SUNY Empire Spotlight: June 2025

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — June 25, 2025) The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty, staff, and leadership.  

Elizabeth Bradley, professor, edited and co-authored a book titled “Navigating Academic Motherhood: The Possibilities of Effective Mentorship for Tenured Faculty Mothers.” Assistant Professor Lauren Allen, Professor Diane Gal, Assistant Professor Blair Izard, Distinguished Teaching Professor Peggy Tally, Distinguished Teaching Professor Tina Wagle, and Assistant Professor Melissa Wells also served as co-authors.

Shantih Clemans and Debra Kram-Fernandez, both associate professors, presented at the International Association of Social Work with Groups annual symposium. Shantih presented “Joys, Frustrations, and Moments of Learning: Virtual Study Groups for Online Adult Learners.” Debra presented “The Women’s Therapy Center Institute Historical Project: The History of a Grass Roots Training Institute through a Social Work Group Work Lens” and “Engaging Aging: Using a Group Work Model to Promote Critical Thinking About Aging in America” (with co-presenter Lela Zaphiropoulos from the Women’s Therapy Centre Institute). 

Anita DeCianni-Brown, director of career and experiential learning services, presented “Scaling Career Supports for Nontraditional Students in an Online Environment” at the 2025 NACE Conference on June 10.  

Xiomara Giordano—assistant vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion and chief diversity officer—served as a panelist for the “Progress Under Pressure: Can We Still Deliver on the American Dream?” discussion hosted by the SUNY Global Center on June 18. Giordano also coordinated an event in collaboration with Hispanic Education Technology Services (HETS) held at 4 Park Avenue that day. The event, titled “Student Passport: Connect, Learn, and Lead,” promoted international connection and academic engagement, with five student presentations on subjects ranging from interior décor to health sciences. President Vollendorf addressed attendees and Digital Accessibility Coordinator Pam Doran presented on machine translation—a powerful resource built into the software used by the university community that facilitates multilingual communication in the landscape of higher education.    

Douglas Gruse, chief marketing officer, and members of the Marketing and Creative Services team attended SUNYCUAD’s 2025 Awards for Excellence ceremony, where they received Judges’ Citation awards in the Excellence in Creativity and Excellence in Strategy categories.  

Lynn Lubecki, assistant professor, has been named a consulting editor for the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) journal, Young Children, and NAEYC publications. 

Alan Mandell, professor emeritus, was the invited keynote speaker for the “President’s Dialogue Series” at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver, BC, on May 6. 

Njoki Mwarumba, assistant professor, spoke with Spectrum News 1 about how Canadian wildfires are impacting air quality in New York.  

Renee O’Brien, adjunct instructor, was featured in the National Association of Women Artists’ 136th Annual Exhibition, on display at New York’s Leonovich Gallery from June 6-21. The show highlighted one of O’Brien’s photographs.  

Shannon Pritting, executive director of the Office of Graduate Studies and Scholarly Support; Pam Doran, digital accessibility coordinator; Herbert Covington, assistant professor; Jolie Kennedy, assistant professor; and Hope Sun, associate professor, co-published an article, “AI-integrated Literature Discovery Tools: A Guide to Reviewing for Institution-wide Use,” in the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship. 

Ian Reifowitz, distinguished professor, appeared on France 24 and ARC Rochester to comment on the protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles and President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard and the Marines. In separate interviews with ARC Rochester this month, he discussed war and diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran, as well as the cease-fire and the constitutionality of President Trump’s actions.  

Kim Stote, associate professor, co-authored an article that was recently published in the Annals of Medicine.  

Betty Wilde-Biasiny, professor of visual arts, is featured in “New Drawings,” a juried group exhibition curated by Samantha Friedman of the Museum of Modern Art. On view at the Kentler International Drawing Space in Brooklyn, the exhibition runs through July 20.  

SUNY Empire Spotlight: May 2025

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — May 28, 2025) The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty, staff, and leadership. 

Lauren Allen and Noor Syed—both assistant professors and the assistant director and director of CAARES, respectively—received mini-grants from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

Nidal Daou, assistant professor, co-authored an article discussing positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) as related to neurodiversity-affirming practices. The article was published in the spring 2025 edition of the International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support. 

Pamela Doran, digital accessibility coordinator, received an Innovative Instruction Technology Grant (IITG) for her proposal titled “Custom Machine Translation to Support Spanish-Language Higher Education Programs.” 

Desiree Drindak, director of the Veteran and Military Resource Center, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Foreverly House by the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition. The Foreverly House is a transitional home for veteran mothers and their children who are experiencing homelessness. 

Cailyn Green, assistant professor, and Thalia MacMillan, associate professor and department chair for Health & Human Services, recently published a textbook titled “Evidence-Based Substance Use Treatment.”  

Himanee Gupta, professor, was featured on an episode of Radio Catskill, which focused on community sustainability.  

Thomas Mackey, professor and program coordinator for the digital media arts program, organized a presentation by Michele Zizza on “Disinformation, Digitization, and Destabilization,” which provided a glimpse into the contents of Zizza’s new book. Zizza’s presentation, hosted by the Center for International Education, analyzed the effects of fake news on international politics in today’s global digital era, as well as strategies for strengthening the integrity of information. 
 
Pamela Malone, strategic improvement lead and UUP Empire State chapter president, received the Judith Wishnia Award at last month’s United University Professions’ Delegate Assembly. According to UUP, the award “recognizes UUP members who have rendered exceptional service (beyond standard union work) and who have advocated tirelessly for UUP, labor, equity, and humanity.” Malone was also selected to join the statewide team for the next round of UUP’s contract negotiations with New York state. 

Aley O’Mara, CAARES program associate and training coordinator, was quoted in a WHAM article about an interactive theater game hosted by CAARES. 

Shaun Richman, program director for the School of Arts & Humanities, appeared on an episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his new book, “We Always Had a Union: The New York Hotel Workers’ Union, 1912-1953.” 
 
Jason Russell, professor, spoke about President Trump’s impact on Canada’s election results and tariffs on Talk of the Town. 

Heather Shalhoub—librarian and coordinator for web services, user experience, and systems—was the keynote speaker at the 2025 Arab American Heritage Month event hosted by the Office of the State Comptroller’s Division of Diversity Management. “This was the first time the office celebrated Arab American Heritage Month, and it was an honor to be invited and to represent my heritage, culture, and family,” she says. 

Gayle Stever, professor, has co-authored a second-edition textbook titled “Understanding Media Psychology,” which will be published in July. Her co-authors include J. David Cohen, an adjunct instructor. Stever was also recently quoted in articles about celebrities by Cosmopolitan and Yahoo Entertainment.  

Victoria Vernon, associate professor, contributed as one of eight experts to a recently published U.S. Government Accountability report titled “Telework: Private Sector Stakeholders and Expert Views.”  

President Lisa Vollendorf was honored as one of six recipients of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce’s Women of Excellence Award in a May 9 ceremony. She was also named to City & State’s annual Trailblazers in Higher Education list for the second consecutive year. 

Melissa Wells—assistant professor and director of teaching, learning, and faculty development—had her article, “Enhancing Faculty Integration: The Role of Structured Onboarding, Peer Mentorship, and Belonging,” accepted for publication by The Journal of Continuing Higher Education. 

President Lisa Vollendorf Named Among Women of Excellence for Leadership and Community Impact

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — May 9, 2025) The Capital Region Chamber of Commerce Women of Excellence Awards, celebrating 34 years of honoring outstanding women in the region, will recognize six distinguished recipients on Friday, May 9. Among them is Dr. Lisa Vollendorf, the sixth president of Empire State University and a dedicated advocate for expanding access to higher education. 

Vollendorf, who will receive the chamber’s Excellence in Management award, was selected based on criteria that include initiative, innovation, and the ability to drive organizational growth.  

“I am committed to authentic and inclusive leadership. For me, that means showing up as being true to the person you are. Leadership requires a lot of self-reflection, insight, empathy, and compassion for those around you,” Vollendorf said.  

With over 30 years of experience as an educator, scholar, and university leader, Dr. Vollendorf has demonstrated exceptional management and leadership skills. Since joining SUNY Empire in July 2022, she has rapidly positioned the university as one of the fastest-growing public institutions in the state by emphasizing high-quality online education. Under her leadership, SUNY Empire has experienced record enrollment in Fall 2024, reversing previous declines and serving 17,000 students of all ages and backgrounds through over 125 flexible academic programs. 

