New Student Convocation (������/Mat Johnson)

The 2026–27 academic year kicked off last week with two campus convocations.

New Student Convocation on August 20 marked the beginning of the Fall 2026 semester at Geneseo. The event featured a keynote address by Robert Doggett, professor of English and creative writing, who reminded students to be comfortable with merely being.

“Yes, careers matter; yes, it’s good to have goals; yes, it’s okay to feel that you’re making sacrifices now that will pay off in the future. But don’t do so at the expense of being present in your life as it unfolds in this ongoing now.” Mere being, Doggett said, is “the place where we encounter again and again the strangeness, the newness, the beauty, the terror, and the wonder of our own human existence and of all the realities we inhabit. And if college has a core purpose, I think it’s that: learning to be present where we really live.”

Student Association President Lucas Pastwik ’27, a political science major from Eden, NY, spoke about being open to the challenges and opportunities that college offers.

“In college, and particularly at Geneseo, there are so many opportunities that help shape who we become,” Pastwik said. “When I think about the person I was when I first arrived here and the person I am today, the biggest difference comes from the opportunities I chose to take … take them. Because what you make of the next four years is ultimately up to you,” he advised.

Geneseo’s Opening Convocation for faculty and staff on August 21 celebrated 2026 recipients of SUNY Distinguished Professorships, SUNY Chancellor’s Awards, and the Faculty Career Achievement Award. Other promotions and appointments were as follows:

Faculty promotions and appointments announced at Opening Convocation:
Mohammad Sadegh Ansari, promotion to associate professor of history with continuing appointment
Amy Braksmajer, promotion to associate professor of sociology with continuing appointment
Whitney Brown, promotion to associate professor of psychology with continuing appointment
Elizabeth Felski, promotion to associate professor of business with continuing appointment
Kristi Hannam, promotion to professor of biology
Varuni Jamburuthugoda, continuing appointment in biology
Ryan Jones, promotion to professor of history
, promotion to librarian
Peter Kalenda, promotion to associate professor of education
Nicholas Warner, promotion to professor of geological, environmental, and planetary sciences
Michael Webb, continuing appointment in biochemistry
Suann Yang, promotion to professor of biology

Staff promotions and appointments announced at Opening Convocation:
Elisabeth Adams, permanent appointment as parking and transportation administrator
Lisa Bishop, promoted to enrollment specialist
Sabrina Bramwell, permanent appointment as multicultural student success coordinator
Timothy Carey, permanent appointment as project manager
Aquella Deskov, promoted to senior triage/crisis counselor
Brendan Fuhr, promoted to community engagement and applied learning access coordinator
Teddy Gyamfi, permanent appointment as evening access service manager
Betsy Harris, promoted to social media manager
Nicholas LaGamba, permanent appointment as chemistry stockroom and safety manager
Ravi Lamontagne, permanent appointment as senior software application developer
Hope Martin, promoted to assistant director of internships and applied learning
Suzanne Miller, permanent appointment as assistant director of admissions
Heather Morens, permanent appointment as assistant director of Career Design
Emma Orlando, promoted to senior counselor
Rebecca Patt, permanent appointment as senior instructional designer
Nathaniel Pietropaolo, permanent appointment as assistant dean of students
Robyn Rime, permanent appointment as senior writer and editor
Andromeda Sawtelle, promoted to IDS project developer
Alison Sexton, promoted to director of student accounts
Jack Truckenmiller, promoted to senior systems analyst
Cailley Wayman, permanent appointment as training program coordinator

Faculty and staff honorees at the 2026 Opening Convocation (������/Mat Johnson)

Geneseo’s Opening Convocation for faculty and staff on August 21 celebrated the following 2026 award recipients:

Paul Schacht, professor of English and director of the Center for Digital Learning in the Office of the Provost, received ������’s Faculty Career Achievement Award. The award acknowledges the highest levels of achievement by faculty members.

In some four decades of SUNY service, Schacht’s many accomplishments and recognitions include two SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence, one for teaching and another for faculty service; 15 publications; and more than two dozen academic presentations. His service record at Geneseo includes terms as department chair, interim provost, and senate past presiding officer, as well as influential participation on the Strategic Planning Group, the Budget Priorities Committee, and the steering committee of the Middle States Self-Study.

Seven other Geneseo employees received , SUNY-level honors conferred to acknowledge and provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence. Through these awards, SUNY publicly proclaims its pride in the accomplishment and personal dedication of its instructional faculty, librarians, and professional staff across its campuses.

Mackenzie Gerringer, who served as associate professor of biology until her recent move to another institution to be closer to family, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. During her time at Geneseo, she built a record of publications, external funding, and scientific discovery in deep-sea biology, with students involved throughout the process.

Andrea Klein, director of campus scheduling and event management in the Office of Scheduling, Events and Conference Services, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. For nearly 20 years, she has scheduled and coordinated every event held on campus, across 15 buildings and in partnership with every academic and administrative department and 150 student organizations.

Don Kot, coordinator of musical theatre in the Department for the Performing Arts since 2014, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Kot has helped develop a curriculum spanning acting, musicianship, audition technique, and production, pairing professional standards with individual coaching so students can develop their own artistic identity.

Gillian Paku, associate professor of English and creative writing, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Paku has led campus work on digital accessibility and trained faculty and students to create accessible content. Through course design, community-engaged learning partnerships, her work with ArcGLOW and the LIVES program, and her advocacy for disability studies, she has opened opportunities for students and built a culture of belonging.

Ava Pascalar, supervising janitor in Facilities Services, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service. Through her genuine care for students and colleagues, and her initiatives such as the beloved pet wall in Onondaga Hall, Pascalar creates meaningful connections that help students feel part of the Geneseo community.

George Reuter, a lecturer of mathematics, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Reuter teaches across the curriculum, from introductory calculus to advanced proof-based mathematics. He uses inquiry-based learning, collaborative problem solving, flipped instruction, and individual feedback in his classrooms to help students work through complex material.

, head of access services at , received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship. Ross keeps the user at the center of his work, overseeing resource sharing, facilities support, and staff supervision, along with more than 50 student employees.

Two professors also earned SUNY distinguished ranks: professor of English and creative writing Robert Doggett received the rank of Distinguished Service Professor, and Aaron Steinhauer, professor of physics and astronomy, the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor.