SUNY Canton's Honors Convocation Named to Honor Canton's Linda L. Fay

Related Media

Distinguished Professor Emerita of Nursing Linda L. Fay was selected as the namesake of the 2010 Honors Convocation at SUNY Canton.

CANTON, NY (04/07/2010)(readMedia)-- A dedicated and decorated former nursing faculty member has been selected as the namesake of the SUNY Canton Honors Convocation.

"I am very pleased to announce that the 2010 Honors Convocation will be named for Professor Emerita Linda L. Fay," said SUNY Canton Provost William R. Trumble. "She was recommended unanimously by the Recognition and Awards Committee for her illustrious service to the College and the greater North Country community."

The Linda L. Fay Honors Convocation will be held at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center's Intramural Gym. More than 200 students will be receiving awards denoting their academic success, character development, and community involvement during the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.

"This is a day about the students," Fay said about Honors Convocation. "I'm honored to be able to share it with them."

Fay began her career at the College in 1972 and was granted emeritus status after teaching nursing for more than three decades. She received the SUNY Canton Distinguished Faculty Award in 1995, the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1996 and the Chancellor's Recognition Award for Outstanding Service to SUNY and the people of the North Country in 1998.

"Linda was an innovative and tireless teacher and program director who became an exemplary role model for faculty and students at SUNY Canton," said John F. Conklin, the current director of the College's Nursing program. "Her mission was to always leave things a little better than when she found them. She taught here for more than 30 years, and certainly made the College a better place."

During her tenure, she served on many committees, wrote grants, and developed seven 15-week courses for the bachelor of science, nursing program implemented last year at the college.

At the request of colleagues, students, and alumni, the Linda Lahey Fay Nursing Award was established in 2003. It recognizes annually a senior graduate who best upholds the saying, "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted," which represents some of Fay's personal mantras and beliefs.

After graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1968, Fay worked at Metropolitan Hospital in New York City as head nurse of their pediatric tuberculosis unit and then became the nurse manager of intensive care. She earned her master's degree in education from St. Lawrence University in 1979.

Fay is currently a Board of Director member for the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, CHMC Health Systems, the Canton Housing Authority and the Grasse River Heritage. She is the Director of Public Relations for SEM-Fund, a microfinance organization in Senegal, Africa, an officer in the Canton area Zonta Club and a cook for the Canton Free Will Meal program. She is a past member of the Canton Rescue Squad, was a professional program developer for the American Heart Association, item writer for the New York State Regents External Degree Program, and a volunteer with the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, St. Lawrence County Health Initiative, and Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley.

She lives in Canton with her husband, Daniel G. Fay, who's a professor in the School of Business and Liberal Arts. They have three children, Mrs. Steven (Kelley) Glasgow, Edward and John, and two grandchildren, Garret and Paige. She is considered the adoptive mother of Anywar Ricky Richard, the founder of Friends of Orphans, an organization that supports former child soldiers in Uganda, Africa. The Fays brought Richard to SUNY Canton as a guest speaker. His speech is widely remembered as one of the most poignant and informative lectures at the College.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor's, associate, and certificate programs. Most of SUNY Canton's new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The College's athletic teams belong to the NAIA's Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years. Construction is now underway for the College's new Convocation, Athletic, and Recreation Center nicknamed the Roos House.

-www.canton.edu-