SUNY Ulster

Fine Arts Student Wins Scholarship to SVA

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Chelsea Stingel standing in front of painting of flowers

From a young age, Chelsea Stingel wanted to be an artist. But she knew that to get into one of the leading art schools in the country that offered larger scholarships, she would have to build her portfolio.

SUNY Ulster’s Fine Arts Program helped her do just that, earning Stingel a $45,000 scholarship to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan.

Through the college’s new capstone art classes – Advanced Studio 1 and 2 – Stingel got the time to devote to working on independent portfolio pieces in a mentoring environment with professors and peers, which she says made all the difference for her to reach her transfer goals.

SUNY Ulster added the advanced studio offerings two years ago, after hearing feedback from the top art schools that said its students were producing high-quality work but weren’t doing enough independent projects.

Taught by adjunct arts instructor Chris Seubert and Art Department Chair Iain Machell, students learn how to photograph their work (with photographic equipment supplied by a Title 3 mini-grant), create an online portfolio, write an artist’s statement, and create a successful transfer portfolio and application for a four-year college. They also have the opportunity to work with faculty at the Woodstock School of Art through a partnership. Other community colleges now are creating similar portfolio-building classes.

After graduating in May with her Associate’s in Fine Arts, Stingel will enter SVA as a junior in Illustration and have about half of her tuition paid for by the scholarship over three years. She was awed by the artwork she saw at Acceptance Day and is looking forward to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from gifted working artists in NYC.

Stingel will pursue a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in illustration and aspires to work in the commercial side of art doing commissions for movies or games.

The Saugerties resident originally chose SUNY Ulster to make the transition to college life easier and excelled in the fine arts program here.

“I was really impressed with the art program at SUNY Ulster,” she says. “The professors are helpful with our work and easy to talk to outside of class.”

Stingel’s self-portrait currently is on show at the SUNY Spring 2015 Student Art Exhibition at the Plaza Gallery, SUNY Plaza in Albany. This is an exhibition that highlights the projects of art and design programs throughout the SUNY system. Her art work won a further accolade and has been selected for the Best of the Year SUNY Student Art exhibition that will take place at the NY State Museum in Albany in June.

Math Rocks At SUNY Ulster

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Group photo of SUNY Ulster's Math Team in 2015

It’s not every day you hear of students volunteering to take tests. But that’s what has happened year after year with the New York State Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges (NYSMATYC) statewide test.

This year, more than 30 students took the spring exam, continuing a trend of strong interest over recent years. Our team placed 8th in the state and Jacob Arduino came in third overall in the competition, vying against students from 32 other community colleges, including large ones in New York City.

While SUNY Ulster consistently performs high in the rankings and took top honors in the state in 2011-2012, what’s most impressive to the faculty is the voluntary participation. SUNY Ulster Math Professor Jules Albertini couldn’t be prouder of the students and campus culture here that has made math accessible to all and fun.

“These students voluntarily gave their time to work on problem solving skills, test taking strategies as well as mathematics,” said Albertini, also faculty advisor to the Math Club. “They represent a community of learners.”

Students participating were:

Caroline E. Alsdorf, Jacob Arduino, Nolan Bastianelli, Jacob Berryann, Samantha Bruck, Carrigan Buhler, John Campbell, Victoria Cymbal, Paddy Defino, Luke Duffy, Tara Fitzgerald, Juravell Fontes-Janusz, Isaac Goldowitz, Joe Gust, Kevin Hayes, Elyssia Johnan, Lia Krempl, Benson Lam, Sean McCabe, Lauren Mead, Mario Mena, Eric Milczewski, Christian Pavlov, Nathan Potolsky, Nick Ramsell, Christopher Reffelt, Alexis Ricci, Amy Rogers, Dave Rothe, Phway Sandi San, Myles Santiago, Cassidy Schuman, Thiha W. Shein, Brandon Spang, Nicole Spizzo, Ryan Staffiero, Jeremy Tremper, Maxwell Van Kleeck, William Weronick and Nicole Wronkoski.

Vassar Program Bound Student Finds New Opportunites

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Michael Mulvey stands in front of white wall

“At SUNY Ulster, I found dedicated professors and TRIO counselors who have taken an interest in my personal well-being and academic success. There’s so much that can be gained in an environment like this,” Michael Mulvey, Media and Communications, Honor’s program, expected graduation spring 2016

 

Michael Mulvey never dreamed of the future he now sees for himself just two years. A first-time college student at the age of 55, Mulvey of Woodstock will be spending part of this summer at Vassar College as part of the highly selective “Exploring Transfer Program.”

