Chancellor King Celebrates 193 Students with SUNY’s Highest Honor for Academic Excellence and Leadership
April 30, 2025
A Complete List of CASE Awardees Can Be Found Here
Photos from the Awards Ceremony Can Be Found Here
Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced that 193 students from 63 campuses were awarded SUNY's highest honor for academic excellence and leadership. The 2025 Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence (CASE) recognize students for outstanding achievements throughout their SUNY experience in areas including academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service, and the arts. This year's recipients include a wide range of honorees including veterans, parents, policy issue advocates, and athletes.
"SUNY represents academic excellence, and our students have worked tirelessly to not only excel in their academic studies, but also stepped up as community leaders," said SUNY Chancellor King. "Congratulations to this year's CASE awardees who've distinguished themselves amongst their peers through their work ethic, determination, and commitment to their fields of study."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Each year we look forward to celebrating CASE awardees and thanking these inspirational role models from across our SUNY colleges and universities. On behalf of the SUNY community, we are grateful for your leadership on campus, and we offer our best wishes for what comes next!"
Vito Postiglione, CASE awardee and Visual Communications Major at Farmingdale State College, said, "I'm so grateful for this prestigious honor that sums up everything I've experienced at Farmingdale State College. I've had so many experiences that have helped shape my personal and professional growth, like interning on campus and leadership opportunities in clubs and student government. Farmingdale set me up for a great future and, when I cross the stage in May, I'll be proud to call Farmingdale my alma mater."
Kavon McKay, CASE awardee and Information Technology Major at Erie Community College said, "It feels great to receive the award. I feel like all my hard work has paid off. Between being Student Government Association president for South Campus and trying to keep up with my classes, it makes it all worth it to me."
Stephanie Shen, CASE awardee and Accounting Major at Binghamton University added, "When I found out that I received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, I was honestly overwhelmed. As a first-generation college student, I immediately thought of my parents, who immigrated from China about 25 years ago and never got the opportunity to pursue higher education. The award reminded me of how far I've come and how much of my journey was made possible through my parents' sacrifices.
Each campus is allowed to submit two to 15 nominations depending on the student body size. Nominations are submitted by campus officials to the SUNY CASE Selection Committee every spring. While there is no minimum GPA requirement, candidates are expected to have demonstrated exceptional academic performance and leadership.
The keynote speaker at this year's CASE celebration event was Derek Peterson, Stony Brook University alumnus and founder and chief executive officer of Soter Technologies. Peterson is an engineer and entrepreneur who earned a BS in Computer Science and Applied Math from Stony Brook University in 1988. A lifelong resident of Long Island, he is committed to being a mentor and advisor for students. He is a sponsor of and has judged Stony Brook University's "Wolfie Tank" competition – a spin-off from the popular NBC reality TV series "Shark Tank."
Derek Peterson said, "It is truly an honor to be able to present the keynote speech to such a distinguished group of students and faculty. Congratulations to the CASE awardees. This award is only the beginning of more to come. Continue to shine bright and be the difference maker."
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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