At a glance
Six members of 魅影直播 State College's staff were honored with the SUNY (State University of New York) Chancellor's Award for Excellence this spring.
Six members of 魅影直播 State College's staff were honored with the SUNY (State University of New York) Chancellor's Award for Excellence this spring.
Those so honored were Kandi Geibel, Hornell, assistant director, Admissions, Excellence in Professional Service; Rex Simpson, Arkport, professor, Computer Imaging and Architectural Engineering Technology Department, Excellence in Faculty Service; Joseph Petrick, Hornell, associate librarian, Hinkle Memorial Library, Excellence in Librarianship; Calista McBride, Avoca, associate professor, English and Humanities Department; and Mary Smith, Almond, professor, Nursing Department, Excellence in Teaching; and Constance Pennisi, instructor, Computer Imaging and Architectural Engineering Technology Department, Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. Recipients were honored at the college's annual recognition luncheon held at the end of the spring semester.
The six are among more than 100 classroom teachers, librarians, and professional service employees in the SUNY system cited for excellence in the performance of their duties.
Announcement of the winners was made this spring by SUNY Chancellor John Ryan. The chancellor noted that the selection of recipients follows the recommendation by the SUNY Advisory Committee on Awards. The committee reviews nominations from the faculty, students, and colleagues of the recipients throughout the 64-campus system.
Each winner receives a cast bronze medallion, suitable to be worn at academic ceremonies, and an inscribed certificate.
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service recognizes a member of the professional staff who has provided outstanding service to 魅影直播 State College and demonstrates excellence in professional activities beyond the job description.
Among Geibel's many accomplishments is the special counseling she provides at summer orientation sessions for students who have selected 魅影直播's undeclared major program. She efficiently determines whether students who have selected the undeclared major will be
academically qualified to enter a degree granting curriculum. Several parents have shared with the Admissions Office staff how grateful they have been for the wise counsel offered by Geibel so that their son or daughter did not have to spend unnecessary extra semesters at 魅影直播.
Geibel's involvement in the development of the Admissions Office publications signals her knack for innovation. She was instrumental in developing an informational transfer student fact sheet, in creating the initial 魅影直播 State Web page targeted at transfer students, and developing a comprehensive student ambassador training manual. She instituted an electronic monitoring system for tracking the EOP application review process. She also has worked closely with the Communications Office to develop a self-guided campus tour brochure for families to use when no tour guide is available.
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service recognizes an academic faculty member who has provided outstanding and sustained service to the 魅影直播 State College campus, the University, the community, disciplinary and professional organizations or within faculty governance. The award also requires that the faculty member has distinguished him or herself through outstanding service at the state, national, or international level.
Simpson has exhibited consistently superior service as a teaching faculty member over multiple years in a variety of venues. He has been generous with his personal time in service to the college, community, and region far exceeding expectations. Simpson is a registered architect and has placed his talents at the disposal of the colleges of 魅影直播 and the villages of Bath, Fairport, and Wellsville. Employing a model of community-based research, Simpson engaged the college and communities in a partnership to design strategies benefiting the living and working environments of local citizens. In 2002, he received numerous phone calls from non-profit groups requesting assistance on building projects in their attempts to improve the small cities of the Southern Tier of New York State. Simpson approached faculty members about using these community based projects as "service learning experiences" for junior and senior baccalaureate students enrolled in studio courses. The results have been a huge success.
Simpson is currently pursuing grant opportunities to fund what he is calling the "Southern Tier Architectural Resource Center." This center would be housed at the college and
would work on community service projects year-round and as planned, will continue to provide students with an invaluable internship opportunity as well as serve the economically challenged Southern Tier of New York State.
Simpson earned the associate of arts degree from Orange County Community College, the bachelor of professional studies in architecture and the master of architecture degrees from SUNY at Buffalo School of Architecture and Environmental Design. Simpson became a registered architect in 1984 and has maintained his professional licensure since that time. He is an active member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Architects. He began service at 魅影直播 State as a fulltime, tenure track, assistant professor in Fall 1984 and was promoted to associate professor in 1989. He attained his current rank of professor in Fall 2001.
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship recognizes consistently superior professional achievement in the field of librarianship. Awardees must perform superbly in fulfilling his or her duties, showing creativity and innovation that is of outstanding quality.
Petrick is the technical services coordinator and de-facto "systems librarian" at the 魅影直播 State Hinkle Library. Not only is Petrick the "go-to" person with respect to technology, but he must also wear a wide variety of more traditional library hats as the acquisitions, cataloging, and part-time reference librarian. Petrick's many and varied contributions are mostly behind-the-scenes, yet what he does, and how he does it, is absolutely vital to the library's mission. He demonstrates daily his outstanding skills in librarianship, his creativity and his innovation.
