University at Albany

The President's Office, in partnership with Student Affairs & Enrollment, hosts a design contest for the annual UAlbany Holiday Card. Students are invited to submit artwork - including drawings, paintings, illustrations, photography or digital art - to the Annual Holiday Card Art Contest. Any UAlbany student in good academic and judicial standing is eligible to submit one entry with artwork that reflects one or more of the following themes: Wintertime fun and festivities on campus, The UAlbany spirit of innovation, collaboration and learning, Great Danes helping others or Hopes for the New Year. Entries are preferred with special emphasis placed on imagery not specific to any one seasonal holiday. All entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the University at Albany's Office of the President. Artwork will be judged on creativity, artistic merit and how it applies to the contest theme. The first-place winner's design will be featured on the University's digital holiday card, which will be shared with the campus community, donors and friends of UAlbany. Finalists will be announced via email in early December. First, second and third place winners receive a UAlbany scholarship.

Organized by the UAlbany Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment and Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, the essay contest has been running as part of the university's Constitution Day celebrations for several years. This year's prompt asked students if they would change the Preamble if they were writing it today. Each student received a monetary award, funded by the Rockefeller College Prof. Harold W. Adams Student Experience Fund, which was endowed by Tim Murphy, an alumnus of the college.

After a highly competitive election cycle, the University at Albany's Communication Department is proud to announce that Alexandra Stankus has been elected as the Graduate Student Representative for the Human Communication and Technology Division at the National Communication Association. According to The National Communication Association's (NCA) website, "The Human Communication and Technology division (HCTD) of the National Communication Association (NCA) promotes the research and study of the intersection between human communication and technology. The division is concerned with the broad spectrum of issues relevant to the field of human communication and technology. HCTD welcomes both quantitative and qualitative work that focuses on different areas of connection to, interaction with, and development of technology as a phenomena of human communication." Stankus's election reflects her commitment to research, leadership, and service within the field of communication where she will partner with other dedicated professional volunteers on their universal mission to advance communication scholarship, teaching and practice.

Since September 2025, Shookofeh Beyranvand has served as the Product Manager of AI at Caldarium, a growing AI startup that develops intelligent data-cleaning and optimization tools for healthcare organizations, including hospitals, clinics and insurance companies. She currently works on a seven-member technical team on building an AI-driven product that automatically cleans, standardizes and organizes complex healthcare data, making it ready for analysis and decision-making. Once the data is prepared, customized AI models are deployed to generate performance insights and key KPIs for each organization. In her role, Beyranvand defines product features, aligns the business and technical sides of development, sets strategic goals and ensures the company stays ahead of its competitors. She is also involved in research and product design, and has learned to communicate fluently with the engineers by understanding technical AI concepts such as data schemas, API integration and model validation.

Air Force Major General Michael Bank, the commander of the New York Air National Guard, announces the recent promotion of members of the New York Air National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership.

The Ada Craig Walker Award is given to a graduating undergraduate senior woman who "in judgment of the faculty best typifies the ideals of the University." Students who have received this award possess at least a 3.0 GPA and receive a scholarship of $2,000. The award was established in 1940 by Captain William John Walker in memory of his mother, Ada Craig Walker, class of 1871. The President's Awards for Leadership recognize and reward undergraduate and graduate students, as well as organizations that have made signficant contributions to enhance the quality of life at the University at Albany. Recipients have demonstrated a variety of accomplishments including extraordinary leadership, service, academic achievement and involvement within the University community.

The Dean's Letter of Commendation at the University at Albany recognizes the outstanding academic achievements of part-time undergraduate students. To qualify for the Dean's Letter of Commendation, students must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher in their first semester of study and a GPA of 3.50 or higher in subsequent semesters.

The America East Conference Presidential Scholars award recognizes student-athletes who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher and earned their undergraduate degree in the year of the award. In addition to registering a 3.75 GPA for their college career, award winners must have received their undergraduate degree in the academic year in which they are honored and have attended their institution for a minimum of two years. The Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award program started during 2013-14 academic year. More than 1,000 student-athletes have been honored as part of the program since its inception.

The Spellman Awards for Community Service recognizes African, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American heritage students at the University at Albany who have made notable efforts to enhance the quality of life for the University community. The Award for Outstanding Community Service is presented to students or organizations who meet one or more of the following criteria: Have demonstrated unselfish involvement in efforts to improve the quality of campus life; Dedicated considerable time and energy to worthwhile projects that benefit others; Identified by student peers, faculty and administrators as an individual or group which has consistently given of themselves to improve the University community. The program and the awards are named in honor and memory of Seth Spellman, Jr., past dean of the University's School of Social Welfare, serving until 1980. He was also a professor and past chair of the Department of Africana Studies, which he helped establish in 1969. In 1984, Spellman was awarded the rank of Distinguished Service Professor by the SUNY Board of Trustees for personifying excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership and community service.