Vollendorf said, “I find this award to be very humbling. I look at the past recipients and think how fortunate I am to be considered excellent alongside so many incredibly empowering women.” 

To learn more about President Vollendorf’s management style, view her Women of Excellence video here.  

SUNY Empire Spotlight: April 2025

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — April 29, 2025) The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty, staff, and leadership. 

Frances Boyce, lecturer in the School of Business; John Lawless, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Dianne Ramdeholl, professor in the School for Graduate Studies, collaborated with Mike Klein from the University of St. Thomas on “Decentering Whiteness: Democratizing Adult Education to Transform Academia.” The article was published in the spring 2025 issue of Dialogues in Social Justice.  

Michael R. DiNicola, graduate academic advisor, recently appeared on the NACADA Presents podcast, where he spoke about his work and SUNY Empire’s programs for students.  

Daniel Fogarty, assistant vice president for the Office of Enrollment Management and Marketing, was quoted in a Business Wire release about cybersecurity education and SUNY Empire’s participation in IBM’s Cyber Campus initiative.  

Janay Jackson, administrative assistant for the Center for Teaching and Learning, attended Lens & Light: 2025 New England Photography Summit: Knowledge & Networking for Photographers in late February. 

MaryBeth Litz, business analyst; Ashley Mason, executive director of New Student Experience & Persistence Initiatives; Michelle Paine, director of Enterprise Architecture and Applications; and Van White, CRM Advise systems administrator, attended Ellucian’s E-Live conference in Orlando, Florida. There, Mason and White presented “Leveraging CRM Advise for Effective Engagement and Student Success.” 

Alan Mandell, professor emeritus, published a book review, “Critical Faith: What It Is, What It Isn’t & Why It Matters,” in the spring 2025 issue of Dialogues in Social Justice.  

Aley O’Mara, CAARES program associate and training coordinator, was quoted in a WNYT article about SUNY Empire’s work to support neurodivergent students.  

Ian Reifowitz, distinguished professor, has collaborated with Brookyln College adjunct assistant professor Anastacia Kurylo a new book, “Riling Up the Base: Examining Trump’s Use of Stereotypes through an Interdisciplinary Lens,” which is due out in July. He recently also received SUNY Empire’s Scholars Across the University Award. 

Shaun Richman, program director for the School of Arts & Humanities, published a new book titled “We Always Had a Union: The New York Hotel Workers’ Union, 1912-1953” on April 8. 

Jason Russell, professor, spoke about the trade conflict between the U.S. and Canada on Talk of the Town. He was also featured in an episode of Look This Week by Look Media Resource. 
 
Jeff Schuhrke, assistant professor, received an International Labor History Association Honorable Mention award for his 2024 book, “Blue Collar Empire.” 

Gayle Stever, professor, was quoted in an article by The Sydney Morning Herald about celebrities sending personalized videos to fans. 

Noor Syed, assistant professor and the founding director of CAARES, participated in a United Nations roundtable discussion about the impact of technology on people with Autism.  

President Lisa Vollendorf was featured in two Presidents Forum podcasts, where she spoke about emerging technologies in personalized learning and expanding Pell Grant access. She also appeared on an episode of the Chat with Pat podcast titled “Federal Impacts on Veteran Students, Students with Disabilities, and Diversity.” 

Melissa Wells, assistant professor and director of teaching, learning, and faculty development, had her article, “A National Universal Design for Learning Curriculum: Advancing Access and Equity for Students with Disabilities,” accepted for publication in the May 30, 2025, edition of NASET’s The Practical Teacher. She recently also received SUNY Empire’s Scholars Across the University Award. 

Rachel Zielinski, adjunct instructor, presented “SEL Detectives: Unpacking Social-Emotional Literacy through Play, Exploration, & Observation” during SUNY Empire’s annual early childhood residency at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester. Twenty-one students and faculty—including lecturer Kim Avery, professor Tracy Galuski, assistant professor Lynn Lubecki, and assistant professor Terri Ward—attended the residency, held on March 29. 
 