Mulvey learned of his acceptance into the prestigious program on another milestone day – the one-year anniversary of his release from NY state prison on a repeat DWI offense.

Mulvey’s own experiences with the penal/treatment program set him on a path of redemption and personal re-invention that began with pursuing an associate’s at SUNY Ulster.

Now an honors student on the President’s List studying Media and Communications with a concentration in film and video production, Mulvey is seizing every opportunity put before him – and he’s found plenty in this diverse community college setting.

From dedicated and motivating instructors who took a personal interest in his success to pursuing his musical interests in playing bass in the SUNY Ulster Jazz Band, Mulvey has flourished in the small close-knit environment.

A high school dropout, he received student support to get his basic college requirements fulfilled for admissions and credits the counselors at TRIO Student Support Services for their tremendous support.

For his accomplishments, he also has received a TRIO award for student excellence.

Seeking Legal and Social Justice

When SUNY Ulster’s Honors Program coordinator Jennifer Kaufman, put the Vassar program before her students to apply, Mulvey was immediately intrigued by a course being offered on “Legal Justice, Social Justice: The Politics of Imprisonment.”

The essay about his own experiences flowed easily and formed an early idea for a thesis. A recovering alcoholic who struggled with dependency issues while on disability as an operating engineer in New York City’s building trade, Mulvey believes the state should devote more resources to education than prisons.

His goal is to apply what he learned as a negotiator and shop steward during 25 years in the labor movement to the political process as a media consultant and filmmaker. “I see new media and Social Media platforms as grass roots political mobilization tools with the ability to reinforce the social contract and invigorate our faltering democracy,” he says.

Mulvey credits Dr. Ray Raymond, Associate Professor of Government and History, as serving as his academic advisor and a mentor. He aspires to transfer to a four-year college to pursue Communications and Government, and apply his knowledge to the American political process.

Vassar Opportunity

The Vassar Exploring Transfer program is designed to introduce first-generation community college students from underrepresented populations to the possibilities of transfer to a wide range of four-year colleges and universities.

Over five weeks, Mulvey will take six credits of interdisciplinary liberal arts courses and live in the residence hall at the Poughkeepsie liberal arts campus. His scholarship completely covers tuition, room, board, books and all other supplies.

Mulvey wants to help other college students to focus on the opportunities before them while they can, and also serve as positive role model for his 22-year-old daughter, Alexandra. “As a parent, I can show her how people can redeem themselves when they make mistakes,” Mulvey says.

“Start here, go far is a motto for anyone at any place in their life,” he says.

Getting through Finals -10 Tips for Success

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Woman working at finals

Yes, it’s about that time, finals! As a college student, finals are stressful and important. We’re hoping though, these ten tips below, help you be more prepared and less stressed during finals time.

1. Lower your commitments. Don’t take on any extra commitments and even put off any unnecessary social obligations or family commitments. Let your schedule have as much free time as possible within the two weeks leading up to finals. You’ll find you have a lot easier time studying if you make extra time for it. If you’re working, try if at all possible to take 10 days off for final exam period (or at least trim your work schedule). Even a few strategically placed extra hours can make the difference between doing just OK on finals and doing a really great job.

2. Understand your study needs. Some students think they should spend equal amounts of time preparing for each of their finals. Instead, distribute your study time to how hard the final is likely to be and how well you already know the material.

Insider tip: When figuring out when to start studying, count up from the day the study questions are handed out (or if your prof doesn’t do this, a week before the exam) to the day the exam will take place. “Seven days? Then divide the course into sevenths and study two weeks’ worth of lectures each day.”

3. Figure out what’s covered. One of the most important things you need to be clear about is what materials are going to be tested on the final. Are readings and discussion sections included, or is the final going to focus almost exclusively on material from the lectures? Is the final going to concentrate on materials since the midterm or is it going to be a comprehensive or cumulative final? Knowing the extent and the limits of the exam will make it much easier to organize and structure your studying.

