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Five SUNY Plattsburgh Students Receive Chancellor's Award


PLATTSBURGH, NY __ The Chancellor of the State University of New York has announced that four SUNY Plattsburgh seniors and one recent alumna have been selected to receive the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.

Chancellor John R. Ryan honored Felecia Edwards, Kimberly Davis Kleist, Allyson Lent, Jamie Prudhomme and Hira Shafqat along with 265 other students from 61 SUNY campuses at a special ceremony at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center on Monday, April 10, in Albany.

The awards are given out annually to students who earn a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.78 or higher and record a significant contribution to their campus or local community.

"On behalf of SUNY Plattsburgh, I want to say how proud we are of these students," said President John Ettling. "They have worked hard and have excelled both in and out of the classroom. They have done an outstanding job in representing our College for this prestigious award."

Felecia Edwards Edwards is a senior cellular biochemistry major and criminal justice minor from Troy, N.Y.  She has presented research findings at the National Association of Biology Teachers, was named the Omicron Delta Kappa Leader of the Year and has been on the Dean's List numerous semesters. She has served as a peer educator for the residence life staff, a resident assistant, a teaching assistant in the Genetics Lab and president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. She is the captain of the Plattsburgh State Women's Basketball Team.

"This is a great honor. It reflects not only my accomplishments but also is a reflection on the people who supported me: my family, friends and teachers who helped me  throughout my college career," said Edwards.

Kimberly Davis Kleist Davis Kleist is a senior philosophy and business marketing major and accounting minor from East Hampton, N.Y. She was selected for Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, is a student ambassador and a member of several honor societies including Phi Kappa Phi (national honor society) and Beta Gamma Sigma (AACSB national honor society).

"The award is in recognition of the work I've done academically and in supporting the campus community," said Davis Kleist. "I believe students who become involved get much more out of their college experience than those who just go to classes."

Allyson Lent Lent, a psychology, English literature and music major from Mattydale, N.Y., has served as a lab research assistant in the Neurobehavioral Science Lab, the Cognitive Psychology Lab and the Social Psychology Lab. She is the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Music honor and has volunteered with the American Red Cross. She is also a member of Psi Chi, (psychology honor society); Sigma Tau Delta, (English honor society); and Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership honor society).

"Plattsburgh gave me the best possible foundation. It will be sad to leave," said Lent. "There were so many opportunities for me here. When I talk to my friends at other schools, they just don't have the opportunities I've had."

Jamie Prudhomme Prudhomme, a biology major from Cohoes, N.Y., has excelled both as a student and as an athlete. She is a member of the Cardinal Softball Team and the recipient of the Richard Semmler Award, which is given to a male and female student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average. She is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Chi Alpha Sigma, (national college athlete honor society). Prudhomme has been actively involved in research regarding the Y chormosome with faculty mentor Dr. Nancy Elwess.

"This award reflects four years of hard and dedicated work, and it's an honor to receive it," said Prudhomme. "I'll miss softball and competitive athletics. I love it, and I'm just trying to relish every moment of my last season. I'll miss the hell out of my teammates. They are like family."

Hira Shafqat Shafqat, originally from Karachi, Pakistan, graduated in December 2005 with a degree in accounting and business. She was chosen the student speaker for the Commencement Ceremony. She was an outstanding student as well as a very active one on campus. Among her many activities, she was a resident assistant in Wilson Hall, a founding member of the International Student Service Committee and treasurer of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).

"When I first came to Plattsburgh, I wasn't that involved, but then as I made friends from different countries, they were really helpful in talking to me about joining different groups," she said last December. "I first became involved with SIFE as the vice president. From there, I became a resident assistant then started doing community service. I had excellent people to guide me."

The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence was created to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts or career achievement.

"Recipients of this year's awards have excelled academically and, in many cases, far exceeded even their own expectations in their pursuit of higher education and community involvement," said Chancellor Ryan. "The Chancellor's Award for Excellence is given to the best and the brightest students across the SUNY System. I am pleased to see so many recipients this year from nearly all of our campuses. I commend the campus presidents and their faculty and staff for discovering and enhancing student excellence throughout the year."
 
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