Spring/Summer 2023

Alumnus leaves lasting legacy - William Guglielmo, In Memoriam

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Alumnus leaves lasting legacy - William Guglielmo, In Memoriam salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

William K. “Bill” Guglielmo, Morrisville Class of 1969, died in February after leading the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce for more than 25 years.

Author

Pat Corbett '69

Bill said that when he enrolled in Morrisville he expected to return to his hometown of Rome to have a role in the city’s future. He kept a low profile in college, both at Morrisville and later at the University of Buffalo, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1971. I have to admit I was a bit surprised when a mutual friend told me at his wake that he had been president of his Rome Free Academy Class of 1967. He never came across as a politician, but more of a statesman.

I met Bill when we lived in the same hall in a rooming house across Route 20 from the Morrisville campus in 1968. My wife and I followed our careers to Rome a couple years later.

Bill returned to Rome in 1973 and took a staff assistant position with the Rome Chamber. Fifty years later, he retired as the organization’s longest-serving president, a post he had held since 1996. In the interim he had served as the Rome Chamber’s Director of Government Affairs & Membership Development, Administrator and Executive Vice President.

He was soft spoken, but determined, in college and at the helm of the Rome Chamber.

Bill played a central role in local business development. The year he was named Chamber president, Griffiss Air Force Base, Rome’s key economic driver for decades, closed its gates. Working closely with political and business interests in Rome, Oneida County and New York State, Bill helped his city rebound from that economic disaster. Today, businesses at the former air base, now Griffiss Business and Technology Park, along with two remaining military installations, have more civilian employees than the base had civilian and military workers combined during Griffis’s heyday.

In that same era, Bill helped cement Rome’s Annual Honor America Days celebration as one of the region’s premier events.

When he found any spare time, Bill loved to tool around in his vintage Pontiac Firebird, entertain friends on his guitar, or work beside his wife, Luba, renovating their home.

Contributions in Bill’s name may be made to the Rome College Foundation or the Humane Society of Rome.

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type

New Student Spaces - New and renovated spaces dedicated to students are unveiled

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

New Student Spaces - New and renovated spaces dedicated to students are unveiled salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

Student Recreation Center

“What a great day for Morrisville!”

That sentiment was shared by ��Ƶ President David Rogers as he addressed the sizeable crowd gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil ��Ƶ’s new Student Recreation Center.

The beautiful facility, located next to the IcePlex, features dedicated lounge spaces, three basketball and volleyball courts and a perimeter walking track, all on a multipurpose floor. The ceremony, held at the beginning of the Spring 2023 semester, provided the campus community an opportunity to tour the facility, enjoy refreshments and participate in basketball, archery tag and pickleball.

Dylan Curry, a criminal justice student who attended the ceremony, was excited to take advantage of all that the building has to offer, from the multiple basketball courts to the “comfortable and cozy” lounge areas.

“This gives students relief and a calming area,” Curry said. “As fun and energetic as it is, it’s also a place to relax.”

The facility also is the new home for Morrisville’s commencement, which was held there this past May.

Natalia Clarke ’23, the outgoing president of ��Ƶ’s Student Government Organization, provided opening remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside President Rogers.

“It’s exciting to see a building where everyone can come together and create more community ties,” Clarke, who graduated with a degree in criminal justice, said at the ribbon cutting.

In addition to commencement, the Student Recreation Center also hosts recreational sports, concerts, dances and numerous campus events throughout the academic year.

Author

��Ƶ

Norwich Campus Wellness Center

The new Student Wellness Center at the Norwich Campus provides a centralized space where students can decompress, respond to and manage stress, address topics related to health and wellbeing, and connect with peers in a constructive way.

Norwich human services students Samantha Musk, Angelina Audette and Aubrey Root, who all played a major role in the creation and implementation of the Wellness Center through a survey of Norwich Campus students, have noticed the immediate impact it has made.

“It has helped tremendously, both mentally and academically,” Musk said. “It’s a really nice place to relax.”

The Wellness Center allows students to utilize health and wellness resources, participate in wellbeing workshops, engage with other students, participate in hands-on activities for their wellness, and experience and practice self-care skills.

“It has had a tremendous impact on the whole campus,” Audette said. “Nursing students can go there between classes and clinicals. And the massage chairs are popular.”

The atmosphere is purposely designed to emulate comfortable surroundings, with a fireplace and oversized beanbag chairs.

STUAC Mustang Lounge

The new Mustang Lounge – named by current Morrisville students – is a renovated space located in the lobby of the Student Activities Center (STUAC). The area offers comfortable lounge seating and table seating, where students can sit and enjoy a coffee or treat from STUAC’s Smooth Jazzy Joz café or a dining order from Mustang Alley.

Esports Tournament Venue

The ��Ƶ Charlton Hall lecture classroom has transformed into an updated pit classroom, outfitted with extras that allow it to be used as an Esports tournament venue.

