Nominator: Wendy A. Paterson, Ph.D., Dean, School of Education
Susan Rubino, administrative assistant 2 in the School of Education, is known as the linchpin in connecting the school’s dean with faculty and staff. Her exemplary organizational skills and attention to detail frame her immeasurable influence and character. In her department, she is known at the go-to person for all questions. With great compassion, she welcomes any obstacles that may arise in the department, swiftly pursuing information needed for a solution and presenting it clearly for others’ ability to proceed.
Rubino radiates positive energy. The Dean’s Office is the place where problems are brought that cannot be solved at the departmental levels. Rubino is the first line of authority to address problems. She works toward solutions before seeking intervention from the dean. She is always equipped to take on additional tasks that may overwhelm another. She is viewed as a source of support and will frequently lend support and provide valuable feedback in an optimistic and professional manner. She often arrives early to guarantee a pristinely inviting environment, welcoming all visitors, and ensuring a positive experience.
Rubino is a master of data sets and spreadsheets that inform and help the dean track and identify areas of concern as well as monitor expenses and oversee multiple funding streams with extreme accuracy. Serving as event planner, caterer, and communicator for events involving the Teacher Education Unit, external school partners, and student groups, she is irreplaceable in the planning and coordination of events. Her efficiency is demonstrated in her handling of the School of Education’s budgets and personnel paperwork, and she plays a key role in promoting inclusivity and affordability for all students interested in participating in academic and professional development activities. Her attention to detail is instrumental in the distribution of limited funds through an effective and transparent process. Accountable for managing agendas in the School of Education Dean’s Office, she is responsible for articulating all minutes, facilitating smooth communication and collaboration among stakeholders, including program leaders, campus administrative offices, and national and international institutions and partners. Rubino’s consistency expresses professional acumen on all business and personnel systems of the university, thus assuring timely and accurate completion of all required documents.
Rubino shines in every aspect of her knowledge, output, and personal interactions. Her fullest effort, attention, and care are evident in each task she undertakes, consistently yielding successful outcomes. Her willingness to actively assist in duties that go far beyond her responsibilities make her an invaluable asset to the School of Education’s team.
Nominator: Lisa A. Rafferty, Ph.D., Professor, Exceptional Education Department
Angela Patti, professor of exceptional education, has consistently showcased unwavering commitment, innovative initiatives, and profound dedication not only to Buffalo State and its students but also to the broader community that the university serves. Through her effective and versatile teaching approaches and continuous outreach initiatives, she has greatly enhanced the community and contributes meaningfully to the field of education.
Known for her versatility in topics and levels taught, Patti readily demonstrates ingenuity by expanding and reframing her classes and teaching activities. She has prepared and taught 13 different courses during her time at Buffalo State. Included in that list are both undergraduate and graduate courses, those with field hours, and others she helped design collaboratively with other departments. She has been a highly effective teacher on a consistent basis, as noted in her remarkable course evaluations and frequent and strong peer reviews. She has designed and implemented high-quality instruction and engaged in a variety of initiatives to promote students’ development, as teachers and as individuals. Patti is commendable for her hands-on approach and incorporation of practical learning experiences across all courses she instructs. By integrating genuine learning tasks and assessments into each aspect of the curriculum, she is able to achieve high levels of understanding.
Patti has contributed to numerous efforts to improve programs within the School of Education and her department. Because of the integral role she played as chair of the department’s curriculum committee, Patti and her colleagues were able to collaborate in creative efforts to simultaneously meet the needs of students with, or at-risk for, disabilities in inclusive settings, while also allowing candidates to learn from both a special educator and a general educator about how to teach literacy. This is an excellent model of a typical multitiered support system in public schools today. In addition to this service, Dr. Patti’s scholarly work has contributed to the education field beyond her own classroom. She has been awarded several teaching fellowships over the past 10 years, including an Anne Frank Fellowship in 2013, a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Fellowship in 2015, and an Applied Learning Fellowship in 2017. Each of these resulted in the analysis of her teaching and the development and implementation of new methods and materials. She was honored with the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2017.
Faculty and students alike describe Patti as a “beloved teacher who effectively balances very high standards and expectations for her students while being compassionate and supportive.” She is described as organized and plan-driven, and she is adept at diminishing the anticipatory anxiety of her students in the difficult subjects she covers. She is the epitome of academic professionalism in her pursuit of professional development and her reflective practice.
Nominator: Julie J. Henry, Ph.D., Chair and Professor, EELEL
Jennifer Reichenberg, assistant professor in the Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department, joined the faculty at Buffalo State in 2020 and quickly established a high profile as a leader in literacy education. She teaches complex critical literacy courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels that are designed to prepare students to teach reading and the other language arts in elementary school classrooms. The courses require a deep understanding of the content of the field, the passion to nurture emerging teachers, and the ability to collaborate with school partners to provide a robust synergy between theory and practice. Through her well-informed, collaborative, and innovative teaching, Reichenberg has made an important difference in the preparation of teachers at Buffalo State. She builds relationships with her students and mentors them into becoming mentors for others. She has proved herself to be a consistently enthusiastic and highly skilled teacher, and erudite scholar, and an active and innovative public servant.
Reichenberg’s teaching at Buffalo State drives her scholarly research. She is currently the principal investigator on several research projects related to innovations in teaching. One project investigates teacher candidates’ implementation of culturally responsive and sustaining approaches during service learning; another looks at supporting teacher candidates’ reflective development. She is also researching high-quality mentoring experiences for teacher candidates as well as the impact of the learning community on teacher candidate persistence in the program and in the field of education. She has published widely on various topics in her field of study and has numerous publications in development.
