SUNY Chancellor Honors UAlbany Student Excellence
Awards presented to 275 students from 62 campuses

Contact(s):  Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150, ([email protected])

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 7, 2008) -- State University of New York Interim Chancellor John B. Clark has honored 275 college students from SUNY campuses throughout the state with the 2008 Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.

"A rigorous three-part process that begins at the campus and evaluates each student's performance not only in the classroom, but also in the athletic arena, the art studio and the community, is used to determine our winners," said Clark. "This year's recipients of the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence are among the most gifted and talented students in the entire SUNY system and I congratulate them, their families and the campuses for all their achievements."

The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence was created 11 years ago to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts or career achievement. The average grade point average (GPA) for all recipients this year is 3.75.

Each year, campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews exemplary members of their college communities who are graduating. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor's Office and are subject to a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.

The following students were recipients of the University at Albany Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence:

• Michael Ammann of Putnam Valley, N.Y.
• Steven Ammann of Putnam Valley, N.Y.
• Zakhar Berkovich of Staten Island, N.Y.
• Vincent Cisternino of Staten Island, N.Y.
• Nicholas Fahrenkopf of Castleton, N.Y.
• Elizabeth Gray of Ithaca, N.Y.
• Natacha Jean-Louis of Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Nicole Kennedy of Gansevoort, N.Y.
• William Meredith of Walton, N.Y.
• Michael Reynolds of Fairport, N.Y.
• Jennifer Roman of Hammondsport, N.Y.
• Karl Schlegel of Goshen, N.Y.
• Dimitri Vaughn II of Patterson, N.J.
• Neil Volk of Albany, N.Y.

At Monday's ceremony, each recipient received a framed certificate and medallion, which is traditionally worn at commencement.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 427,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses.