SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence Presented to Four SUNY Cortland Students

CORTLAND, NY (04/12/2010)(readMedia)-- Four SUNY Cortland seniors were honored on April 6 in Albany, N.Y., with 2010 State University of New York Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence.

The SUNY Cortland recipients, all seniors, are:

• Jeanna Dippel, a dual major in biology and kinesiology from DuBois, Pa.

• Brandon Herwick, a physical education major from Coxsackie, N.Y.

• Keith Lusby, a dual major in political science and history from West Babylon, N.Y.

• Michelle Santoro, a political science major from North Bellmore, N.Y.

NOTE: Click the links above for a detailed press release and accompanying photo for each student.

"The 228 students we honor today have excelled academically and taken advantage of what SUNY has to offer outside the classroom," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher as she recognized students from the 63 SUNY campuses throughout the state during the ceremony in Albany, N.Y. "These students are proven leaders, athletes, artists, community servants and much more. Congratulations to all of the students receiving today's award and thank you all for your genuine dedication to student excellence."

The recipients were honored for integrating academic excellence with accomplishments in leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts or career achievement. This year's honorees have an overall grade point average of 3.8.

With this year's awards, 56 SUNY Cortland students have earned a Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence since the program was created in 1997.

Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish a selection committee to review outstanding graduating seniors. The nominees are forwarded to the Chancellor's Office for a second round of review and a group of finalists is selected. Each honoree received a framed certificate and a medallion that is traditionally worn at commencement. A complete listing can be viewed at: http://www.suny.edu/Files/sunynewsFiles/Pdf/StudentExcellenceListing.pdf.

A more detailed profile of each 2010 SUNY Cortland honoree follows:

Selected by her teammates as assistant captain of the women's varsity ice hockey team in 2008-09 and 2009-10, Jeanna Dippel has maintained a 4.02 grade point average while earning laurels as a scholar-athlete from both the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).

Dippel was named to ECAC's West All-Academic Team in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and the SUNYAC named her to its Commissioners List for her academic accomplishments during the same years. The Athletics Program presented her with its 2007 and 2008 Excellence in Academics and Athletics.

Brandon Herwick has maintained a 3.63 grade point average during his two years at the College, and the National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE) honored him as its Major of the Year in March for his excellent academic achievement, exemplary leadership and involvement, and demonstrative dedication to the fields of health, activity and fitness.

A promising scholar in his chosen field, Herwick delivered four presentations at two New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYSAHPERD) conferences and recently was slated to give another for the national association.

Keith Lusby, a recent participant in the Eastern Regional Moot Court Competition of lawyer hopefuls in Fitchburg, Mass., placed 24th individually out of 96 competitors.

The SUNYAC, noting both his academic and physical achievements, named him to its All Academic Team for cross-country in 2006 and 2007, indoor track in 2008 and outdoor track in 2007 and 2008. He competed on SUNY Cortland's cross-country team that captured the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Div. III national championship.

Outside the classroom, Lusby completed an internship with a SUNY Cortland graduate, the Hon. Judge Robert C. Mulvey '80 of the New York Supreme Court in Tompkins County, Ithaca, N.Y.

Michelle Santoro completed two congressional office internships, one inside Washington, D.C., and the other in an upstate New York district office. In Summer 2008 she interned for two months in the Washington, D.C., office of her hometown congresswoman, Carolyn McCarthy. Last semester, she sampled district office duties during a second internship with Congressman Michael Arcuri in Cortland

The recipient of the College's William B. Rogers Award for the top grade point average in political science, Santoro will present her research findings at the New York State Political Science Association annual meeting.

-30-