Congratulations To Recipients of the 2023 SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence

SUNY Schenectady is pleased to congratulate five members of the College’s faculty and staff who earned the prestigious 2023 SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. The SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence were created more than 45 years ago to honor the distinguished performance of SUNY’s teaching faculty, librarians, and members of the professional and classified services. Recipients receive cast bronze medallions to be worn at Commencements, Honors Convocations, and other ceremonies. The College presented the awards during the Annual Employee Service Awards and Retiree Recognition Celebration on Aug. 25.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Catia Laird de Polanco, Associate Professor in the Division of Liberal Arts (recently named Human Resources Recruitment Specialist and Chief Diversity Officer)

Since she began teaching as a participant in the Internship Program for the Development of Minority Faculty in the Division of Liberal Arts more than a decade ago, and then was named Instructor in 2013, Assistant Professor in 2016, and Associate Professor in 2021, Catia Laird de Polanco has created a more inclusive learning community and a more meaningful learning experience for her students.

In her Spanish courses, Associate Professor Laird de Polanco created her own learning materials with expanded grammar lessons, new vocabulary lessons, audio support for vocabulary and grammar lessons, new cultural lessons in the target language, new assignments, and expanded practice exercises. The changes provided students with a more meaningful, rigorous, and personally-relevant learning experience. She has included lessons that directly address how indigenous populations are challenging Western conceptualizations of sexual identities in Bolivia and transgender identities in certain regions of Mexico, as well as a reading comprehension assignment that explores the career of a Guatemalan badminton parathlete who has won medals in several international competitions. She also wanted her courses to offer an academically supportive learning environment. As part of that support system, Ms. Laird de Polanco made the course available on Brightspace (online) at the start of the semester so that students can review all that is expected of them throughout the course.

Ms. Laird de Polanco is an active member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). She wrote the current Student Learning Outcomes for SUNY Schenectady's Spanish courses to reflect both SUNY World Languages General Education requirements and ACTFL’s World Readiness Standards. She holds an M.A. and B.A. in Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies from the University at Albany and an A.A. in Individual Studies from SUNY Schenectady.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service
John L. O’Connell, Associate Professor in the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism

In addition to teaching in the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism, Associate Professor John O’Connell has enriched the lives of students through his service to the College community.

During his 17 years at the College, Associate Professor O’Connell has accompanied hundreds of students to 13 Kentucky Derbies, the Ryder Cup, and The Belmont Stakes, which all offered students practical and invaluable experiences. He has earned Instructor and Exam Proctor status with ServSafe and Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPs), allowing him to offer recertification exams to graduates each semester without charging them any of the usual fees, while proctoring the exams on his own time. Twice a month, Mr. O’Connell picks up food from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and delivers it to the College’s Food Pantry. He is also Co-Advisor of the Hospitality Club.

Mr. O’Connell has served as President of the Union of Faculty and Professionals (UFP) since 2018, was Co-Chair for Standard VI during the Middle States reaccreditation process, and he has served on several search committees, the organizing committee for the annual Food for Thought and All That Jazz gala, and the Faculty-Student Association. He also conducts in-house lab inspections that prepare the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism for Schenectady County health inspections.

In addition, he is active in the community. Mr. O’Connell offers ServSafe training for local restaurateurs for county food permit renewal and has conducted a program review for Albany’s Abrucum Center. His involvement with numerous events in the community, including those through the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, ProStart NY competitions, and Albany’s Alive at Five for example, provide him with knowledge and experience that he shares with students in his classes.

He holds his M.B.A. from Empire State College, B.S. in Economics and Finance from the University at Albany, and A.O.S. in Culinary Arts/A.A.S. in Hotel and Restaurant Management from SUNY Schenectady.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service
Dawn Jones, Assistant Director of Career Services

Through her leadership and creativity, Dawn Jones has consistently offered opportunities for students to engage with employers and explore career options, while also serving as a valuable resource for her colleagues.

Ms. Jones has been an outstanding support for students since she first joined the College in April 2008 as a Non-Traditional Career Specialist. This was especially evident during the pandemic when the College moved to online instruction. Because she stays ahead of current trends in career services, Ms. Jones was able to easily transition to virtual career services. She was instrumental in the implementation of a College-wide live chat system to engage visitors to the College’s website and to provide online assistance. She worked to provide students with access to live virtual speed networking sessions and virtual speaker panels. In addition, she helped to establish the SUNY Schenectady CONNEX online career mentoring network.

