Faculty and Staff Receive Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence

Alfred State faculty and staff were recently honored with Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching, Librarianship, Professional Service, and Classified Service. Dr. Karla M. Back, Alfred, NY, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching; Jane A. Vavala, Hornell, NY, received the award for Excellence in Librarianship; Jeffrey G. Goodrich, Alfred Station, NY, was honored with the Professional Service award; and Patty M. Lewis-Brownell of Wellsville, NY, was presented with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service. Each received a certificate and a medallion.

Pictured here are the 2013 recipients, l-r (back): Vavala, Goodrich; l-r (front): Lewis-Brownell, Back.

Professor Back, Business Department, “has been a superbly skilled and dedicated teacher at Alfred State since 2005”, noted interim president Valerie B. Nixon. Her very high level of standards and innovative approach impresses on her students the importance of ethical behavior and the need to be globally and locally astute in their diverse and competitive field. She is completely in tune with the most relevant data and trends in her field and she understands the complexity of related disciplines.

Ms. Vavala, associate librarian, “has demonstrated outstanding service to the college while at the same time keeping abreast of new developments in her field and participating and presenting at conferences, workshops, and seminars”, said Nixon. She is an active participant in faculty governance, chairs the Nominations, Elections and Governance Committee, and is an active member in many other committees and working groups.

Jeff Goodrich, a senior programmer/analyst in the Technology Services Department, “has demonstrated his excellence with his extraordinary leadership and innovation,” remarked Nixon. Jeff’s knowledge, initiative, creativity, and leadership have led to the improvements with Banner- integration with Blackboard, mentoring and training staff in the administration of Banner, integration of the FAFSA form into the Banner database, and the integration of ImageNow Software with Banner by eliminating redundant steps needed in both software packages.

Patty Lewis-Brownell’s 26+ years with Alfred State, including the past 21 years she has spent on the Wellsville campus, has provided her with “the extensive knowledge, expertise, and professionalism she exhibits in all the many duties she fulfills at her position with Student Services,” Nixon stated. Patty knows all the ins and outs of the admissions, orientation, enrollment, financial aid, and recruiting/touring/shadowing processes in order to help students and their families make the transition from the “comforts” of high school into their college career, and beyond.