Added amenities include extra HDMI connectors for sharing consoles and PCs to the big screen, extra power outlets to support the higher-wattage needs of a gaming PC, 12 hard-wired internet ports for faster internet connections and shoutcasting through control over screens along with microphones to carry their sound.

The large lecture hall also provides plenty of room in an arena/theatre formation for spectators and lighting customization for a comfortable viewing and gaming experience.

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type

Tropical paradise and the ocean serve as students’ classroom

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Tropical paradise and the ocean serve as students’ classroom salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

Staring down into the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean Ocean, Lilo Starr came across a breathtaking sight.

While snorkeling off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, Starr observed a magnificent display of multicolored fish just a few feet below them. The beautiful underwater scene captivated the 19-year-old ��Ƶ sophomore from Pearl River, New York.

“I looked out and there were so many fish, I felt like I couldn’t breathe but in a good way,” Starr said. “That excitement of seeing the deep vast ocean in front of you and swimming through a school of fish just blows your mind. It’s unreal.”

Starr’s snorkel expedition to the Bahamas wasn’t for spring break or for a getaway vacation. It was among the many aquaculture experiences they and 12 other ��Ƶ students shared while taking a new field-based course at Morrisville: Tropical Ecology of the Bahamas.

The course, developed and introduced to the curriculum last year by Morrisville Assistant Professor Jessica Sarauer, actively engages students with the wildlife, agriculture, fisheries and unique ecosystems of the Caribbean tropics. The course also focuses on comprehensive insight into tropical ecology and conservation concepts and case studies of conservation biology.

Author

M.F. Piraino

Elisa Livengood, associate professor of environmental & natural resources, planned and began researching the logistics for a field-based tropical ecology course two years ago. Livengood and Sarauer put together a proposal after taking multiple trips to Eleuthera Island to scope out sites that would be most beneficial for their students. The first-of-its-kind course was added to the curriculum in 2022.

“The purpose of the trip is to give our students the opportunity to have a field-based learning experience in a place that would expose them to ecosystems and cultures that they would not normally see in Central New York,” Livengood said.

The eight-day trip to Eleuthera Island featured field excursions and tours to places relevant to the class, where they learned about the ecology of the island including species identification of fish, corals, invertebrates, algae, plants and unique cave environments. Visits included Hatchet Bay Cave, the Glass Window Bridge, Preachers Cave, Seahorse Park, Leon Levy Plant Preserve, the One Eleuthera Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) for a greenhouse production tour and snorkeling to learn about fish and corals.

The Morrisville contingent stayed in Governor’s Harbor, which gave them access to both the Caribbean and Atlantic sides of the island. Professor William Snyder joined Livengood and Sarauer on the trip.

For 20-year-old sophomore Abby VandeWalker, the course reinforced her career goal of becoming a marine conservationist. It also offered her an opportunity to travel outside the United States for the first time.

“The trip made me very sure of what I want to do professionally,” said VandeWalker, a natural resources conservation major from Johnstown, New York. “I want to take all this information and everything I’ve learned here and apply it for the rest of my life.”

Snorkeling, which was VandeWalker’s favorite part of the trip, helped her appreciate the aquatic splendor she would have otherwise never seen.

“The ocean is literally a whole other world,” she said. “You could see almost every color down there. They were so bright and it was so beautiful. I’d never seen anything like it. Pictures in a book don’t do it justice. It was incredible.”

The trip made me very sure of what I want to do professionally. I want to take all this information and everything I’ve learned here and apply it for the rest of my life.

Abby VandeWalker

Eleuthera, which divides the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf, is known for its diverse habitats and wide array of terrestrial and marine environments, as well as its pink-sand beaches, dramatic cliffs and sheltered coves.

In addition to the tropical ecology course in the Bahamas, Livengood and Sarauer also teach Tropical Ecology of the Florida Everglades. In March, eight students — including three who went to the Bahamas — spent spring break studying south Florida ecosystems including the Everglades, Corkscrew Swamp, Big Cypress Bend National Preserve and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

For Livengood, seeing her students revel in discovering new ecosystems in a different part of the world made all her efforts worthwhile. Exposing students to aquaculture outside of Central New York including the slow but real effects of global warming on coral and other marine life was an integral part of the course.

“I’ve spent much of the time just watching my students’ reactions to their experiences,” she said. “It was definitely very healing for me to see all the effort pay off. The students were having a great time. To see that student engagement reinforced how much it was worth it.”

Starr was among students who were in awe of the tropical paradise that served as their classroom.

“It was gorgeous,” Starr said. “You saw all these cool things. We saw octopus, puffer fish. I was like a little kid at that, looking down at the water. We got to see some huge stingrays and a shark at one point. I was so happy to be there. The fish were my favorite part.”

Students in Tropical Ecology II were a mix of horticulture, natural resources conservation and aquaculture majors. Despite the broad range of studies, Livengood incorporated sites and tours specifically related to each student’s respective majors.

“We tried to meet all the students’ different majors and different interests,” Livengood said.

Hunter White, an environmental and natural resource management bachelor’s degree major, jumped at the chance to see an ecosystem that was different from what he studies in Central New York. White absorbed valuable information on the trip that’s related to his desired career of becoming an environmental conservation officer or game warden.

“This was a class I didn’t need to take, but it was a chance to learn other things,” said White, of Truxton, New York. “We learned about the marine life down there and what steps are needed for the conservation status of the spiny lobster. That played into my studies because it’s related to how many fish you can take out of the ecosystem at once.”

Ethan Fitzgerald used the trip and the course to broaden his education while he pursues his dream of becoming a game warden in Alaska.

“I like to experience new things and seeing a different climate and region,” said Fitzgerald, of Constableville, New York. “This trip made me more aware of what else is out there and what I could be doing in different parts of the world. It made me realize the path I want to go down. The trip showed me some new things I could be doing.”

For Starr, traveling to the Bahamas was a magical journey that solidified their decision to switch majors from computer science to aquaculture & aquatic science and eventually pursue a master’s degree in the field of marine biology.

The trip also brought to light the growing environmental threat Eleuthera Island faces with global warming. Starr hopes to change that in their lifetime.

“This is something I want to do the rest of my life,” Starr said. “This (trip) was definitely worth the opportunity and I’m so grateful we got to go.

“I really want to study sea creatures and how they are being affected by global warming. This is our planet. This is something I want to protect,” they said.

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type

Fueled by Passion - Alumnus takes fast lane to become an entrepreneur

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Fueled by Passion - Alumnus takes fast lane to become an entrepreneur salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

Noah Greger ’18 knew one thing growing up — he loved cars. He had a knack for mechanics, rebuilding engines and fixing motors long before he was old enough to be in the driver’s seat.

The first spark was his longing to restore a rundown Datsun sitting in a neighbor’s yard, in his Danbury, Connecticut hometown, and later fixing the engine on the ATV his parents bought him when he was 11.

He expanded his skills working part-time in an auto body shop, banking money for a year to buy his first restoration project — a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. His parents matched his contribution to restore the classic with new brakes and a brake line, repairs he learned through YouTube tutorials. He was only 13.

It was a high school job working at Performance Imports, an elite European specialist shop for auto repair, car service and restoration and import sales, in Connecticut, where Greger found his love for wrenching. It steered him to ��Ƶ, where a comprehensive automotive education and hands-on learning further ignited his ambition and put him in the fast lane to become an entrepreneur.

Today, Greger is owner of his beloved hometown dealership, Performance Imports, an accomplishment ��Ƶ helped put within his reach.

Author

Franci Valenzano

“I am living my dream,” Greger said. “The support system behind me achieving this at my age is something words can’t describe. I love what I do in its entirety and nothing will ever stop me from any goal I have in my head.”

Passion is a driving force behind the 24-year-old’s success. “I have always loved fixing cars and never felt being in this industry was work.”

His career is a self-expression of that.

“What keeps me going is positive feedback from my customers and the fact that I love this industry,” Greger said.

His abiding devotion and tireless work ethic helped pave the way to a rewarding career, now in overdrive, and earned him a solid reputation with his customers, some who travel a distance for his quality work.

Building a dream

Amid the daily sounds of car engines revving to life, Greger’s customers get a sense of his love for the industry inside his shop.

There is a steady supply of broken cars awaiting him and his team’s workmanship. All of their work involves European luxury performance cars, known for their powerful engines, superior speed, agility and overall driving experience.

Greger’s automotive exhilaration was born working on custom rods with his father and nourished with abounding support from his parents. They gave him room to grow, sacrificing their two-stall garage for his prided high school restoration project — a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, whose body and chassis he rebuilt, along with adding new seats, interior and a frame-off paint job.

His automotive passion accelerated to a new level when he enrolled in ��Ƶ’s automotive technology - Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training) associate degree program.

“When considering college options, ��Ƶ topped my list,” Greger said. “I was always looking for the best school. I looked all over the United States and Morrisville was one of the only programs that offered a four-year degree.”

The program’s reputation, hands-on approach, top-notch facilities with extensive labs, multiple degree options, including two bachelor’s degrees and associate degrees in automotive technology and autobody, and highly accomplished faculty, set his gears in motion. Internships also factored into his choice.

A major component of a ��Ƶ automotive education is completing an internship. In the Ford ASSET program, students gain on-the-job training at a sponsoring Ford or Lincoln dealership while earning their degree.

“Gaining real-life work experience in the automotive industry, as an employee, gives students a competitive advantage,” said Ray Grabowski, associate professor of automotive technology at ��Ƶ. “The majority of students are offered full-time positions during their internship experience.”

Internships allow employers to tap into a talent pipeline to fill positions with skilled workers. They also lead to sponsorships, donations and scholarships for ��Ƶ’s programs.

By the time he graduated with his two-year degree, Greger was fully marketable with two internships under his belt and Ford certification, which is recognized by dealerships across the country.

A quest for more knowledge led him to seamlessly transfer into the college’s automotive management B.B.A. program.

