Campus News

GSO Awards Honor Those Who Go the Extra Step

At left, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Christine Bouchard was honored by the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) with the Outstanding Student Service Award. She is shown with Interim Dean of Graduate Studies Marjorie Pryse, who helped present the awards.

by Greta Petry (June 1, 2005)

The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) has bestowed its first-ever Outstanding Student Service Award on Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Christine Bouchard.

"Chris has really contributed a lot towards promoting the interests of graduate students and working with GSO. She initiated the inclusion of graduate students in the President’s leadership awards, and also is helping in efforts to enhance the services available to the graduate students on campus," said Gurinder Singh, president of GSO.

Bouchard was among the faculty, staff, and students honored April 29 by the GSO at its first awards ceremony.

Singh said the awards ceremony was "an opportunity for us graduate students to recognize the efforts of faculty and staff who go that extra step for students. They adopt various roles, acting as friends, mentors, guides, and philosophers. These are individuals who, despite their work and personal commitments, take the time out to advise students and student groups, and to organize events that enhance the educational and social experience here at the University at Albany.

"The reputation of a university is built on two main blocks, the faculty and staff, and its students. The reputation of a research university is dependent on the quality of its faculty and graduate students."

Other faculty and staff winners were: Linda Krzykowksi, assistant dean in the School of Business; Michael Jaromin, director of Student Activities; Mark Muraven, assistant professor of psychology; Marcia Sutherland, associate professor of Africana Studies; Dawn Knight Thomas, assistant dean for student services in the School of Social Welfare; Timothy Hoff, associate professor of Health Policy, Management & Behavior in the School of Public Health; Maxine Peacock, secretary, Student Activities; Suzanne Traylor, lecturer and director of graduate accounting programs, School of Business; Rosemarie (Rosie) Renzi, secretary to the chair, Department of Educational Theory and Practice in the School of Education; Joan Newman, division director of Educational Psychology and Methodology in the School of Education; and Ronaline Saunders, secretary in the School of Social Welfare.

"These are individuals who are actively involved with graduate students in one form or another, whether it is supporting the department student group affiliated with GSO or just helping students in their day-to-day business. From organizing socials and pizza parties to workshops, colloquia, and seminars to just being there and listening to students, they go that extra step for students," said Singh.

The GSO also recognized students who excelled as student group leaders, graduate student representatives on the University Senate councils, or through individual initiatives.

Among the 25 student awards given out were: the Outstanding Leadership Awards given to two political science graduate students, Renee Gibson and Jason DiGianni; the Distinguished Service Awardgiven to Tisha Lewis; the Governance Leadership Awardwon by Sumedha Tagare; and the International Student Leadership Award shared by Ming Di of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association and Minjeong Kim of the Korean Graduate Students Association. Recognized graduate student groups, including the University at Albany Cricket Club, History Graduate Student Organization, and the Graduate Association of Political Scientists, also won awards.

Interim Dean of Graduate Studies Marjorie Pryse and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs John Murphy presented the awards, and Singh thanked them for helping to make the awards ceremony a success.