Release

UAlbany Alumni Association Honors Those Making a Difference

Contact: Lisa James Goldsberry (518) 437-4980

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 2, 2004) - The University at Albany will honor 14 individuals at the Alumni Association Awards gala on Friday, June 4, at 6 p.m. at the Desmond Hotel on Albany-Shaker Road. The cost of the event is $50 a person. A social hour begins at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner and awards presentation.

This year, the Citizen of the University Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the University by a non-alumnus or alumna will be given to Thomas E. D'Ambra, Albany Molecular Research Inc. CEO. D'Ambra, who with his wife Constance kicked off UAlbany's $500 million fund-raising effort with a $1 million gift, serves as chair of the University's Life Sciences Research Initiative Committee and is a member of the Campaign Development Committee.

The Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award recognizes the accomplishments of an individual who has contributed to the University, region, and economy by demonstrating the spirit and personal drive of the entrepreneur. The award also recognizes the recipient's contributions in the areas of business leadership, academic excellence, volunteerism and philanthropy. The recipient is Robert W. Lazar, M.S. '77, president of the New York Business Development Corporation.

Other awards to be given at the event:

The Distinguished Alumni Award for those who have displayed distinctive achievements in their profession or field and/or outstanding service to society or their community, will be given to:

• Frances E. Allen, '54, an IBM Fellow Emerita at the T.J. Watson Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
• James J. Fyfe, M.A. '72, Ph.D. '78, New York City Police Department's Deputy Commissioner for Training.
• Denise D. Knight, M.A. '83, D.A. '86, assistant chair of the English Department at SUNY Cortland.
• Madhav V. Marathe, Ph.D. '94, team leader in the Basic and Applied Simulation Science group in the Computer and Computational Sciences Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
• Seung Park, M.A. '73, Ph.D. '74, head of the Bank of Korea and former associate professor and dean of the Graduate School at Chung-Ang University.

The Excellence in Alumni Service Award, an honor which recognizes sustained leadership and service to the Alumni Association and/or the University, will be awarded to:

• Helen Brucker Martin, '44, retired teacher and elementary school principal.
• Joan D. Rosenthal, '76, formerly with JPMorgan Chase.
• Patricia E. Salkin, '85, associate dean, professor of law and director of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.

The Excellence in Education Award pays tribute to alumni for extraordinary distinction in the field of education, including pre-K through post-secondary classroom teaching, school services and administration/supervision, and will be given to:

• Leila V. Moore, Ed.D. '75, who runs a consulting practice with two colleagues.
• Harris Pastides, '74, dean of the Arnold School of Public Health and interim vice president for research for the University of South Carolina.
• Paul Zachos, M.S. '74, Ph.D. '91, director of the Atlantic Canada Association of Science Educators, an association of scientists and educators who work to improve teaching and learning.

The Bertha E. Brimmer Award, which celebrates excellence in secondary-school teaching, will be awarded to Noreen C. Benton, Ph.D. '91, an active adjunct in UAlbany's Department of Educational Theory and Practice.