“I wanted to know more about the business side — how to talk to people and communicate supportively,” Greger said about his decision to earn his bachelor’s degree. “I wanted to learn how to run my own business someday.”

That ambition made him stand out as a student.

“Noah’s entrepreneurial spirit along with his diligent work ethic were evident and proved to be his strong traits at Morrisville,” Grabowski said.

“Noah was always eager to dig into whatever the lab assignment was for each day,” said Dan Akers, director of the Ford ASSET program. “He was always looking to gain his own one-hundred-and-ten-percent comprehension on the topic and I always enjoyed working with him.”

��Ƶ’s B.B.A. program groomed Greger for every aspect of entrepreneurship. “I learned how to structure a shop and was able to use that knowledge right out of college,” he said. “��Ƶ gave me all of the skills I needed to be successful in the industry. There were opportunities everywhere after I graduated and I had so many credentials.”

Professors, versed in many aspects of the industry, are role models who lead the way and guide students who spend much of their time doing hands-on work and learning through practical application.

An abundance of employers seeking grads speaks to the mosaic of possibilities that exist for ��Ƶ automotive graduates.

It’s a win for the industry, currently facing a shortage of skilled workers.

According to MarketSource, the United States is facing a “critical, ongoing shortage of auto technicians.” It also estimates from 2020 to 2026, 16,500 shops would need 76,000 technicians just to keep up with demand.

To help address the severe shortage of auto technicians and provide quality career opportunities for New Yorkers, the Excelsior Automotive Technician Task Force was formed through the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles. Grabowski, a member of that task force, said its charge is to implement the most advanced, manufacturer-specific training possible, ensuring more New Yorkers have the skills and education to qualify for thousands of unfilled jobs in the industry.

��Ƶ is certainly doing its part.

“The industry is always on the hunt for new talent,” Grabowski said. “We provide a rich pool of grads skilled to step into careers.”

Partnerships with industry leaders such as Chrysler, Ford and Subaru support ��Ƶ’s learning environment, allowing students to work with new technology and vehicles, and gain factory certifications, giving them an edge in the market.

Greger took advantage of all ��Ƶ had to offer, joining the Automotive Club, which hosts fall and spring car shows and participates at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) automotive trade show. He also was a member of the men’s lacrosse team, sharing in a North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) championship.

Top-notch facilities enhance automotive students’ learning. A 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, filled with industry-standard labs, allows students to engage deeply and purposefully with their work.

Features include 26 lifts for diagnosis of drivability problems, auto body repair and refinishing, fuel systems, brakes, steering, suspensions, automatic transmissions and engines.

Looking back, Greger credits many with keeping the gears in motion on his journey.

I was always looking for the best school. I looked all over the United States and Morrisville was one of the only programs that offered a four-year degree.

Noah Greger

“I feel very blessed and fortunate to be where I am today,” he said. “With the education I received from ��Ƶ, with the mentorship and help from family and friends, and the opportunity that former Performance Imports owners Michael and Joan Burg have given me, I can only say thank you to everyone for the help and support.”

Michael Burg, an expert in the field of highline European automotive engineering, allowed Greger to grow in every aspect of the business, mentoring and priming him for a management position. “I worked on every aspect of the dealership from wrenching and ordering parts to running marketing campaigns and selling cars,” Greger said. Joan Burg also taught him about management, filing and bookkeeping.

While working there during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Burgs decided to step away from the dealership.

When they called Greger to put him on unemployment, he asked if he could buy it.

He reached out to his parents, who helped him with a bank loan, and reopened the shop three months later in July 2020.

“The decision of selling the business to Noah felt right,” Joan Burg said. “We’ve always had confidence in him from when he first came to work sweeping the floors. He always went above and beyond of what he was asked.”

Almost three years later, the business is thriving under his leadership. “Noah continues the legacy of Performance Imports, paying attention to quality and the highest industry standard with unbreakable customer trust,” Michael Burg said.

Fast forward to today. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” Greger said of his thriving career.

Every day is a clean slate for new opportunities and the possibility of even greater rewards that come from taking something apart and making it new.

He tackles challenges the same way.

“Just about every vehicle is computerized and you have to be mindful and methodically think through problems,” Greger said. “It’s challenging to keep up with new motors and all of the new technology they are putting in cars.”

Greger’s future plans include growing the sales arm of the business and continuing to provide his customers with top-notch, friendly service.

“Performance Imports has been a huge part of my life and I am proud to keep the legacy going,” he said. “It’s a passion and a pleasure to serve the community and I strive to do my best to produce the highest quality work.”

His advice to those considering a similar career path — “Always be honest to people, have integrity and do the right thing and you’ll be successful in anything you choose to do.

“If you want to know cars, come to ��Ƶ,” Greger said. “It’s about finding your passion and following your dreams to do what you love every day.”

No doubt he has found his. He remains in contact with professors who gave him the tools and confidence to prosper.

“I will always love Morrisville. I will always be a proud alumnus,” Greger said.