4. Find out if you’re answering the big question or a series of smaller questions. Professors have two strategies when making up finals. Some design a single, big question or two; others give a series of more focused questions, each covering some single issue in the course. Before you start studying, make sure you’ve figured out your professor’s test-construction strategy.

5. Understand when to do group study. Many students believe (mistakenly) that a study group always is the best advantage: more brain power plus peer pressure to crack the books. This works well when your study partners are at least as smart as you. Exam time isn’t charity time.

6. Read the instructions—and make a plan. When you get to the exam and get your test sheet, take the time to carefully survey the format of the test. How many questions are you being asked to answer? Is there a choice? How much does each part count? Then make a (tentative) plan—right up front, before you start working—of how much time you’re going to devote to each question.

Insider tip: Don’t waste too much time outlining your answers, writing down formulas you’ve memorized, or (when given a choice) starting a question and then stopping and starting another question. You’re being graded on the quality of your answer, not on notes to yourself or false starts.

7. Be sure to expand your answers fully. Many students don’t realize that, on essay exams, part of what’s being graded is how well you develop and explain your answer, not just how correct it is. Consider explaining your points in more detail so that someone unfamiliar with the answer would know, just from what you say, what the answer is.

8. Don’t panic too soon. In three hours, you’ll probably be confronted with a number of questions of varying degrees of difficulty. There are bound to be ups and downs—times you’re feeling better, and worse, about how the test is going. Ignore such instantaneous feedback. Most tests are designed to have some harder questions, and in any case, such self-evaluation is often wrong.

9. Pace yourself. Two or three hours is a long time. Think of the final exam as a work session, divided into a number of sub-sessions. Take a few minute break between each question or part. Approach each question separately from the rest.

10. Stay until the end. It’s amazing to see, but many students leave before the exam is over. That’s never a good thing to do, since there are always problems to be checked over or essays to be added to or proofread. Even making a single correction to a problem, or adding a single point to an essay (don’t be afraid to pencil a paragraph into the margin or on top of the page), can spell the difference between a good grade and a not-so-good grade.

Alumna Got her STEM Start at SUNY Ulster

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Alethea Shuman stands next to lamp

Alethea Shuman ‘2010, Drafting and Design,
Phi Theta Kappa

Close relationships with her professors kept Alethea (Schaeffer) Shuman coming back to SUNY Ulster – even after she transferred to RPI.

Starting when the Stone Ridge resident took classes during high school to when she graduated with a drafting and design associate’s degree with distinction in 2010, Alethea has had a special connection with the faculty here that she hasn’t experienced at other colleges.

“I had such a good experience at SUNY Ulster,” she says. “I really connected with the professors and they prepared me for RPI. I didn’t make as close of connections anywhere else.”

After earning a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2013, Alethea landed her first full-time job in the field at Selux, a design and innovative leader in the development of high-end architectural lighting systems in Highland.

Starting as a design engineer, she was promoted to engineering lead and now manages a team of drafters, design and manufacturing engineers tasked with developing and pricing custom products for customers’ unique needs.

While working full-time at Selux, she also is pursuing her master’s in engineering management online at Clarkson University.

Over the years, Alethea has returned to SUNY Ulster to take classes because of the “amazing professors,” crediting Drafting Professor Sal Ligotino for giving her the drafting background she needed to succeed at RPI and Math Professor Jules Albertini for the strong math basis for engineering.

As a woman working in the expanding STEM field, Alethea offers this advice: “Females shouldn’t be intimidated. There are challenges but nothing that can’t be overcome and it’s worth it.”

Students Celebrate No Hate Week at SUNY Ulster

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Student writing on paper against another student's back

SUNY Ulster declares it is a “Safe Space” for everyone.

Bullying is an ongoing issue around the globe, in all demographics. During No Hate Week, SUNY Ulster stepped up to fight bullying, shaming, and other forms of harassment for all SUNY Ulster students.

No Hate Week on campus turned its focus on supporting the students of SUNY Ulster who identify as part of the LGBTQ community while also getting out the word that the campus is a safe space for all students. The focus started with the LGBTQ student community because of the need to give a voice to the countless individuals in the LGBTQ community and around them (allies) who are constantly harassed and bullied for who they are, what they wear, and what race they have been born into.

