Celebrating Faculty Scholarship

Logo for Life of the Mind

Life of the Mind

Spotlighting the research and scholarly/creative activity, teaching, service and varied integrated contributions made by our faculty to the intellectual life of the campus community and beyond.

Nov. 2, 2026 (Mon), 1-5 p.m. & Nov. 3, 2026 (Tues), 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Morris Conference Center

Stop by Craven Lounge in the Morris Conference Center and learn more about the research and creative projects undertaken by faculty and staff from departments and offices across campus. Presenters will be available to discuss their work throughout the two days.


Community of Scholars

The Community of Scholars (COS) honors faculty research and other scholarly/creative work, recognizing publications (books, book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles and creative/other published works), professional contributions to the arts, and external grant awards.

Each dean selects a Scholar of the Year from the Community of Scholars honorees in recognition of accomplishments and contributions to their discipline.
The 2025 awardees are:

Mark Ferrara, Liberal Arts & Business
Gina Solano, Education, Human Ecology & Sports Studies
Brian Haley, Sciences
Erin Larucci, Milne Library

2025 scholars of the year and their deans.
Scholars of the year and their deans (left to right) Mark Davies, Dean of School of Education, Human Ecology & Sports Studies, Gina Solano, Darren Chase, Dean of Library Services, Mark Ferrara, Jeanine Mingé, Dean of School of Liberal Arts and Business, Brian Haley, and Tracy Allen, Dean of School of Sciences.

Additional Faculty Awards

Created to recognize faculty achievement outside the classroom, the Susan Sutton Smith Prize for Academic Excellence is named in memory of the late SUNY Oneonta professor of English. This award is made possible by an endowment created through the generosity of Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Mary Smith in memory of their daughter, Susan, and in honor of her commitment to academic excellence.

Award Winners

NAMEYEARDEPARTMENT
Will Walker2026Cooperstown Graduate Program
Mark Ferrara2025English
Kiyoko Yokota2024Biology
Adam Kent2023Music
Renee Whitman2022Anthropology
Gretchen Sorin2021Cooperstown Graduate Program
Melissa Lavin2020Sociology
Tracy Betsinger2019Anthropology
Matthew Hendley2018History
Florian Reyda2017Biology
Susan Bernardin2016English
Joseph Pignato2015Music
Cynthia Falk2014Cooperstown Graduate Program
Brian Haley2013Anthropology
Orlando Legname2012Music
Rob Compton2011ALS/Political Science
William Ashbaugh2010History
Michael Green2009Philosophy
Ho Hon Leung2008Sociology
Alexander Thomas2007Sociology
Donna Vogler2006Biology
Paul Lilly2005English
Richard Frost2004English
Williams Simons2003History
James Devlin2002English
Robert Jackson2001History
June Edwards2000Education
Carleton Clay1999Music
Lawrence Guzy1998Psychology
Peter DiNardo1997Psychology
P. Jay Fleisher1996Earth Sciences
John Relethford1995Anthropology

The Richard Siegfried Junior Faculty Prize for Academic Excellence is named in memory of Richard K. Siegfried, SUNY Oneonta Professor of Theatre from 1958 until 1995. Professor Siegfried (or Sieg as generations of students fondly called him) epitomized excellence in his academic life through imagination, meticulous scholarship and discipline, and through his expectation of the same pursuit of excellence in his students and colleagues. Created to recognize faculty achievement outside the classroom, this award is made possible by generous gifts from Alumni to the Fund for Oneonta and to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation.

Award Winners

NAMEYEARDEPARTMENT
Kaedan O’Brien2025Anthropology
Chelsea McCracken2024Communication & Media
Matthew Unangst2023History
Susan Goodier2022History
Alanna Rudzik2021Anthropology
Howard Ashford2020Africana and Latinx Studies
Daniel Stich2019Biology
Andrew Bottomley2018Communication & Media
Tyra Olstad2017Geography & Sustainability
Kristen Blinne2016Communication & Media
Andrew Gallup2015Psychology
Toke Knudsen2014Mathematics
William Walker2013Cooperstown Graduate Program
Tracy Betsinger2012Anthropology
Ibram Rogers2011ALS/History
Jacqueline Bennett2010Chemistry & Biochem.
Devin Castendyk2009Earth Sciences
Brian Lowe2008Sociology
Christine Quail2007Comm. Arts
Renee Walker2006Anthropology
Benjamin Dixon2005Geography
Tom Horvath2004Biology
Matthew Hendley2003History
L. Jean Palmer-Mooney2002Geography
Hugh A. Gallagher, Jr.2001Physics & Astronomy
Donald Allison, Jr.2000Mathematical Sciences
Nancy Bachman1999Biology
Robert Jackson1998History
Deborah Prosser1997Cooperstown Graduate Program
Gladys Jimenez-Munoz1996Foreign Languages
Achim Koeddermann1995Philosophy

