Around the SUNY Oswego campus

The final round in the School of Business annual student entrepreneurial Launch It competition took place Nov. 12 in Rich Hall. Pictured are first-place winners of $2,500 (sponsored by Riverwalk) Molly Bergin and Robyn Kilts for their project "Hush Bracelet." They are with, from left: Irene Scruton, assistant dean of business and director of MBA programs; competition judges Ed Alberts, an Oswego MBA alumnus and founder of Wired and Riverwalk; 2006 alumna Sarah Mastrangelo; and Kevin McMahon, a 1978 alumnus and chairman and CEO of Edwards & Kelcey; along with Prabakar Kothandaraman, dean for the School of Business. Not pictured are the judges who served online; Lisa Wodka from Sherwin Williams, and 2007 alumnus Mike Davis. The second-place winner of $1,500 (sponsored by Sherwin Williams( is Sa'Cora Sneed for "Accustom," while the third-place winner of $1,000 (sponsored by Wegmans) is Iyana Armstrong for "Style Me." The fast-paced event was formatted with student presenters and judges both in-person and online. Watch for a full story in a future edition of Oswego Today.

The 2021 Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit hosted a panel of media professionals who discussed the theme: "On-Demand In Demand: Audiences and the Future of Video Streaming." Held Oct. 27 in Tyler Hall's Waterman Theater, it included thoughtful discussion by panelists (on stage) Jamie Duemo, media and entertainment business development leader for Amazon Web Services; and Chrissy Guest, associate professor of media arts, sciences and studies, Ithaca College, with online panelists (on screen) 1983 alumnus Frank Palumbo, vice president - local television, Nielsen, and Renard Jenkins, vice president, content transmission and production technology, Warner Media. Moderator (seated at left) was Justin Dobrow, a 2017 SUNY Oswego graduate and supervisor of program operations at NBCUniversal supporting Peacock.

The Career Connector networking event is an annual part of the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit that provides students with the opportunity to talk with alumni professionals in their field of interest. Shown with students in the Tyler Hall lobby after the panel discussion is 2017 graduate Carmen Mendoza, commercial operations coordinator for Sundance TV. Many of the Career Connectors also spoke to classes that morning to talk about their jobs and experiences in the industry.

Merryl Tisch, chairman of the State University of New York Board of Trustees, visited SUNY Oswego Nov. 16 to meet with President Deborah F. Stanley, faculty and students. Tisch, second from left on right side of the table, shown during a meeting with President Stanley and students, is one of the nation's leading voices on education, having served at the helm of New York State’s governing body for education from 2009 to 2016. As Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, Tisch was responsible for setting the state’s education policy and overseeing both public and private education throughout New York.

The SUNY Oswego Department of Intercollegiate Athletics inducted seven former Laker student-athletes into the 2021 Hall of Fame class during a ceremony Nov. 13 in Sheldon Hall ballroom. Seated, from left are: Maureen Kaspereak ’06, women’s soccer; Kathryn Carbonaro Rozak ’05, women’s lacrosse;  and Holly Kohler Duncan and Heather Kohler Valpreda accepting the award posthumously for Richard G. Kohler ’66, men’s basketball. Standing, from left are Brendan Edward Bryan McLaughlin ’09, men’s hockey; Bob Hagan ’88, men’s hockey; and Thomas Fitch ’71, wrestling. Unable to attend and missing from photo is David Locascio ’63, wrestling.

The Nov. 11 Fall Open House welcomed prospective students and their families to participate in campus walking tours; bus tours; tours of various buildings and departments; an information fair in Marano Campus Center with college offices and faculty from each major; presentations on admissions, financial aid, housing; and more. Senior meteorology major Matthew Rolph (left) and faculty member Yonggang Wang (second from left, facing camera) talk with a group interested in the meteorology program as Rolph lead them through Shineman Center labs and classroom, including a view from the Observation Deck of the Lake Ontario shoreline.

