Academics

Alumni and students play a role in harnessing community solar energy In Tompkins County, 6,804 solar panels sit on a 13-acre plot of farmland in the town of Endfield. The 2.3-megawatt solar array helps power 373 households, reducing greenhouse gases by 1,430 metric tons annually, the equivalent of removing 306 cars from the road. The project came to life with the help of a group of graduates from SUNY Morrisville, who are leading the way in creating a community solar empire in Upstate New York.

Monday morning, the second week of classes, and in the Western barn, the nicker of horses and warmth of well-used leather replaces the starch of lectures and laptops. A palomino named Trigger hangs his head over the stall door and poses for a selfie with a freshman whose experience with horses has been pretty much confined to cell phones. Down the aisle, another newly minted rider is trying to wrap the legs of a fidgety paint. A third is discovering that horses manage to get all sorts of interesting items caught in their tail.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. —SUNY Morrisville criminal justice student Kalif Amritt, of Queens, is among the recipients of SUNY’s inaugural Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. The award, which recognizes outstanding Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students for their academic achievements, celebrates students who have overcome significant obstacles in life to achieve their educational and personal goals. The award is named after the late Norman McConney Jr., one of the architects of the statewide EOP and champion of youth empowerment.

NORWICH, N.Y. — Despite a rare degenerative disease that has forced her to change the course of her life, Marsha Friedel is still all heart. And she is putting it to good use.   The New Berlin resident and human services student at the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus is going to college at age 52, blazing a trail of giving along the way.   Friedel’s spirit and commitment are among the reasons she earned the State University of New York Association of Council Members and College Trustees Award for Excellence in Student Initiative Scholarship. 

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — Learn about important issues, trends and career opportunities in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, architecture, tourism, hospitality and culinary, and network with leading professionals at SUNY Morrisville’s School of Agriculture, Business & Technology conference, Advancing Knowledge and Opportunities in Agriculture, Business and Technology Through Community Engagement, Education and Networking, on Saturday, Oct. 19. 

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville’s 37th annual Autumn Review Sale, “Magic of Morrisville,” is Saturday, Oct. 12.  The sale, run by the SUNY Morrisville Dairy Club, starts at 11 a.m. at the college’s Arnold Fisher Dairy Complex off of Eaton Street.  The sale features 111 lots up for consignment, including many embryo lots. View the sale catalog and bid at the cowbuyer.com auction website.  The event also features a silent auction, which includes semen packages, cow-themed items, feed, services and products. 

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville celebrates agriculture during its annual Ag Day, Thursday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Dairy Complex.  The event, free and open to the public, features hayrides, ice cream, an exhibition by the college’s Woods Sports Team, a corn activity, aquaculture display, horses and a visit from the Madison County Dairy Princess.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville invites growers and agribusiness professionals to a 4R Technical Field Day on the college campus on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The event will showcase the 4R (right source, right rate, right time, right place) program, and will include   soil sampling, drone imaging and cover crop field demonstrations at the college’s Arnold R. Fisher Dairy Complex.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — The last time Jeff Cantine was on the SUNY Morrisville campus 42 years ago, he was participating in a Boys State government leadership conference. This time, he was there to buy a horse. Jeff and his wife, Jackie Cantine, were working with trainer Mickey McGivern, giving him their opinions on several horses he had his eye on during SUNY Morrisville’s Annual Yearling Sale. 

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — Learn about the future of renewable energy during a clean energy and climate initiatives showcase, Navigating Policy and Future Opportunity, at SUNY Morrisville Thursday, Sept. 26, from 1-4 p.m. in the John W. Stewart Center for Student Activities (STUAC). The event brings industry leaders and policy makers together to discuss clean energy opportunities and recent climate change initiatives in New York State, and clean energy workforce trainings.