Automotive Programs

According to the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles website, highly-skilled auto techs, known as “A Techs,” can make more than $100,000, while “B Techs” and “C Techs” can also earn a quality salary well above the median income.

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type

Online program opens up world of possibilities for nursing students

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Online program opens up world of possibilities for nursing students salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

From their offices at ��Ƶ, nursing professors Norma Swartout and Jane Stephenson marveled at where their students were completing online courses for their bachelor’s degree curriculum.

One student was logging in from Europe, where her husband was stationed in Germany. Another had traveled to visit family in India, while another had returned home to Africa to complete her internship and coursework.

“They’re across the ocean, on the other side of the world, interacting and learning with us here in Morrisville,” said Swartout, now in her 15th year of teaching.

It’s one of the many benefits of the fully online bachelor’s degree — students from outside of Central New York are turning to ��Ƶ as increased healthcare demands coupled with the advancements in technology have enhanced the need for advanced, professional nurses.

The move to full-time online learning was jump-started by the pandemic, but current and prospective students have endorsed the change.

“It really enables students to pursue their career while finishing their education,” Stephenson said. “We are hoping it will give everyone more work-life balance.”

A strong foundation

Sierra Buhnai came to ��Ƶ to play ice hockey.

But she found her professional calling in the nursing program, where professors continued to support, mentor and motivate her as she studied on campus and online.

Buhnai was pursuing her associate degree on campus in spring 2020, when COVID-19 concerns halted in-person learning. Determined to graduate, Buhnai completed her coursework from her hometown in Western Canada until she could return to campus.

“My love for the game allowed me to stay dedicated and motivated to strive for excellence on and off the ice,” she said. “By having to balance hockey and school, I was challenged each day to meet my academic and athletic needs.”

The time management skills helped as she pursued her bachelor’s degree online while working part-time as a surgical nurse in Buffalo.

Buhnai sent special thanks to Swartout, who served as her advisor and mentor.

“She has been right by my side through the challenges, continually supporting, motivating and believing in me,” she said.

“My foundation was built at Morrisville,” she continued. “Those experiences shaped the person I am today and the person I will be in the future.”

Real-life lessons

New Jersey native Gabriella Armenti grew up watching her mother advance her nursing career, one step at a time.

“I would take her textbooks and read through them,” said Armenti, who now lives in Oneonta. “I knew that was what I wanted to be.”

Author

Alaina Potrikus Beckett

Now an emergency room nurse at a trauma and stroke center, Armenti said she fell in love with the close-knit community at ��Ƶ. In addition to theory and ethics, the curriculum also keeps pace with the evolving role of nurses in health care, including health policy, leadership and professionalism.

“The professors actually wanted me to succeed,” she said. “Working full-time and going to school can be a challenge, but the flexibility with the program being online is amazing. I wouldn’t change my educational experience for anything.”

“I call it fate”

Born and raised in India, Nidhi Patel came to the United States at age 14.

While still learning English, Patel discovered her love of the medical field while volunteering at a hospital during her summer vacation.  

“I call it fate,” said Patel, who now works on the same floor where she volunteered as a teenager.

While pursuing her bachelor’s degree, Patel was able to travel back home to India to attend a family wedding. She set alarms for her assignments, accounting for the time difference, and logged in to make presentations from abroad.

“The online program has made my life so much easier,” she said. “The professors were very supportive and helpful.”

The next level

Princess Osei was born with a drive to save lives. The Ghana native credited the staff of a teaching hospital with saving her life when she was born prematurely.

“The doctors and nurses kept me alive,” she said. “I am a survivor, and I always told myself I would also save lives, no matter what.”

Osei pursued her nursing credentials in the United States at ��Ƶ, and found similarities and differences from practices in her home country.

“The resources and technology differ, but the core principles of nursing are the same everywhere,” she said.

Osei and others credited professors for creating a curriculum that blends their real-life experience with nursing theory, ethics and research, preparing them to serve as leaders and advocates in the rapidly changing healthcare environment.

Osei’s goal: positively impact the people she cares for.

“Morrisville has really prepared me for the next level (of my career),” she said. “It wasn’t easy, but I made it with determination and perseverance.”

By the Numbers

Nursing is the nation’s largest healthcare profession, with nearly 4.2 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide.

The federal government projects that more than 203,000 new RN positions will be created each year from 2021 to 2031.

Employers are expressing a strong preference for new nurses with baccalaureate preparation, with nearly 41% of employers requiring new hires to have a bachelor’s degree (77% strongly prefer baccalaureate-prepared nurses).

Source: American Association of Colleges of Nursing, aacnnursing.org.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for registered nurses is $89,010 per year ($42.80 per hour), with the highest 10% earning more than $129,000.

