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The recognition of fifty years of service by SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Aniko Constantine highlighted a recent ��Ӱֱ�� State College (ASC) celebration. Faculty and staff gathered at the annual employee recognition luncheon to honor Constantine and others who are marking milestones in their service.

��Ӱֱ�� State President Dr. Steven Mauro introduced a to Constantine that included comments from former President Dr. John Anderson, colleagues, and former students. After a standing ovation, Mauro added his own praise before presenting her with an ��Ӱֱ�� State wall clock and a coat to commemorate the milestone.

“Students today and alumni all over the country have stories to tell about how Annie made a huge impact by helping them in their classes so they could achieve more,” said Mauro.

“Over 50 years of service, her dedication and skills are examples for other professors to follow. All of us benefit from her caring spirit. She truly cares for the emotional health, academic achievement, and wellbeing of each Pioneer who has been lucky enough to be in her class.”

Constantine has taught in the English and Humanities Department since 1974 teaching a variety of classes including introduction to composition, introduction to literature, short story, gender and identity in literature, and images of women in fiction. She is also the advisor to Ergo, the campus literary magazine and proudly serves as the grand marshal at all academic ceremonies.

All honorees below received a commemorative certificate and a gift to recognize their years of service to ��Ӱֱ�� State.

• Deborah ClaireSenior Programmer/Analyst

• Cheryl DowneyMaintenance Assistant
• Robin HarringtonSenior Financial Aid Counselor
• Marie HegartyJanitor
• Jim MastersonTrades Specialist (Electrician)
• Mary MonroeAccountant Aide
• Francine StabaInterim Associate Dean for Student and Faculty Development
• Robert WiseMaintenance Assistant

• Chad BixbyTrades Generalist
• Brent CobinSenior Staff Assistant
• Timothy CochranProfessor 10 Months
• Andrew DwyerMaintenance Supervisor 2
• Michelle FranciscoController
• Cynthia TestaniOffice Assistant 2
• Debra TommAdministrative Assistant 1
• Jason WhiteTransfer Advisor

• Karla BackProfessor 10 Months
• James BuellProfessor 10 Months
• Keelan CrostonTrades Specialist (Carpenter)
• Mark D’ArcyAssistant Professor 10 Months
• Eugene DoorleyHead Womens Volleyball Coach & Fitness Manager
• Tammy EdwardsAssistant Director for Extended Learning
• John KaffitzTrades Generalist
• David KendallAssociate Professor 10 Months
• Allen RaishAssistant Professor 10 Months
• Stephen RichardAssociate Professor 10 Months

• Alex BittermanProfessor 10 Months
• William BrownMaintenance Assistant
• Erica BrundageFacility Operations Assistant 1
• Douglas ButtersMaintenance Assistant
• Virginia ChamberlainFarm Manager
• Justin CorneliusCoordinator of Student Affairs Wellsville Campus
• Charles CutlerTelecom Technician
• Timothy DickersonInstructor 10 Months
• Jennifer EnkeAssociate Director of Athletics/SWA
• Lenny FrancePlant Utilities Engineer 1
• Carol GemmellJanitor
• Laura GeorgeAdmissions Counselor
• George GrossmanCleaner
• Gerald IanoviciAssistant Professor 10 Months
• Jeremy JosephInstructor 10 Months
• Sean KelleyAssistant Professor 10 Months
• Raymond MullenTrades Generalist
• Charles MusicCleaner
• Anna Pensyl-ShuttAdministrative Assistant 1
• Kristin PoppoProfessor 10 Months
• Timothy RohrerLecturer 10 Months
• Skip SullivanProfessor 10 Months
• Kevin TuckerInstructional Support Associate
• Mark WhitmanAssociate Professor 10 Months
• Daniel WoolstonAssistant Director - Health Services

��Ӱֱ�� State student Al-Aqib Coulibaly (Bronx) was one of 52 SUNY EOP students honored with the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for Student Excellence. The award, now celebrating its fourth class of awardees, recognizes outstanding EOP students for their academic merit and strength in overcoming significant personal obstacles throughout their lives.

Coulibaly, an architecture major that will graduate from the five-year BARCH program in May, is honored to receive this honor. “I have seen countless of my peer’s struggle, and it has inspired me to do my best. To see my hard work paying off is truly a blessing. I am nowhere near where I want to be in the future yet, receiving this award tells me that I am getting closer to my goal.”

“One of the most important lessons I have learned at ��Ӱֱ�� State is to never be afraid to try new things. For a person to learn and grow, they must be open to change, and change comes in a variety of forms that at times can appear scary or confusing which leads people to closing their minds. Closing one’s mind to change can lead to stagnation and so it is vital to be open-minded and try new things at a steady and manageable pace.”

The honor is named in memory of Norman R. McConney, Jr. (1946–2016), a graduate of the University at Albany and former assistant dean for special programs at SUNY. McConney, alongside former Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, helped create the EOP as a statewide program.

Educational Opportunity Program Counselor Shelby Aquilina is incredibly proud of Coulibaly. “Al-Aqib is one of the kindest humans I have ever met. He is incredibly hard working and always views the world in a positive light. He never lets his obstacles impact his positive outlook or willingness to find ways to reach success regardless of his struggles. His future is bright, and we can’t wait to see what he will achieve.”

“We celebrate the resilience and success of our SUNY EOP students. A student who is the granddaughter of an undocumented immigrant who struggled academically in high school, but today excels with a 3.7 GPA. A student who made it on the dean’s list while helping raise and provide for their siblings. Students who give back to their community to help younger kids have a better life," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “Each student we celebrate today has shown strength time and time again in pursuit of an education that will open the doors of opportunity and upward mobility."

Coulibaly shared a piece of advice he received at ��Ӱֱ�� State that he will take with him on the chapters of his journey. “You should never wait until the last minute to determine what you are going to do next. By planning your next moves, you not only can direct yourself as to what you want to do with your life, but also identify the challenges that you will face along the way, making your journey towards your goals a much easier trip.

Since its inception in 1967, the EOP has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. In its 56-year history, the EOP has served more than 80,000 students and evolved into one of the country's most successful college access programs.

��Ӱֱ�� State senior Heavy Equipment Operations students took part in a hands-on, real-world simulation of a trench collapse in partnership with the Wellsville Volunteer Ambulance Corp (WVAC).

The all-day event allowed students to understand the emergency response if a trench collapse took place in the workplace. The students worked with Chris Martelle, the WVAC rescue chief, in walking through a variety of rescues involving a trench collapse.

“In our world the most dangerous accidents always seem to be a trench collapse,” commented ASC instructor Brian Adams. We have thirty-five seniors taking part in this simulation experience and someday, somewhere one of them is going to have to assist in a rescue attempt. Rescue companies do not always have all the equipment needed or the manpower and they are going to rely on people in the field to help with the rescue.”

Martelle added, “the students need to understand that this is going to happen on a job site in construction. They are going to dig through material that is not good enough to maintain. They need to know how to react, and they need to understand what the next steps are instead of waiting for fire, EMS, and rescue to get on scene. They can start doing stuff on the job site that make the rescue faster and make it a rescue not a recovery.”

Students learned from Martelle and other members of the rescue team and were able to split into groups to perform different rescue scenarios. The students assessed the situation and went into rescue mode. The groups performed a rescue of a submerged victim and a buried victim.

William Banner (Brockport, NY) thought the experience prepared him for future jobs. “It adds to everybody's resume. We can say that we did a rescue for trench cave in, and it makes everybody look better.”

Adams was appreciative of the partnership with Wellsville Rescue. “There are great benefits to learning how to collaborate with different people at various times to get something done quickly. It aids both of us as a community and a school to be able to do those things together.”

This is one of numerous real-world simulations that Heavy Equipment Operations students experience during their time at ��Ӱֱ�� State. Later this semester students will be put through a water main break simulation.