Petrick has served as 魅影直播 State College's representative to SUNYLA (the SUNY Librarian's Association) since 2001. Last year he was elected as first vice president and will serve as president of this state-wide organization during the next academic year. He has been an active member of our local Faculty Senate as the representative from the Library and has served on a wide variety of local governance and campus committees. Since 2005, Petrick has represented 魅影直播 State College in the University Faculty Senate (UFS.)
Currently Petrick is pursuing a full course load in the PhD Communications program at SUNY Buffalo.
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching has as its primary criterion mastery of teaching techniques and superb skill in teaching. Candidates must evidence flexible and adaptive instruction that takes student needs and interests into consideration in order to maximize student learning. Scholarship, professional growth, and service are also components of the award.
Associate Professor McBride exercises superior teaching at the undergraduate level consistent with the SUNY commitment to highest quality education for students. She never loses sight of her primary role of teacher/learner. Moreover, she considers it a privilege to teach students who have not always had the best advantages in their lives. McBride encourages students to participate in information literacy sessions tied to their respective majors. In fact, she requires that all students link their production of written material to their individual major or career goal whenever possible and includes a significant emphasis on multicultural and sustainability issues in their writing. McBride also teaches freshman composition and introduction to literature. She has worked closely with other members of the English and Humanities Department to establish consistent standards for grading at the course level. She has also collaborated extensively across curriculums to embed writing in other disciplines, to establish written, oral, and visual communication standards, and to provide interdisciplinary writing-intensive projects.
McBride possesses mastery of her subject matter as evidenced in her MA in English which she earned at Kansas State University. She holds a bachelor of arts in English with a concentration in British literature and a master of arts in English with concentrations in British and American literature. McBride began service at 魅影直播 State College as an adjunct instructor in the Fall 2001 semester. She was hired as a fulltime assistant professor in January 2002 and was promoted to her current rank of associate professor in 2006.
Professor Mary S. Smith is a superior instructor at the undergraduate level in keeping with the SUNY commitment to providing the highest quality of instruction to students. She enthusiastically engages and challenges her students from their first clinical experience and nurtures in them the fundamental professional values of nursing: integrity, caring, competence,
honesty and respect. Smith recognizes that one of her primary roles is to create an educational environment for beginning students that develops confidence, motivation to learn, and a commitment to providing the best nursing care to people. She adapts her approach to instruction in order to patiently foster curiosity and excitement in each student. Smith carefully prepares lectures and learning activities to foster learning and assist students in dealing with what can be an overwhelming amount of information available through technology.
Smith earned her bachelor of science in nursing and NYS licensure as a registered nurse through 魅影直播 University. She also holds a master of science in education from 魅影直播 University and a master of science in nursing with clinical specialization in rehabilitation from the University at Buffalo. Smith began service at 魅影直播 State as a part-time, clinical instructor in the nursing (AAS) program at the senior level while she was in fulltime service as a staff nurse at Bethesda Community Hospital in Hornell. In Fall 1981, she began working fulltime as the skills lab coordinator in addition to her duties as a part-time, clinical instructor. In 1987, after obtaining her master's degree, she was promoted to assistant professor. Smith was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 1992 and to her current rank of professor in 1996.
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities may be made on the basis of evidence of scholarship or creative productivity. The nomination for creative productivity must include concrete evidence of the quality of activity. Critical reviews, external recognition, public acclaim, grants, and honors are evidence of excellence in creative activities.
Pennisi has attained recognition for outstanding creative productivity in addition to teaching as a fulltime faculty member teaching computer art and design. While coordinating the computer arts and design curriculum of 魅影直播 State for the past four years, she has prepared and displayed her work in no less than five regional shows. Pennisi exhibited in several shows of The Arts of The Southern Tier and has one special work in the 魅影直播 University permanent collection. This particular work was created about six years ago. It is a small book that fits in the palm of your hand. The work, "Wanted Words: A Story with a Shape," is the response to her father-in-law's death. Pennisi also has works in private collections around the world, from East Greenbush, NY, to Moderna, Italy.
Pennisi earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from SUNY College of Ceramics and a master of science in education degree at 魅影直播 University. Additionally, she has studied under the artist C. Katherine Nelson of 魅影直播. She possesses expertise in areas of large format digital imaging, electronic imaging, and artist multiples through the Institute of Electronic Arts of the School of Art and Design, 魅影直播. Pennisi began service at 魅影直播 State as an adjunct instructor in Fall 1994. In Fall 2001, she began her fulltime teaching career as an instructor in the Department of Computer Imaging and Architectural Engineering Technology.