Created to recognize faculty service both in and outside the classroom, the Ashok Kumar Malhotra Seva Faculty Award is made possible by an endowment from Dr. Ashok Kumar Malhotra, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy, to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation. Criteria for receiving the $1,000 award include: community service — locally, nationally, or internationally, the ability to motivate and inspire others to perform community service, and the integration of community service in the teaching and learning process.

Award Winners

NAMEYEARDEPARTMENT
James Zians2025Psychology
Rachel Kornhauser2024Office of Sustainability
Katherine Griffes2023Sport & Exercise Studies
Gayane Torosyan2021Communication & Media (Ceremony Recording)
Jacqueline Bruscella2020Communication & Media
Kristen Blinne2019Communication & Media
Alejandra Escudero2018Foreign Languages & Literature
Brett Heindl2017Political Science
Steve Walsh2016Management, Marketing, and Information
Gina Keel2015Political Science
Rosemarie Avanzato2014Human Ecology
Maria Montoya2013Foreign Language
Zanna McKay2012Elementary Ed. & Reading
Cindy Falk2011Cooperstown Graduate Program
Karen Joest2010Human Ecology
Alison Black and Jane Miller2009Elementary Ed. & Reading
Wendy Mitteager2008 InauguralGeography

The Simphiwe Hlatshwayo Award for the Outstanding Part-Time Instructor, which comes with a $500 cash prize, was created by the University Senate to recognize outstanding adjunct instructors as well as to encourage excellence in teaching. The award was named to honor the memory of Simphiwe Hlatshwayo, who was a graduate of SUNY Oneonta from South Africa and taught at SUNY Oneonta first as an adjunct, then later as an assistant professor.

Award Winners

NAMEYEARDEPARTMENT
Jonathan Bullinger2023 SpringCommunication & Media
April Ford2017 SpringEnglish
Katie Boardman2017 FallCooperstown Graduate Program
Nicole Weigel2019Anthropology
Matthew Avitabile2019History
Traci Michele Johnson2018Foreign Languages & Literature
Cynthia Flink2013Anthropology
Paul Lord2012Environmental Sciences
Michelle Garner2011Theatre/Physical Education
Bambi Lobdell2010English/Women’s & Gender Studies
Eric Schelimmer2009Physical Education
Carolyn McCruden2008Physics & Astronomy
Marjorie Pietraface2007Human Ecology
Stephen Rice2006English
Lynn Talbot2005Math
Dan Patrone2004Philosophy
Anne Traitor2003History
Lisa Gordon2002Math
Kathryn Finin (English) and David Richards (History)2001English/History
Kathleen Gordon2000Business Economics
Kevin Ickey1999Women’s and Africana & Latino Studies
Richard Lee1998English

The Innovative Pedagogy Award, which comes with a $500 cash prize, was created by the Office of the Provost to recognize and reward faculty who have developed and utilized innovative pedagogy in one or more of their courses. Innovative pedagogy includes practices that compel students to use critical thinking and reflection, that cause students to re-examine their assumptions and perspectives, that enhance student engagement and learning, which my include the use of technology in novel ways, and that engage students in high-impact practices.

The Outstanding Lecturer Award, which comes with a $500 cash prize, was created by the office of the Provost to recognize outstanding lecturers as well as to encourage excellence in teaching.

The Faculty Convivium is a luncheon lecture series featuring SUNY Oneonta faculty who present their research and creative activity projects, accessible to the non-specialist, in a collegial atmosphere. For more information or to view past presentations, visit the Faculty Convivium page.

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