SUNY Potsdam

The State University of New York at Potsdam recently named 909 students to the President's List, in recognition of their academic excellence in the Spring 2019 semester. The SUNY Potsdam students were honored for earning top marks by President Kristin G. Esterberg.

102 SUNY Potsdam student-athletes, including 18 two-sport athletes, have earned a spot on the State University of New York Athletic Conference's Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. The honor roll recognizes athletes with a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade-point average for the entire 2018-19 academic year.

The State University of New York at Potsdam recently named 316 students who excelled academically in the Spring 2019 semester to the College's Dean's List.

Thirteen SUNY Potsdam students recently completed the Explore Leadership Development component of the College's Summit Leadership Program.

Ten SUNY Potsdam students recently completed the Women, Gender and Leadership specialty badge through the College's Summit Leadership Program.

Four SUNY Potsdam students recently completed the Career Management: Exploration and Development specialty badge through the College's Summit Leadership Program.

SUNY Potsdam's Department of Business Administration recently hosted its 53rd Business Plan and Product Prototype Competition, which challenges students to develop an entrepreneurial business plan fulfilling the need of a specific group of consumers. This semester, a team of seven dedicated students took home the trophy.

The State University of New York at Potsdam will recognize nearly 900 candidates for graduation during the College's 2019 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 18. The SUNY Potsdam Class of 2019 will be awarded baccalaureate and master's degrees at the ceremony.

Eight SUNY Potsdam students majoring in Spanish were recently inducted into the College's chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the national Hispanic honor society. They each proudly received their honor cords, a certificate and a commemorative pin. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the honor society in the United States, which considers members based solely on excellence in academic performance.

Three student vocalists from SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music have been selected to join the Janiec Opera Company based at the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, N.C., this summer.

SUNY Potsdam recently recognized students and faculty mentors for excellence in research and creative projects, following the College's 2019 Learning and Research Fair.

Two outstanding SUNY Potsdam graduates have been recognized as the academic honorees for the Class of 2019. The award recipients are chosen by Faculty Senate and are specially recognized during Commencement.

Eighteen students from SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music were recently inducted into the College's chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honor society.

Nhu Nguyen is the 2019 recipient of the Robert L. Briggs Award from SUNY Potsdam. The Robert L. Briggs Award recognizes outstanding performance by a freshman or sophomore in an American history survey course during the preceding calendar year. The award was established in honor of Dr. Robert L. Briggs, a valued member of the history faculty from 1961 to his retirement in 1985.

Emily Massa is the 2019 recipient of the John Schwaller Award from SUNY Potsdam. The John F. Schwaller Award recognizes outstanding performance by a freshman or sophomore in a world history course during the preceding calendar year. The award was established in honor of Dr. John F. Schwaller, colonial Latin American historian, who served as the College's President from 2006 to 2013.

Jennifer Darlak is the 2019 recipient of the Walter Wakefield Award from SUNY Potsdam. The Walter L. Wakefield Award recognizes outstanding performance by a freshman or sophomore in a European history survey course during the preceding calendar year. The award honors Dr. Walter L. Wakefield, a European historian with the Department of History from 1948 to 1976, and sometime chair of the department.

Emily Massa and Rowan Kingsbury are the 2019 recipients of the Katherine & Robert Briggs Scholarship from SUNY Potsdam. The Robert and Katherine Briggs Scholarship is awarded to a student, preferably from St. Lawrence County, who is majoring in history and who can be expected to achieve an average of 3.25 in history courses and 3.0 overall. The scholarship is renewable for each year that the student remains a history major in good standing, maintaining an average of at least 3.25 in courses counting toward the history major and 3.0 overall. Dr. Robert L. Briggs was a valued member of the history faculty from 1961 to his retirement in 1985.

Gerald Della Porta is the 2019 recipient of the Father James Pennock Memorial Scholarship from SUNY Potsdam. The Father James Pennock Scholarship is awarded to the outstanding junior history major, based on the student's overall GPA and GPA in history, and the department's knowledge of the student. The scholarship was established by the wife of the former priest of Potsdam's Trinity Episcopal Church and mayor of Potsdam.

