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This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Stefan Ryan

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Headshot of Stefan in a suit

 

Stefan Ryan is a SUNY Ulster alum who graduated in 2014 with an associate’s degree in Engineering Science: Electrical Engineering. Stefan was familiar with the successful foundation SUNY Ulster provides students before enrolling here because both of his parents were also alumni! Stefan knew entering college he wanted to be an engineer, and he also knew the first two years of most college engineering programs were very similar. With this in mind, he made his decision to attend SUNY Ulster. He knew he “ would receive an equivalent education from SUNY Ulster as [he] would have at a 4-year University”. 

After Stefan’s graduation, he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic University for a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. During his time at RPI, he worked part-time as an application developer at IBM. After graduating Stefan began working at Lockheed Martin, and while working full time, completed his Masters of Engineering from Cornell University in 2018. Eventually, Stefan made the decision to move from Electrical Engineering to Cyber Security and relocated to Orlando, FL. 

Stefan says “The professors I had at Ulster were the biggest part of my success in education”.  Reflecting on his time here, Stefan looks back fondly on Professor Plumb, Professor Mistry,  Professor Douglas Furman, and “most of all Jules Albertini. They taught me the fundamentals of Engineering in Calculus and Differential Equations”.

Having been part of a family of SUNY Ulster graduates Stefan advocates for people to go to two-year colleges first. SUNY Ulster is a “great alternative to the growing pressure for all high school graduates attending a four-year college right after high school.” Stefan was able to pay for his entire associate’s degree and accrued zero debt before transferring to a four-year school. 

Stefan receiving and award

Congratulations on your accomplishments Stefan!

SUNY Ulster Police Academy Information Session Scheduled for April 29 

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Police Academy 2022v Graduates posing for photo

Next Police Academy Begins July 2023

April 14, 2023 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster’s Criminal Justice Department welcomes prospective students to attend a Police Academy information session on April 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This information session is mandatory for anyone interested in the upcoming academy class running from July 2023 to December 2023. The information session will be held at the Kingston Center of SUNY Ulster. The information session will also have a Zoom option. During the information session attendees will meet the academy staff, learn about physical fitness, understand academic requirements, and review academy rules and regulations.

At the completion of the Police Basic Training Certificate program, a student will be able to demonstrate working knowledge of New York State law including; penal law, family and juvenile law, mental hygiene law, vehicle and traffic law, and criminal procedure law. Students will also be able to demonstrate knowledge, actions and procedures required of police officers such as applying various laws to established police procedure and public safety response techniques.

The 30-credit hour certificate program is achieved through collaboration between SUNY Ulster and the Ulster County Law Enforcement Training Group (UCLETG) and incorporates all of the NYS approved pre-employment curriculum and objectives. Although the program does not guarantee admission into a police department, all requirements of a full-time basic police academy apply to this program, including physical fitness, para-military organizational development, attendance, and academics.

According to Jim Truitt, Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice & Human Services, “between 80-85% of our PBT program graduates consistently go on to be successfully employed in the policing field upon program completion. Most of the graduates find employment locally, but our students generally come from five to six surrounding counties.”

Registration is required:   For more information, contact Mike Polcari at polcarim@sunyulster.edu or 845-688-1590.

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SUNY Ulster Named a Top Ten Gold Military Friendly School

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SUNY Ulster Press Release

SUNY Ulster Named a 2023-2024 Top Ten Gold Military Friendly® School Designation

March 21, 2023 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster announces it has earned a Gold top ten spot in the 2023-2024 Military Friendly® School designation. Military Friendly®  is the designation that measures a school’s commitment to veterans, current military members, and their dependents.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2023-2024 survey with 665 earning special awards for going above the standard.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

“Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard,” reports Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly®.  Manuel Torres, SUNY Ulster’s Director of Military Affiliated Services, says,” Working together with our military affiliated students we design individualized programs to help the students reach their desired goals. This begins by providing a safe and welcoming atmosphere for the military affiliated students and providing up to date information on how to maximize their available benefits. We further support our military affiliated students by providing the necessary resources to help them succeed”.

Interested veterans and their families can learn more about SUNY Ulster’s military veteran opportunities by contacting Manny Torres at torresm@sunyulster.edu or call (845) 688-6003.

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top ten military

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Alejandro M. Duran Sanchez

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Portrait Photograph of Alejandro

Business Administration 2019’

Alejandro Sanchez graduated from SUNY Ulster in 2019 after completing his Associate’s Degree in Business Administration. Sanchez’s road to success was not always easy but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Alejandro’s decision was solidified when he found out his peers who had attended four-year colleges “had outstanding debt, well over $25,000” after their first two years.

