Statement from Chancellor King and SUNY Board of Trustees on Memorial Day
May 25, 2026
"On Memorial Day, we take time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation, our values, and our fellow Americans. Over the past 250 years, since the birth of the United States of America, we have relied on heroes willing to lay down their lives to protect our liberty and the freedoms that our nation has aspired to ensure everyone is able to enjoy. On this day of remembrance, we honor the fallen, and we also must pay tribute to the families who lost loved ones.
"Across SUNY, our students, faculty, and staff proudly include active-duty military and veterans who continue the legacy of these service members, as well as their families, and we recognize the pursuit of knowledge would not be possible without their sacrifices. We owe these heroes a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Today and every day, we commit to honoring their legacy by upholding the values of remembrance, sacrifice, and service."
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, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its 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 $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn 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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