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type

Students harvest skills through year-round planting at Four Seasons Farm

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Students harvest skills through year-round planting at Four Seasons Farm salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

Justin Redivivo didn’t set out to work in the agriculture field. He grew up in Canada, completed high school there and came to the United States to join his family and seek employment. He worked at Foxwoods Resorts Casino in Connecticut and attended college briefly to study hospitality. “College wasn’t my thing,’’ he said. He later joined his father on staff at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Vernon, New York, starting out in restaurants before moving on to entertainment, gaming and event positions.

“I always thought I would want to follow in my dad’s footsteps and work in the hospitality and casino business,’’ said Redivivo, 29. “Agriculture was nowhere in any of my plans.’’

Author

Margaret McCormick

When the coronavirus pandemic hit and shuttered Turning Stone for several months, Redivivo took some time for self-reflection. He knew he was interested in sustainable agriculture and zero-waste living. A friend suggested he check out ��Ƶ and its horticulture offerings. After a tour and meetings with several faculty members, he decided to “pull the trigger’’ and start cultivating his future.

The cannabis program drew him in, but Redivivo soon found himself interested in many plants. He was taking classes in business and in aquaculture, and, like many of his classmates, he was spending lots of hands-on time at the Four Seasons Organic Farm. He spent a summer as a farmhand on the one-acre crop farm and got a taste of everything from tilling the land to planting seedlings to harvesting crops and recording data.

“At Morrisville, you get right in the dirt,’’ said Redivivo, who graduated in May with an associate degree in horticulture production and a certification in specialty crops & cannabis production. “You really learn everything, from seed to harvest. It’s nonstop and full of surprises. It has shown me so many things I never would have learned on my own.’’

Redivivo is already reaping rewards from his studies and experiences on the farm: The day after graduation, he started a job as an assistant grower with Green Empire Farms in Oneida, New York. The Canadian-owned company grows hydroponic tomatoes and strawberries and other produce, many under the Sunset label.

The Four Seasons Organic Farm is a cornerstone of ��Ƶ’s Horticulture Department. The farm, established in 2011, earned its USDA organic certification in 2016. It’s an essential, out-of-the-classroom experience that supplies students with roll-up-your-sleeves and get-your-hands-dirty learning through year-round crop production.

The farm lives up to its name: It produces dozens of varieties of vegetables and fruits (and plants) year-round. Spring brings lettuces, arugula and other leafy greens, plus peas and beets, all planted in a high tunnel in the chill of winter. Summer delivers a progression of warm-weather crops, like beans, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, corn and cucumbers. Fall brings pumpkins, squashes and other winter vegetables.

As the fall semester winds down, students give multiple varieties of poinsettias tender loving care and design evergreen wreaths, which they sell on campus and at the Central New York Regional Market in Syracuse, New York.

"We like to think we offer a well-rounded horticulture experience,'' said Kelly Hennigan, associate professor of horticulture. "Everything is connected. The seasons flow into each other.''

Even in the dead of winter, the farm is a green, living laboratory. In February, Instructional Support Assistant Jonathan Jankowski and a crew of students harvested more than 13 pounds of spinach they planted at the start of the spring semester and supplied to Seneca Dining Hall and the Copper Turret restaurant, a partner of the college.

“That was exciting,’’ said Jankowski, who manages the farm and supervises the students who work on it. “The high tunnels really give us a head start on the growing season.’’

Jankowski ’22 said the farm gives students a taste of everything from the ground up: seeding, transplanting, weeding, watering, pest management — and teaches them things like patience and problem solving.

The farm annually produces about 5,700 pounds of produce, most of which is supplied to campus dining halls. The remainder is sold at a student-run farm stand and donated to Morrisville-area nonprofits, including the Morrisville Food Pantry.

In the summer, it’s not unusual to find a box of free produce from the farm on a bench outside the Morrisville Post Office. The farm also supplies the goods for an on-campus CSA (community-supported agriculture) subscription program for faculty and staff.

But there's more to the farm than planting and harvesting. The brand new Four Seasons Farm Dairy and Specialty Crops Incubator, a collaboration between the departments of ag science, dairy, horticulture and ag business, is equipped with storage space and a commercial kitchen outfitted with stoves, coolers and freezers. The facility will allow students and faculty to take on "value-added'' projects that capitalize on the growing season, such as packaging salad greens, freezing and canning vegetables and developing new products.

"We've never really had a way to package and handle produce,'' Hennigan said. "The facility will provide all kinds of experiences for students, from seed to sale.''

Madison Marsh, 20, of West Edmeston, New York, who will graduate in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture business management, has blossomed during her time on campus and at the Four Seasons Organic Farm.

She grew up watching her grandmother nurture her perennial gardens and eventually developed her own green thumb working for a couple local florists. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she graduated from high school and then COVID-19 hit. While home with her father during the pandemic and looking for things to keep busy, they built a greenhouse and established a couple flower gardens. “That was really the time I found out what I wanted to do,’’ Marsh said. “I was able to focus without being interrupted.’’

Marsh visited ��Ƶ and was impressed with the greenhouse (at Spader Hall) and the organic farm. When she’s not in a classroom, she’s in the greenhouse tending vegetable seedlings, houseplants and hanging baskets. When the weather permits, she’s outside at the Four Seasons Organic Farm, where many classes are held when the season gets busy.