In addition to publication, she disseminates her research on teaching and learning at local, state, and national conferences. She presented research on co-teaching in 2022 and research on professional development through book clubs in 2023, both at the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Development Schools (now the National Association for School-University Partnerships). Additional research presentations include those at the annual conferences of the Literacy Research Association, the New York Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the New York State Reading Association, and the Buffalo State Professional Development Schools Consortium. She has served as a reviewer for the Literacy Research Association’s Student Outstanding Research Award since 2020 and is a reviewer for several journals. She is a member of the New York State Reading Association, the Niagara Frontier Reading Council, the International Literacy Association, and the National Association for School-University Partnerships.
Reichenberg brings her passion for serving students to the larger campus community in a variety of ways. She has volunteered as a site coordinator for Bengals Dare to Care Day and served as co-adviser for the Gamma Mu chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society for educators. She regularly volunteers at certification exam workshops, Professional Development Schools (PDS) orientations, open houses, Teacher Tailgates, commencements, and convocations. She also serves as co-coordinator of Global Literacy Engagement at Buffalo State, which includes co-facilitating the group of instructors who teach Introduction to Literacy and its service-learning component, the Global Book Hour.
Anthony Lleras, director of the Education Pathways Academy (New Visions), a partnership with Erie 1 BOCES, was selected as a 2024 Excellence in Teaching and Teacher Leadership Award recipient from the WNY Service Council. Mr. Lleras is a true inspiration to future teachers, an exemplary role model to his colleagues, and a shining star at Erie 1 and Buffalo State University.
Photo: Lleras with the 2023 New Visions cohort
Nominator: Lisa A. Rafferty, Ph.D., Professor, Exceptional Education Department
Kathy Doody, professor of exceptional education, joined Buffalo State as an adjunct instructor in 2010 and was hired full time in 2012. She has demonstrable evidence of her quality of teaching through student and peer evaluations, exemplary learning tools, and continued contributions to the program and curriculum. She is an exceptional educator, scholar, and colleague. Buffalo State University is a better institution because of her teaching expertise; mentorship; and contributions to the Exceptional Education Department, university, and community.
Doody has taught 13 different courses in both the graduate and undergraduate programs, demonstrating her diverse and extensive knowledge in the field and willingness to keep abreast in multiple areas of expertise within the field of education, particularly special education. As an expert in early childhood special education, she teaches all the early childhood courses in the Exceptional Education Department. In addition, she has written two new course proposals, developed Buffalo State’s first 4+1 program, was integral in the development of the new program in applied behavior analysis, and co-developed a microcredential in American sign language/autism spectrum disorders. She is collaboratively working to create a graduate program for teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing and has also developed an internship certificate program for master’s candidates so they might get paid while completing their programs.
Doody’s outstanding teaching is further demonstrated by her consistently high student evaluations, averaging between 4.6 and 5.0 on a 5.0-point scale. She uses student feedback to make improvements in her teaching, specifically sharing evaluative data and comments with students to facilitate dialogue about improvements. Likewise, her colleagues and classroom observers have noted her to be an effective educator who models best instructional practices and actively engages students by using a variety of research-validated teaching techniques.
Of particular note is Doody’s commitment to service and applied learning in the classroom. In 2016, she was awarded the Buffalo State Outstanding Faculty Commitment to Service Learning Award, and in 2019, she participated in Buffalo State’s Applied Learning Faculty Cohort. Currently, all her graduate-level courses have a service-learning component, which is consistent with Buffalo State’s mission and commitment as an urban-engaged campus.
Nominator: Mark P. Posluszny, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Exceptional Education Department
Andrea Hoehman, administrative assistant 1 in the Exceptional Education Department, has demonstrated considerable effort and excellence in fulfilling significant responsibilities since joining the department in 2015. Her work has been characterized by consistency, initiative, and leadership. She routinely fulfills her responsibilities in a professional, thoughtful, and considerate manner.
Hoehman’s success in facilitating and advancing the work of faculty members and department administrators can be attributed to her excellent problem-solving skills. She has a vast knowledge of how the university works and which offices to call to find answers to questions. Faculty members note that she leverages her knowledge and experience in a way that benefits individual faculty members’ performance, and that whenever faculty members or students have questions that fall outside of course advising, she promptly answers them or directs them to available campus resources that can assist in resolving problems.
The list of tasks and activities that she must facilitate, organize, and implement is impressive. Many go beyond her job description. These include facilitating the Exceptional Education Research Symposium and Awards Ceremony in addition to managing all the processes in student admissions, applications, Degree Works, registration, and other student-centered activities. For the faculty, Hoehman facilitates personnel actions, meetings and retreats, syllabi and office hours, classroom assignments, interactions with other offices on campus, and a myriad of activities that require diplomacy, knowledge of complex institutional structures, and ultimately patience and tolerance.
Effective and efficient support of exceptional education faculty and teacher candidates during the past several years has required flexibility, creativity, and leadership. As the university transitioned between remote and on-campus modalities, and when the office’s administrative staff was reduced from two members to one, Hoehman was able to maintain the department’s productivity. She adjusted her schedule and workload and provided the necessary guidance and oversight of other office staff, graduate assistants, and work-study students. Faculty members and teacher candidates continued to be fully and seamlessly supported.
Nominator: Shannon E. Budin, Ph.D., Assistant Dean and Professor, Exceptional Education Department; and Mark P. Posluszny, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Exceptional Education Department
James Maloney, lecturer of exceptional education, has been an invaluable member of the Exceptional Education Department since his arrival in 1998. He has taught more than a dozen different courses; no course is too great or too small. Given his long and decorated career in the Western New York education community as a teacher and school administrator, he brings to the classroom a wealth of experience working with children, families, and teachers. Students consistently praise him for his expertise, for his practicality, and for teaching them real-life strategies to apply in P–12 classroom settings. More than 20 years of teaching evaluations document his outstanding performance every semester, without exception.