After graduating from high school Alejandro Sanchez’s family was incredibly unhappy with his decision to attend a community college instead of a four-year college, but he insisted it was the right choice for his future. “To this day I’m happy with the decision I made in attending SUNY Ulster”. Once Alejandro completed his Associate’s Degree he transferred to SUNY Albany and in two years finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. 

During his time at SUNY Ulster Sanchez remembers conversations with William Russell, a Library Assistant on campus. The two would meet weekly and Russell would share his wisdom with Alejandro. Alejandro specifically remembers a quote William Russell once said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” 

Alejandro Sanchez is currently the founder and CEO of Volna Unalign, a digital marketing agency located in the Hudson Valley. He acknowledges that being a business owner can be taxing but rewarding and believes he “wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for SUNY Ulster”.

Finally, Alejandro has his own words of wisdom for all students currently enrolled in SUNY Ulster, “Don’t give up, find your gift, and remember to share it with everyone.” He continues, “We all started somewhere, now it’s your turn to go far.”

Alejandro at scholarship ceremony

SUNY Ulster Holds Virtual Financial Aid Workshops

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SUNY Ulster Press Release

SUNY Ulster Holds Virtual Financial Aid Workshops

February 24, 2023 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster has scheduled multiple financial aid workshops to be held on Zoom. During the workshop, students can expect to get help from a SUNY Ulster Financial Aid Counselor in completing their 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Registration is required. The workshops will be held from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates:

  • March 9, 2023
  • April 6, 2023
  • May 11, 2023
  • June 1, 2023

 

Please have your 2021 tax information on hand before the workshop begins which includes your W-2 forms, federal tax returns, and any other income or asset documents. For more information, contact Kathleen Hasbrouck at 845-687-5217.

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SBDC Appoints New Regional Director, Welcomes New Counselor 

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SUNY Ulster Press Release

February 10, 2023 – Stone Ridge, NY – The SUNY Ulster Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center located in Kingston, NY has appointed a new Regional Director, Sam Kandel.

Sam Kandel has been an active member of the Small Business Development Center since 2002 and has previously served as Advanced Certified Business Advisor, Associate Director, and Interim Director.

Having been nominated for Business Advisor of the Year a dozen times, Kandel had won almost half of the nominations, most recently being awarded this title in 2020. He was also selected as the New York State Star, a national honor two times. Now as SBDC Regional Director, he manages the day-to-day operations of the Mid-Hudson Regional Center, hosted by SUNY Ulster, and continues to honor the organization’s mission.  The Center works closely with local and State economic development entities; with SUNY faculty, staff and students; and with representatives from private industry, small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the region.

Janaina Barham-Middleton, a small business owner in Walden, was hired as a full-time Small Business Development Center Counselor. Barham-Middleton’s experience as a small business owner and educator allows her to understand the unique challenges companies face. Her main goal is to help people move to the next level in their desired journey.

The SBDC provides expert management and technical assistance to start-up and existing businesses across the state. The New York SBDC is administered by State University of New York and funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of New York, and host campuses. The SBDC emphasizes counseling and training services to women, veterans, people with special needs, and minority clients.

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Janaina Barham and Sam Kandel

 

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Dina Peone!

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Dina peone looking at camera

Liberal Arts: Humanities & Social Sciences and Creative Writing: Dina Peone ‘13

Since graduating with an Associate degree in Liberal Arts in 2013 Dina Peone has gone on to share her writing talents with others! Currently a lecturer at the University of Chicago,  Peone has committed herself to helping others with their writing by designing and teaching unique nonfiction writing courses.

Six years before Peone enrolled at SUNY Ulster, she sustained a severe burn injury that nearly took her life and ability to write. During her time at SUNY Ulster, she recovered some of the confidence she would need to continue pursuing her goals. “SUNY Ulster is where I discovered a structured, community-supported environment in which I could safely begin writing about the fire.”   She adds that the College allowed her to “recognize that the fire had not destroyed [her] potential”. 

With unwavering spirit, Peone continued striving for excellence. After completing her degree at SUNY Ulster Dina Peone was accepted to her top school, Sarah Lawrence where she attained a Bachelor’s degree, and swears SUNY Ulster played a pivotal role in that success, “SUNY Ulster’s consistent recognition of my efforts is one reason I got accepted by seven out of eight four-year colleges”. Once enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College, Peone’s love for writing continued to flourish and enabled her to be a co-founder of a literary journal titled Cliffhanger, where she served as editor-in-chief.  

