SUNY Empire Spotlight: April 2025

(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.