The Sustainability Leadership Award recognizes a graduate or undergraduate student who contributes to the advancement of environmental, economic, and social sustainability within the UAlbany campus and surrounding community. This student will have demonstrated a leadership role in raising awareness and increasing campus involvement in advancing sustainability. The President's Awards for Leadership recognize and reward undergraduate and graduate students, as well as organizations that have made signficant contributions to enhance the quality of life at the University at Albany. Recipients have demonstrated a variety of accomplishments including extraordinary leadership, service, academic achievement and involvement within the University community.

The Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Award is given to sorority and fraternity members and organizations who have contributed to their chapter, the Greek system, and the University. Through strong leadership and valuable service, these students and organizations have exemplified the ideals of brother and sisterhood and have worked to further develop Greek life at the University at Albany. The President's Awards for Leadership recognize and reward undergraduate and graduate students, as well as organizations that have made signficant contributions to enhance the quality of life at the University at Albany. Recipients have demonstrated a variety of accomplishments including extraordinary leadership, service, academic achievement and involvement within the University community.

The Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership in increasing the University's commitment to diversity and inclusion. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting appreciation of individual differences and working with others to find common ground. The President's Awards for Leadership recognize and reward undergraduate and graduate students, as well as organizations that have made signficant contributions to enhance the quality of life at the University at Albany. Recipients have demonstrated a variety of accomplishments including extraordinary leadership, service, academic achievement and involvement within the University community.

The Christine A. Bouchard School Spirit Award was established in honor of Christine A. Bouchard by her colleagues and friends, on the occasion of her retirement as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University at Albany. The purpose of this award is to recognize undergraduate students who best exemplifies and promotes school spirit. The President's Awards for Leadership recognize and reward undergraduate and graduate students, as well as organizations that have made significant contributions to enhance the quality of life at the University at Albany. Recipients have demonstrated a variety of accomplishments including extraordinary leadership, service, academic achievement and involvement within the University community.

The Winter 2025 I-Corps @ UAlbany cohort wrapped up with 5 teams completing a total of 71 interviews over 3.5 weeks. Universities represented in this cohort were UAlbany, Hofstra University, Arizona State University and The Graduate Center of CUNY, representing q variety of fields including: Emergency Preparedness and Management, Public Health, Psychology, Speech Language Pathology and Material Sciences. UAlbany graduate student Mahsa Goodarzi was a member of the ProActive team, led by Dr. DeeDee Bennett Gayle. Heather Duncan, also a UAlbany graduate student, was the lead for the M&D Science team.

University at Albany Men's Lacrosse Freshman goalkeeper Brady Smith was named the America East Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In the Championship Game, the rookie made 13 saves while allowing just seven goals. He also allowed just seven goals in the Semifinals against UMBC, making nine saves. Joining Smith on the America East's All-Championship Team was Silas Richmond, Max Neeson, and Jacob Smith. Smith brings his extensive experience from 91 Wolfpack where he played with Long Island for 10 years and Bayport Blue Point High School where he played three years of varsity lacrosse and varsity football. He also has high school accolates from 2023-2024 in both lacrosse and football. His high school background highlights include: all-division in lacrosse and all-county and champion titles in both lacrosse and football before joining UAlbany in fall 2024.

The National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) presented UAlbany's Five Quad students four national awards at their 2025 Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Five Quad's first award was a recertification as a "Heart Safe Campus." Some requirements of this certification included offering cardiac arrest training and quality improvement initiatives, holding public CPR and AED training for the community and having early access to advanced care. They also received the "Striving for Excellence" recertification. To earn this award, organizations must meet certain standards such as delivery of care, training and continuing education of employees and volunteers and service to the community. A third recognition was the "CPR Save" award, which was given to a Five Quad crew that responded to a cardiac arrest on campus and was able to resuscitate the patient back to a normal heartbeat. The Gold Tier as an "EMS Ready Campus" was the final award Five Quad earned. Five Quad is a New York State-certified ambulance agency operated by UAlbany students. The agency provides emergency services to the Uptown Campus, along with Albany and Guilderland communities within a five-mile radius, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, during the fall and spring semesters. Student volunteers serve as CPR-certified ambulance attendants, emergency vehicle operators and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). While also being on standby at events such as athletics, concerts and graduation. Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance Service has been proudly serving the University at Albany, as well as the Albany and Guilderland communities, since 1973. Founded in 1993, the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to scholarship, research and to creating a safer, healthier environment on college and university campuses through the support, promotion, and advocacy of campus-based emergency medical services. The Foundation is committed to the advancement of existing response groups and assisting in the development of new response groups.

