Five UAlbany Faculty and Staff Members Named to 2026 SUNY Leadership Institutes
ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 9, 2026) — Five UAlbany faculty and staff members have been named to the SUNY 2026 Fellowship Class for SUNY Leadership Institutes, joining a cohort of 29 from across the SUNY system.
The Leadership Institutes are designed for faculty and administrative professionals who are on a leadership trajectory at their respective institutions and are committed to supporting the success of all students, including those who experience significant barriers to higher education. SUNY’s Leadership Institutes incorporate the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Leadership Institute, Black Leadership Institute, Disability Support Leadership Institute and Hispanic Leadership Institute.
UAlbany faculty and staff named 2026 fellows are:
- Joyce DeWitt-Parker, assistant vice president for health & well-being in the Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment
- Kelly Gorman, director of the Office of Health Promotion
- Alex Kumni-Yeboah, associate professor, Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
- Tomoko Udo, associate professor, Department of Health Policy, Management & Behavior and Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Integrated Health Sciences
- Vivian Wilson-Hwang, training director and licensed psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services
"We are incredibly proud of our UAlbany colleagues selected for the SUNY 2026 Leadership Institutes. Their commitment to inclusive excellence, student success and the public mission of higher education reflects the very best of our university," said Carol Kim, UAlbany's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Each of these fellows brings exceptional talent and a deep dedication to expanding opportunity for all students — especially those who have historically faced barriers to accessing and thriving in higher education. Their selection affirms the strength of UAlbany’s leadership community, and I am confident they will not only grow as leaders through this experience but will also elevate our campus and the broader SUNY system for years to come.”
Eligibility for SUNY Leadership Institutes is open to faculty and staff who have spent at least one year employed within the SUNY system and at least three years of higher education. Leadership institute fellow candidates are selected based on their proven leadership and administrative experience and evidence of their dedicated pursuit toward a higher education career in administrative and leadership roles within SUNY.
“Part of our mandate is to ensure that every student has the ability to grow, thrive, and unleash their full potential through the education and experience at the SUNY institution of their choice,” said SUNY Chancellor John King Jr. “Through the strong support of Gov. Kathy Hochul and state leaders, SUNY is able to uphold our core values and empower our emerging leaders to soar to new heights. I applaud these fellows for their dedication to uplifting every SUNY student, and I know that they will serve as an inspiration to students, faculty and staff alike.”
SUNY’s fellowship programs are designed to empower students and amplify the work of faculty and staff across its 64 campuses. Dedicated fellowships announced by Chancellor King over the past year include the Civil Discourse and Civic Education Fellowship, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DEISJ) Fellowship, the Accessibility Advocates and Allies Faculty Fellowship and the inaugural cohorts of the Sustainability Faculty Fellowship and the SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellowship.