University at Albany

University at Albany students consistently work hard to make an impact on their community - which junior Troy Serao is now being recognized for doing. Serao has been selected as a recipient of the Newman Civic Fellowship for the 2026-2027 cycle. This is the third consecutive year that a UAlbany student has been selected for this honor. University presidents nominate Newman Civic Fellows, and after a rigorous, competitive selection process, they are chosen to represent their campuses among peers across the state. Fellows are selected based on their dedication to community and their impact in the local area. Once chosen, they are connected to a network of young leaders from universities across the nation and are invited to an annual conference, where they network with peers, learn from mentors in a variety of fields and attend workshops and keynote events to build skills they can bring back to their communities. Recipients of the Newman Civic Fellowship can also apply for a $1,500 grant to support community assistance programs and build new initiatives. Serao is a political science major at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy with a concentration in public law.

Yanjun Dong, a social work PhD candidate, has been named as a 2026-2027 Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. During the one-year appointment, fellows work closely with the Rockefeller Institute's expert researchers on a variety of projects.

A study by the University at Albany's Department of Environmental Health Sciences found that poor and Black older adults in New York state are significantly more likely to live in communities that face higher levels of air pollution, extreme weather events and disaster risk.

Health insurance, in-network providers, deductibles - for many people, understanding the terminology of the U.S. health care system can feel overwhelming. To get help, some are turning to websites and online forums, where they can hear directly from other individuals about their firsthand experience with the health care system. Arissa Spitalny, a PhD student at UAlbany's School of Social Welfare, is analyzing these online posts to better understand the barriers people face within the health care system. Spitalny's work uses Reddit, a popular discussion website where communities called subreddits are created that allow users to post about a particular topic and reply to posts. "Individuals who may not feel comfortable being vulnerable in traditional person-to-person interactions have a space to anonymously voice concerns, ask for advice or even just vent to feel a sense of community and/or support," Spitalny said. "In addition, since Reddit is not a platform intended for research, conversations and interaction are organic, making them particularly useful for researchers like me." Over one million Reddit posts from a subreddit called AskDocs are being examined by Spitalny to better understand how people describe the barriers they face with health care. This subreddit, which describes itself as "for asking specific personal health questions about yourself or family members," was created in 2013 and has over half a million weekly visitors. Spitalny is looking at posts that specifically mention health insurance. "Through this work, I hope to contribute to a better understanding of health care access barriers and the role social work can play in improving care navigation, connecting people to resources and advancing health equity," she said. Spitalny's mentor, Assistant Professor Cheng Ren, focuses on using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and open-access data. With his guidance, Spitalny created an AI prompt that reviewed the Reddit posts and classified approximately 15,000 of them that mentioned health insurance. The AI was provided with 300 sample posts that were manually reviewed by Spitalny to ensure the system knew how to label and review the posts. "Human coding is much more time-consuming, so AI made it possible to analyze the full dataset efficiently," said Spitalny, who is now in the analysis and writing stage of her study. Over the next year, she will be interpreting patterns in the data collected from Reddit, including race, gender and demographic location to better understand barriers in the health care system. "My Reddit study allows me to look more closely at the lived experiences behind those patterns by examining the support individuals seek online," she said. "In the future, I hope to expand the study beyond insurance posts to examine other health care barriers as well."

The 2026 Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) will bring together more than 6,000 cyclists and 4,000 volunteers on August 1-2 to raise funds for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. With a fundraising goal of $79 million, the PMC remains the world's most successful single athletic fundraising event. Since 1980, participants have raised more than $1.125 billion, helping accelerate breakthroughs in cancer treatment and bringing hope to patients and families around the globe.

The Chancellor's Award recognizes students for academic achievement, leadership, campus involvement and community service. This year's recipients reflect that range and the different ways a UAlbany experience can take shape. Addison Yang, of Saugerties, N.Y., pursued a dual major in accounting and business administration, with concentrations in finance as well as information systems and business analytics. He chose UAlbany for its proximity to home, campus culture and career opportunities, with the support of his family. Yang's interest in business began in high school, where an elective course in financial management first sparked his interest in the field. "My favorite UAlbany memory was the two-week study abroad experience in Paris, where I studied luxury brand management and explored the city with new friends," he said. Yang, a first-generation college student, will attend New York University this fall to pursue a master's degree in accounting and hopes to apply his skills in a career focused on solving global issues.

The Acker-Newman Fellowship is a prestigious entrepreneurship program within the Massry School of Business designed for MBA and business students. It supports students who aim to launch new startups or collaborate with existing ones across two academic semesters. Fellowship winner Shookofeh Beyranvand's startup covers the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. Beyranvand was selected among many applicants for her entrepreneurial initiative and interdisciplinary background. Under the mentorship of Professor Heidi Knoblauch, she is currently working on a health-tech startup idea that applies AI to improve healthcare data management and compliance. Beyranvand's academic background in allied health sciences has strongly shaped her passion for developing business solutions that address inefficiencies in healthcare systems. The fellowship allows her to combine business training with medical knowledge to create innovative, impact-driven products. The University at Albany's Massry School of Business congratulates Shookofeh Beyranvand on her incredible, professional achievement.

Shookofeh Beyranvand was selected for the Fall 2025 cohort of the RISE Fellowship. The RISE Fellowship is a highly competitive entrepreneurship and innovation program at the University at Albany that empowers student-led startups to grow from idea to market. RISE supports eight student startups each semester, helping them connect academic research with real-world business impact. Shookofeh joined a startup as a product and business strategist to strengthen its business foundation. While the team had solid technical and academic capabilities, they needed guidance in business development. During his time at the startup, Shookofeh has conducted extensive customer discovery interviews, developed a complete business plan, and designed the go-to-market strategy. He coached the team in preparing and delivering a compelling investor pitch that led them to compete for the RISE investment prize valued at several tens of thousands of dollars.

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.

Philip Rosero, a Business Administration Major and Finance/Management Concentration student at the University at Albany Massry School of Business, was selected to share his story on Amazon Prime's series, The College Tour. Hosted by Alex Boylan, the show provides a look into campus life through the perspectives of current students. In his segment, Philip offers a glimpse into his journey at Massry and in UAlbany's Army ROTC program. His narrative captures the ambition and determination that brought him from his hometown Masbate, Philippines to UAlbany, highlighting the university's global reach and role as a home for students from every corner of the world. During his appearance, Philip detailed the multifaceted experiences that have defined his college career. He spoke about his dedication as an ROTC cadet, where he develops the discipline and leadership skills essential for a future in military service. Furthermore, Philip showcased his academic growth since joining Massry, illustrating how the program has equipped him with the knowledge to excel. His story is a testament to UAlbany's commitment to fostering diverse talents and providing transformative opportunities for leadership, academic excellence and personal achievement.

The Returning Woman Award recognizes a student who serves as a positive role model for returning women. The recipient will have demonstrated her exceptional leadership skills through participation in campus activities and personal success in facing the challenges of pursuing her educational goals as a non-traditional student. 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 Project SHAPE Award is for a student volunteer in recognition of exceptional performance, commitment and service as a valuable member of the Project SHAPE: Sexual Health & Peer Education program. 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.

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 CEHC community.