Santora Presented with SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service

Cynthia Santora, Scio, director of Public Relations at Alfred State College, was recently presented with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service, the State University of New York's most prestigious honor.  The award recognizes a member of the professional staff who has provided outstanding service to Alfred State College and demonstrates excellence in professional activities beyond the job description. Announcement of the winners was made this spring by SUNY Interim Chancellor Dr. John B. Clark.  The chancellor noted that the selection of recipients follows the recommendation by the SUNY Advisory Committee on Awards.  The committee reviews nominations from the faculty, students, and colleagues of the recipients throughout the 64-campus system. Each winner receives a cast bronze medallion, suitable to be worn at academic ceremonies, and an inscribed certificate.

Santora joined the staff of Alfred State College in 1993, as the professional tutor in the Learning Lab.  In 1995 she joined the Public Relations Office as community relations associate.  During her nearly 13-year tenure in that office, she has risen through the ranks to assistant director of community relations, associate director of community relations, and now, her current position as director of Public Relations.

In this role, Santora serves as spokesperson for the college; maintains and cultivates relationships with local media sources; seeks ideas and maintains knowledge of campus activities in order to gather, write, and edit information for events, activities, and announcements; manages an on-going campus-wide activities calendar to track all college events and to generate press releases to share our campus with the world.

In addition, Santora works closely with publications staff to plan and write publications, brochures, flyers, posters, and invitations, and to edit copy for campus-wide publications.  Her role with the Admissions and Institutional Advancement staff is crucial as she assists these areas in planning and writing recruitment, alumni, and donor publications.

Santora, who has spent the majority of her career in higher education, has served as a faculty member in the English Departments of Niagara University, Jamestown Community College (Cattaraugus County), and Alfred State College; she has worked as a public relations professional at Alfred University.

Santora holds a master of arts in teaching and a bachelor of arts in English from Niagara University.  She has also done graduate work at Alfred University and Clarion University (PA).

The Niagara Falls native is the daughter of Priscilla Cale, Niagara Falls, and the late Russell Cale.

She is married to John Santora (also a Niagara Falls native and Alfred State College employee); they are the parents of an adult daughter, Shirley.