The Oswego Alumni Association (OAA) recently announced the university's 2024 Alumni Awards recipients, several of whom will be recognized during Reunion Weekend, June 6 to 9 in Oswego.
“SUNY Oswego’s vision, as shared by President Peter O. Nwosu, is to ignite possibilities and transform our students’ lives, and this year’s recipients are a testament to the outstanding quality of the alumni who graduate from this university,” said Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09, OAA executive director and director of alumni engagement.
“They have intertwined their personal and professional success with advancing their alma mater, their communities and society more generally," Kelly said. "The Oswego Alumni Association is proud to be able to honor their accomplishments, which reflect so positively on the university and our impact through the contributions of our 94,000 alumni worldwide.”
The six winners this year were selected from a strong pool of nominees, representing a range of class years, majors, careers and contributions. Those being recognized this year are:
- Brian J. Fogarty '82, Lifetime Award of Merit
- Shanna Fuld '16, Graduates Of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award
- Thaina Gonzalez '92, Alumni Impact Award
- Aunrée Jacques-Laurent Houston ’00, Alumni Impact Award
- Indie Lee ’93 (aka Lisa Swengros Agona) '93, Distinguished Alumna Award
- Martha Ellen Searles Sturtz '79, Community Service Award
Founder of a clean skincare and cosmetics company, Lee was selected to receive the Distinguished Alumna Award, the highest award presented by the OAA and given to individuals who have achieved national or international recognition in their field. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor, possibly caused by toxins from skincare products, and given six months to live in 2008, Agona, an accountant by trade, decided to create a legacy of change through clean skincare products. The new venture launched under a shortened form of “Independent Lisa,” which would become her new identity — Indie Lee.
For demonstrating a lifetime of both professional and civic leadership, general manager of Convergint Technologies Fogarty, a public justice major, will receive the Lifetime Award of Merit for his impactful contributions to such community organizations as United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island, New York Police Department, AHRC Nassau and Eden II Programs.
Receiving the Alumni Impact Award will be Gonzalez -- an Oswego Alumni Association Board of Directors member and director of the executive office and board relations at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, and a Spanish major -- and Houston -- an Oswego University Foundation Board of Directors member and vice president of account services and production operations at Paramount Global, and a broadcasting and mass communication major. Both Gonzalez and Houston are highly engaged individuals who volunteer their time, treasure and talents for the betterment of SUNY Oswego and the university's students. They will be recognized in the fall during Return to Oz VI, a reunion celebrating alumni of color, Sept. 27 to 29 in Oswego.
A retired real estate agent and school teacher and a childhood education major, Sturtz was selected to receive the Community Service Award for outstanding achievement in service to the Mexico, N.Y., and the Central New York community, especially through her work with the Mexico Food Pantry, PAWS Across CNY and Oswego County Opportunities Inc.
The founder, chief executive officer and host of Israel Daily News, Fuld -- a Spanish and broadcasting and mass communication double major -- will receive the GOLD Award for her commitment to journalism, objectively reporting her experiences and her tireless efforts to continuously improve her craft for her global audiences.
Read longer bios of each award recipient online.
Fogarty, Fuld, Lee and Sturtz will receive their awards during Reunion Weekend 2024, June 6 to 9, in Oswego.
Get the full details of Reunion Weekend online and watch for details on how to register.
-- Submitted by University Advancement