News from SUNY Cortland

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Five SUNY Cortland Faculty, Staff and Librarians Honored by SUNY

***NOTE: Recipient photos available on request***

CORTLAND, NY (05/19/2008; 1449)(readMedia)-- Five SUNY Cortland faculty and staff members received the prestigious State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence during the 2008 Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday, May 17, in the Park Center.

The honorees were:

• David J. Barclay, Associate Professor of Geology – Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching;

• Michael D. Berzonsky, Professor of Psychology – Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities;

• Ellen S. Jampole, Professor of Literacy – Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service;

• Ellen T. McCabe, Senior Assistant Librarian – Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship; and,

• Nanette M. Pasquarello, Director of Judicial Affairs – Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

The Chancellor’s Award process begins at each of the 64 SUNY campuses with nominations submitted by the respective presidents. The SUNY Committee on Awards then reviews the nominations and makes its recommendations.

David J. Barclay

Barclay of Groton, N.Y., who joined the Geology Department in 1999, becomes the 49th SUNY Cortland faculty member to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Promoted to associate professor in 2005, Barclay has developed and taught courses that fulfill the College’s General Education requirements as well as others that support the geology major or degrees in graduate level teacher education. He has received a number of fellowships and grants, including a National Science Foundation award for his research since 1993 on Holocene climate change and glacier dynamics in southern Alaska.

Barclay’s classroom performance is rated outstanding by his students in their course-teacher evaluations, in letters from former students, in statements by his colleagues and as feedback on visits to his class by the nominating committee. His lectures are exceptional for the concurrent use of multi-media with traditional methods of delivery.

“Dr. Barclay is not one’s ‘typical’ college professor,” one student observes. “His knowledge of subject matter and style of teaching are inspirational. He has a gift that conveys information that is hands-on and interactive.” Another student praised his use of technology in the classroom and his practical, hands-on instructional approach.

“Students express a willingness to ‘work hard’ in Dr. Barclay’s classes because ‘he made the instruction not only fun, but informative and real,’” evaluators noted, adding that he encouraged students to ask questions and challenge knowledge in the field to develop their own teaching skills. “It is also evident that Dr. Barclay deliberately integrates his scholarship with teaching,” the evaluation committee reported. “Students are treated to a glimpse into the life of a geologist-scientist.”

Barclay’s published research includes articles and book chapters on global and planetary change. At SUNY Cortland, he has written 10 articles or book chapters, several other scholarly monographs and encyclopedia entries, nine conference abstracts, and engaged in six invited lectures at scholarly meetings.

Barclay earned a doctorate in geology from the University at Buffalo, which bestowed upon him a 1996 Excellence in Teaching Award. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from University of East Anglia in Great Britain. He and his wife, Julie, a lecturer in the Geology Department, have two children, Zoe and Euan.

Michael D. Berzonsky

Berzonsky of Homer, N.Y., who joined the College’s psychology department in 1971, becomes the seventh SUNY Cortland faculty member to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.

His social-cognitive theoretical model of identity has been widely studied and tested and has fostered its own impressive body of research among other scholars in the field. International colleagues universally recognize his scientific rigor, keen vision, wisdom and magnanimity. Some have called Berzonsky “one of the five most productive identity researchers of his generation.”

The author of three books, Berzonsky has researched and written 20 book chapters, more than 60 articles published in a wide array of refereed journals, and assorted essays and reviews. He has served on many editorial boards, functioned as an active reviewer and consultant, and has won several research grants. His research agenda is often collaborative, including both faculty colleagues and students.

Early in his 40-year career, Berzonsky built on his training in educational psychology with an emphasis on human development. He focused his research on cognitive development in children and adolescents, which led to his examination of the role of cognitive processes in the formation of individuals’ sense of identity. In the 1980s, he formulated a social-cognitive theoretical model of identity oriented around a cognitive structure that shapes the social-cognitive processes used by individuals to either tackle or avoid the tasks of constructing, maintaining or reconstructing one’s sense of identity. In the last 20 years, Berzonsky has turned his theory to the explication of identity processing styles.

“One of Berzonsky’s most important contributions to the literature is the concept of identity processing styles,” wrote Harold Grotevant, Distinguished University Teaching Professor of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. “Berzonsky insightfully saw the need to identify and investigate the social cognitive processes underlying identity development.”

Berzonsky’s 1981 book, Adolescent Development (Macmillan), is a widely respected text incorporating this key foundational subject in psychology. He also authored a separate, accompanying instructor’s manual, also published by Macmillan. In 2003, he co-edited the Blackwell Handbook on Adolescence.

His scholarly writing has appeared in such mainstream journals as Developmental Psychology, Child Development, Human Development and Journal of Family Psychology as well as more specialized journals in adolescence, personality, and international journals.