Jeesoo Jung, a PhD student in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany's College of Integrated Health Sciences, recently published an article in the British Journal of Social Work that assessed factors that influence how likely individuals are to prepare for disasters, including pandemics and natural disasters like hurricanes.

The Cybersecurity Senior Capstone Project Partnership with TIAA Best-in-Class award recognizes exceptional contributions to the development of Incident Response and Data Loss Prevention plans. An outstanding collaboration with Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) cybersecurity professionals distinguished top performers to receive the Best-in-Class award. The Cybersecurity Senior Capstone Course is designed in a mixed asynchronous/synchronous format to combine a student's university skills and knowledge with a real-world scenario, empowering them to work directly with an industry partner to gain professional experience prior to graduation. The students log a total of 120 project hours before presenting their data loss prevention and incident response plan to industry partners at the end of the semester.

The University at Albany is welcoming students back to campus for the start of the Fall 2024 semester, including some 5,430 new Great Danes. More than 2,800 first-year students, from 32,320 applicants, are joining UAlbany's Class of 2028, with 223 students selected to be part of the University's Honors College, and 226 students enrolled as Presidential Scholars. In addition, more than 1,000 transfer students, including about 200 transfers from the College of Saint Rose, and 1,630 new graduate students are joining the campus community this fall. The Class of 2028 is among the most diverse in University history, with 55.6 percent coming from historically underrepresented groups. Students also hail from 23 different states and 33 countries. The class boasts an overall high school average of 90.3 percent.

More than 4,650 students in the Class of 2024 were celebrated during UAlbany's 180th commencement festivities. Among the graduates were an estimated 2,934 undergraduates and 1,719 graduate students, including recipients who completed their degrees during summer 2023, fall 2023 as well as winter 2024. The graduates join the ranks of mor ethan 200,000 UAlbany alumni worldwide. "For 180 years - since 1844 - UAlbany has been turning talented, driven students into globally engaged citizens. This year's class is no exception," UAlbany President Havidan Rodriguez told the graduates. "Yes, we know, you are graduating into an imperfect world. But all of the things that make this class uniquely special - your resilience, your values, your empathy, your thirst for understanding - will serve you well as you work toward greatness." An estimated 2,934 undergraduates from the Class of 2024 received degrees (including summer 2023, fall 2023 and winter 2024). The May 2024 graduates includes 34 percent who are first-generation college graduates and 27 who are veterans. The undergraduate degree recipients range in age from 19 to 68, with an average age of 23. Women make up 55 percent of the class. The graduates hail from 21 states and 27 countries. They received degrees in 55 different majors. Another 1,719 students from the Class of 2024 received master's degrees, doctoral degrees and graduate certificates, with 1,047 receiving their degrees in May. These graduate students come from 18 states and 37 nations. The average age of the graduate degree recipients is 28, with the oldest graduate student set to receive a doctoral degree at age 71, and the youngest receiving a master's degree at age 20. Among them are nine veterans.

The Cybersecurity Senior Capstone Project Partnership with TIAA Best-in-Class award recognizes exceptional contributions to the development of Incident Response and Data Loss Prevention plans. An outstanding collaboration with Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) cybersecurity professionals distinguished top performers to receive the Best-in-Class award. The Cybersecurity Senior Capstone Course is designed in a mixed asynchronous/synchronous format to combine a student's university skills and knowledge with a real-world scenario, empowering them to work directly with an industry partner to gain professional experience prior to graduation. The students log a total of 120 project hours before presenting their data loss prevention and incident response plan to industry partners at the end of the semester.

The State University of New York Climate Corps Internship Program consists of paid summer internships offering immersive work experience in research and policy at state agencies with environmental and sustainability missions. Selection is based on applicants' demonstrated interest in sustainability careers and potential for leadership and innovation, with a preference for students from disadvantaged communities as designated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and students facing related barriers to obtaining an internship experience. Climate Corps interns work with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Department of Public Services (DPS), the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Office of General Services (OGS), the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), or SUNY System Administration. Empire State Development is funding the $500,000 program.

This award is presented to a graduating student who demonstrates a commitment of exceptional time and energy volunteering for CEHC to help improve the experiences of peers, future students, and the broader.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society honors the best and brightest liberal arts and sciences undergraduates from 293 top schools across the nation through a highly selective, merit-based invitation process. Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is recognized as America's most prestigious academic honor society. The Phi Beta Kappa chapter at the University at Albany, Alpha Alpha of New York, was founded in 1974 through the effort of History Professor DeWitt Ellinwood and a University Committee. Not long after, a group of dedicated UAlbany Phi Beta Kappa members at the University at Albany endowed a fund to award a prize to the highest-ranking graduating member of the Alpha Alpha chapter of New York. The founders included M.E. Grenander, James W. Corbett, Helen and Bernard Horowitz, Catherine Newbold, Kendall A. Birr, Jarka and Grayce Burian, and Mary Goggin.