Maloney shines in the classroom. He is a popular though rigorous instructor who knows how theory looks in practice. Highly invested in the production of blue-ribbon teachers, he knows the exacting standards of the profession from the inside out. Student evaluations note this integrity in their praise of him. As a special educator himself, Maloney practices his teaching craft with his students as assiduously and carefully as he did with the children in his care in the Maryvale School District. Students consistently write of his approachability, compassionate accommodation of their needs, and inspirational demeanor.
In addition to the knowledge he imparts, Maloney exhibits a high degree of compassion and caring for his students. He is accommodating and flexible, and he goes above and beyond to ensure that students meet all course objectives and receive the support they need. He is known as a faculty member whom students can rely on each semester for well-written and thoughtful letters of recommendation, and students regularly seek him out for career advice. He helps students with interview strategies and is eminently available to teacher candidates far beyond in-class time or office hours. In addition to supporting students, Maloney is exceedingly generous with his time and knowledge in supporting colleagues, the School of Education, and Buffalo State University.
Maloney is versatile, responsible, responsive, and adaptable. He regularly attends monthly department meetings and faculty retreats. He volunteers to serve on committees across campus and is active in other professional service activities typically engaged in by full-time faculty. For many years, he has been a go-to person for teacher candidates, field placements, and connecting the campus with various community agencies and services. For the past several years, the department has been involved in various recruitment initiatives, and Maloney was among the first to volunteer to spearhead and support these efforts. He is one of the originators of the Developing Future Teachers substitute teaching program, an important Buffalo State response to local school districts whose need for skilled substitute teachers has become chronic in recent years.
Nominator: Julie J. Henry, Ph.D., Professor, Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department
Julie Wholf, administrative assistant 1 in the Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department, has shown superb performance in fulfilling her assigned duties and a willingness to adjust to changing needs over her 25 years of service. She is creative in developing new ways to address her work tasks and is always accurate and timely. Most importantly, she has exemplary human relations skills and has been able to work well with the hundreds of faculty members and thousands of students she has served over the years. One of the first recipients of Buffalo State’s Caring Bengal Award, she consistently engages in acts of kindness to support faculty members and students with a positive can-do attitude.
Wholf serves in a complex role, managing or organizing the paperwork for four large undergraduate programs, four large graduate programs, and about 200 student teachers each year. The specific certification requirements for students are multifaceted, and she keeps their paperwork current so that they can successfully complete their programs. The department hosts many events each year for recruitment, orientation, retention, student engagement, certification, and student teaching, and Wholf skillfully coordinates each one.
During Wholf’s time at the university, the department has undergone many major changes, and she eagerly learns new systems and technologies and helps faculty and staff members in the department do the same. With retired superintendents and principals teaching in the department who are accustomed to having a personal secretary, Wholf cheerfully fulfills that role for them so that they are able to generate letters of reference and other correspondence. An excellent supervisor of work-study students, she is clear in her directions and consistent in her supervision. She has a knack for knowing which aspects of paperwork are going to be confusing for students and has developed systems to help them traverse the bureaucracy.
Her service extends beyond the department. She chairs the CSEA Veterans Committee, and she volunteers with four community agencies. She is a notary public for the university and holds Community Emergency Response Certification, including specific training in nine areas. Wholf has organized dozens of students in the department to participate in the annual Bengals Dare to Care Day and is the department’s SEFA/United Way representative, graciously helping faculty and staff members process contributions. She consistently attends campuswide events, celebrating successes and asking good questions about policies on behalf of her colleagues.
Nomination from Corinne Kindzierski, Assistant Professor, Elementary Ed, Literacy, Ed. Leadership
Dr. Julie Henry consistently shows kindness and thoughtfulness to faculty, staff and students. She always remembers special events like birthdays, anniversaries and celebrations and shares the news with our department members. She serves on the school board of a local charter school and consistently gives back to the school community by providing personal and professional resources. Dr. Henry is a constant encourager for co-workers and finds way to support them in their professional development and personal growth. She is someone people actively seek out for support as she always has a kind word and smile. Dr. Henry is someone you will find at multiple college and school of education events. She has attended undergraduate and graduate commencement since I have been at Buffalo State. She has mentored EUROS and encouraged them to present at local and national conferences. She has accompanied students to Professional Conferences and co-presented for the last five years. She has volunteered at Bengals Dare to Care day and is a faculty advisor to Kappa Delta Pi. She had serves as chair of the Elementary Education department for six years and brought talented and diverse new faculty to our department. Continue reading and view her full award profile at the Professional Development Center website.
Nomination from Wendy Paterson, Dean of the School of Education
Dr. Kathy Wood serves as the Associate Dean for the School of Education. In that capacity, she is the "go to" person for all student issues including academic petitions and dismissals, but that is part of her job. Beyond that, however, Dr. Wood applies the compassionate "spirit" of the early childhood teacher she once was to every activity she is involved in at Buffalo State and in the WNY community. In the past 5 years, Kathy developed our Urban Teacher Academy relationship with McKinley High School and the Buffalo Urban Teacher Pipeline Residency Program. These two programs focused on "grow your own" and career advancement for teacher aides and assistants has achieved remarkable gains in diversifying the teacher pipeline. She is now also responsible for the 21st Century Grant, an afterschool service activity for urban schools and recently helped us secure the My Brother's Keeper Teacher Opportunity Corps II grant, a highly competitive grant to promote the diversification of the teacher workforce. Her work in the community is the embodiment of selflessness. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Buffalo Urban Charter School and participates in all activities connected with the UTA and Buffalo teachers. To do so requires her special talent for calm, rational thinking and an overarching dedication to the support of children, young adults and families from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Continue reading and view her full award profile at the Professional Development Center website.
Mary Codick, administrative assistant 1 in the Teacher Certification Office, consistently demonstrates outstanding dedication to the Buffalo State campus community through excellence in her job performance, friendly and efficient support to students, and extensive volunteer leadership and service on numerous campus committees. She is hardworking, dependable, and courteous.
Codick possesses a thorough understanding of the often-confusing and ever-evolving policies and procedures of the Teacher Certification Office as related to New York State teacher certification. Students and faculty alike benefit from her expertise, which she always delivers with professionalism and a smile. She regularly goes above and beyond to assist students with issues relating to teacher certification as well as unrelated issues, by identifying appropriate resources and referring them to appropriate offices and personnel. Her proficiency and kindness are critical in a two-person office.
Codick demonstrates her commitment to the campus community through her service on many committees, including the President’s Council on Equity and Campus Diversity, the Community Emergency Response Team, and not one, but three CSEA committees—the Education and Training Committee, the Robert J. Elmes Jr. Memorial Scholarship Committee, and the Election Committee—all of which she is either currently chairing or has chaired in the past. She volunteers for Freshman Orientation, Academic Convocation, the Anne Frank Project, and Commencement. In her most recently acquired role as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) coordinator, she has completed extensive training in order to effectively and confidentially assist Buffalo State employees and their family members in finding professionals in the community who are best suited to help solve problems or address concerns.
Her excellence in job performance and participation in the campus community is reflective of her personal values, ethics, and genuine desire to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around her. Her commitment to a higher standard is a benefit to Buffalo State, SUNY, and all with whom she interacts.
Nomination from Raquel Schmidt, Chair and Associate Professor in the Exceptional Education Department
Sisi is a cornerstone of the overall positive culture in the Exceptional Education Department. In addition to being the longtime coordinator of our Sunshine Club, which collects voluntary donations from faculty to send flowers, cards, and gifts to colleagues who are ill or have experienced a loss/hardship, she represents the campus in myriad other ways. She has always attended every campus event (open houses, orientations, teacher tailgates, and other recruitment & student events). As a longtime member and former chairperson of the Awards committee, she has been instrumental in planning and overseeing the annual Awards Ceremony in the Social Hall. Sisi maintains personal relationships with longtime donors and their families and will often “check in” with them just to say hello and see how they are doing. She does this because she genuinely cares, not because she has to or is prompted to do so. Sisi also does this with former students, and professor emeriti. She has also represented BSC well in the statewide community by her role as past president of the New York State Association for Bilingual Education (NYSABA).
My nickname for Sisi is “Sunshine Express”, not only because of her official role as leader of the department’s Sunshine Club, but also because of her seemingly endless effervescence. It is authentic and often seems to grace others at a time when it is most needed. Continue reading and view her full award profile at the Professional Development Center website.
Shannon Budin, professor of exceptional education, has amassed an impressive record of service to Buffalo State, and her work at all levels has been exemplary. She is extremely generous with her time and continuously represents the college and the State University of New York system well, especially in professional activities at state and national levels.
Budin is a noted expert on exceptional education who demonstrates a passion and commitment to sharing her knowledge. She works frequently with individual and groups of students to support their scholarship and continuing professional development. She has served as a faculty member for undergraduate research fellowships and supervised roughly 30 graduate students in their master’s projects or theses. She is held in high esteem by her colleagues, who note her willingness to contribute to committees and provide leadership at the department level.
Budin’s strong collegial reputation coupled with her deep knowledge base have made her a sought-after contributor on high-profile state and national projects. Budin also understands the importance of sharing her knowledge and scholarship with wider audiences and disseminating her work. She has presented or co-presented more than 60 times at local, state, and national or international conferences. In addition, she has authored or co-authored more than 23 scholarly works, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and reviews, and other scholarly publications.
In addition to serving on various local committees and boards, Budin regularly volunteers her time in community schools to help faculty and administrators meet student needs. She regularly provides council to districts who request assistance. She has provided more than 17 presentations, in-services, and workshops and has engaged in long-term projects that benefited community partners. She has, for example, authored studies and reports on topics in exceptional education for the Buffalo Public Schools and Maryvale School District.
Tamara Horstman-Riphahn, executive assistant to the dean of the School of Education, has consistently provided value to Buffalo State far beyond the requirements of her job. She has transcended the normal definitions of excellence and serves as a role model of superior performance in service to the college.
Horstman-Riphahn organizes, manages, and ideates Buffalo State’s award-winning International Professional Development Schools Consortium (IPDS) in school sites across five continents. She serves as the program’s record-keeper, financial wizard, and communications officer. This program has contributed immeasurably to international renown for the college, teacher candidates, and faculty at Buffalo State and has established meaningful, ongoing connections with a network of educators around the world. Due in no small part to Horstman-Riphahn’s efforts, the program recently received the coveted Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for innovative international education programs.
In addition to her work with the IPDS, Horstman-Riphahn assists in the recruitment and retention of student-teacher candidates, serves as a technological resource for the School of Education, maintains the school’s website, and edits the school’s biannual newsletter for alumni and donors. She assists faculty members in achieving publication in peer-reviewed journals, organizes events, and works with community agencies on partnership programs. She adds more responsibilities each successive year, and her expertise on all matters related to the School of Education has made her an indispensable member of numerous college task forces, committees, and teams.
Horstman-Riphahn is a superior writer, an out-of-the-box thinker, a facilitator, and a team builder. Her modest attitude belies an indefatigable and seemingly boundless energy and intellect. She makes it her regular day’s work to translate the vague and insubstantial into the precise and real. She is an extraordinary member of the campus community.
Pixita del Prado Hill, professor of elementary education, literacy, and educational leadership, has demonstrated a passionate and continuous commitment to invest her considerable talents in teaching, scholarship, and service in the advancement of clinically rich practice through the cultivation and enrichment of school-university partnerships. Her insight, vision, hard work, and peerless ability to plan, implement, and measure the impact of this important work has propelled the Professional Development Schools Consortium (PDS) model begun at Buffalo State in the 1990s to national and global prominence.
Del Prado Hill assumed the leadership of the Buffalo State PDS in 2012, and quickly became the creative force behind the expansion and development of the partnership consortium into a global phenomenon unlike any other in New York state. Teacher candidates at Buffalo State College are prepared for their profession in a richly contextual, pedagogically diverse, dynamic environment in schools across the Western New York region and now, because of del Prado Hill’s visionary leadership, on five continents. Today, the Buffalo State PDS Consortium includes more than 45 New York schools that have formal signed agreements to work with our candidates and with our faculty to address the issues of teaching and schooling in a contemporary, vibrant, interactive collaborative led and inspired by del Prado Hill.
Each year, the PDS follows a thematic strand of value and importance to the advancement of social justice in schools and communities, an innovation brought to the PDS by del Prado Hill. Last year’s focus on “Engaged Partnership” led to formal study, school-based action research, and improved student engagement strategies in classrooms across the PDS. This year, she organized and inspired the faculty to develop the “Resilience Project,” a deliberative scholarly and service-oriented effort to focus on trauma-informed practice and building resilience. Perhaps the most concrete evidence of this massive undertaking is exemplified in the newly published book, Doing PDS: Stories and Strategies from Successful Clinically Rich Practice (2018, Information Age Publishing), of which del Prado Hill was a co-editor. A second book focusing on measuring the impact of successful school-university partnerships is forthcoming.
Del Prado Hill’s teaching evaluations are some of the best in the School of Education. She includes service learning in all three of her major courses and in 2016 was recognized for her outstanding commitment to service learning with the Buffalo State Volunteer and Service Learning Reciprocal Partnership Award. She developed Club Hola, an extracurricular opportunity for IPDS returning candidates who wish to continue to practice and use their Spanish language skills.
Jevon Hunter, Woods-Beals Endowed Chair in Urban Education and associate professor in the School of Education, has developed an exceptional record of encouraging and supporting student research and scholarship across campus during his time at Buffalo State. His role as a mentor evolves as he works with students over time, from introducing them to a subject to coaching them through exhaustive work to connecting them to their chosen career fields.
He has mentored 13 undergraduates representing multiple disciplines, departments, and schools. Collectively, his mentoring efforts have yielded five conference presentations alongside undergraduate students at local, regional, and national conferences; seven conference presentations in which undergraduates presented their transformational work as a result of his direct mentoring; and six research projects under his immediate supervision.
His work with undergraduates focuses on the intersection between discipline-specific literacy and technology, as well as social justice education efforts. His unique research efforts have even involved high school students whom he recruits to Buffalo State and then supports in conducting undergraduate research, advocating a “grow your own” model of undergraduate research.
In addition to his tireless dedication to students, Hunter has made major contributions to the Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department. He has provided research and expertise at the highest academic level and has enhanced the department’s overall knowledge and outlook, especially in developing curricula within a diverse population. He is approachable for students and colleagues, and he offers a positive perspective and graciousness that inspire others.
Lawrence Maheady, professor and Horace Mann Endowed Chair of Exceptional Education, is a distinguished, remarkable, and internationally known teacher-scholar. He elevates the status of his department, Buffalo State College, and the State University of New York through his scholarship and teaching. Students, faculty, practitioners, and teachers across the nation benefit from his research. He is a committed educator who focuses on the training of pre-service teachers so that they can use effective, evidence-based instructional practices.
His research is related to evidence-based practice, improving education and student learning, educational reform, teacher preparation, designing practice, and teaching strategies. To date, Maheady has authored or coauthored over 90 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 12 book chapters, and three books; presented his work at over 200 international, national, and state-level conferences; and conducted more than 300 staff development sessions in 29 states.
Journals include the Journal of Evidence-Based Practices for Schools, Intervention in School and Clinic, the Journal of Behavioral Education, and Teacher Education and Special Education. Book publishers include John Wiley & Sons, Sage, McGraw-Hill, and Prentice Hall. His newest book, High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms, in press, will be published by Routledge and the Council for Exceptional Children.
Maheady’s work is of significant merit both nationally and internationally. He contributes to the Wing Institute, founded in 2004 and named after Ernie Wing, an outstanding educator and child advocate who was an early champion of evidence-based education and quality services for children with special needs. Maheady is also a consultant for the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR Center). The goal of the center is to help states and institutions of higher education reform their teacher and leader preparation programs, revise licensure standards to align with reforms, refine personnel evaluation systems, and realign policy structures and professional learning systems. His vita is replete with examples that speak to the number and breadth of editorial boards, advisory boards, committees, and task forces on which he serves for the greater good.
Nomination from Wendy Paterson, Dean of the School of Education
Sometimes we forget that diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of work with children, adolescents, and families who have members with special needs. Her work with community agencies and families spills into her work with students at Buffalo State. As a graduate adviser, her door is always open. As a mentor for projects at both the undergraduate and graduate level, she goes the extra mile, but perhaps the best testimony to this quality comes from a former student:
"I wanted to say a huge thank you for everything you have done for me these past four years. Not only were you someone I looked up to, but you were also someone I could talk to and get advice from with anything. Thank you for always believing in me with everything I do, and for always being such a positive influence on me."
She is sought out by our students. Her gentle, yet well-informed demeanor made her an ideal choice as the graduate associate chair for the important programs in the department. Her leadership in this area led to the first 4 + 1 program in early childhood (undergraduate) with exceptional education (graduate), a program that has helped the School of Education log some of the highest retention and graduate enrollment rates on campus. As part of her dossier for promotion, her students responded to her teaching and advisement. Student evaluations are some of the highest in the SOE averaging 4.8 or higher on a 5.0 scale.
