The Geneseo Parents Council: Help Us Keep the Momentum Going by Barbara and Mike Kaszubski, Parents of Sarah '11

These are bittersweet times for us, the parents of a graduating senior.  It is with much pride and joy that we celebrate the accomplishments of our daughter Sarah, as she receives her bachelor's degree.  But we are touched with sadness, too, because commencement marks a new role for us in the Geneseo family, as our time as co-co-chairs of the Parents Council draws to an end. Our involvement as co-chairs of the Council has meant so much to us.

When we began working with the Geneseo Parents Program, we had 15 interested families willing to volunteer their time and efforts and with each new class we have added new members.  Our purpose is to enhance our students' experience at Geneseo, and further its stellar reputation as an institution of higher learning. Through the work of the council, we have been able to institute first-year parent and student receptions at several locations throughout the state as a way of welcoming new students and their families to Geneseo. At each new student orientation session, parents of current students have participated in the family panel, and parents have raised over $300,000 for the benefit of current Geneseo students.

Whether your child is a freshman or an upper classman, please consider becoming a member of the Parents Council.  Not only would your service help Geneseo students in the areas of research, athletics, and scholarships, but it will directly benefit your student's experience at this wonderful place. For more information, contact the director of parent relations by email at ingram@geneseo.edu.

As pleased as we are that our daughter is graduating, we will miss this special place that Sarah has called home for the past four years.  We have such fond memories, and we know that our involvement has made a difference.  We want to thank the Parents Council members for all their work and dedication and wish the entire college community the best for the future.

We congratulate the Class of 2011, and encourage all the parents of graduating seniors to join the Senior Class Challenge today by making a gift to your student's major in honor of your student's graduation.  

Geneseo Recognizes Excellence, Achievement and Talent!

Geneseo Recognizing Excellence, Achievement & Talent Day is a college-wide symposium celebrating the creative and scholarly endeavors of our students. In addition to recognizing the achievements of our students, the purpose of GREAT Day is to help foster academic excellence, encourage professional development, and build connections within the community. 

Motivated to succeed, our outstanding students work diligently each year to complete scholarly and creative endeavors that not only demonstrate their initiative, but further their professional and personal development. This year, over 800 students showcased their endeavors at the fifth annual GREAT Day. 

In addition to poster presentations, exhibits and performances, we welcomed this year's Jack '76 and Carol '76 Kramer Endowed Lectureship speaker, Dr. Thomas Seeley, who  presented "Honey Bee Democracy."

Jeff Clarke '83 Returns to Campus as Commencement Speaker

Geneseo is proud to welcome Jeff  Clarke back to campus as the 2011 commencement speaker. Clarke earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Geneseo in 1983 and went on to earn a master's degree in business administration from Northeastern University. Currently he is chief executive officer and president of Travelport, a broad-based business services company serving the travel industry and corporations worldwide. He also serves on the Travelport Board of Directors and as chairman of the Board of Directors of Orbitz Worldwide.

Clarke has 21 years of strategic, operational and financial experience with leading high-technology firms. Before Travelport, he was COO for CA Inc. (formerly Computer Associates). Prior to that, he was executive vice president for global operations at Hewlett-Packard. He began his career with Digital Equipment Corp. in 1985 and joined Compaq in 1998 after it acquired Digital. He was appointed Compaq's chief financial officer in 2001.

He is a member of the Geneseo Foundation Board of Directors. He also is a board member of Red Hat Inc.; the Transatlantic Business Dialogue; and the World Travel and Tourism Council. In addition, he is a governor on the World Economic Forum's Committee on Aviation, Travel and Tourism. 

For more commencement details, visit the Commencement 2011 homepage.

Geneseo Librarians Recognized for Innovation 

Kimberly Davies Hoffman, associate librarian for reference and instruction, and Michelle Costello, reference/instruction, education and instructional design librarian, won the 20110 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Instruction Section Innovation Award. The two received the award for developing the Library Instruction Leadership Academy (LILAC), a collaborative professional development project designed, organized and delivered by regional K-12, community college and college/university librarians. Both work at the college's Milne Library.

Sponsored by ProQuest, the annual award recognizes a project that demonstrates creative, innovative or unique approaches to information literacy instruction or programming.  Read more.

Boomerang Kids:  When Your College Student Moves Back Home after Graduation or Just for the Summer   
 by Beth Cholette, Ph.D., Clinical Director for Counseling
 

• What is the time-frame for the student's stay at home?  Is it open-ended?
• Will the student be contributing financially to the household?
• Do you have any "house rules" that need to be respected (e.g., staying out all night, having overnight guests, etc.)?
•  Do you have any requirements for how your student spends their time while they are back home (i.e., going to school, having a job, household chores)?

SUNY Geneseo Symphony Orchestra Concert to Showcase Concerto Competition Winners

The Geneseo Symphony Orchestra will shine the light on the winners of its annual concerto competition during the orchestra's concert April 17 at 3 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium. James Walker, distinguished service professor of music in the School of the Arts, will be conducting. The concert is free and open to the public. Read more

Blue Knights Finish Strong Winter Season, Kick off Spring Season 

 
The winter intercollegiate athletic season was filled with a plethora of success for the Blue Knights, including an all-time individual record and three SUNYAC championship teams.

• Senior Michelle Rodriguez '11 capped a stellar career by becoming the College's all-time leader in All-America certificates when she won three national awards at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving championships, bringing her four-year total to sixteen.
•  The women's basketball team (26-4) won their fourth SUNYAC Championship by defeating Brockport and Cortland prior to a 55-48 win over Oneonta in the conference tournament championship game. The Blue Knights posted a 17-1 SUNYAC regular season record and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time since 1997, defeating DeSales University in the first round before bowing out to undefeated Babson College in the second round.
•  Geneseo men's and women's swimming and diving teams each won a SUNYAC championship, the 13th straight and 18th of the last 22 for the men and the fourth in a row and 19th of the last 22 for the women as they continued to dominate the conference competition. The spring sport seasons are underway as the Geneseo women's lacrosse team, ranked #23 in the latest IWLCA Division III poll, stands at 5-0 on the season.

Follow the Knights at www.geneseo.edu/athletics.

Four from SUNY Geneseo Receive 2011 Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence

Four State University of New York at Geneseo students are among those from SUNY campuses across the state who have received a 2011 Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.The chancellor presented the award to the following Geneseo students, all seniors: 

• Joseph Giles, a biochemistry major from Lockport, N.Y.
•  Kerisha Hawthorne, a pre-law major from Montego Bay, Jamaica
•  Will Labate, an international relations major from Queens, N.Y.
•  Michelle Milkovich, a business administration major from Vestal, N.Y.

"The students we honor today have excelled academically and taken advantage of what SUNY has to offer outside the classroom," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. "These students are proven leaders, athletes, artists, community servants and much more. They represent the future of our state and are perfect examples of The Power of SUNY. I congratulate all of the students receiving recognition today and thank them for the positive impact each of them has had on SUNY and the communities we serve." Read more.

Why Is It Important to Support the Geneseo Parents Fund?  

by John and Kathy Weinmann, Philanthropy Co-chairs, Parents of John '12

When we make gifts to the Parents Fund, we are also making a statement that we support the education our sons and daughters are receiving at Geneseo. Your generosity makes an immediate impact on Geneseo students by funding the co-curricular activities, research, athletics and scholarships that make the Geneseo experience so special.

Join us in supporting our students' majors and special interests by making a gift to the Parents Fund today. Visit giveto.geneseo.edu today to show your commitment to Geneseo's students.