We’ve never really had a way to package and handle produce, the facility will provide all kinds of experiences for students, from seed to sale.

Kelly Hennigan

Everything Marsh learns in the greenhouse and on the farm is applicable to her fledgling flower farm business, Madi Jo’s Grows. She even earned an award from the nonprofit New York State Flower Industries organization, which gave her seed money to purchase supplies.

“Being in the greenhouse and working on the farm makes me feel like I’m getting closer to my goals every day,’’ Marsh said. “I have been able to start my business already because I chose this program.’’

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type

Nothing less than 100 percent - Ernesto Mitchell chases dream, ends season as one of the most decorated student-athletes

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Nothing less than 100 percent - Ernesto Mitchell chases dream, ends season as one of the most decorated student-athletes salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

Ernesto Mitchell ’23 went from chasing a dream to having a dream college career.

Mitchell, who graduated this May with a degree in criminal justice, wrapped up his collegiate playing career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of the Mustang football program.

Through hard work and a relentless drive, see how Mitchell has tackled everything in his path since arriving at ��Ƶ, as told by Brandy Thurston ’95, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance & Sports Information.

There isn’t a time Ernesto Mitchell can remember that he wasn’t around the game of football, growing up the youngest of three siblings with a father and older brother who were involved in the game he loves. From the time he was three, the Wheatley Heights, New York native, begged to be on the sidelines as he watched his older brother play.

Mitchell would find his moment to shine on the field, becoming an all-star running back and linebacker for Half Hollow Hills High School East. It was only fitting that he carried his talents to the collegiate field, but no one — outside of Mitchell himself — could have predicted that he would become one of the most-decorated defensive players to see the field for the Mustangs.

Author

��Ƶ

It all began with his campus visit, where he met with now-head coach Ed Raby.

“From the get-go, the atmosphere was what I was looking for,” Mitchell said. “It was welcoming and I felt like part of the Mustang family from the very first visit – the facilities were outstanding, and the staff were exceptional.

“Growing up all you heard about was a future playing Division I or nothing at all, ��Ƶ and Coach Raby gave me the opportunity to chase my dream, to grow and be alongside a newfound family.”

Mitchell vividly recalls a moment from his freshman season that defined him as a player, a person and teammate, and it was one that came off the field.

“I had a teammate whose cousin had passed away – they were ready to leave football and college all together and I felt like I needed to talk to them,” he said. “I told them that life is more than just football – they have an impact on others around them, they play a role at Morrisville. Everyone has that moment where they feel like leaving; don’t do something you’re going to regret later on.”

Coach took notice. “He displayed all the attributes of being a leader, and is naturally a guy that takes control of the room,” Raby said. “A lot of individuals across campus and within the football program view him as the heart and soul.”

Growing up, Mitchell drew his inspiration and motivation from family, and today, continues to be that person who others admire and look up to as a role model.

“You can’t give anything less than 100% of what you have. You have to give it all you got,” he said.

That mentality led to a stellar career on and off the football gridiron. It also landed Mitchell the prestigious honor of being selected by his teammates to serve as team captain his junior and senior seasons.

“You can’t take on a captain role without leading by example and giving your all in everything you do – if you do that, you don’t have to worry about those next to you, because they will be doing the same,” he said.

Mitchell, a three-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, had a magical senior season, being named the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year before becoming the first-ever Mustang on the defensive side of the ball to earn D3football.com All-America accolades. A selection to the Podyum All-Star Bowl, an elite collegiate all-star game held annually in Miami, also gave him one last opportunity to show off his Mustang Pride.

“The All-Star game meant everything to me,” Mitchell said. “To be able to represent one more time, to put Morrisville out there and let everyone know what it is, it was special to me.”

To Raby, it meant just as much. “I’m so proud of Ernesto. He really is amazing and a great representation of our program. He is so humble, he deserves all the credit in the world.”

Mitchell also excelled off the field, being named to the 2022 Empire 8 President’s List, one of the most prestigious honors the conference recognizes for academic and athletic excellence.

“I am excited for what Ernesto does with the rest of his life,” Raby said. “Football and his education at ��Ƶ have prepared him. He is ready for the real world and I know that with his personality, he will be giving his best in whatever he does.”

He also landed an internship with the Oneida City Courts, where he found a love within the court system and will be pursuing a career in a similar field.

“Morrisville is a special place,” he said. “My advice in anything you do — give it 100%, nothing less.”

An extended version of this story can be found at morrisvillemustangs.com.

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type

A Morrisville Legacy

salibalr — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000

A Morrisville Legacy salibalr Wed, 08/16/2023 - 07:00

Leonard Cunningham came to ��Ƶ in the fall of 1913, a member of the third entering class in the school’s young history.

It was a relatively short trek in those days; Cunningham’s father worked as a farmhand at a Cazenovia farm, just over 11 miles to the west on Route 20 — a hilly dirt road that would remain unpaved until the early 1930s.

Cunningham didn’t know it then, but he and his siblings would start a tradition of attendance and employment at ��Ƶ that would continue for more than a century and would include many descendants and members of the extended family, including retired nursing Professor Eileen Kinsella — his granddaughter — and her husband, retired Director of Instructional Communication Services Dennis ‘Denny’ Sands.

While neither attended Morrisville, Kinsella and Sands represent one of the greatest ‘legacy’ families of Morrisville grads dating from 1914 to 2019.

It all started with Cunningham. “My grandfather was a 14th-generation descendant of the Mayflower. He had these very intense, light-blue eyes,” Kinsella recalled. “He grew up in the Otisco area, but was living in Cazenovia because his dad moved around a lot to find farm work. He hitchhiked to start each semester at Morrisville.”

At that time, the college offered an agricultural major for males and a home economics-related degree for females. Cunningham’s brother, Albert, and his sister, Edna, had both graduated in 1914; Cunningham earned his degree in 1915 and went to work as a milk tester at dairy farms throughout the state. At one of those farms, in the Orange County town of Washingtonville, he met Anna Johnson, who would become his wife of more than 50 years. But before that, he enlisted in the Army during World War I, serving as an ambulance driver in France.

Author

Brian McDowell

Kinsella remembers her grandfather’s stories about life at Morrisville. “He played basketball, and he told me that they were playing against Colgate, and the team took a horse and sleigh over the hill to play them,” she said. “Can you imagine that time?”

‘Cunny’ would come back from the war, work briefly as a chauffeur in New York City, move back to Central New York, marry Anna Johnson, and raise a family. In 1929 the couple bought the Sand Hill Farm on West Road, near Oneida, New York, a hops farm they would expand into a dairy operation.

Anna Cunningham had three sets of twins as siblings, and after her parents died, some of her younger siblings came to live with her and Cunningham, several attending Morrisville – including Wallace ‘Wally’ Johnson, whose son, Keith, operated Quiet Valley Farms on Middle Road in Oneida, until his death in 2005 at the age of 68. Keith’s wife, Carol, studied horticulture at Morrisville as an adult student.

Adding to the legacy were Leonard Cunningham’s great-grandsons, Zarin Kinsella and Steve Follett, who also graduated from Morrisville, along with Leonard’s nephew, George Jr. and two nieces.

“Each one of them found a reason for studying there, because it meant they could find a job based on what they could do after they went to Morrisville,” Kinsella said.

Kinsella, who grew up in Oneida, was employed at Oneida Healthcare and was working with nursing students from ��Ƶ when she was offered a teaching job in 1978.

In 1983 she left the job to earn her master’s degree to qualify to work as a full-fledged faculty member. Graduates from the two-year nursing program developed a reputation for having a very high pass rate for licensure as registered nurses. “That was something we were very proud of,” Kinsella said.

She returned to Morrisville in 1985 and worked there until she retired in 2008, earning the college’s Distinguished Faculty Award and a lot of fans along the way.

Those fans included Sands, who had come to Morrisville’s Instructional Communications Department in 1968 as a TV technician, working there until his retirement in 1992.

Recalling his rural experience growing up with hard-working farm kids in Guilford, he came to appreciate the college’s dedication to teaching employable skills to students who could find careers after two years.

Under his leadership, Morrisville was the first to implement a campuswide TV system. He even fashioned an ingenious early electronic message system for transmitting a campus schedule and information: cameras focused on a turntable that would turn every few seconds to reveal a new message.

One day, a faculty member in nursing wanted to use the studio. Kinsella was taping instruction for the college’s Oswego summer nursing program courses.

“She came into that studio and sat in front of that camera and just ‘wowed’ me,” Sands recalled. “She was so polished and had great camera presence.” He was smitten.

Eventually, as he did with most people he interacted with on the campus, Sands charmed Kinsella with his great knack for conversation and his ear for engaging discourse on a wide range-of topics. The couple married — both for the second time — in 1997.

Both of Sands’ daughters attended Morrisville, Kathy ’81 (musical instrument repair) and Denise ’84 (dietetic technician in nutritional care). A niece, Kim Hotaling, graduated with a business degree from the college’s Norwich Campus in 1997.

Kathy’s studies took her to Nashville, Tennessee after graduation for two years of “very interesting work.” She once repaired a saxophone for the famous Boots Randolph; and she even got to play a few notes on it in his presence.

Kathy’s daughter, Emily Kaffenberger, transferred to Morrisville from Herkimer County Community College, graduating with an associate degree in medical office technology in 2009.

Later, Kathy’s stepdaughter, Lizzie, graduated from Morrisville’s nursing program in 2019.

Sands looks back with a lot of joy at his time in Morrisville, when he lived in town at a time when most college employees lived in town. “This college was all about getting the knowledge you needed to get a job, build a career. That’s Morrisville’s legacy for our families.”

Published date

August 16, 2023

News Type