Continue reading and view her full award profile at the Professional Development Center website.
2019-2020
The annual Celebration of Community Engagement recognizes students, faculty, staff, and community partners who make a difference locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, through civic and community engagement initiatives.
Reciprocal Partnership Award: Presented to the faculty member and community partner who best demonstrated the principles of reciprocal, collaborative, and mutually beneficial partnerships. This may include the identification and recognition of each partner’s needs, issues, and challenges or assessment and reflection around the partnership with the goal of improving and sustaining the collaboration for long-term success.
Mary Cummings, Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership, and Andrea Todoro, Principal of the West Buffalo Charter School, have forged a strong relationship and remain in close communication regarding the changing needs of the students, many of whom are language-learners who need specialize instruction and extra time with focused attention. In her courses, Cummings has provided a service-learning component that broadens her students’ experiences and strengthens their understanding of the community. The support of Buffalo State’s Teacher Education students provides the children at West Buffalo Charter School with 1:1 attention, critical to their language development and success in school.
Leadership in Community Engagement: Awarded to a member of the campus or community who has built and strengthened institutional commitments to service-learning, civic engagement, and community engagement by demonstrating efforts to deepen and expand Buffalo State’s role as an urban-engaged institution, conducting meaningful community-based research, and/or working to foster long-lasting impacts on students and communit
As a faculty member in the Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department, Hibajene Shandomo has developed local and international opportunities for her students to engage in meaningful and life-changing service-learning experiences. Her on-going participation and contributions to the local and international community throughout her career merit this recognition. The partnerships she has forged have benefitted children, families, communities, classroom teachers, and building leaders. Through her teaching, scholarship, and service, she has made significant contributions that have deepened and expanded Buffalo State’s role as an urban-engaged campus.
Kathy Wood, associate dean in the School of Education, has consistently demonstrated excellence in her job. She is particularly skilled at managing myriad committees on behalf of the School of Education, handling all curriculum in the school, and serving as an advocate and compassionate mentor for students.
From her first leadership role with the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education (CEURE) to her current appointment, Wood has built a well-respected and widely recognized reputation as an advocate for positive change in urban education at Buffalo State and in the Western New York community. Her passionate commitment to developing, implementing, and strengthening programs of support for students in urban settings has taken many forms, but none so critical to the diversity of the profession as her innovative leadership on the Urban Teachers Academy (UTA), a new collaborative effort between Buffalo State and the Buffalo Public Schools designed to encourage students in the district to choose teaching as a career as early as eighth grade.
The UTA is only the most recent of Wood’s persistent and influential activities to engage faculty and students in service learning through civic engagement. In 2012, she and faculty colleagues developed a learning community for freshmen that incorporated civic engagement and community activism. She also organized a new minor sequence of study in urban civic education and, as the graduate complement to an undergraduate curriculum in urban civic education, she helped launched an urban education master’s degree program.
Wood’s work ethic, strength of character, and indefatigable energy are evident in all her activities. In the community, she serves on the boards of directors of the Buffalo United Charter School, Autism Services, and the Buffalo State College Child Care Center. These many “extras” require a devotion of time and effort far beyond her already extraordinary service to the college as a member of the Assessment Advisory Board, the Students of Concern Care Team, the College Planning Council, the Research and Creativity Council, and the PDS Advisory Board, and as chair of the Orientation Steering Committee and many others.
Dianne McCarthy, associate professor of elementary education, literacy, and educational leadership, contributes to the wellbeing of the campus, her department, students, and the larger community in many ways. She is an excellent teacher and scholar who enriches the lives of faculty, students, and school partners.
McCarthy’s service to the campus includes many years as a member of the Buffalo State College Senate, during which time she served on numerous committees, including the Academic Plan, Curriculum, Faculty and Staff Welfare, and Senate Intellectual Foundations Oversight committees. She represents the interests of the School of Education and her department by serving on the Teacher Education Unit Professional Advisory Council. She also serves the School of Education and teacher education at Buffalo State more broadly through her leadership in assessment, especially in accreditation review by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Supporting the needs of her department, McCarthy has served on the Assessment, Bylaws, Personnel, and Honors and Awards committees. To enrich the professional lives of Buffalo State’s teacher candidates, she served as the faculty moderator of the Elementary Education Club. During the time of McCarthy’s leadership, the national governing body honored the Buffalo State chapter with four awards. Through her influence, the group has sponsored book clubs, guest speakers, and community service at local agencies such as the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. Through her participation in the Buffalo State Professional Development Schools (PDS) Consortium, McCarthy has served the larger Western New York community by providing professional development and partnering in a STEAM grant with partner school St. Gregory the Great.
Teacher education has undergone many changes in recent years, and McCarthy has helped faculty and students adjust accordingly. After learning that teacher candidates were being challenged to pass the mathematics portion of a new certification exam, she offered to host intensive study sessions that included online work during the January term. McCarthy approached this initiative with a great deal of compassion, helping students who struggle with mathematics to be successful.
Jevon Hunter, Woods-Beals Endowed Chair for Urban Education and associate professor in the School of Education, has cultivated the next generation of critical educators through an active agenda that blends instruction and research activities. His work with graduate students stands as a particular testament to his efforts.
Hunter has mentored 20 graduate students from across different disciplines, departments, schools, and universities. Since 2013, he has delivered 23 conference presentations alongside graduate students at local, regional, and national conferences; served as a lead instructor on independent study courses; chaired master’s theses; and participated as a dissertation committee member. In addition, he coauthored an article on the educational benefits of Twitter in the English language arts classroom with two former Buffalo State graduate students who are now in doctoral programs. The article was recently accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
While Hunter has an impressive array of publications on urban education and African American youth, his scholarship has been particularly notable for his hands-on work with graduate students, whose projects focus on the intersection between literacy and technology, as well as social justice education efforts. Many students seek to work with Hunter specifically because of his innovative and important work in the field of literacy. Hunter’s mentorship has helped graduate students realize their potential to go on for doctoral degrees, piqued their interest in research, and fostered their creativity, critical thinking, and writing skills.
Not only does Hunter conduct groundbreaking work in the field of urban education; he also expects his students to participate in that work, and he makes sure that the student researchers and participants feel full partnership in the dissemination of the work. Experiential benefits for graduate candidates range from their earliest forays into urban schools to confident submission of professional writing for publication. Hunter has logged many exhaustive hours of work with graduate candidates during the summer, during regular classroom hours and clinically rich practice experiences in Buffalo State’s partner schools, in multiple incidences of out-of-class engagement in the community, and in doctoral study.
Nomination from Julie Henry, Chair and Associate Professor, Elementary Education and Reading
Julie consistently engages in acts of kindness to support faculty and students in our department. She organized 30 students to sign up for the Bengals Dare to Care Day in September and made sure they were assigned to two projects relevant to our major.
Julie welcomes everyone into our office with a positive can-do attitude. Students who enter our office always get a cheerful greeting and a respectful response from her. She finds out the answers to questions quickly and competently so that students trust that we have their best interests at heart and that we know how to collaborate with others on campus to get the job done. Julie Wholf is a caring Bengal who makes Buffalo State College a better place for everyone!
Nomination from Pixita del Prado Hill, Professor, Elementary Education and Reading
Bacon Hall 302 is the heart of our department, and Julie has created a very positive space that is both welcoming and helpful to students and faculty. Not only does she respond quickly to the many requests she receives, she does so with a warm smile. We truly appreciate Julie!
View her full award profile at the Professional Development Center website.
Angela Patti, assistant professor of exceptional education, is a master teacher who actively engages students in learning and truly cares about their success. Dedicated to continually learning and evolving as an educator herself, she serves as an exemplary model for teacher candidates. Patti is known to develop strong relationships with her students and advisees and stays connected with many of them in their subsequent academic and professional careers.
In her time at Buffalo State, Patti has prepared or co-prepared eight education courses and five field experience or student teaching courses. The diversity and number of courses she has prepared or taught demonstrate her deep knowledge of the discipline. Moreover, her participation in a co-teaching pilot shows her willingness to explore new teaching techniques to best meet student needs. She also excels at developing and offering supplemental learning experiences for students. As a leader in the International Professional Development Schools program, she has led two student trips to Chile, delivering life-changing experiences for students.
Patti is involved in a variety of professional and scholarly activities. While at Buffalo State, she has published seven articles in peer-reviewed journals and served as a co-editor for a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal on evidence-based practices. She has also delivered 23 professional presentations at the international, national, state, or local level. She has skillfully linked her scholarship to her teaching activities, developing an expertise in co-teaching and implementing powerful international experiences for teacher candidates.
She is highly engaged at all levels of service, including chairing college committees, serving the community as an adviser for the pilot expansion of the New York State Master Teacher Program in the area of special education, and volunteering at the Explore & More Children’s Museum’s special program for children with autism and their families, “Au-Some Evenings.” Her passion, professionalism, and tireless devotion to students and colleagues make her an integral member of the department.
Lisa A. Rafferty, chair and associate professor of exceptional education, represents a model of teaching, presents a unity of teaching and scholarship, and clearly demonstrates a commitment to the mission of higher education for advancing the quality of life for children and families. The results of her dedication to teacher education are enjoyed by teacher candidates and her faculty colleagues in the School of Education and at P–12 schools served by partnerships with Buffalo State.
Rafferty has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses at Buffalo State offered in traditional, hybrid, and online formats. She has also taught doctoral level courses in the University at Buffalo/Buffalo State College Joint Special Education Doctoral Program. Students under her mentorship have published in peer-reviewed national journals and presented at the New York State Council for Exceptional Education conference.
She serves or has served as a contributing and highly regarded member of numerous committees within the department, School of Education, and college. Her service as the Best Buddies chapter co-adviser helped the chapter become a self-sufficient organization that was recognized as the Overall Outstanding College Chapter worldwide in 2012. At the state level, she served on the board of directors of the New York State Association for Childhood Education International and the New York State Council for Exceptional Children.
Rafferty is actively engaged in the facilitation and dissemination of scholarship. She has authored or co-authored more than 20 scholarly works. Her scholarship includes 12 peer-reviewed published articles (10 of which she is first or solo author), and 47 professional conference/workshop presentations. She served as co-editor for the journal, Exceptional Individuals, and currently serves as manuscript reviewer for multiple journals, and is an invited member of the editorial review board of the journal, Education and Treatment of Children. She has earned national recognition as a scholar and researcher.
Beverly MacKenzie, secretary 2 in the School of Education Dean’s Office, is widely recognized as one of the hardest working, most dedicated, and knowledgeable employees on the Buffalo State campus. She has the ability and motivation to manage the daily secretarial needs within a school that is, by itself, the size of a small college—and accomplishes her many responsibilities with unfailing kindness and a keen sense of humor.
MacKenzie manages all communications for the dean’s office, which requires that she exhibit an outstanding command of detail with a warm and efficient personal style. She is as adept at managing communications with the New York State Education Department, SUNY, and other SUNY deans’ offices as she is at handling disgruntled or confused students and faculty. Regardless of their stature or status, MacKenzie treats all people with respect and courtesy.
The work of the dean’s office ranges from budget management to international travel to daily requests for meetings. MacKenzie is able to successfully organize and manage these activities and more, even when time is tight, paperwork is complicated, or schedules are conflicting. Her natural ability to be flexible, listen carefully, and find and suggest solutions to challenges contributes to the smooth operation of the office.
