UAlbany Awards Sen. Neil Breslin the Medallion of the University

NYS Sen. Neil D. Breslin stands wearing a dark gray suit and red tie speaking at wooden lectern with the UAlbany seal framed on either side behind him by two purple UAlbany banners with the University's gold Minerva logo.
Sen. Neil Breslin speaks at a press conference announcing the largest faculty cluster hire in UAlbany history. The 27 new AI-focused faculty lines were made possible by $5.2 million in the 2022-23 state budget. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 30, 2023) — The University at Albany has awarded state Sen. Neil D. Breslin the Medallion of the University, UAlbany’s highest honor for distinguished public service.

The University selected the senator for the honor in recognition of his 26 years of committed advocacy for public higher education, the University at Albany and its students, and the Capital Region.

President Havidán Rodríguez will present the Medallion at the Spring University Address on April 11 in the Campus Center West Auditorium, with a reception to follow.

“UAlbany would not be the university it is today if not for Sen. Breslin’s tireless work to ensure New York’s public colleges and universities are the best in the nation,” Rodríguez said. “Much more than just new buildings, Sen. Breslin has consistently fought with distinction and compassion for the life-changing programs that have helped make UAlbany one of the most diverse public research institutions in the country and a national leader in educational equity and social and economic mobility.”

He added: “The aspiring young leaders drawn to UAlbany could not have a better role model for public service than Sen. Breslin.”

A Symbol of Extraordinary Public Service

Sen. Breslin and UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez embrace in a University parking lot with foot pallets in the background during a food giveaway on campus.
​ Sen. Breslin and UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez embrace during a food giveaway on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Patrick Dodson) ​

The Medallion expresses UAlbany’s admiration for extraordinary public service and leadership. Recipients must have demonstrated a profound commitment to the interconnectedness of academic excellence, cultural richness and economic vibrance and the central role that public higher education plays in uplifting lives and communities.

“I am honored to receive this award today,” Breslin said. “The University at Albany is a thriving academic institution and a tremendous benefit to the Capital District and to New York State. I always enjoy visiting this vibrant campus community, whether it’s to meet with staff about furthering our shared objectives, to learn from my friends at the Writers Institute, or to cheer on Albany’s talented scholar-athletes. It has been my privilege to work with the talented leaders of the University at Albany over my two and a half decades in office, and I look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Born and raised in Albany’s Pine Hills neighborhood, Breslin has represented all or parts of Albany County for the entirety of his tenure in the New York State Senate. He was first elected in 1997 and has since risen to chair the Senate’s Insurance Committee, a position he used to advance legislation to protect patients from being dropped by medical insurance companies. He also chairs the Senate’s Committee on Ethics and Internal Governance and co-chairs the Legislative Ethics Commission. An attorney by profession, Breslin attended Fordham University and law school at the University of Toledo.

The senator has consistently fought for financial aid and academic programs, such as the Educational Opportunity Program, that have been lifelines for thousands of UAlbany students, more than 40 percent of whom are Black and Latino and a third of whom are the first in their families to attend college. He also has been a vocal advocate for UAlbany’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, which conducts specialized research, teaching and training on autism spectrum disorders, parenting, and inclusion.

Changing the Face of UAlbany’s Campus

Breslin’s leadership was integral to numerous projects that have helped transform UAlbany into a major global research institution, including UAlbany’s marquee NYSUNY 2020 project, the $180 million ETEC research and entrepreneurship complex. ETEC opened on the Harriman State Office Campus in 2021 as a model of energy efficiency and sustainability. He also was an early and enthusiastic champion for renovating the former Albany High School in midtown into the new home of UAlbany’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. These efforts culminated last year with a $75 million state investment in the UAlbany-led Albany Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Initiative, which will not only preserve a 111-year-old Albany landmark but establish the Capital Region as a national leader in AI supercomputing.

Before that, the senator was instrumental in securing $10 million for upgrades to UAlbany’s football facilities, pedestrian walkways, roads, and other improvements, as well as $1.15 million for classroom and library equipment and for new technology in the career development center.

First awarded in 1978 to J. Vanderbilt Staub, chair of the University Council, the Medallion has since been bestowed more than two dozen times to leaders in business, education and government. Past recipients include former New York State Comptroller and SUNY Board of Trustees Chair H. Carl McCall, Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, state Sen. Hugh T. Farley ‘’ 58, journalist Steve Kroft, and former U.N. Under Secretary General Catherine Bertini ’71.