If you have never been bullied think about that for a moment. How would you feel being harassed on a daily basis for being who you are? For LGBTQ students this is something most of us face on the regular it has become a horrible part of our lives, and no matter how much we try to not let it bother us it always does. For some individuals they cannot take the torment on the daily they do not know who to turn to so the only way they see out of the torment is by taking their own lives.

From November 18th-20th the LGBTA club with support of SGO and countless other clubs held their very first No Hate Week. This was held during Trans Remembrance week leading up to our amazing photo shoot on the 20th which fell on Trans Remembrance Day.

Day 1 November 18th:

The day was surrounded by positive messages for all LGBTQ students on our campus.Day one started off with and opening speech by our very own President Katt. His speech went over statistics on bullying of LGBTQ students, and then went on to talk about SUNY Ulster’s Zero Tolerance policy and how bullying and harassment of any kind is not welcome on our campus, and if any student is getting harassed they should not be afraid of coming forward and reporting any incidents. The harassment will be dealt with in a swift manner without the student seeing any backlashes from it.

“While there have been societal advances toward greater tolerance with members of the

LGBTQ community, e.g. the growing number of states recognizing same sex marriages, we need to

continue to work on a full embrace of non-prejudicial diversity.  I will not accept any student coming

to our campus not feeling completely safe and accepted for whatever lifestyle he or she has

selected.” -President Donald Katt, SUNY Ulster

 

Following President Katt’s speech Stephen Balantzian introduced drama students Jayme Strype, Jaisa London, Damien Stevens, Joel Cruz, Lex Borscherdt, Jena Bruno, Kelsey VanEtten, and Colleen Smith. These amazingly talented drama students preformed skits from The Laramie Project.

Their performances brought tears to many onlookers. For those of you not familiar with The Laramie Project here in an excerpt from the Tectonic Theatre Companies Site “In October 1998 Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming.  Five weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, and over the course of the next year, conducted more than 200 interviews with people of the town.  From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, a chronicle of the life of the town of Laramie in the year after the murder.  THE LARAMIE PROJECT is one of the most performed plays in America today.”

 

Day 2 November 19th:

The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center’s own outreach personnel, Corrine and Davey were present to share the resources and support available at the center. Davey ran a lively workshop presentation regarding Transgender awareness, sharing poignant facts and involving the audience in a rousing activist minded discussion.

Steven Hengst from the Big Gay Hudson Valley, shared the bounty of recreational resources of the Hudson Valley for the LGBTQ community. He also shared his experience of being a gay man in Hudson Valley and starting a website that celebrates the LGBTQ community with his husband as co-founder. He has received thousands of positive messages of support for the outlet and they continue to pour in daily which fuels his drive to continue the work Big Gay Hudson Valley does (for example the Holiday event for local charities).

“This week was extremely important for SUNY Ulster to acknowledge, recognize, celebrate

and honor our LBGTQ community and put a special spotlight on the importance of creating a

community of inclusion and support for all and especially for our transgender brothers and sisters

who are here among us and for those have lost their lives.” -Hope Windle, Multimedia Instruct Designer Learning Technologies at SUNY Ulster

 

Day 3 November 20th:

On our third and final day was our No Hate Photo Shoot which fell on Trans Remembrance Day and our photo shoot was dedicated to all those who are no longer with us. Our photo shoot had a much larger turn out than expected and was an experience that I am so happy to have been a part of, and even more pleased to say that we started out with 100 photo waivers and had to make more copies. That alone was an amazing thing to witness the outpouring of students and faculty that came and took a stand against hate.

On Behalf of myself and the LGBTQA Club a very special thanks to everyone who was involved in these amazing three days’ worth of events. The following are quotes by some of the individuals who made this special day possible. And please always remember do not be the bully be the preventer, and you yourself can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

“I am so proud of our students, faculty and staff for creating and participating in SUNY Ulster’s

first No Hate Week.The enthusiasm for the events, particularly the NoH8 photo shoot was amazing.

While we’ve only just begun on our journey to eliminate hate, bullying and inappropriate behavior

toward the LGBTA community, our first No Hate Week was a huge, positive leap in the right direction.

We look forward to hosting an even bigger No Hate Week next year.” -Deb Waller-Frederick, Coordinator of Campus Life Community Relations Marketing at SUNY Ulster

 

SUNY Ulster’s Environmental Club Recognized

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SUNY Ulster Environmental Club digging a hole

SUNY Ulster’s Environmental Club is working to make sustainability a bigger part of the college’s mission. The student group would like to see more specific sustainability goals added to the mission statement and will present its recommendations to the Board of Trustees.

