M E M O R A N D U M May 11, 2010 To: Members of the Board of Trustees From: Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor Subject: Appointment of Distinguished Service Professors I recommend that the Board of Trustees adopt the following resolution: Whereas the State University of New York Board of Trustees has proudly established a historic tradition of acknowledging and honoring extraordinary faculty achievement through appointment to Distinguished Faculty Rank; and Whereas the appointment to Distinguished Faculty Rank is both a system-wide distinction and a promotion in rank; and Whereas Distinguished Faculty Rank has, heretofore, been limited to the state-operated campuses because a promotion in rank is a personnel matter over which the local community colleges� Board of Trustees exercise authority; and Whereas the SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor Zimpher and the State University�s executive leadership wish to extend SUNY�s highest tribute to the Community Colleges in recognition of the extraordinary contributions and achievements of faculty in this sector; and Whereas the SUNY Board of Trustees has the authority to bestow system-wide distinctions; now, therefore be it Resolved that the faculty members listed below each be, and hereby is, promoted to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor at the state-operated campus indicated, effective May 11, 2010: Professor H. Ragjavendra Rao, Management Science and Systems, Buffalo University Professor David Carson, History and Social Studies, SUNY Buffalo State College Professor Suzanne Mirra, Pathology, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn Professor Barbara Warkentine, Science, Maritime College Professor Alfred Frederick, Curriculum and Instruction, SUNY Oswego Professor Edward Miller, Chemistry, SUNY Plattsburgh and, be it further, Resolved that the faculty members listed below, hereby is, appointed as Distinguished Service Professor as an honorific distinction at the campus indicated, effective May 11, 2010: Professor Gene Grabiner, Social Science, Erie Community College Professor Arthur Kopelman, Science and Mathematics, Fashion Institute of Technology: Professor Barbara Connolly, Behavioral and Social Sciences Westchester Community College Background The Distinguished Service Professorship honors and recognizes extraordinary service. Candidates must have demonstrated substantial distinguished service not only at the campus and the State University, but also at the community, regional and State levels. Further, many candidates for appointment have rendered influential service contributing at the national and international levels. To be considered appropriate, service must exceed the work generally considered to be a part of a candidate�s basic professional work (professional committees, etc.) and should include service that exceeds that for which professors are normally compensated. It must also extend over multiple years and, very importantly, must involve the application of intellectual skills drawing from the candidate�s scholarly and research interests to issues of public concern. The following encapsulates their accomplishments. David Carson � Professor Carson's career has included exemplary service to his college and at the SUNY-wide level, as well as establishing a valuable, on-going educational association with the Teca del Mediterraneo in Italy. Since arriving at Buffalo State College in 1983, he has served on numerous committees, has been a long-term member of the college senate, and is currently the chair of the History and Social Studies Education department; one of the College's largest and most complex departments. At the SUNY system-wide level, Dr. Carson has served as a University senator for many years, was a member of GEAR, and co-chaired ACGE. While he has made many significant contributions, it is probably in curriculum development and ensuring faculty control of the curriculum for which he is most widely respected. Barbara Connolly � Professor Connolly has served Westchester Community College and its students for thirty years bringing the highest level of academic excellence to all. She chairs the largest department on campus, Behavioral and Social Sciences. She is also the Advisor to the Alpha Iota Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college honor society which she founded. Her work with curricula is outstanding and she is currently responding to student needs by developing a new curriculum in Global Studies. She has created many articulation agreements with other colleges helping students to easily transfer. She has also developed many online courses offered by the College and responds to community needs by providing courses in many extension sites throughout the County. She is a recognized leader in the College's Distance Learning Program. Her research has taken her to Nicaragua, Turkey and Qatar where she has studied social science problems within those countries through her work with Yale University's Program in International Education Research. At the College, she established a Public Opinion Learning Laboratory, an applied social science research institute, which has led to many survey projects for the College and Westchester County. Alfred Frederick � The grandson of slaves, Professor Frederick was born and raised in rural Alabama, the only one among nine siblings to acquire a formal education. A recipient of six Fulbright Fellowships, Dr. Frederick has worked in impoverished regions of Benin in Africa and the states of Piau� and Rio Grande del Sul in Brazil to assist in the creation of public school curricula and professional development opportunities for teachers. Benin�s Minister of Education recently traveled to Oswego to express that country�s gratitude for Dr. Frederick�s service in helping reform its public school system. Professor Frederick is also a leader in the African?American community in Central New York. He recently received the Syracuse Post?Standard newspaper�s prestigious Achievement Award for his decades?long efforts to improve communication and interaction across diverse racial, ethnic and socio?economic divides. Gene Grabiner � Professor Grabiner has been with Erie Community College for 28 years. His career has been one of service to students, to colleagues, to the College, and to the community. He has co?chaired the Middle States self?study team, and he cofounded the College�s Campus Councils. Additionally, he co?founded the College�s Honor�s program, developed a number of new courses, and, most recently, he has worked on ECC�s global initiatives in his role as project director of the ECC?GDCIC Study Abroad experience in Guangzhou, China. His concern for students is exemplary, as shown by the fact that he has received the Chancellor�s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and is also a member of the Student Judiciary Review Board of ECC City Campus. Arthur Kopelman � Professor Kopelman�s profound commitment to environmental science is demonstrated by his significant and sustained service to FIT, New York State and the surrounding region. His pioneering research and innovative environmental education models guide both guardians of coastal ecosystems and science educators. He was one of a small group of distinguished New York scientists awarded a NOAA Fisheries Section 6 grant to advance the conservation and management of endangered species in our waters. He has been a senior scientist for Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation and co-founded Environmental Scientists for Global Survival. He also co-founded the Coastal Research and Educational Society of Long Island, serving as president since 2000. He has been pivotal in the establishment of the annual SUNY-wide Sustainable Business and Design Conference and is a member of the College's Sustainability Council. After many years leading seal, bird and whale watching expeditions, his current research will provide scientists, for the first time, a photo-identification catalogue and database of harbor and gray seals in New York waters. Edward Miller � In addition to research and teaching (in both of which he has demonstrated considerable accomplishment), Professor Miller has played a leadership role in a number of initiatives, well beyond that expected of a full professor. He initiated, established, and coordinated for eight years a college-wide Showcase featuring student work; has sponsored undergraduate and graduate research and community outreach projects; and has mentored students in a variety of settings. He has also contributed significantly to faculty governance through the Faculty Senate and its committees, spearheaded college-wide strategic planning efforts for six years, and participated in several Middle States self-study and periodic review efforts. In addition, he has led several community organizations, chaired the Plattsburgh City-Campus Commission, and contributed to the University Faculty Senate and several SUNY system-wide initiatives. Suzanne Mirra � While serving as the Chairman of the Pathology Department at SUNY-Downstate since 1997, Dr. Mirra has continued to go far beyond her own research work in the pathology of Alzheimer�s disease. Her award in 2000 of a 5-year NIH K07 Leadership Award has allowed her to fund multiple junior faculty grants while mentoring these researchers to aid in the establishment of a world class neurobiology program at Downstate. She has been recognized for her service on the Board of Directors of the national Alzheimer�s Association, and has served on NIH study sections as an ad-hoc reviewer. As Chairman of Downstate�s most recent and highly successful LCME Self-Study, Dr. Mirra spent countless hours reviewing every aspect of Downstate�s institution, developing plans to strengthen programs and correct deficiencies. She also took a Residency Training Program in Pathology from one that was in difficulty to one with outstanding accreditation. Ragjavendra Rao � Professor Rao has used his unusual professional skills to focus on significant societal problems such as computer system and network security, the outsourcing and management of information technology, and the integration of information technology in health care and electronic commerce. He has made exceptional contributions to his profession, including being ranked as among the most prolific authors in the top journals in his field; co-founding the journal Information Systems Frontiers; serving on numerous distinguished editorial boards; and organizing a number of conferences. His other contributions to the University at Buffalo and local community include his service as co-principal investigator and co-founder of the Center of Excellence in Information Assurance Research and Education, funded by the National Security Agency; his success in obtaining millions of dollars in funding to support master's and doctoral students, collaborative efforts with local colleges and high schools, and purchase of computer technology in the School of Management; and his role in development of new educational programs. Barbara Warkentine � Professor Warkentine was Faculty Senator (2003-2009), Presiding Officer of the Faculty (2001-2002), and Curriculum Supervisor for the Marine Environmental Science Program (1995-2007). She is currently on the Faculty Policy Committee, the College�s Health and Safety Committee and is the UUP Maritime Chapter President. In the community, Dr. Warkentine works with local Non-Governmental Organizations in the South Bronx, where she instructs youth on water quality and aquatic life to make them better stewards of local waterways. She also volunteers her time to visit and provide items of comfort to veterans in the Bronx VA nursing home and hospital; and she hosts a free luncheon on Veteran�s Day to honor veterans of the Throggs Neck, NY community. Professor Warkentine has 33 peer-reviewed publications, 44 abstracts and numerous presentations. She is a member of many professional societies and held the position of National Secretary (1996-2007) of the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists. It is my pleasure to present the nine faculty members named in this resolution to the Board of Trustees for its approval. A copy of the President�s letter for each professor is attached. The letter highlights the individual�s service and major career achievements, and provides the campus rationale for recommending appointment. The full dossier is available in the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Attachments -2- Board Resolution May 11, 2010