Plattsburgh students awarded fellowships for study in Canada

May 21, 2009

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (May 21, 2009) - Three SUNY Plattsburgh students have been awarded Killam Fellowships for the 2009-2010 academic year. Alison C. Lutz '10, Emily Rose O'Hara'10, and Daniel Patrick Kiniry'10 will receive the fellowship, which provides students with $5,000 for one semester and $10,000 for a full academic year of study at a Canadian university. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis, and selected students must posses at least a 3.5 grade point average.

According to the Killam Trust, "The students selected to participate in the program would be exceptional in every respect and are likely to be important and influential members of their professions and their communities."

Lutz, of Plattsburgh, N.Y., is a junior mathematics major with minors in French and English. She has been chosen to attend Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the fall 2009 semester. She is a Presidential Scholar, a member of the Honors Student Association, the music director of WQKE (the Quake), and the student-faculty liaison for the Math Club.

Lutz said that Dr. David Mowry, a SUNY distinguished teaching professor and the director of the Redcay Honors Center, and Dr. Ann Tracy, an adjunct professor in the same program, have been big influences on her education at SUNY Plattsburgh.

Lutz is currently writing a book under Tracy's guidance.

O'Hara, of Rouses Point, N.Y., is a junior international business and Canadian studies major with minors in French and international studies. She will be attending York University in Toronto, Ontario, for the spring 2010 semester.

She is a member of Phi Eta Sigma, the first-year honor society, and a Student Association senator. She helped start a SUNY Plattsburgh Model U.N. club and serves as the delegate development officer on the club's executive board. She is also an active member of TAWS and the International Business Club. In January 2010, she will be participating in a two-week field program in Nicaragua.

Kiniry, of Skaneateles, N.Y., is a junior psychology major with a strong interest in pre-medicine. He has been chosen to attend Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. He is a member of Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman honor society, and Psi Chi, the psychology honor society. He is also an active member on campus and has been involved in several clubs and organizations. In addition, Kiniry studied abroad for one year at the University of Central Lancashire in England.

Kiniry said he visited Queens University when he was in the eighth grade and always dreamed of studying there. Although that wasn't possible at the time he began college, Kiniry noted that the fellowship now provides a great opportunity for him to study there.

Upon completion of their courses, the Killam Fellows will also be required to submit a final report outlining what they learned while on their exchange and describing the academic and personal benefits they gained from the experience. They will also complete a questionnaire about the program.