Abigail Sexton is the 2019 recipient of the Ilse J. Shaw Award from SUNY Potsdam. The Ilse J. Shaw History Award is awarded to the senior history major with the best scholarship and highest cumulative grade point average in history courses during his or her undergraduate career.

Michael Sweeney has been selected as the 2019 Departmental Scholar for the Department of Politics at SUNY Potsdam.

Tristan Burns has been selected as the 2019 Departmental Scholar for Economics at SUNY Potsdam.

Scott Boyce has been selected as the 2019 Departmental Scholar for International Studies at SUNY Potsdam.

Joy Shippy and Conors Brooks have been selected as the recipients of the 2019 Richard Del Guidice Scholarship from SUNY Potsdam. The Richard Del Guidice Scholarship is an award created by alumni and friends of the Department of Politics, on the occasion of Professor Del Guidice's retirement in 2002. The endowment created provides an annual scholarship to junior pre-law students to assist in paying the costs associated with taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and applying to various law schools.

Decota Thompson has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Ingram & Ingram Award at SUNY Potsdam. This award was created in 1997 by the Department of Politics to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first legal internship the department offered at SUNY Potsdam. The award is named in honor of the law firm where the internship started, in 1972. The Ingram Law Firm has worked with more interns than any other law office involved in the program and has provided valuable experience to many SUNY Potsdam undergrads who planned to attend law school (including Justice William McCarthy, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division.) This award is given to an outstanding pre-law student in the politics department who is graduating with plans on attending law school.

Alyssa Murray has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the John L. Massaro Politics Recognition Award at SUNY Potsdam. The John Massaro Politics Recognition Award is bestowed upon a student who displays a high a level of leadership ability, creativity and campus community involvement outside the classroom. The award recipient is recognized for always going above and beyond their coursework within the department.

Five SUNY Potsdam students were inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, during a ceremony held on May 2.

Hannah Rosicka has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Dr. Poeliu Dai Scholarship from SUNY Potsdam. Dr. Poeliu Dai came to SUNY Potsdam in 1966 after serving at the United Nations in several top administrative posts. During his 13 years of service to the College, Dr. Dai drew on his expertise on China and the Far East to serve as the Director of International Education and to teach political science. In 1991, and in honor of Dr. Dai's service and outstanding commitment to the students at the College, a scholarship was established in his name.

Brandon Coombs has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Rebecca R. Pratt Scholarship for Excellence in Politics from SUNY Potsdam. The Rebecca R. Pratt Scholarship was established in memory of Becky Pratt, a 1997 graduate of SUNY Potsdam who passed away on September 28, 2001. Every year, one new scholarship is awarded to a current sophomore majoring in politics. The award is renewable; that is, the recipient will receive the award again the following year (for his or her senior year), as long as he or she continues to be in good academic standing. Becky Pratt was a politics major who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease during her senior year. She underwent a long period of difficult treatment, went into remission several times, and all the while continued work on her degree. To exemplify Becky's spirit and to keep her memory alive, her parents made a very generous gift to the College in her name, part of which went to the construction of Becky's Place at Pratt Commons.

Emily Godin has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the International Studies Award from SUNY Potsdam. The International Studies Award was created to recognize outstanding academic ability and great potential for further intellectual and professional development. This award encourages students to deepen their understanding of international events, cross-cultural interactions and the world around them, through academic and experiential learning.

Cara Ramsaran has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Allen Danks Memorial Scholarship at SUNY Potsdam. This scholarship was created in memory of Allen Danks, a 1978 graduate of SUNY Potsdam who was a politics major and very active in the political life of the campus. Allen competed for, and won, a Lehman Scholarship, a prize that was part of a statewide competition. He was attending Columbia University in the doctoral program in political theory when he passed away. Recipients of this scholarship must show evidence of active involvement in social community and/or political causes.