Business

SUNY Morrisville is hosting a Renewable Energy Spring Institute on Friday, March 14, for current high school and BOCES students, educators, guidance counselors and college transfers, to learn more about renewable energy. The free event, from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the college’s Agricultural & Clean Energy Technology Center (ACET), features demonstrations in the center’s six state-of-the-art renewable energy labs.

On any given day, SUNY Morrisville professor Brendan Kelly and his environmental students can be seen trekking to the college’s forests or in other areas of the community to conduct field work. Donned in hard hats, sturdy boots and neon attire, they brave most any elements for the hands-on experience his labs are known for. Esteemed by his students for his approach to teaching, his efforts go far beyond the classroom and labs.

When sisters Haley and Hannah Gill first arrived on the SUNY Morrisville campus, they were among many students to join the college’s Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) programs.   “There were a lot of activities that helped us adjust to college life,” said Hannah, an equine science student in the ACE program. “They keep us on track with our grades and make sure our classes are going well.” Haley, an individual studies student in the ASAP program, agrees.

Interested in making a game and being part of a global experiment in creativity? SUNY Morrisville is once again serving as a host site for Global Game Jam® (GGJ), the world’s largest game jam event, taking place Friday, Jan. 24-Sunday, Jan. 26. During the worldwide event, participants are given a central theme and just 48 hours to create a video or board/card game.

Six SUNY Morrisville students were part of this year’s National Wildlife Society’s Annual Conference, one of the largest gatherings of wildlife professionals and supporters in North America. The conference, held this year in Baltimore, Maryland, spotlights the latest advancements in wildlife management and research while providing opportunities for networking and career advancement. Engaging speakers and immersive workshops were part of the agenda.

In all of his time as an automotive professor in SUNY Morrisville’s automotive technology Ford ASSET program, professor Dan Akers saw his largest freshmen class this year.   Known for intensive labs, top-notch facilities and capstone internships, it’s one of the reasons why the two-year program is a popular choice for automotive students who want to lock in a career even before they graduate.

Tis the season of giving and SUNY Morrisville and the Morrisville-Eaton Central School (MECS) District are teaming up to provide families in need with food for the Thanksgiving holiday.   Seventeen families, chosen by the MECS School District, will benefit from the effort, started by MECS social studies teacher Meaghan Palmer and coworkers 15 years ago to address food insecurities in the district. The generosity multiplied when the two schools joined forces.  

The SUNY Morrisville campus came together to celebrate World Sustainability Day on Wednesday, Oct. 30, with presentations and demonstrations, which included turning sunflowers into oil for biodiesel, installing owl boxes along a nature trail and prepping a wildflower pollination meadow. Sustainability Day raises awareness of the importance of sustainable living and promotes environmental stewardship. It’s a common theme on the SUNY Morrisville campus, where faculty, staff and students are leading the charge, investing in various sustainability efforts.

SUNY Morrisville horticulture students joined thousands across the globe, participating in The Society of American Florists (SAF) annual goodwill initiative, Petal it Forward. They handed out flowers and bouquets to unsuspecting community members and passersby, encouraging recipients to keep one and share the other with someone else. The students, in Nicole Johnson’s ’20 floral design course, prepared more than 60 colorful arrays, some which included stunning dahlias grown in a dedicated greenhouse at the college’s Four Seasons Organic Farm.

Having a support system, a mentor, career development, extra money for books and gas to travel home on the weekends — it’s all making a difference for SUNY Morrisville ASAP|ACE students like Malcom Hernandez, Juliana Kucera, Abigail Gracey and Julian Wilcox, so they can focus more on their academic careers.