His presentations attract scholars from around the world. He has served, or currently serves, on several editorial boards, including the Journal of Adolescent Research. He has been a reviewer and consultant for more than 20 journals in the several fields of his expertise.

A native of Phillipsburg, Pa., Berzonsky has a B.A. in psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in educational research from Bucknell University. He earned a Ph.D. in applied psychology from the University of Toronto. He joined the Cortland faculty in 1971 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1973 and to full professor in 1982.

Ellen S. Jampole

Jampole of Cortland, N.Y., who joined the College in 1990, becomes the fifth SUNY Cortland faculty member to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.

Currently a professor and graduate coordinator of literacy, she has provided outstanding leadership and service to the College Reading Association (CRA), an international organization founded by and for literacy experts in 1958.

“We are committed to researching teacher education and literacy for ourselves as well as others, so that how we teach all learners is the best it can be,” she stated.

As CRA president-elect from 2006-07, she chaired the 50th annual meeting in 2005, organizing many workshops, identifying presenters, arranging details and inviting keynote speakers for the multi-day event. She currently fulfills the duties of past president and has served on many committees. She was editor of the Reading News for nine years, edited the College Reading Association Yearbook annually and joined its executive board in 1995.

“Dr. Jampole’s outstanding service to the College Reading Association has stretched over 15 years of sustained, uninterrupted dedication,” observed D. Ray Reutzel, the 2007-08 association president.

“Clearly, her accomplishments demonstrate positive evidence of outstanding achievement and skill in providing important leadership, extraordinary service and exemplary leadership in professional reading and literacy organizations,” said Linda B. Gambrell, former International Reading Association president and Distinguished Professor at Clemson University.

For two years, Jampole was co-editor of the Language and Literacy Spectrum, a journal of the New York State Reading Association. Jampole has presented at the International Conference on Education, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Throughout her professional career, she has been an active member of some 15 key professional organizations, including the National Council of Teachers of English and Foxfire National Organization.

Jampole has presented several times in international venues on topics such as diversity in education, environmental thematic methods block, portfolios and quality assessment of teacher candidates and programs, and the Foxfire Approach. A strong advocate of international education, she has also served on several international committees at SUNY Cortland, and has served as the international coordinator for her department. Jampole is currently in Australia teaching seminars and conducting literacy research in Australian schools.

She played an integral role as a member of the College’s National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Executive Board during the three years preceding the last major accreditation review. A member of the Faculty Senate, she co-chaired the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees. Jampole has been a member of the Teacher Education Committee since its inception in the late 1990s and the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee.

Jampole was assistant chair for the Education Department from 2001-02, assistant director of graduate studies from 2002-04, and acting Literacy Department chair during the first half of 2007.

Her work on the effects of imagery on student recall and addressing the needs of gifted students has been published frequently. She has written 44 peer-reviewed articles and editorial essays appearing in publications including Journal of Creative Behavior, Reading News — CRA and Journal of Reading Education.

Jampole has a B.S. in English/secondary education and an M.A. in reading from Appalachian State University. She earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in reading from Louisiana State University in 1990, the same year she joined the SUNY Cortland faculty as an assistant professor. In 1996, Jampole was promoted to associate professor and, in 2002, to professor.

She and her husband, Dan, have two children, Katherine and Michael.

Ellen T. McCabe

McCabe of Binghamton, N.Y., who has served Memorial Library since 1995, becomes the fifth SUNY Cortland librarian to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship.

As the College’s humanities bibliographer and cataloger, she provides instructional services, research assistance and materials selection assistance to more than 10 undergraduate and graduate level programs. McCabe has offered dozens of instructional sessions for these programs on using the library effectively, using online databases, finding primary documents online and using digital images in research. She taught a course on computer information retrieval and participates in the library’s Composition Library Instruction Program.

McCabe uses her considerable knowledge of cataloging and her ability to communicate clearly in serving as a resource to her colleagues, faculty, staff and library users.

She is “a librarian who understands the power and lyricism of books, and she never misses an opportunity to invite others to enjoy both with her,” wrote Karla Alwes, professor and chair of the English Department.

Recognizing that technology is an important part of teaching and learning in the 21st century, she delves into the knowledge and technology for each discipline. For example, McCabe worked closely with the art historians in the Art and Art History Department to assist in the transition from slides to digital images, a significant change in pedagogy as well as in technology.

“She made the transition as smooth as it could possibly be for me, and she continues to keep me updated,” observed Kathryn Kramer, an associate professor of art and art history. Notably, McCabe attended lectures to observe the challenges of the transition and interviewed art history faculty members. Her technology-planning document serves as a model for both for the library and for Classroom Media Services.