Environmental Club President Aidan Ferris and Vice President Alex Lemus met with President Don Katt to share the club’s ideas and will make the presentation on Dec. 16. The club is recommending numerous new initiatives, including the formation of a sustainability committee, working with food service to reduce waste and increase recycling, and implementing a sustainability tracking and rating system.

The members would like to see the college use the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) conducted by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which is used by SUNY Orange and hundreds of other community colleges.

The club also has been active in community work. Six members along with faculty advisor Jennifer Costello donated their time to restore, protect and beautify a Hudson River park. The group spent half a day planting native plant species at Kingston Point Beach, working with Kingston Parks and Recreation Department, UlsterCorps and Volunteer New York on the service project.

Want to get involved? Contact Jennifer Guiher at guiherj@ sunyulster.edu to find out more!

Ashli Skura Dreher, Adjunct Professor Named State Teacher of the Year

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Portrait photo of Ashli Skura Dreher

SUNY Ulster Adjunct Professor Ashli Skura Dreher Honored, Named State Teacher of the Year

SUNY Ulster online adjunct professor Ashli Skura Dreher has been named the2014 New York State Teacher of the Year by the State Board of Regents.

Dreher, a high school special-education teacher for the Lewiston-Porter Central School District, has taught the online course Supporting Students in Reading and Writing through the College since 2005.

A teacher in the Lewiston-Porter district for 15 years, she is the first in the district to earn National Board Certification for Professional Teaching Standards, one of teaching’s highest honors. She teaches special education in a high school classroom working with students with moderate intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities.

“New York’s teachers are among the best and most professional in the nation. Still, Ashli manages to stand out,” said New York State United Teachers President Richard C. Iannuzzi. “In her classroom, students with special needs receive a mix of research-based instruction and innovative lessons. Her focus on community and volunteerism, and her close collaboration with parents, make her a sterling example of what happens when great teachers and concerned parents work together on behalf of our children. I join every member of NYSUT in congratulating her.”

Dreher is a dissertation level doctoral student in the teaching and curriculum department of the University of Rochester’s Margaret Warner School of Education and Human Development, where she enjoys researching literacy, specifically the best instructional practices for teaching reading to students with moderate intellectual disabilities. Dreher also served as the NYSUT Education and Learning Trust regional coordinator for the Western New York and Rochester areas for 10 years to promote turnkey training and professional development for teachers and aspiring teachers.

Faculty Achievement: Fernando Valdivia Poem Chosen for Publication

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SUNY Ulster campus during the day

Fernando Valdivia Poem Chosen for Publication

SUNY Ulster English, Foreign Languages and Philosophy department faculty member, Fernando Valdivia, has had a poem accepted for publication in the Winter 2015 issue of Pentimento Magazine. Of the 143 poems submitted, Fernando’s was one of eleven chosen for publication.

His poem appears below.

SEA SORROW
By Fernando Valdivia

When my mother’s nine-month bulge of water burst, she bled,
and though my tiny brother’s spine was smashed,
his kidneys crushed, the doctors put him in a cast
and told my Dad his son might walk but always wet the bed.
As kids in summer we would start off for the beach,
and I would be ashamed to walk beside him as he lurched
like some drunk sailor pitching on the sober earth,
his brace cleats pivoting beside my perfect feet.

But once immersed, I’d watch his burly shoulders churn
through walls of waves, way out past the tide,
while I’d remain embroiled in shallow surf and guilty pride.
My starfish toes gripping rocks like clams, I’d see him turn
and, like some mighty Neptune, ride the cresting foam,
then swim in close enough to flounder on the shore
and hobble home.

Mindy Kole Honored as an Outstanding Businesswoman

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Mindy Kole standing with Senator Sam mascot and holding an "I love SUNY Ulster sign"

Mindy Kole Honored as an Outstanding Businesswoman

Mindy Kole, Director of SUNY Ulster’s Darlene L. Pfeiffer Center For Entrepreneurial Studies and Assistant Professor in the English, Business and Professional Studies programs, has been named an an Outstanding Hudson Valley Businesswomen by Hudson Valley Magazine. She is one of the honorees at the inaugural Women in Business Luncheon.