2026 Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence Presented to SUNY Potsdam Students Chase Bond ’26 & Molly Collins ’26
SUNY Potsdam senior Chase Bond ’26, left, and senior Molly Collins ’26, right, have been named the recipients of the 2026 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
Two outstanding SUNY Potsdam seniors were recently among those honored with the 2026 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Chancellor John B. King, Jr., recognized the recipients in a ceremony in Albany on April 27. The SUNY Potsdam recipients included Chase Bond ’26 & Molly Collins ’26.
Chase Bond ’26 of Stanley, N.Y., is deeply committed to our environment, inclusivity and sustainability. A double-major in biology and environmental science, her curiosity constantly pushes her to gain new skills and put them to use, while her creativity enables her to perceive of and explore lines of inquiry that elude other scientists. She is an accomplished undergraduate researcher with an expansive repertoire of projects and interests. Among other projects, Bond took part in a summer-long research project to conduct surveillance for mosquito-borne zoonotic diseases in St. Lawrence County, providing detailed information to the New York State Department of Health to help monitor for West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis. She received support from the Presidential Internship Program and the Lougheed Center of Applied Learning to complete the project. Bond also won a Ram L. Chugh North Country Research and Public Service Award for her participation in a Kilmer Labs project analyzing a molecular method for monitoring greenhouse pest populations, working with the Wagner Institution of Sustainability and Ecological Research (WISER). She is the vice president of the Beta Beta Beta (Tri Beta) Biology Honor Society. Bond’s dedication to expanding human knowledge of the natural world is the driving force behind her work.
“I feel very honored to have been nominated for this award, let alone to have won it. I think more than anything, receiving this award speaks very highly of the support and opportunities that I have been given within the Departments of Biology and Earth and Environmental Sciences here at Potsdam. I feel very grateful to be receiving this award,” Bond said.
Originally from Pittsford, N.Y., Molly Collins ’26 is pursuing dual degrees in music education and trumpet performance at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. At Crane, Collins has been actively involved in Crane Jazz Ensemble, Crane Latin Ensemble, Crane Trumpet Ensemble and chamber groups, while also performing with ensembles including the Orchestra of Northern New York and Northern Symphonic Winds as a student apprentice. She has held principal positions in the Crane Symphony Orchestra and Crane Wind Ensemble, performed with the Frackenpohl Honors Brass Quintet, played lead trumpet in both the Jazz and Latin Ensembles since 2022, and was selected for the Giroux Honors Jazz Combo, a scholarship ensemble that represented the school through performances and outreach. Her performance highlights included appearances at the Crane Honors Recital, the International Trumpet Guild Conference and the International Women’s Brass Conference. She is a two-time recipient of the International Trumpet Guild Scholarship. With strong leadership and organizational skills, Collins served as president of both the Crane Student Association and the campus chapter of the New York State Band Directors Association, as well as being the collegiate vice president of NYSBDA, and serving as events coordinator for the ITG Emerging Professionals Board. With a deep commitment to education, Collins maintains a private trumpet studio and has worked as a Crane Youth Music counselor since 2024. She has been selected to present her Presidential Scholar research at an upcoming conference. After graduation, she will pursue a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance with a full teaching assistantship at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, while pursuing her long-term goal of teaching trumpet at the collegiate level and performing professionally, particularly in jazz and large ensemble settings.
“My programs of study have provided me with a strong and well-rounded foundation in both pedagogy and performance. Through my coursework and ensemble experiences, I’ve developed not only technical proficiency on the trumpet, but also the skills necessary to be an effective and adaptable educator. The combination of music education and performance has allowed me to think critically about teaching while continuing to grow as a musician, shaping my long-term goals in a meaningful way. As a Presidential Scholar, I have developed strong research and critical thinking skills that will serve as a solid foundation for my continued studies at the graduate level,” Collins said.
The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 to honor students who excel academically and show involvement in leadership roles, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement. Each year, campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews exemplary students. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor's Office and are subject to a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the award.
Each recipient receives a framed certificate and medallion, which is traditionally worn at Commencement. SUNY Potsdam will honor the two Chancellor’s Award recipients and the other graduates of the Class of 2026 in ceremonies on Saturday, May 16. For more information, 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.
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