College notes

Post graduate work Eliza Huberth, 2004 Monroe-Woodbury graduate and 2008 Kenyon College cum laude graduate, will be attending the Juilliard School Division of Drama in the fall for acting training. Eliza is one of 18 in a class selected from 1,200 who auditioned. She is currently filming the independent feature “Excuse Me For Living” with Christopher Lloyd, Robert Vaughn and Jerry Stiller. This summer Eliza will be returning to Williamstown Theater Festival to play the Babysitter in Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House.” The production is directed by Sam Gold. Alternative spring break Emily Perez of Monroe, a student at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, spent an alternative spring break in New Orleans recently helping citizens of the city continue to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The junior was one of 14 Saint Rose students who volunteered with Common Ground Relief in the Lower 9th Ward, one of the hardest-hit parts of the city. This is the sixth consecutive year that Saint Rose students have given their vacation time to help with hurricane relief. All of the students volunteered their time; they were not paid for their work nor earned any class credits. Common Ground Relief’s mission is to provide short-term relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the Gulf Coast region and long-term support in rebuilding the affected communities in the New Orleans area. Common Ground Relief is a community-initiated volunteer organization offering assistance, mutual aid and support. Perez is pursuing a double major in childhood education and special education with a minor in English. State Phi Theta Kappa award-winner SUNY Orange student Tom Giannini of Monroe was among 59 students honored by Phi Theta Kappa during recent ceremonies in Albany hosted by State University of New York Chancellor Dr. Nancy Zimpher. Giannini, a business administration student from Monroe, is in his fourth semester at SUNY Orange. He began his college career at Mount Saint Mary College before transferring to SUNY Orange. Giannini has been on the dean’s list during each of his first three semesters at the college. He is also a member of the college’s local Phi Theta Kappa chapter. He was one of two SUNY Orange students named to the All New York Community College Academic Team by PTK, the international honor society that recognizes and encourages scholarship among two-year college students. Members must have a GPA of between 3.25 and 4.0 and must sustain high academic standing throughout their two-year enrollment. In addition to academic achievement, recipients of the award are also evaluated on their leadership and community service involvement. The Phi Theta Kappa Award Ceremony recognizes outstanding community college students throughout the state. The ceremony is sponsored annually by New York Community College Trustees together with the New York Community College Association of Presidents and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges. Ashley Kersting wins SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence SUNY Orange student Ashley Kersting were among 249 State University of New York students honored recently in Albany when she received the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the most prestigious honor bestowed upon community college students in the SUNY system. Kersting, a Monroe resident, is on track to graduate this May with a degree in criminal justice. In addition to her strong performance in the classroom, which includes three appearances on the dean’s list, Kersting is a two-year member of the SUNY Orange women’s softball team. She also is an aviation supply specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps, where she has earned the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Good Conduct Medal. Kersting also volunteers her time to assist with fund raisers for several local charities. She was one of two SUNY Orange students to received the Chancellor’s Award, which was created 14 years ago to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have 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 was 3.8. Undergraduate research presentation Patricia Buckley of Harriman presented “Retention Factors of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist” at the 25th annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research held at Ithaca College March 31 to April 2. Buckley, the daughter of Robert and Eileen Buckley of Harriman, was among 3,000 students representing some 440 colleges and universities nationwide. The undergraduate researchers presented work from a broad array of subject areas, including the humanities, social sciences and many professional fields as well as the fine and performing arts. In addition to oral presentations and poster sessions, the conference included a visual arts component along with dance, drama/theater and music performances. “The National Conference on Undergraduate Research is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study,” said Thomas R. Rochon, president of Ithaca College. “Welcoming presenters from all institutions of higher learning and from all corners of the academic curriculum, this annual conference celebrates undergraduate student achievement, provides models of exemplary research and scholarship, and helps improve the state of undergraduate education.” Intercollegiate marketing conference Katharine Marie Capozzi, of Tuxedo, was one of the students chosen to represent SUNY College at Oneonta at the recent American Marketing Association Intercollegiate Conference in New Orleans. OnMark, the college’s Marketing Club, placed seventh of 190 colleges in a competition held at the conference. Clubs were judged on a range of factors including professional development, community service, Web presence, overall operations, internal and external communications and presentations. Capozzi, a freshman, is a music industry major, and was recently elected to the executive board of the Music Industry Club as treasurer. She was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2010 semester with a 3.85 grade point average. She is a 2010 graduate of the Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, N.J., and is the daughter of Noreen Fennell and Vincent Capozzi of Tuxedo. M-W grad nominated for national basketball manager of the year Adam Satz, a 2007 Monroe-Woodbury graduate and a senior at Seton Hall University, was recently named one of four finalist for National Basketball Manager of the Year. The contest is sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the UPS store. You can show support for Satz by voting for him online at the UPS store; you must have a Facebook account to vote. Follow the NCAA link and view Adam’s inspirational video.