A Veterans Luncheon took place Nov. 11 in the college's Battle Buddy Center, located in 110 Lee Hall, in honor of Veterans Day and coinciding with the campus Fall Open House. The lunch and open house recognized campus veterans and active duty military. Pictured are, from left: Don Cleveland, 2018 alumnus and former Veterans Club president; Reg T. Braggs, director of the SUNY Oswego Syracuse Campus; Ken Cisson, Extended Learning's coordinator of the Battle Buddy Center; senior Remmington Johnson; junior Victoria Schmidtbonacker; Matias Garcia, director of the Oswego County Veteran's Agency; and Aaron Johnson, Facilities Management staff member and military veteran.

The annual Fall Technology Conference brought together educators from across the state to share ideas, learn best practices, explore emerging ideas and build their networks. The two-day event organized and hosted by the college's technology education department is now in its 82nd year, which was held Oct. 28 and 29 in Park and Wilber Halls.
Because of the college's esteemed technology education program, many speakers and participating educators are Oswego graduates. (Photo provided by the students in TEL 363 Communication and Multimedia Systems and additional students.)

Mark Marano, a 1984 SUNY Oswego business administration alumnus and CEO of Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. in North Carolina, was a featured guest presenter Nov. 2 in the electrical and computer engineering senior seminar course. He later visited with the School of Business as well as additional Shineman Center classroom and lab facilities during a tour hosted by electrical and computer engineering chair Marianne Hromalik and Kristin Croyle, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

2015 chemistry alumnus Chris Winn, an account manager with Waters Corporation and has also worked for SGS Galson and Anheuser Busch, talked about the career with several chemistry classes on Nov. 15. He is pictured speaking with chemistry major Tyler Ziobro after Fehmi Damkaci's "Organic Chemistry" class. 

University Police Technical Sergeant Richard Sherwood was named recipient of a 2021 SUNY University Police Professional Service Award, which honors officers state-wide for demonstrating heroism and professional commitment to public safety. Sherwood, pictured in center, is congratulated by SUNY Oswego University Police Chief Kevin Velzy (left) and Assistant Chief Scott Swayze. Watch for a full story in a future edition of Oswego Today.

The Office of Learning Services Tutoring Center, located in Penfield Library, offers one-to-one and small-group help in classwork in a variety of subjects. Pictured is Cruzmary Vallejo, a freshman childhood education major, getting help with her Chemistry 1 class from Slater Bushen, a senior biochemistry major. The most updated schedule calendar for Drop-In Tutoring and Events is available online. 

The Native American Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers performed Nov. 5 in Sheldon Hall ballroom as part of the keynote for the Global Awareness Conference. The conference's theme explored Indigenous food sovereignty, an activist movement advocating for indigenous peoples' right to control their own food sources and distribution rather than relying on mega-corporations. This "Year of First Nations" event, partnered with the college's Institute for Global Engagement and Artswego, featured speakers, projects and performances Nov 1 to 5. 

SUNY Oswego's storytelling class returned to in-person presentation for the 6th annual Oswego Town Rural Cemetery: Ghost and History Storytelling Tour on Oct. 29. Under the direction of professor Jonel Langenfeld of Oswego's theatre faculty, costumed performers like Gurkirat Singh bring the tales of local historical figures to life in this admission-free family-friendly event.

The Baskets of Caring fundraiser, sponsored by SUNY Oswego's State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA), is the college's biggest annual fundraiser for this campaign, earning thousands of dollars every year to support the United Way of Greater Oswego County. This year's event, held online and in the Marano Campus Center concourse, invited the campus community to “vote” for their favorites among various themed gift baskets by purchasing a $1 chance for baskets they are interested in. Pictured is Hannah Leonard, a senior journalism major and SEFA intern, casting several of her choices.

Music professor Juan LaManna directs the College-Community Orchestra in the group’s free concert Nov. 18 in Waterman Theatre. The annual performance showcases the musical talents of Oswego students and community members.

Students walk near the wooded area between Tyler and Mahar halls Nov. 4 when vivid fall colors were on full display. Light snow arrived in the the area right on time around Thanksgiving break.