June 5, 2023 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster is proud to announce four members of the faculty and staff have been awarded the 2023 Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. These members include; Penny Rifenburgh, Patrick J. McGuire, Suzanne DeWitt, and Virginia “Ginny” Lukasavage.
The Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence are system-level honors conferred to acknowledge and provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence. These programs underscore SUNY’s commitment to sustaining intellectual vibrancy, advancing the boundaries of knowledge, providing the highest quality of instruction, and serving the public good. Through these awards, SUNY publicly proclaims its pride in the accomplishment and personal dedication of its instructional faculty, professional and classified staff across its campuses.
Penny Rifenburgh, an Assistant Professor of English and Department Chair of English, Language, and Philosophy received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. A peer commented, “Since arriving on campus, Penny has been a magnet for students. Penny is warm, welcoming, and generous with the students. Her office is always full of students who simply stop by to say hello. The discussions are often related to classwork; however, Penny always takes time to check in with students on a personal level”. In addition to being a pleasure to work alongside, Penny’s students can agree “She is a passionate professor who is caring and puts in her time for her students.”
Patrick J. McGuire, an Adjunct Faculty member in the Social Sciences, History and Education department received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. A peer commented, “In the classroom, Pat is humorous, approachable, and informal in a way that puts students at ease and engenders a positive learning experience. He can be relied upon to give his best efforts in all circumstances…”. Students who have experienced his teaching comment, “I am very grateful to have had professor McGuire for this course. He made the material more enjoyable and kept the content very entertaining to keep the attention of the students. I think his methods should be used for all classes!”
Suzanne DeWitt is an Instructional Assistant for the Biological Sciences department and received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. “Suzanne has always gone above and beyond for the biology faculty and the college… from preparing reagents and setting up labs to purchasing… She’s the best!” In her peers’ opinions, she is “a super-intelligent, dedicated professional who keeps the Biological Sciences department running smoothly…”
Virginia “Ginny” Lukasavage is an administrative assistant in the Arts and English, Language, and Philosophy departments and received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service. When her colleagues were asked for a comment on “Ginny” they had nothing but wonderful things to say. One peer commented “Ginny is sunshine on a cloudy day. She is caring, professional, and an awesome person to work with always.” Another said “Ginny helps improve any situation she sees on campus with active participation, positivity, and genuine kindness. She is an asset to us all.”
Individuals selected for this tribute are the SUNY community’s role models in their respective areas. In acknowledgment of their selection, recipients will be given recognition for the particular award received in the college catalog, a letter, certificate, and a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence Medallion are also bestowed to commemorate selection. Each individual has long lists of impressive professional achievements in addition to their remarkable comradery with the campus community. SUNY Ulster applauds their hard work and effort in going above and beyond for both their colleagues and students.
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