While forms and procedures demand most of her time, she never forgets the human dimension of her work. She volunteers as a coordinator for the Employee Assistance Program, a New York State assessment and referral service to promote employee wellness. And MacKenzie is an ambassador for goodwill and professionalism with faculty, staff, donors, and the public school and community members for whom she is a primary contact.
David Henry, associate professor of elementary education and reading, has established a record of accomplishment that makes him one of the most valued faculty members at Buffalo State. A scientist and mathematician, he has a distinguished record of outstanding teaching and an innate drive and matchless ability to enrich the profession. He works tirelessly to improve the effectiveness of all teachers through professional development and study, to push teacher candidates to attain higher levels of performance through student-led research, and to seek excellence beyond the borders of Buffalo State.
Henry recently took on a voluntary leadership role in Governor Cuomo’s Master Teacher Initiative, a collaboration between the governor’s office and SUNY that seeks to reward excellent teachers of math and science in New York State by providing them with high-quality professional support. In addition, he has integrated the Regents Reform Agenda into educator preparation, guided professional development of science educators, provided service to Buffalo State’s Professional Development Schools initiative, contributed to the NSF-funded Constructing Physics Understanding Project, and served as co-leader of the Western New York Physics Teachers’ Alliance.
Henry’s commitment to teacher education has been unwavering. When a local school district asked for Buffalo State’s assistance in creating a STEM program, Henry helped design a program that met the needs of the district’s students and worked with teachers to ensure that the program met New York State learning standards. People continue to seek him out because he is widely trusted and deeply respected, and he will deliver on whatever task he is involved with.
Lisa Rafferty, associate professor of exceptional education, is a bright and effective teacher who has consistently maintained high professional and ethical standards. Her performance in teaching, research, writing, and assigned professional responsibilities has been exemplary.
Evidence of Rafferty’s excellence in teaching is comprehensive and compelling. Her student course evaluations, observations by peers and colleagues, and letters from students indicate that she is an excellent classroom teacher. Students recognize Rafferty as an expert in her field who can relate to their learning needs, stretch their capacities to learn, and treat them as valued pre-professionals. She routinely uses innovative, evidence-based practices in both traditional and online courses. Her effectiveness covers a wide variety of courses at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
In addition to imparting important lessons to students in the classroom, Rafferty is involved in a significant number of activities and membership on numerous committees that support student growth. Of particular note, she is chair of her department’s awards committee that assists students in developing their portfolios and recognizes their outstanding work; she is also the co-adviser of Buffalo State’s chapter of Best Buddies, which was named as the nonprofit organization’s Outstanding College Chapter of the Year in 2012.
After graduation, many of Rafferty’s former students maintain professional relationships with her as she continues to provide advice and guidance in their scholarly and service endeavors. These students often use information and instructional strategies learned in Rafferty’s classes as they teach their own classes. Not only have these students become lifelong learners, but Rafferty has also become their lifelong teacher.
Lynne Sommerstein, lecturer in the Exceptional Education Department, has advanced the ideal of diversity at Buffalo State by providing leadership for several important programs and activities. In doing so, she has enriched the lives of countless members of the college community and beyond.
In 2001, Sommerstein cofounded the College-Based Transition Program (CBTP), a Buffalo Public Schools program housed on the Buffalo State campus. The program offers college-age individuals with severe intellectual or developmental disabilities the opportunity to study alongside their same-age peers in a modified academic setting. To date, more than 80 Buffalo State professors have incorporated the program into their classes.
In support of the program, Sommerstein also founded the Buffalo State chapter of Best Buddies, a global nonprofit organization that creates one-to-one friendships, integrated employment opportunities, and leadership development for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The chapter pairs Buffalo State students with CBTP students and individuals from community organizations such as People Inc. In 2012, the Buffalo State chapter was named the Outstanding College Chapter of the Year at the 23rd annual Best Buddies International Leadership Conference.
In addition, during the past two years, Sommerstein has spearheaded the “Spread the Word to End the Word” program on campus. This international initiative was developed to end the use of the word “retarded” and to encourage more respectful and inclusive language. In championing these various programs, Sommerstein adds to the long and distinguished tradition of leadership by the Exceptional Education Department at Buffalo State.
Awilda Ramos Zagarrigo, assistant professor of exceptional education, has excelled at advising students since joining the Exceptional Education Department in 2008. Immediately upon her arrival at Buffalo State, she spent a great deal of time and effort learning about the advisement process. She attended advisement workshops each semester, shadowed her mentor during advisement sessions, and asked her mentor to observe and critique her during her first advisement sessions. Zagarrigo quickly learned the process, the requirements a student needs for graduation, and the department policies for advisement.
Because exceptional education majors become dually certified in special education and elementary education, advisement for these students is complex. Zagarrigo has thoroughly studied the requirements and is now the most trusted source of information, for both students and fellow advisers, about course scheduling in this program area. Her efforts have resulted in more timely graduation for students.
Zagarrigo is frequently in her office beyond normal office hours. She has an open-door policy and is always welcoming to students and colleagues. She meets with students when it is convenient for them, as early as 5:00 a.m. or as late as 9:00 p.m., as well as on weekends. She responds to students by e-mail and phone in a timely fashion and has even used Skype to contact advisees who are studying abroad. In addition, she works closely with the Career Development Center and the Disability Services Office to refer students for additional services.
Zagarrigo goes beyond what is expected when helping plan her advisees’ academic careers. She advises, counsels, and mentors each student with thoughtfulness and a caring attitude. She sees her role not only as an adviser but also as the person who is always available to support students in all ways during their time at Buffalo State. Students feel comfortable going to her for advice in many areas of their lives and for a shoulder to lean on during challenging times. In that way, she is also a mother figure to many students.