Dina went on to earn her MFA in nonfiction at the prestigious University of Iowa (’18) and then joined the Iowa faculty as a Visiting Assistant Professor and taught the Nonfiction Writing Program’s first-ever online course.

Today, Peone is teaching her own thesis workshop as well as being a thesis adviser to undergraduate students at U. Chi. Reflecting on her trials and tribulations Peone was ecstatic to share the passion SUNY Ulster had ignited in her and the tremendous gratitude she had for the college. “To my great delight, I am continuously learning what I am capable of. I now fully believe that, at any given time, I am capable of achieving far more than I can imagine.” – Dina Peone

 

SUNY Ulster Presents “The Growing Threat of Domestic Violent Extremism” on December 2, 2022

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SUNY Ulster Press Release

SUNY Ulster Presents “The Growing Threat of Domestic Violent Extremism”
in the Quimby Theater on December 2, 2022

November 17, 2022 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion welcomes Catrina Doxsee, Associate Director and Associate Fellow of the Transnational Threats Project, to discuss domestic terrorism on Friday, December 2 at 12 p.m., in the Quimby Theater in Vanderlyn Hall on the Stone Ridge campus. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

For the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Catrina Doxsee analyzes international and domestic terrorism and the irregular activities of countries such as Iran, Russia, and China.

In recent years, the United States has seen historically high levels of domestic terrorist activity and a wide range of conspiracy theories and disinformation produced by individuals with violent extremist beliefs. During this event, Doxsee will discuss recent trends in domestic extremist violence, the impact of disinformation, how these problems may manifest, and how they can be prevented at a community level.  The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

Included in the discussion:

  • How we define and think about domestic terrorism and violent extremism
  • Major ideologies behind extremist violence in the United States
  • Recent trends in domestic terrorist attacks, including number, targets, weapons, and location
  • Domestic violent extremism in the context of New York State and Ulster County
  • Related phenomena, including disinformation, racism, and dehumanizing language
  • The role of social media and other online platforms
  • Ways to counter extremism at all levels—from national policy to local community action

For more information, contact Candice VanDyke, Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY Ulster at vandykec@sunyulster.edu. Covid-19 screening for guests will take place during check-in.

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Enrollment & Success Center Hosts Two Events

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SUNY Ulster Press Release

The Enrollment & Success Center at SUNY Ulster Presents Discover the Arts and SUNY Financial Aid Day 

Discover the Arts November 9, 2022, 4 -7 p.m. 

SUNY Financial Aid Day November 12, 2022, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

November 4, 2022 – Stone Ridge, NY – The SUNY Ulster Enrollment & Success Center invites you to the Stone Ridge campus to learn about the Arts programs at SUNY Ulster as well as Financial Aid.

 During Discover the Arts, prospective students are invited to participate in an optional Portfolio Review of their work and preview a SUNY Ulster Student Works Showcase. The schedule includes a presentation about the Fine Arts Program, a Student Works Showcase, and an Application Workshop. Art Area Tours featuring the Gallery, Print Shop, Mac Lab, Mac Studio, and Inner Space. Registration is required .

During Financial Aid Day, SUNY Ulster will offer area high school seniors with plans to attend any SUNY school in fall 2023 with hands-on assistance completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). SUNY Ulster’s Admissions staff will also be available to speak with those interested in learning more about SUNY Ulster and its programs. Campus tours will be offered. Registration is required.  To complete the FAFSA with a SUNY Ulster specialist, bring the following:

  • Federal Student Aid ID and Passwords for parent and student. Register for an FSA ID at studentaid.gov.
  • 2021 Tax documents including your federal and state tax returns, W-2 statements, and other income statements
  • 2021 untaxed income information, such as child support paid or received
  • Asset information
  • Driver’s license (student)
  • Social security numbers for student and parent
  • Alien registration card (permanent residents of US)

The Enrollment & Success Center team is dedicated to helping you every step of the way through your college journey, from admissions through graduation. For more information, email esc@sunyulster.edu.

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WinterNet Logo

Students from Any College Can Earn Three Credits in Three Weeks

October 14, 2022 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster’s Winter*net session, which begins January 2 and runs through January 21, offers three-week online courses that allow SUNY Ulster and visiting students the ability to earn credits quickly and affordably.

Winter offerings include popular general education required classes and electives in the sciences, business, history, social sciences, languages, and more at a cost of $200 per credit in-state tuition.

The online format and accelerated class schedule can help students get a jump-start on their spring semester, complete a required course, or explore a new area of interest.

To learn more about Winter*net courses and register online, visit sunyulster.edu/winternet.

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Winternet Earn 3 credits in 3 weeks