Seven Genesee Community College Faculty and Staff Members Receive SUNY Chancellor's Award

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Genesee Community College 2011 SUNY Chancellor’s Award winners with president, Dr. James Sunser. Standing from left to right: Michelle Abdella, Maureen Dugan, Kathleen Kimber, GCC President Dr. James

BATAVIA, NY (08/22/2011)(readMedia)-- Seven Genesee Community College faculty and staff members received SUNY Chancellor's Awards and medals this past Thursday, which recognize outstanding contributions to their respective professional fields, campuses, communities and the public at large.

The seven faculty and staff members are: Michelle Abdella, associate professor of Mathematics; Rafael Alicea-Maldonado, professor of Chemistry/Dean of Math/Science and Career Education; Maureen (Moi) Dugan, assistant professor of Fine Arts; Kathleen Kimber, professor of Spanish; Carla Guiste, reproduction/copy center services operator; Donna Rae Sutherland, associate director of Marketing Communications; and Anita Whitehead, reference librarian.

Michelle Abdella received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Michelle came to GCC in the spring of 2003 as an adjunct instructor and her success as an adjunct brought her a full-time faculty position in the fall of 2005. Michelle is attuned to the different learning styles of her students and she employs various teaching methods and techniques to engage them in the classroom. She has taught eleven different math courses and has served as the primary instructor of the Math for Elementary Teachers course. Michelle lives in Batavia, NY.

Rafael Alicea-Maldonado received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Rafael joined the GCC faculty in 2000 and quickly became a valued member of the science department. During the last ten years, he has stepped to the forefront outside of the classroom with the many other responsibilities he has assumed and the activities he participates in. He has been a member of the GUSTO Team for nine years. Particularly noteworthy is his assumption of the lead advisor role for the Genesee chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. Rafael also received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2005. Rafael resides in Buffalo, NY.

Maureen (Moi) Dugan received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Moi came to Genesee in 2006 and is a dedicated, enthusiastic teacher. She communicates effectively in the classroom and both challenges and encourages her students to reach their full potential. She brings her professional expertise as an artist to the classroom to share with all. Moi has developed a variety of teaching techniques to address the varying and diverse backgrounds of her students. Moi lives in Penfield, NY.

Carla Guiste received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Classified Service. Carla has held her position for over five years and has utilized her extraordinary organizational skills to reorganize the operation of the Copy Center, resulting in improved workflow and increased efficiency. She was instrumental in setting up a system for the electronic submission of jobs to the Copy Center which has been a tremendous time and cost-saving initiative, particularly for GCC's campus centers and the adjunct faculty members in the four-county service area. Carla is known across the College for providing exemplary customer service. Carla lives in Oakfield, NY.

Kathleen Kimber received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. Kathy has contributed greatly to the college campus and community since she first joined the GCC faculty in 1997. She has integrated technology into the foreign language program by developing online modules and has been instrumental in the development of hybrid courses. Her activities go beyond the classroom in her service as chair of the Academic Standards Committee, a member of the Global Education Committee, and she participated in the year-long Genesee Leadership Academy. Kathy also received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004. Kathy lives in Rochester, NY.

Donna Rae Sutherland received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Donna Rae began in November 2003 and has successfully managed a department that has grown in terms of increased staff, budget, responsibilities, project load and innovative programs. She has played a key role in the development of marketing and promotional materials for the college that have earned national awards. One of the successful and highly visible projects she and her creative staff achieved has been the development of college-wide "photo boards" that capture the history and culture of the college. She has also been the driving force behind the College's ECO-Fest, the environmentally- friendly event that brings hundreds of visitors to the College each spring in honor of Earth Day. Donna Rae lives in Batavia, NY.

Anita Whitehead received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship. Anita started on a part-time basis in 2004 and became a permanent full-time reference services librarian in 2007. She has been instrumental in developing many new library services such as LibGuides and has started a faculty outreach activity to keep faculty abreast of journal information in their respective areas. Several years ago, Anita started the "Roving Librarian" to take the library cart to different locations on campus to be available for student questions. Anita lives in Geneseo, NY.

Each of these distinguished College employees and SUNY honorees were honored at a reception at the College on Thursday, August 18, 2011.