SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher Recognizes Student Success

Albany – SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center honored more than 300 college students from SUNY campuses throughout the state, presenting 257 with the 2012 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, and congratulating 64 SUNY & CUNY students who received awards from Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community college students.

“The students we honor today have taken full advantage of the academic and extracurricular programs that SUNY provides both in the classroom and in the community,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “These proven leaders, athletes, artists, and civic volunteers truly represent the power of SUNY. I congratulate all of the students being recognized today and thank them for the positive impact each has had on New York State, our university system, and the communities we serve.”

The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 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, campus involvement, or career achievement.

Each year, campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews exemplary students. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office and are subject to a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the award. Each recipient receives a framed certificate and medallion, which is traditionally worn at commencement.

A complete listing of 2012 recipients can be found online.

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, the New York Community College Association of Presidents, and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges.

Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society that recognizes and encourages scholarship among two-year college students. In addition to academic achievement, recipients of the award are also evaluated on their leadership and community service involvement, and are named members of the All New York Community College Academic Team. This year, 54 students will be honored from SUNY Community Colleges and 10 from CUNY Community Colleges.

This year’s New Century Scholar is Todd Stevens from Erie Community College. The New Century Scholar is the highest scoring student in New York and is a member of the All-USA Community College Academic Team, which is comprised of the top scoring student from each of the 50 states, Canada, and one of the six sovereign nations where PTK chapters exist.

A complete listing of 2012 recipients can be found online. In addition, this year’s New Century Scholars and Coca-Cola recipients can be found online.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 467,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with more than 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu