2005 Alumni Reception and Awards Ceremony
Six distinguished alumni and faculty received awards from The Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the 21st annual Alumni Reception and Awards Ceremony, which was held on November 28 th, at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Dean Frank Thompsonhosted nearly 100 guests, among which were the honorees and their families, alumni, and faculty. The College gave awards to John G. Gunnell, Bruce M. Plaxen, Denise M. Sheehan, Peter J. Casale, Soonhee Kim, and Frank J. Thompson.
Recipients were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Distinguished Alumnus Award in Political Science, Distinguished Alumna Award in Public Administration and Policy, Young Alumni Award, Distinguished Extended Learning Leadership Award of Excellence, and the Distinguished Service Award.
The Honorable Theresa L. Egan, supervisor for the Town of Bethlehem, gave the keynote speech on “good government”. From her Bethlehem experience, she discussed resident involvement, trying to keep politics out of government, and long-term planning. Egan, who recently was reelected to a second term, is the Town of Bethlehem’s first Democratic supervisor in more than 100 years.
The College honored Professor John G. Gunnell with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to teaching for more than 40 years. Professor Gunnell holds the position of Distinguished Professor, the highest faculty rank in the State University of New York System, which recognizes him as outstanding in all areas of scholarship, teaching, and research.
Bruce M. Plaxen received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in Political Science for his professional and civic achievements. He was active in the establishment of “Trial Lawyers Care”, which is the pro bono project that provided free legal services to over 1,700 victim families during the aftermath of 9/11. Bruce also recruited attorneys throughout Maryland to participate in Trial Lawyers Care and undertook the representation of several 9/11 families on his own.
The Distinguished Alumna Award in Public Administration was given to Denise M. Sheehan, who has been nominated by Governor George Pataki to be the Commissioner of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. In her previous posts at DEC, Denise was instrumental in helping to develop and achieve many of the State's most important environmental initiatives.
Peter J. Casale received the Distinguished Extended Learning Leadership Award of Excellence. He has been involved in training and organizational development in New York State government for over 25 years, and is currently the Director of Training and Organizational Development at the DEC. Peter Casale is one of the original architects of the joint labor/management New York Public Service Training Program, which after 20 years continues to flourish today as a model of public service training.
Soonhee Kim, who received her Ph.D. from Rockefeller College in 1998, received the Young Alumna Award for her dedication to teaching and research, and achievements as an Assistant Professor at Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. She is a highly productive scholar who is being recognized for leading-edge work in information technology, employee retention, on-line recruitment in state and local governments, employee knowledge sharing capabilities, and leadership in electronic government development.
Dean Frank J. Thompson was honored with the Distinguished Service Award. Frank has instituted partnerships with state and national political leaders and groups to advance programs such as internships in the New York State Legislature and the Washington , D.C. political arena, a graduate certificate in Public Security, and a specialty in financial market regulation. Frank was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in recognition of his scholarship and leadership. While Dean, Frank has raised the levels of teaching, research, service, and development, in turn advancing the College’s visibility and national reputation. Under his leadership, Rockefeller College has been ranked in the top 10 of more than 250 public affairs graduate programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