SUNY Empire Spotlight: March 2025

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — MARCH 31, 2025) The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty and staff.     

Mindy Boenning, active duty program coordinator for the Veteran and Military Resource Center, recently presented at the Council of College and Military Educators symposium in Maryland, offering insights on best practices for Army Tuition Assistance schools.  

Luis Camacho, assistant professor and academic coordinator of the Spanish Language BBA, received a continuing education certificate from the HETS Learning Technologies Leadership Academy.  

Tracy Galuski, professor and chair of the department of educational studies, was named a 2025 Champion for Children Honoree by New York Association for the Education of Young Children, which recognizes contributions to the field of early childhood education. 

Cailyn Green, assistant professor of addiction studies, gave a poster presentation titled “Developing a Sustainable Open Education Resource on Social Justice” at the Washington Oregon Cascadia Higher Education Sustainability Conference in Oregon. Along with assistant professor Bernadet DeJonge, Green also published “Resources to Support Addiction Counselors: A Qualitative Investigation” in the Journal of Substance Use.  

Bethany Hicks, assistant director for military academic and student services at the Veteran and Military Resource Center, was elected to the executive board of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s Veterans Business Council. 

Sewon Kim, professor of management in the School for Graduate Studies, co-edited a collection of articles on workplace coaching for Frontiers in Psychology. 

Mindy Kronenberg, visiting assistant professor of writing, literature, and the arts, will have a poem published in an upcoming anthology for World Poetry Day. On March 23, she participated in a virtual reading hosted by Moonstone Arts Center in Philadelphia.  

Jenny Mincin, associate professor in the School for Graduate Studies, presented “Trauma and Crisis Intervention: Supporting Refugee Communities” at Dublin City Community Co-op in Dublin, Ireland on March 14. 

Leah Perry, associate professor of literature, communication, and cultural studies in the School of Arts and Humanities, was invited to be a guest speaker at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in late February. Perry’s presentation was based on her recently published book, “Indigenous Dispossession, Anti-Immigration, and the Public Pedagogy of US Empire.” 

Gayle Stever, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, will have her book “Parasocial Experiences” recommended in the May 2025 volume of CHOICE magazine. 

SUNY Empire Spotlight: February 2025

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The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty and staff.    

Zeeva Bukai, assistant director of academic support, had her first novel, “The Anatomy of Exile”, published on January 14 by Delphinium Books. 

Julie Gedro, dean of the School of Business, received the prestigious R. Wayne Pace HRD Book of the Year Award by the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD). This accolade recognizes her outstanding contribution to the field of Human Resource Development through her latest publication, co-edited with Dr. Tonette Rocco of Florida International University, The Routledge Handbook of LGBTQ Identity in Organizations and Society.   

Sewon Kim, professor in the School for Graduate Studies, has been reappointed as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Human Resource Development Quarterly (HRDQ) for a second term (2025–2027). HRDQ is a top-tier, peer-reviewed journal recognized for its scholarly impact in human resource and organization development. 

Mindy Kronenberg, visiting assistant professor, had a book review of “Rupture” by Adrie Rose published by Mom Egg Literary Journal.  

Alexandra Rush, assistant professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, had a manuscript accepted for publication. “Navigating The Tides of Change: Girls’ Experiences in Scouts BSA” will be published in the Journal of Youth Development.   

President Lisa Vollendorf was named to the 2025 Board of Directors of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce for a one-year appointment. 

SUNY Empire Spotlight: January 2025

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — January 30, 2025) The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty and staff.    

Anita DeCianni Brown, Melissa Zgliczynski, Noor Syed, and Lauren Allen will participate in the Pathways to Inclusion project, which is sponsored by the Office of Disability Resources at SUNY System Administration, in collaboration with the SUNY Career Development Organization (CDO) and John Robinson, president and CEO of Our Ability. SUNY Empire was one of six SUNY schools chosen to participate in the program, which runs from January-August 2025. Together, Robinson and the teams at SUNY Empire will create and implement a strategic plan focused on empowering students with disabilities. 

Alison Brust, assistant director of virtual student services in 1Stop Student Services, will be featured in Ocelot’s Automatic Content Generation Masterclass series on January 30, 2025. 

