SUNY Potsdam

Two outstanding SUNY Potsdam graduates have been recognized as the academic honorees for the Class of 2025. The award recipients are chosen by Faculty Senate and are specially recognized during Commencement.

This award, given by the New York State Public Health Association, recognizes a fellow working through the Public Health Corps who is committed to public health initiatives and community improvement.

Two outstanding SUNY Potsdam students were recently among those honored with the 2025 Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.

SUNY Potsdam's Department of Business Administration recently hosted its 61st Business Plan Competition, which challenges students to develop an entrepreneurial business plan fulfilling the need of a specific group of consumers.

This award is presented to art history majors or minors, who are traveling to further their education and to advance their knowledge of art history. The award will be based on merit as determined by the faculty, in consultation with the department chair or designee.

This award is presented to the senior Spanish major(s) with the highest grade point average.

This honor is awarded to the senior French major with highest grade point average.

The Women's and Gender Studies Junior Scholar Award, initiated in 1994 to celebrate women's and gender studies student excellence, is presented annually to a junior women's and gender studies major or minor who most clearly exhibits academic excellence both in women's and gender studies courses and in overall academic pursuits.

Faculty in SUNY Potsdam's Department of Art selected outstanding students as First-Year Scholars.

This award is presented annually to the student who demonstrates the greatest achievement and promise in creative writing.

This is an award to recognize an outstanding paper submitted in a departmental seminar, and it commemorates the former chair of the Social Studies Department, who served from 1941 to 1964.

SUNY Potsdam's Department of Business Administration recently hosted its 60th Business Plan Competition, which challenges students to develop an entrepreneurial business plan fulfilling the need of a specific group of consumers.

The Erin O'Brien Women's and Gender Studies Activism Award is presented to a women's and gender studies student who most clearly exhibits both academic excellence and commitment to feminist activism.

The Women's and Gender Studies Senior Scholar Award, initiated in 1994 to celebrate women's and gender studies student excellence, is presented annually to a graduating senior women's and gender studies major or minor at SUNY Potsdam who most clearly exhibits academic excellence both in the field's coursework and in their overall academic pursuits.

The K. Dunkley Award for Performance and Creative Excellence in Dance is awarded to a dance major or minor who has demonstrated consistent growth and outstanding achievement in scholarship, creative activity and taken leadership and initiative in collaborative performance groups.

This award is established in memory of Dr. Susan Mallon Ross, a professor at SUNY Potsdam from 1996 to 2004. The award is given to a senior for outstanding scholarship in mass communication.

The Elsie D. Kristiansen Public Speaking Award is presented to a communication student for the best public speaking presentation in a communication class.

The Signum Laudis Award for Excellence in Classical Studies is presented to a junior or senior student who best exemplifies the intellectual and interdisciplinary ideals of classical studies.

This award is presented to an Arabic Studies minor who is pursuing academic endeavors.

The Eva Strait-Dean Award is presented to an outstanding North Country student majoring in speech communication at SUNY Potsdam. The selected student must have demonstrated personal initiative by one or more of the following: verified part-time employment, completion of internships and/or overcoming a substantial hardship. Special consideration will be given to students with a double major or minor in politics.

The Kelsie Harder Award is given in memory of Dr. Harder, a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, who served as the English and Communication Department Chair and faculty member from 1964 until his retirement in 1994.

This award is presented annually by the SUNY Potsdam Department of English to an outstanding senior, as determined by achievement in coursework and excellence in writing.

The Maurice Kenny Creative Writing Award is presented annually to the graduating senior showing the greatest promise and achievement in creative writing.

The Israel Kaplan English Essay Award is presented for the best literary essay written for an English class at SUNY Potsdam.

The Robert B. Dunn Award is given to the outstanding graduating senior in the Department of Art, as selected by the faculty. The award is funded by a gift from the Student Art Association and is given in memory of Professor Robert B. Dunn.

Steven Higgins received the Celine Philibert Award and the Annette Plante Scholarship from SUNY Potsdam.

Sharonmaire Bartz was honored with two academic awards in Spring 2024, including the M.J. Heisey Award for Public History and the Daniel Gross Philosophy Scholarship.

This award goes to a freshman or sophomore student who has demonstrated outstanding performance in an American history survey course during the preceding calendar year. It was established in honor of Dr. Robert L. Briggs, a valued member of the history faculty from 1961 to his retirement in 1985.

The Ilse J. Shaw History Award goes to the senior history major with the best scholarship and highest cumulative GPA in history courses during his or her undergraduate career.

This award is for outstanding performance by a freshman or sophomore in a world history course during the preceding calendar year. The award honors Dr. John F. Schwaller, a colonial Latin American historian, who served as the college President from 2006 to 2013.