SUNY Potsdam Class Leaders Meghan Spaulding ’25 & Alexandra Sveshnikova ’25 Recognized with 2025 Faculty Awards
Two outstanding SUNY Potsdam graduates have been recognized as the academic honorees for the Class of 2025, earning the 2025 Faculty Awards. The award recipients, Meghan Spaulding ’25 and Alexandra Sveshnikova ’25, were chosen by the Faculty Senate and will be specially recognized during Commencement.
The SUNY Potsdam Faculty Award recognizes two students in the graduating class with the highest grade point averages. One recipient must have completed all of their degree requirements at SUNY Potsdam, and the other is a transfer student.
The honorees will receive a cash award and a certificate of recognition, and their names will be displayed on a plaque in the Lougheed Learning Commons.
About the academic honorees:
Meghan Spaulding ’25 of Adams, N.Y., is graduating with her bachelor’s degree in early childhood/childhood education (birth to Grade 6), with a minor in English. A graduate of Watertown High School, she completed her studies through SUNY Potsdam’s dual degree program with Jefferson Community College, transferring to the baccalaureate program after having completed her associate degree there. She has been on the President’s List for all four semesters at SUNY Potsdam, and is the recipient of the Departmental Scholar Award. She also completed an internship in English transcription, working with Dr. Lisa Wilson. After graduation, she plans to teach at the Kindergarten level, and pursue her master’s degree through SUNY Potsdam’s online graduate program in literacy.
“This is a huge honor for me because I am the true definition of a non-traditional student. I am a wife and a mom of three very busy kids. In my free time, when I am not doing college work, I watch them play sports and do all the things moms do while also working on my bachelor’s degree,” Spaulding said.
Alexandra Sveshnikova ’25 of New Russia, N.Y., is graduating with her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and psychology. She is a graduate of Ambleside School of Fredericksburg in Fredericksburg, Texas. Sveshnikova has taken full advantage of applied learning opportunities at SUNY Potsdam, completing three internships, including one in biological anthropology concerning primate detention, one as the curator for the biological archaeology lab on campus, and one as a field technician working in Kenya with the Turkana Miocene project. Sveshnikova studied abroad at the American College of Greece for her junior year. She also completed a Kilmer research project with Dr. Nasser Malit on his research in the central highlands of Kenya, and a Presidential Scholars research project on profiling skeletons from medieval burials in Central Kenya. Sveshnikova has worked as a teaching assistant for Dr. Malit, assisted Dr. Sergio Lopez in editing the AIBR anthropological journal, and served as a study abroad ambassador for the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning. She has presented her research at the Bioloarchaeologists’ Northeast Regional Dialogue, the Paleoanthropology Society Meeting, and at the campus Learning and Research Fair and upcoming Honors Colloqium. She is a member of the Honors Program, and will soon publish co-authored research along with Dr. Malit and other scholars.
“My immediate career plans include finding an anthropology-related job, ideally something in a museum. In a year or two I would like to continue my education by attending graduate school for biological archaeology,” Sveshnikova said.
Both students will receive special recognition during SUNY Potsdam’s Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17. To learn more about Commencement at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/commencement.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.