York’s Outstanding Student Affairs Awards in the Student Government and Organizations category for their work on “Promoting Engagement in Student Organizations.”

The College also earned runner-up status in the Emerging Programs category for their “Family Programs” and in the New Student/First Year Program category for their “First Year Experience” program.

NEW INITIATIVES
Potsdam Offering Part-Time Graduate Teacher-Education Program in Ottawa
SUNY Potsdam’s School of Education and Professional Studies is now offering a part-time Master of Science in Teaching (MST) Program tailored to the needs of adult learners in Ottawa that will lead to Ontario certification in the primary and junior divisions.

“SUNY Potsdam has been preparing teachers for Ontario schools for decades in our fulltime, on-campus programs,” said William J. Amoriell ’68, dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies and Graduate Studies. “This new program is unique in that it is part-time, offered evenings and weekends, and will require significant fieldwork in the public-school classroom.”

After more than six years of preparation for accreditation in Ontario, SUNY Potsdam received approval from the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to offer a part-time graduate program of professional education in Ottawa. Learn more at www.potsdam.edu/ottawa.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Potsdam Theatre Students’ Works Performed in NYC
Fall 2007 theatre students in Associate Professor of Theatre Kimberley A. Bouchard’s honors class submitted work to a call for entries in the spoken word genre to “Words of Choice.” Of the 150 nationally submitted writings, four of the Potsdam submissions were selected and performed at The TACT Studio on Broadway. Bouchard, sophomore Meghan Brill of Farmingville, NY; senior Caitlin P. Brock of Massena, NY; and sophomore Tia Federice of Amherst, NY, traveled to New York City to see their pieces performed.

SUNY Potsdam represented one-quarter of the final 16 performance pieces performed by an ensemble of actors under the direction of Francesca Mantani Arkus.

COLLEGE NEWS
Dr. Fossum on Leave to Serve as Director of NSF
Dr. Timothy Fossum, professor and chair of SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Computer Science, is on leave for the 2007-2008 academic year to serve as a program director with the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington, D.C.

He will serve as program director for three programs reviewing and awarding grants: Scholarship for Service, Advanced Technology Education and Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement. “Having received grants in the past, this experience will enhance my understanding of what makes a grant proposal successful,” Dr. Fossum said. “It will be beneficial to see what other institutions are doing and to see what ideas interest the National Science Foundation so we can be on the cutting edge with future proposals.”

NEW INITIATIVES
BearTracker on the Move: Online Aid for Internships and Jobs
Finding a worthy volunteerism opportunity, an exciting internship, the perfect job or an alumni mentor is just a click away for SUNY Potsdam students since the launch of BearTracker, a new Web-based system that allows students and employers to post information about themselves in hopes of finding solid matches.

BearTracker combines the efforts of SUNY Potsdam’s Offices of Experiential Education, Career Planning and Alumni Relations to provide a platform for student and employer registration, résumé referrals, placement tracking, job posting and management, interview scheduling and alumni mentoring.

The CSO Interfase software allows the services of these three offices to be integrated with the overall education experience. It provides a user-friendly searchable database; builds relationships between students, employers and alumni; and develops a collaborative partnership among students, faculty, employers, the community and alumni.

Employers and alumni can begin posting their information by contacting Toby White at (315) 267-2483 or whitetj@potsdam.edu to schedule a training appointment.

RESEARCH
Collaborative Book by 15 SUNY Faculty Published
After two years of being available in limited release, the collaborative work of 15 SUNY Potsdam educators has been released nationwide through SUNY Press.

Written from the point of view of 13 different campus departments, “Ideas That Work in College Teaching” reflects SUNY Potsdam’s diverse and innovative teaching techniques, which contribute to its standing as a distinguished institution of higher education.

With a foreword by Dr. Galen Pletcher, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, co-authors include past and present faculty members Drs. Joel Foisy, Heather Sullivan-Catlin, John Massaro, Liliana Trevizán, Peter Brouwer, Caroline Downing, Robert Badger, David Curry, Oscar Sarmiento, Ronald Woodbury, Sergei Abramovich, Larry Brehm, William Herman, Peg Wesselink and Walter Conley.

Each of the 15 chapters succeeds in providing
a candid look into the faculty member’s teaching methods. Emphasis is placed on participatory learning giving practical examples
that encourage faculty to get their students
more involved and excited about learning.

Copies of “Ideas That Work in College Teaching” are available at the campus bookstore and also through SUNY Press at www.sunypress.edu/details.

DEVELOPMENT & AWARDS
Potsdam’s “Out of the Darkness” Walk Raises More Than $10,000
In November of 2007, 261 people took part in the inaugural Out of the Darkness Community Walk hosted by SUNY Potsdam that raised more than $10,000 for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention.

Every 16 minutes in the United States, someone dies by suicide.

Following the walk, people were invited to speak about why they were participating in the event and how suicide had touched them.

DEVELOPMENT & AWARDS
Faculty and Staff Share CASE Kudos for Work on Opera
The work done by 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, on the November 2006 world premiere opera event “The Sailor-Boy and the Falcon” featuring Metropolitan Opera star and alumna Stephanie Blythe ’93 has been selected by the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE) District II 2008 Accolades Awards Program as the Silver Award winner in the Special Events/Individual Events Category.