Faculty who work with McCabe talk about her willingness to help, her thoroughness and her sense of partnership in their scholarly and teaching endeavors. She is praised for her helpfulness, thoroughness and steadfast dependability.

“I have found her to be a person at the top of her game with respect to her profession, and a genuinely warm and creative person to boot,” stated Judith Van Buskirk, associate professor of history. “Students have picked up on these qualities and have consistently sung her praises.”

In addition to her library service, McCabe is an energetic presence on the campus. Elected to the Faculty Senate, she chaired its Faculty Affairs Committee and its Faculty Senate Educational Policy Committee. She has served on several key search committees.

In the library community, McCabe served for two years on the Eastern New York Association of College and Research Libraries Joyce Newkirk Scholarship Committee. Chosen as first vice president/president elect of SUNY Librarians’ Association (SUNYLA), she then served as president. McCabe has also contributed her time and talent to the many SUNYLA committees.

She obtained an American Library Association “Let’s Talk About It” grant, which she used to organize and conduct a Jewish literature program involving several book discussions facilitated by a recognized Jewish scholar. The discussions were well received by the campus and community.

She has an M.L.S. from SUNY Albany and, in her personal pursuit of knowledge, earned an M.A. in English in 2000 from the College while working full-time. She has written 11 book and software reviews for Science Books & Films, the authoritative guide to resources on the sciences for all ages published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is an active presenter at statewide conferences.

McCabe is married with four children and three grandchildren.

Nanette M. Pasquarello

Pasquarello of Cortlandville, N.Y., a professional staff member at SUNY Cortland since 1992, becomes the 20th SUNY Cortland staff member to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

Pasquarello has an M.A. in public policy analysis and administration from SUNY Binghamton and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education at Syracuse University.

She joined SUNY Cortland in 1992 as a transfer credit coordinator and senior admissions counselor. She also previously held positions as associate director of alumni affairs, career counselor and technical support specialist and interim director of judicial affairs. Her extraordinary performance and passion for helping students during her one-year interim service led her to apply for the permanent judicial affairs position to which she was appointed in 2003.

Throughout her Cortland career, Pasquarello has consistently demonstrated extraordinary competence, expert knowledge, strong dedication to students and the College, an unparalleled work ethic, exceptional talent and ability to exceed expectations.

The nominating committee noted that her philosophy regarding judicial affairs has always been to turn the interaction, however unpleasant, into a learning experience for the student, rather than a punitive one, while constantly seeking ways to improve the current process.

“Students, faculty and staff on this campus are taught that a student’s negative behavior is an educational opportunity,” observed Sarah Gingrich, assistant to the director of residential services. “The Judicial Affairs Office’s approach towards student development, safety and education is frequently praised and respected.”

Pasquarello’s sanctions are fair, clearly stated and firm, the nominating committee noted. She conducts all judicial hearings in a neutral, compassionate and non-accusatory fashion, which allows students to retain their dignity. Her interactions with parents, students, faculty, staff, city and university police are professional and humane.

“She can explain to a parent why a student is being suspended, for example, and have the parent thank her when the conversation is finished,” wrote Raymond Franco, vice president for institutional advancement and previous longtime vice president for student affairs. “This takes outstanding patience and skill. Nan possesses both.”

Since joining the Judicial Affairs Office, Pasquarello has developed a Web-based, judicial database that is integrated into the College’s student information system and includes on-line incident reporting. Her office revises the Code of Student Conduct biennially and the office’s redesigned Website now features this important document. She also oversaw the introduction of a “good Samaritan” policy within the code, granting amnesty to students who seek medical assistance for others who have become ill due to overuse of alcohol or drugs.

Pasquarello has played significant roles as a member or chair of more than 30 campus committees, including major searches. She co-chairs the Division of Student Affairs Connections Committee, conducting a massive campus-wide self-study of ways to better connect students to the campus community. She has also been a very active participant in the national Foundations of Excellence Project to improve educational programming for first-year students on campus.

She attended National Coalition Building Institute Training workshops in Washington, D.C., to expand her knowledge of diversity issues and returned to Cortland as a diversity trainer. Recently, Pasquarello was elected to the presidency of the SUNY Judicial Affairs (SUNYJA) organization.

“Many of her SUNY colleagues turn to her when they have questions or need just the right ‘eye’ to review their institution’s code of conduct, potentially the highest compliment one judicial professional can pay another,” wrote William G. Morris, III, director of student conduct and community standards at SUNY Potsdam and former president of SUNYJA.

Pasquarello has been active in national, regional and statewide organizations as well as conferences and symposia. A frequent presenter, she is often asked to speak at ‘best practices’ gatherings and was invited to present at the 2007 SUNY Campus Safety Symposium.

She and her husband, Thomas, a professor and chair of the Political Science Department at SUNY Cortland, have a son, Matthew.

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