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University College Dean Bea González Awarded NAACP Community Service Award

Bea González, dean of University College, was recognized with a Community Service Award by the Syracuse/Onondaga County NAACP at the 35th Annual Freedom Awards Banquet held in May.

Bea Gonzalez
Bea Gonzalez

The Community Service Award is the most distinguished honor given by the NAACP to an individual, community-based organization, agency or business in the public or private sector. It recognizes those who have substantially improved the quality of life in our community, especially for those who are impoverished, oppressed, abused or disenfranchised.

González began her career as an academic advisor at Syracuse University in 1987. She quickly moved through the ranks from academic counselor to dean of University College. She became the first Latina on the Syracuse City School District’s board of education in 1991, the first Latina to serve as president of the Syracuse Common Council and the first Latina candidate for Syracuse mayor in the city’s history.

González has spent her life advocating for those who have not had a voice in our communities, schools, neighborhoods and political systems. She has received numerous awards and recognitions through the years, including being named a Hispanic American of Distinction in New York State and an Unsung Heroine by the Central New York National Organization of Women.

In addition to her dedicated community service, González was recently elected president of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association for 2014-15. She has served on and is a member of several professional organizations, including the Association of University Summer Sessions, the Education Commission of the States, New York State Representative and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization.

‘The State of Civic Engagement’ Topic at Onondaga Citizens League Annual Meeting

David Holwerk, director of communications and resident scholar at the Kettering Foundation, will be the keynote speaker at the June 6 annual meeting luncheon of the Onondaga Citizens League.

The Kettering Foundation, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is a nonprofit operating foundation whose primary research question is “What does it take to make democracy work as it should?”  Kettering’s research is conducted from the perspective of citizens and focuses on what people can do collectively to address problems affecting their lives, their communities and their nation.

Holwerk will talk on “The State of Civic Engagement,” focusing on the question of who is being engaged and to what ends. He will reflect on his 30 years of experience as a journalist and five years at Kettering, to address the question “So what do citizens do, anyway?”

Registration for the June 6 luncheon, which will take place at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, is required by May 28. For more information, or to register, call 315-443-4846, email ocl@syr.edu or go to OCL News at http://onondagacitizensleague.org.

The Onondaga Citizens League is a nonprofit nonpartisan civic organization that studies issues facing Central New York and generates reports to inform citizens and offer specific recommendations to policymakers.

Strawberry Festival, Farmers’ Market Scheduled for June 13

Strawberry Fest Friday June 13

Summer will be celebrated, rain or shine, at the annual Strawberry Festival on the Quad hosted by University College, the Department of Recreation Services and the Department of Athletics. The festival will be held on Friday, June 13, from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. The Farmers’ Market will also be on the Quad from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and feature fresh vegetables, plants and craft items.

Students, faculty and staff are invited for strawberry shortcake and sundaes, music, games and raffles. Pre-register for a free two-mile Strawberry Fun Run and Walk that will begin at noon or register at 11:30 a.m. on the Quad. There will be prizes and giveaways galore.

A campus “trade show” will feature information tables staffed by University departments. The Public Safety Department will sponsor a bike rodeo. Attendees will have the opportunity to register their bikes, discuss bike/traffic safety and have minor adjustments made to their bikes. The first 10 people to register will receive a free U-bolt bike lock.

Grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers and more will be available to purchase. Strawberry shortcake/sundae tickets are $4.75 each. Pre-event tickets for shortcake/sundaes are on sale now at the Carrier Dome Concessions office. To purchase tickets in advance, send an I.D. with ticket delivery instructions, including room number, to Vera Gibbs (443-4029) at the Carrier Dome. Tickets will be delivered the week of June 10 or available on the Quad on June 13.

In the event of rain, the “trade show” will be held under the tent on the Quad and desserts only will be served on the Quad. No grilled items or games will be available. The Fun Run will only be held if weather is not severe.

For more information, contact Carrie McDonald at camcdo01@uc.syr.edu or 443-3292 or Tim Eddy at 443-1810 or tdeddy@syr.edu.

 

Part-Time Graduates Honored at 2014 University College Convocation

University College honored the part-time undergraduate students of the Class of 2014 at its 66th annual Convocation and Commencement Celebration held May 8 at Hendricks Chapel.

Alexander Kenneth O’Mara receives the Nancy Gelling Award, given to an Alumni Scholar with the Highest GPA. At left is University College Dean Bea Gonzalez, and at right is Syracuse University Provost Eric Spina.
Alexander Kenneth O’Mara receives the Nancy Gelling Award, given to an Alumni Scholar with the Highest GPA. At left is University College Dean Bea Gonzalez, and at right is Syracuse University Provost Eric Spina.

Dean Bea González presided over the ceremony, which featured keynote speaker Rabbi Charles Sherman, author of “The Broken and the Whole: Discovering Joy after Heartbreak.” The part-time undergraduates eligible to receive degrees through the University represented 10 schools and colleges and 38 majors within the University.

University College named eight students as prestigious Alumni Scholars. Each of these bachelor’s degree candidates earned a minimum GPA of 3.705. Alumni Scholars are Edward Cogan II, Christine Dunagan, Laura Lawson, Susan Miller, Alexander O’Mara, Penelope Singer, Carolynn Steele and Allison Villa.

O’Mara also earned the prestigious Nancy C. Gelling Book Award, given annually to the part-time student who achieves the highest overall grade point average for a first bachelor’s degree.

The College of Visual and Performing Arts awarded Penelope Singer the Sylvia Wyckoff Award for outstanding academic achievement.

Additionally, UC awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award to Craige B. Champion, associate professor in the Maxwell School. The Excellence in Online Teaching Award was presented to Molly Voorheis, an instructor in the Writing Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Staff Service Award went to the Office of Student Assistance, represented by director Sarah Solomon. Larry Higbee, owner/president of Higbee Inc., was awarded the Employer Service Award for his partnership with the TEDCenter working together on an Unemployed Worker Training Program.

The ceremony was immediately followed by a reception in the Heroy Geology Lab Atrium.

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Thursday Morning Roundtable Announces Meritorious Community Service Award

Thursday Morning Roundtable (TMR) presented its Meritorious Community Service Award to Margaret Charters at its April 17 meeting. In 1972, TMR established the annual award to present to individuals who make valuable contributions to the community without widespread recognition.

Pictured Left to Right are: Carol Dwyer, long-time TMR member, Margaret Charters, and Sandra Barrett, director of Community Programs at University College.
Pictured from left to right are Carol Dwyer, long-time TMR member; honoree Margaret Charters; and Sandra Barrett, director of Community Programs at University College.

Charters, a longtime TMR member, has served on many boards and committees, including the Cooperative Extension, United Way and the New York State 4-H Foundation.

After her retirement from Syracuse University 18 years ago, Charters began helping the children at Dr. King School boost their reading skills and their love of books. She recruited about 35 adult volunteers who work with a total of 60 students twice a week to help them with reading, including sight word recognition and sounding out words.  The reading program she initiated at Dr. King has inspired two other city schools to establish similar reading programs.

Charters has a doctorate in higher education, but went back to school and earned a master’s degree in literacy education to provide the best possible instruction to the children.

TMR is a weekly civic forum bringing together a mix of community leaders and experts from a variety of fields to learn about public issues and problems. For more information, contact Sandra Barrett, director of Community Programs at University College, at 315-443-4846 or cps@syr.edu.