Nadine Fernandez, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, authored the opening chapter of “Intersections of Tourism, Migration, and Exile”, which won the Edward M. Bruner Prize for best book published in 2022-2024 by the Council on Heritage and the Anthropology of Tourism at the American Anthropological Association.   

Cherrelle Hall, assistant to the vice president of Enrollment Management and Marketing, will be presenting at the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education’s Annual Conference March 29-April 1 in Washington, DC.  Her proposal is “Authenticity, Empathy, and Leadership: Perspectives of Black Women Administrators in Academia.” 

Tom Mackey, professor in the School of Arts and Humanities, was featured in a discussion “Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, and Civic Discourse: SUNY Core Competencies in the FIT Classroom” on January 24.  

Njoki Mwarumba, assistant professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, was featured in WXXI’s segment “Dialogue on Disability: Disaster preparedness often excludes people with disabilities; how do we prevent tragedies?”  

Ian Reifowitz, distinguished professor in the School of Arts and Humanities, was featured in France 24 for political commentary on Jimmy Carter’s funeral.  

Shaun Richman, program director, spoke about Trump and the labor movement in MSN. 

Gayle Stever, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, published an article in The Amplifier Magazine titled “Understanding Cameo: Research on a new social media service”. Stever was also featured in an article by The Washington Post about Hope Walz’s videos and their effect on Democrats, and in the New York Times about a Tik Tok star with a terminal illness. Stever also spoke on The Ringer NFL Show, “There’s Something About Josh”. 

Libby Tsibulsky, director of health and wellness programs, was featured in the Daily Gazette and WXXI on her work with Empire State University’s virtual food pantry. 

Victoria Vernon, associate professor in the School of Business, coauthored two papers that were mentioned in the 2025 Economic Report of the President. 

SUNY Empire Spotlight: Nov. 2024

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — NOVEMBER 25, 2024) The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty and staff.  

Lauren Allen, assistant professor in the School for Graduate Studies and Assistant Director of the Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports, co-authored and presented “Socially valid collaboration and consultation” in “Psychology Essentials for Behavior Analysts.” Allen also presented “Health and mental health equity: A role for higher ed?” at the College Autism Summit in Columbus, Ohio. Allen and Noor Syed, assistant professor and director of CAARES, co-authored and presented “Pursuing higher education systems-level change in the pursuit of inclusivity,” “Universal Design,” and “Neurodiversity in Higher Education.”  

Alan Belasen, professor in the School for Graduate Studies, published “Brilliant Leadership – Unlocking the Power of Innovation-Communication.” The book presents a holistic view of what it means to become a successful leader in the transformative digital age. It provides practical strategies and assessment tools for developing the skills essential for communicating with empathy and authenticity, engaging and inspiring others, creating accountability from shared commitments, and sparking learning in a purpose-driven innovation culture. Earlier this year, Belasen and Barry Eisenberg, associate professor in the School for Graduate Studies, published “Transforming Leadership, Improving the Patient Experience.” The book explores the relationships between coordinated care, expert leadership, provider-patient communications, and patient experience. When clinical and nonclinical staff collaborate effectively, health care teams can improve patient outcomes, prevent medical errors, improve efficiency, and increase patient satisfaction. In October 2024, collaborating with Ari Belasen, Southern Illinois University, Alan published “Signaling Trust During Disruptions: Perceived Gender Differences in Trustworthy Leadership Traits” in “Gender in Leadership: An International Journal.”  This research article offers methodology for measuring trustworthiness based on transparency, credibility, accountability, and honesty during disruptions and an empirical test for analyzing perceived gender differences in trustworthy leadership traits. Currently, Belasen is working on a new book project “Middle Managers: Bridging the Trust Gap.” The book is presented as a practical guide for leaders and professionals wishing to gain skills for building and maintaining trust in the workplace. 

 Val Chukhlomin, professor in the School of Business, published “The EMERALD Framework: A practical approach to generative AI integration” at the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.  

Herbert Covington, assistant professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, published a new paper in “Psychopharmacology.” Covington served as the senior and corresponding author for this paper, titled “Delineating anticipatory arousal from reward consumption: evaluating fixed-intervals in cocaine seeking-taking response chains.” 