Ms. Jones facilitated a team to develop and implement the “My Survey to Success” to improve onboarding processes for new students. As the College reopened, she expanded services to include additional professional development workshops for EOP, TRIO and Early College in the High School students, as well as résumé development for students in the Liberty Partnerships Program. In addition, Ms. Jones established a Career Clothing Closet so that students could access donated professional attire at no charge, to assist them in their professional pursuits.

She was a Team Lead for the DEI Professional Development Initiative and helped to coordinate the first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Professional Development Day in January 2023. She was the Two-Year Director Liaison for the SUNY Career Development Organization from 2019-2022 and is a Member of the Perkins Grant Advisory Committee and Local Needs Assessment.

Ms. Jones holds an M.A. in Adult Learning from Empire State University, B.S. in Psychology and Sociology from SUNY Potsdam, and an A.S. in Human Services from SUNY Schenectady.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service
Kimberly Kirker, Executive Secretary II, Student Affairs Division

Kimberly Kirker has contributed to the betterment of the College in a myriad of ways and is an outstanding source of support and a wealth of information for students and her colleagues alike.

Mrs. Kirker treats everyone with respect and has a compassionate way of solving problems before they escalate, while providing exemplary customer service to students. She continually goes beyond the scope of her job description. For example, during the pandemic, Mrs. Kirker was called upon to review and input thousands of COVID immunization records. She used Banner and other technologies to assist her with this monumental task, utilizing resources in creative and adaptive ways. She continues to manage and collect all immunization records and lead efforts in complying with NYS Public Health Law. Mrs. Kirker’s patience and the compassion she exhibits on a daily basis is admirable. She is able to calm students who may be frustrated and talk to them in an easygoing, respectful manner. Her ability to think quickly on her feet and anticipate unintended consequences is impressive.

Mrs. Kirker is a steady presence for her colleagues as well, anticipating the needs of the Student Affairs Division before staff even make requests. She plans all facets of travel requests including arranging transportation, making reservations for lodging/meals, and planning reimbursements. She plans morale-building events for staff, helps to onboard new staff, and mentors new employees. Mrs. Kirker has excellent organizational skills, and excels at tasks including coordinating budget lines, ensuring accuracy in quotes, requisitions, and vendors, and planning all facets of travel requests. A member of the Commencement Committee, she has been essential in decision-making, especially as the College moved to our outdoor ceremony. She routinely assists with major events including Accepted Student Day, Welcome Week, and all facets of Commencement. Mrs. Kirker has also been an advocate for equity in food service on campus making sure offerings include gluten free options.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
Maria Farina, Division of Liberal Arts

Maria Farina has been a member of the College’s Adjunct Teaching Faculty in the Division of Liberal Arts for nearly 20 years, consistently earning high marks from her students in both introductory and advanced courses.

Ms. Farina has taught an impressive array of courses including Introductory, Developmental, Adolescent, Abnormal, and Educational Psychology. Her students describe her as “professional and creative” as well as “warm and caring.” Her classes are the first to be filled and always have a waitlist. Her Early College High School colleagues note that this demand reflects her exemplary reputation, passion, and commitment to student success.

Ms. Farina has actively engaged in professional development to continuously improve her pedagogy, participating in SUNY Online Training and Lumen Circles, and in 2022 she earned a Certificate in Teaching and Learning from the SUNY Center for Professional Development in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In addition, she is active in the Adjunct Faculty Union, always striving for fair and equitable working conditions for herself and colleagues. Ms. Farina has been instrumental over the past 10 years as an Instructor and Mentor for new instructors in the Early College High School Program (ECHS). She has served more than 250 students through the five-week summer program.

A colleague’s review of Ms. Farina’s online Developmental Psychology course noted, “Instructor Farina’s organization of her course, her content offerings, and her communication with students is excellent. Instructor Farina’s class is exemplary in its design, its execution, and its accessibility."

Ms. Farina holds an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Westfield State University and a B.S. in Psychology from Castleton State University.