The Reporter is SUNY Potsdam's news portal for faculty and staff. It features important information and announcements including campus policies, upcoming events, benefits information, grant information and updates about colleagues’ accomplishments.
Path of Totality
It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the total solar eclipse did not disappoint! The campus and community turned their eyes to the sky during the epic 3 minutes and 10.9 seconds of totality, and the clouds held off for a truly amazing view. 🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓
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‘Human-First Approach’
A standout hockey player in her youth, Olivia Cook ’24 went on to achieve great success as a Division I athlete and make a significant impact in both her Mohawk community of Akwesasne and in remote First Nation communities throughout Canada. Now, she’s a leader at SUNY Potsdam as head coach of the women’s hockey team where she mentors student-athletes, while simultaneously completing her degree in public health.
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Home Sweet Home
For Hannah Richardson ’24 entrepreneurship has always run in the family. Now a senior in the business administration program, she’s looking ahead to a career at her parents’ company, H. Richardson & Sons and HRS Forestry. After she receives her degree, she will not only be managing the books for her parents’ company, but also pursuing her MBA this fall.
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Liza’s Life in Lines
Liza Paige ’12, a Potsdam native and adjunct instructor of art at SUNY Potsdam, is hard at work on her next project—an interactive optical illusion drawn entirely in outlines, with props chosen to help replicate the feeling of a college dormitory dwelling. The “2D Dorm Room” is an immersive art experience that will be revealed in the Lougheed Learning Commons in time for the 2024 LoKo Arts Festival starting May 1.
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A March to Remember
Dr. Ed Portugal recently returned from a trip to the southwest where he completed his 11th Bataan Memorial Death March—an intensive 26.2-mile trek to honor the more than 60,000 Filipino and American soldiers who were forced to march to confinement camps during World War II.
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Bouncing Back from Adversity
One of the most talented athletes to ever play on the women’s basketball team, Jakia Howard ’24 wrapped up her final season with 1,192 points, the third-most in the history of the program. She led the team with a career-high 17 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game this year—all despite sustaining a slew of injuries and illnesses over the past four years, including recently being diagnosed with Celiac disease.
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'The Gold Standard'
Ever since the inception of SUNY Potsdam’s public health program (formerly community health), internships have been strategically integrated into the curriculum. The culminating capstone experience has allowed students to take the skills they’ve learned in the classroom, apply them in a real-world setting, and then fluidly transition to full-time jobs immediately after receiving their degrees. This semester, nine students are in the field gaining real-world training at sites ranging from Canton-Potsdam Hospital to the Canadian Ministry of Health.
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Finding her Home
A graphic design & new media major, Dekezia Gray ’25 talks about finding her creativity within the Department of Art, finding a safe space within the Center for Diversity, and forming lifelong friendships that began the first day she arrived on campus.
Launch Video
Advocating for Others
A child of deaf adults, Julita Nunez ’24 has seen firsthand the struggles that people with disabilities often face. Advocating for her parents defined her youth, and impacted how she has interacted with everyone around her. Now, a senior at SUNY Potsdam, Nunez is working as a peer advisor to help prepare her classmates for their careers—a leadership role that has been the perfect training ground for her own career aspirations focused on helping people with disabilities, the incarcerated, or students in higher education.
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Sustainability in Action
Spearheaded by Dr. Jessica Pearson and students from the Department of Environmental Studies, sustainability is taking a major leap forward at SUNY Potsdam this year. Food waste previously destined for the landfill will now be composted at Whitten Family Farms—and in the process the College will be saving money and making a positive impact on the environment.
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Breaking the Mold
In a world with rising education costs, Dr. Michael Rygel and Dr. Page Quinton are at the forefront of reducing financial burdens, while also elevating the academic experience for their students. They recently completed an OER textbook on sedimentary geology, full of photos and illustrations from their own research with SUNY Potsdam students and alumni, which is now part of the curriculum in Rygel’s 300-level course.
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"A School Year Can Change Your Life"
Laura Smith ’23 harnessed the impact and convenience of SUNY Potsdam’s fully online MST in Childhood Education by completing her coursework from Canada with the goal of building classroom communities that function in positive, inclusive, and energizing ways. A mother of three, the online program was the perfect option for Smith, who was then able to complete her student teaching placements right in Ottawa.
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2023 Through the Lens
As we roll into 2024, we take a moment to look back at some of our favorite images from the past year. Join us for a visual tour of life, academics, athletics, and hands-on learning opportunities in 2023.
Launch Gallery
‘A Transformative Journey’
Layers of experiences have continued to shape and mold Ayisha Khalid’s academic path at SUNY Potsdam. As she pursues a degree in interdisciplinary studies focused on criminal justice and political science, Khalid ’24 has been examining the inner workings of the criminal justice system, exploring socio-political activities around the globe, and using photography as a tool to tell important stories in the community.
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Hands-On Learning at HEARTH
Dr. Tim Messner talks about the value of the HEARTH (Hand-crafted, Experiential, Archaeological Research and Teaching Hub), a brand-new applied learning center at SUNY Potsdam.
Launch Video