Michelle Eades-Baird, associate professor in the School for Graduate Studies, and Dan Nyaronga, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, published “Psychological, informational, and material factors impacting girls’ menstruation-related school absenteeism in rural Tanzania,” in the “East African Journal of Education Studies.” 

Tom Mackey, professor in the School of Arts and Humanities, facilitated a panel for International Education Week. The panel was hosted in collaboration with North-West University in South Africa and featured educators from other global partner universities. Mackey and Shiela Aird, former director of European academic programs, presented sections of their book “Teaching Digital Storytelling: Inspiring Voices Through Online Narratives,” which connects digital storytelling and metaliteracy to the virtual exchange taught by Mackey, connecting students at SUNY Empire to students in Prague for a collaborative project.  

Jenny Mincin, associate professor in the School for Graduate Studies, presented “Dealing with Trauma” and her work with refugees at the Ukraine Accommodation Providers Seminar in Ireland. 

Shannon Pritting, director of library services, presented at several regional, national, and international presentations. On October 15, 2024, Pritting, along with Rob Sanders, Christine Paige, Winifred Storms, and Melissa Wells presented “From the Ground Up: Care and Collaboration Through Access and Affordability,” at the Association for Continuing Higher Education Conference. On October 17, 2024, Pritting, along with Cailyn Green, Bernadet DeJonge, and Jennifer Collins, presented “Social Justice OER: From writing to online modules,” at the SUNY OER Summit. On October 29, 2024, Pritting led a featured episode on Research Solutions’ “Bringing Users Back to the Library” series, in which Pritting spoke about Empire State University’s efforts to provide research services to faculty with limited staffing via systems integration and user-oriented platforms and technologies. Pritting also began an invited position as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Educational Technology Systems and recently published an article in the journal: Library Resources and Technical Services titled “A Cohort Model Approach to Addressing Library Accessibility in a Large, Devolved Library System.”  

Shaun Richman, program director, published a chapter in a new volume of “Marxist Historian,” by Philip S. Foner, from International Publishers. Richman was asked to contribute to the revised and expanded Foner collection after publishing a review of the posthumously released “History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. 11” in Jacobin Magazine. The original Foner Reader was edited by SUNY Empire Professor Emeritus Roger Keeran in 1995.  

Amy Ruth Tobol, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, published her essay “The Law Students Civil Rights Research Council” in “More Voices of Civil Rights Lawyers,” published by University Press of Florida.  

Sarah Valentine, assistant professor in the School of Nursing and Allied Health, presented “Pathways for Community and Hospital Response to Environmental-Pollution Related Health Impacts: A Prototype Logic Model” as part of the Arthur Imperatore Community Forum Fellowship.  

Christopher Whann, associate professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Science, participated in a panel “The American Election: What happened, why, and what it means to you,” along with journalists and professors from other institutions. The panel looked at the global impact of the U.S. election results and how people can anticipate changes, particularly in Africa.  

Mary Zanfini, Lecturer in the School of Arts and Humanities, presented “Humanistic research with Neurodiverse Adults” at the International Academic Forum 5th Barcelona Conference on Education.  

SUNY Empire Spotlight: Oct. 2024

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — OCTOBER 30, 2024) The latest news on research efforts, awards, grants, and media appearances from Empire State University faculty and staff.  

Luis Camacho, assistant professor in the School of Business, was recognized with the “Excellent and Distinguished Academic and Scientist Friend of the Universidad de Orienta Award” in San Miguel, El Savador on October 5, 2024.  

Valeri Chukhlomin, professor in the School of Business, published “AI-Driven Strategies for Local Businesses in the Global Economy: SUNY Microcredential in Advanced Artificial Intelligence for Economic and Business Analysis” with Upward Mobility Books.  

Michelle Eades-Baird, associate professor in the School for Graduate Studies, and Dan Nyaronga, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, published “Psychological, Informational, and Material Factors Impacting Girls’ Menstruation-related School Absenteeism in Rural Tanzania” in the East African Journal of Education Studies.  

Karis Jones, assistant professor in the School for Graduate Studies, published “Fandoms in the Classroom.” The book, published with Myers Education Press, examines how to keep school-aged children more engaged in the classroom using their interests and roleplay to reimagine education.  

Elise Kermani, adjunct professor, screened four films at The Center for Performance Research in Brooklyn, New York on October 13, 2024. Kermani’s films use mythology to tell stories with different perspectives, often incorporating artistic dance and music.  

Maureen Kroning, interim dean of the School of Nursing and Allied Health, delivered a keynote address at the New York Community College Trustees (NYCCT) 70th annual conference. Kroning was asked to speak because of her impactful research on the nationwide nursing shortage, community health, and how New York State legislation can help.  

Tom Mackey, professor in the School of Arts and Humanities, co-edited “Teaching Digital Storytelling: Inspiring Voices Through Online Narratives,” with Dr. Sheila Aird, former director of European Programs. Aird and Mackey also co-authored a chapter on framing. The book emerged from their co-teaching of Digital Storytelling, a legacy course at Empire State University that was revised as a virtual exchange between students in the U.S. and in Prague, Czech Republic. Mackey was also the keynote speaker for the XI Simposio Internacional, organized by the University of Magdalena in Santa Marta, Colombia. The conference focused on challenges and opportunities with artificial intelligence in education.  

Raul Manzano, visiting assistant professor in the School of Arts and Humanities, received a merit award for “Between Good and Evil,” an oil painting, at the 2024 Center for Contemporary Arts National Juried Art Competition in Abilene, Texas.  

Jenny Mincin, associate professor in the School for Graduate Studies, was invited to the editorial board for the “Palgrave studies in Disaster and Emergency Management.” The journal provides state-of-the-art summaries of the field of disaster science and emergency management. The series aims to transfer evidence-based scholarship that enables researchers, practitioners, and students to impact science, practice, and policies. Each volume addresses social and global inequities in an effort to reduce human suffering. The series sets an agenda for future research, policy, and practice interventions needed to move scholarship and emergency management forward. The Board is currently soliciting proposals for short volumes or authored monographs and edited collections that address critical topics of concern worldwide. Mincin plans to contribute to the series as well.  

Shaun Richman, program director in the School of Arts and Humanities, published “Misjudging Labor” in The New York Review. 

Jason Russell, professor in the School of Graduate Studies, was named an external faculty associate of the Global Labor Research Center at York University in Toronto, Canada.  

Gayle Stever, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, published a new book “Parasocial Experiences: Psychological Theory and Application” with co-author David Giles. The book, published with Oxford University Press, presents a combination of theoretical and applied approaches to parasocial relationships.  

Lynette Stewart, associate professor in the School of Human Services, was named to “The Qualitative Report” editorial board. Stewart will help carry out the journal’s editorial mission, provide guidance and mentorship to new authors, and review manuscripts along with a team of academic peers and editors.  

Nan Travers, director of the Center for Leadership in Credentialing Learning, co-presented “Miles to Go: The Journey of Credential As You Go” at the 2024 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education in New Orleans, Louisiana.  

President Lisa Vollendorf published an Op-Ed on autism-supportive education on the Presidents Forum. Vollendorf discussed Empire State University’s work as an autism-supportive institution and encouraged other university leaders to examine their systems and see how they can better serve learners of all backgrounds and expand access to higher education. 

Melissa Wells, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, authored an issue of the National Association of Special Education Teachers “The Practical Teacher,” “Supporting Students with Disabilities in Transitional Services: Advocating for Post-Secondary Success.”  

Melissa Wells, Christine Paige, executive director of Empire Online, Winifred Storms, Interim Coordinator of UG Academic Advising Services, Shannon Pritting, director of library services, open and digital learning assets, and Associate Provost Robert Sanders presented “From the Ground Up: Care and Collaboration through Access and Affordability” at the 86th Annual Association for Continuing Higher Education Conference on October 15, 2024.  

President Vollendorf appears on The Rant podcast

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(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — OCTOBER 30, 2024) Preisdent Lisa Vollendorf appeared on The Rant Podcast on October 29, 2024 discussing opportunities to reimagine who is served in higher education.

The episode, titled “Designing a University for Working Learners,” examines the future of higher education and Empire State University’s role offering online, accessible higher education to thousands of people across the globe.