SUNY Chancellor King Celebrates Student Excellence in the Arts
June 13, 2025
Students from University at Albany and University at Buffalo Recognized with Thayer Fellowship of the Arts
Purchase College Student Honored with Patricia Kerr Ross Award
Three Students Receive Best of SUNY Awards; Four Additional Students Receive Honorable Mention
State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today recognized two students as this year’s recipients of the Thayer Fellowship of the Arts, one winner of the Patricia Kerr Ross Competition, and three Best of SUNY art exhibit winners. The awards are part of SUNY’s efforts to commemorate and support student success in all fields, including the arts.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s awardees. SUNY is proud to enroll some of the nation’s most talented, creative, and artistic young minds across our 64 campuses,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “The arts are an essential way to showcase our community and further develop human connection, and we are proud to celebrate our student artists with this annual fellowship and showcase competition.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Congratulations to all of the incredible SUNY students recognized by our arts awards this year. Our Board of Trustees is proud to continue the memory and legacy of former Trustee Jeanne Thayer through this arts fellowship program. We look forward to continuing our support for SUNY’s artistic community by ensuring that the students interested in the arts have the programming they need to excel.”
Thayer Fellowships and Patricia Kerr Ross Award
Established in memorial to Jeanne C. Thayer, SUNY Board Trustee from 1974-1984, and Patricia Kerr Ross, former artistic director of the Thayer Fellowship, these honors are awarded each year to outstanding students preparing to graduate from a SUNY school.
The fellowships provide post-graduate support for SUNY students pursuing careers in the arts. The awards may be used for, but are not limited to, auditions, studio space, supplies, equipment, website development, rent, recording sessions, and publishing costs.
Two Thayer Fellowships of $7,000 each may be given to one individual or divided between two outstanding candidates. The Fellowship selection is based on talent, achievement, and potential as a professional artist. The Patricia Kerr Ross Award of $1,000 is given annually to an individual or divided between two exceptional applicants. The basis for this award is excellence, originality, and promise. The awards are available to seniors and graduate students in the arts who are ready to graduate from the University and make a career in the arts. They are not intended for students going on to graduate school.
The winners of the Thayer Fellowship are:
- Key Bird, University at Albany, Ph.D.
- Misael Hernandez, University at Buffalo, Master of Fine Arts
The winner of the Patricia Kerr Ross Award is:
- Rush Carson, Purchase College, Conservatory of Dance
President of the University at Albany, Havidán Rodríguez said, “On behalf of the entire University at Albany community, we are so proud that two of our students have been recognized for their artistic excellence. Key Bird, one of this year’s Thayer Fellowship winners in recognition of their achievements as a writer, and Yujeong Ahn, one the Best of SUNY award winners for her artistic work, both exemplify UAlbany’s commitment to excellence. The arts, just as much as science and technology, can help us see the world in new ways and envision new futures. UAlbany celebrates the essential contributions of artists and writers like Key and Yujeong.”
Purchase College President Milagros "Milly" Peña said, “I am very proud to congratulate Rush Carson who has received the Ross Award. Rush has shown incredible talent and determination as a multifaceted artist during his time at Purchase. We look forward to following his career and continuing to watch him grow as a dancer, choreographer, and musician dedicated to creating his own artistic path.”
Best of SUNY Art Exhibition
The “Best of SUNY Art Exhibition” showcases artistic works by student artists from across the SUNY system. Selected student artwork has been on display at the H. Carl McCall Building in Albany since December of 2024. Artwork featured at the Best of SUNY exhibit is chosen by respective campus art departments. The traditional areas of drawing, ceramics, painting, sculpture, photography, and printmaking are included, as well as non-traditional forms including mixed media, graphic design, and digitally produced works.
The three Best of SUNY award recipients are:
- Yujeong Ahn, University at Albany – 1912
- Alleta Patterson, Fashion Institute of Technology – Solace in Subconscious
- Caleb Rubright, Empire State University – Wild Horses
Additionally, four students were recognized with honorable mentions for Best of SUNY. The students are:
- Brielle Butcher, Dutchess Community College – Unconventional
- Steven Calvo, Westchester Community College – Family Ties
- Rachel Hardin, SUNY Brockport – Rising Steam
- Jialun Tong, Fashion Institute of Technology – From Here, Fewer Sunsets
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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