November 4, 2026 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster welcomes alumna and accomplished writer Dina Peone as the featured reader in the Herbert H. & Sofia P. Reuner Library Writers Series. Peone, a member of the SUNY Ulster Class of 2013, will share selections from her writing and discuss her journey as a writer, educator, and advocate for creative nonfiction.
Free and open to the public, this event takes place on November 17 from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. in the College Lounge of the Stone Ridge Campus.
Peone’s story is a particularly meaningful one for SUNY Ulster. She attended SUNY Ulster after nearly losing her life in a devastating house fire. She survived with severe burns and amputations, endured years of reconstructive surgeries, and spent 72 days in a medically induced coma.
Rather than allowing those experiences to define the limits of her future, Peone forged a path in higher education and creative writing. She graduated from SUNY Ulster with a 4.0 GPA and the President’s Medal of Highest Honor in 2012. She continued her education at Sarah Lawrence College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree, and later received her MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa in 2018.
Peone also taught at the University of Chicago and has earned recognition for both her writing and teaching, including an Outstanding Teaching Award and the Lucy Grealy Prize for Poetry. Her essays have appeared in literary publications including Narratively and Hippocampus Magazine.
Peone’s return to SUNY Ulster brings her journey full circle, offering students and community members an opportunity to meet an accomplished writer whose connection to the College remains an important part of her story.
Established in 1998, the Herbert H. & Sofia P. Reuner Library Writers Series is sponsored by the Ulster Community College Foundation. The series brings distinguished and award-winning writers to the SUNY Ulster campus each fall for readings, discussions, and opportunities for students and community members to engage with contemporary authors.
Email Kari Mack, Director of Library Services for more information.
About SUNY Ulster
SUNY Ulster is a community college of the State University of New York, serving Ulster County and the Hudson Valley with high-quality, affordable education to over six thousand students annually across 70 academic programs. The college offers transfer and career programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare students for success in college, careers, and their communities.
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