Maurice D. Hinchey

Former U.S. Representative Maurice D. Hinchey ’68 (English) ’70g (Education) will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 19. Lori DuBord ’94 (History), a long-time regional representative for Congressman Hinchey, will be the commencement speaker.

Hinchey had a distinguished career in the New York State Assembly and the U.S. Congress. He was elected to the State Assembly in 1974 (serving from 1975 to 1993) and then to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992 (serving from 1993-2012), where he represented New York’s 22nd Congressional District (formerly the 26th district). Throughout his career, he advocated for education, the environment, and the middle class. His leadership in these areas had significant impact on the Hudson Valley and on the New Paltz campus.

In light of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, security at Commencement will be increased. Details will be announced soon. For more information about Commencement, click here.

Williams and Thompson prepared for the day by pressing their Class “A” dress uniforms, polishing their shoes, having their patrol vehicle inspected, and personally washing it. They awoke at 3 a.m. in order to meet up with officers from other SUNY Police Departments, including Albany, Buffalo, Buffalo State, Oneonta, Stony Brook, Maritime, and Binghamton.  In all, 21 officers attended.  After staging in Albany at around 6:30 a.m., the detail left in a motorcade on Interstate 90 to Boston.

“On the way, we saw numerous patrol cars from dozens of agencies all heading to Boston,” said Officer Thompson. “During the service, we were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of police officers from states as far away as California, Kentucky, Florida, Utah, Texas, and even Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The seating filled up the athletic fields.”

Speakers at the memorial service included MIT President L. Rafael Reif, Chief of MIT Police John Difava, Vice President Joe Biden, and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. “Andrew Collier, Sean’s brother, had heartfelt words. He really brought out what Sean Collier was like as a person,” said Thompson. “As we headed back to our vehicles and during our long trip home, we had plenty of time to think about Sean Collier’s life and the life of all of the men and women who choose to serve as police officers.  We thought about how every day we risk our lives and how on any given day anything may happen. As we left we were struck by the multitude of American flags and the faces of the people going about their business in Boston.  As people looked at us, several times we saw them just start to cry, overwhelmed by the emotion of their experiences in the previous week.”

Caption: SUNY University Police officers at the funeral of Officer Sean Collier; Greg Thompson (kneeling, second from left) and Ryan Williams (middle row, center)

New Paltz EOP alumnus Edward Paulino ’91 delivered the keynote address.  Paulino is an assistant professor in the department of history at John Jay College/CUNY. He has taught a variety of courses including modern global history and the history of genocide. During the ceremony, L. David Rooney, vice president of student affairs, was inducted as an honorary member.

Chi Alpha Epsilon (XAE) is a national honors society for opportunity program students with over 125 chapters. The Beta Omicron Chapter at SUNY New Paltz bears the distinction of having inducted the largest number of students for a chartering induction.

Christian expressed pride in New Paltz’s continued commitment to a greener campus environment. “Even at a time when we must pick and choose our priorities wisely, colleges and universities must be leaders in adopting sustainable methods and models. I am pleased with the high level of support for these goals that I see among students, faculty, and staff.”

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Jacqueline Andrews

Dr. Jacqueline Andrews, assistant vice president for institutional research and planning, has announced plans to retire at the end of June 2013. The College will immediately begin to identify interim leadership for the Office of Institutional Research and Planning and will launch a search for a new head of that unit.

In a message to faculty and staff, President Christian commented: “In her work, she has interacted with many faculty, staff, and students, including interns and work-study students in her office, survey test subjects, presentation audiences, and fellow singers. We will miss her positive outlook, can-do attitude, collegiality and community-mindedness, and engagement in all things SUNY New Paltz and the broader New Paltz community.”

Andrews has served SUNY New Paltz since 2006, leading the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. Under President Steven Poskanzer, she supported the process that led to the Eight Vision Points, the foundation of our current planning. She has been instrumental in the College’s academic and administrative assessment efforts, as well as our successful 2011 Middle States reaccreditation. She has supported the current Strategic Planning Steering Committee and made technological improvements to her office functions and services. She formed the college’s Survey Coordinating Council and instituted our participation in the National Survey of Student Engagement.

Information will soon be announced about a farewell reception to thank Jackie for her contributions to the New Paltz community and to wish her well on her new pursuits.

Hugo the Hawk

The annual “Rec It Out” celebration, hosted by the Athletics, Wellness & Recreation, Student Activities and Union Services, Residence Life, and the Center of Student Development, will be held at the Athletic & Wellness Center Track/Turf on May 8, 1-4 p.m. The event will include free food, music, T-shirt giveaways, and a Legends of the Hidden Temple Obstacle Course. At 1:30 p.m., a special celebration—including a trophy unveiling and cake for all who attend—will be held in honor of Hugo’s first-place win in the SUNY Mascot Madness competition. All faculty, staff and students are invited to this celebration and release time is granted for those employees who choose to attend. At 3:45 p.m., team champions will be crowned, followed by recognition of student affairs student leaders at 4 p.m. For more information and a schedule of events, click here.