Five Empire State University Employees Receive Prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Awards
(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – MAY 13, 2025) Five Empire State University employees have been selected as recipients of this year’s SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. The awards celebrate superior professional achievements of employees across the SUNY system and are divided into five categories: Faculty Service, Librarianship, Professional Service, Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Teaching. Michelle Campbell, Susan Fox, and Emilie Masiello were recognized for Professional Service; Ann Becker was recognized for Teaching; and Alice Lai was recognized for Scholarship and Creative Activities. President Lisa Vollendorf presented the awards during a private ceremony on May 12.
“I am incredibly proud of our dedicated faculty and staff who were honored with SUNY Chancellor’s Awards,” President Vollendorf said. “Their achievements reflect their commitment to serving our students and advancing Empire State University’s mission of access and opportunity for all.”
Ahead, this year’s honorees share in their own words what winning this award means to them.
Meet the Honorees:
Ann Becker, professor
“Being chosen for this prestigious award was an honor. I am very grateful to my dean, Nicola Allain, and my department chair, Paul Miller, for nominating me, and I am honored to have been selected as the recipient. I am pleased to know that my colleagues and students appreciate my dedication to teaching and mentoring at Empire State University.”
Michelle Campbell, director of Financial Aid
“I’m incredibly honored to be recognized with this SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Every day I have the privilege of working alongside people I truly respect and admire, so to be nominated for this award by my esteemed colleagues is something I hold dear. This recognition affirms my belief that professional service is not just a job — it’s a commitment to the mission of higher education, to the students, and to the staff who make that mission come to life every day. I want to thank my colleagues and team members who inspire me with their dedication and resilience. And to SUNY — thank you for seeing value in service that often happens quietly, but meaningfully, every day. This award renews my commitment to continue serving with purpose. Thank you again for this incredible honor.”
Susan Fox, operations coordinator for the School of Arts and Humanities
“Winning the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Professional Service is an incredible honor and reminds me of how fortunate I am to work alongside such talented, generous, and committed colleagues. This recognition feels less like an individual achievement and more like a celebration of the teams I’ve been lucky to be part of and the professional community that inspires and supports me.”
Alice Lai, professor
“Receiving the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities is deeply meaningful to me. It affirms the significance of the scholarly topics and activities I have pursued through my academic journey. I have dedicated my teaching, research, writing, and creative endeavors to advancing the value of the arts, humanities, and higher education through a critical and engaged method. To have these efforts recognized by my colleagues and SUNY in this special way is incredibly heartwarming. This recognition validates the intellectual commitments that have shaped my work and motivates me to continue creating scholarly work contributing to the broader academic community. I am truly grateful for this honor.”
Emilie Masiello, director of Academic Review for the School of Business
“I am honored to receive the SUNY Chancellor’s award. It is incredibly meaningful to have my work recognized, and I am grateful to be part of a school where colleagues value dedication and collaboration. This acknowledgement is both inspiring and humbling.”