(SYRACUSE, N.Y. – April 12, 2013) SUNY Empire State College has announced that faculty Mentor Yvonne Murphy, of Cazenovia, has been chosen to receive the Imperatore Community Forum Fellowship for 2013-14.

“Yvonne Murphy’s work helping adults in the community to strengthen their reading and writing skills exemplifies what Empire State College’s outstanding faculty are all about,” said Deborah P. Amory, acting provost of the college. “My congratulations go to Yvonne on this well-deserved award.”

Murphy’s project will focus on the creation of curricula, funding, staffing and marketing of adult-literacy and workforce-literacy creative writing workshops in Onondaga County. The specific goal will be to design and implement two new workshops for the Syracuse YMCA Downtown Writers Center, one for low-literacy/English as a second language (ESL) adults and the other for working adults. In the short term, the project will culminate in an anthologized publication of student work, a community celebration and workshop participants’ readings hosted by Empire State College and the Downtown Writers Center.

“Most of our past programming at the YMCA’s Downtown Writers Center has been related to creative writing, so the literacy program that Yvonne is creating is an exciting new development for us,” said Phil Memmer, executive director of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse. “We’re delighted that she’s received the fellowship, and know that her project will have an impact on the adults who participate.”

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to develop creative writing workshops as a vehicle for promoting literacy skills for adults at the Downtown YMCA Writers Center,” said Murphy. “This support from Empire State College and the Imperatore Award will enable the creation of important and sustainable community education in the greater Syracuse Area.”

In the longer term, the project is envisioned as the start-up of a series of writing studies that will contribute to a movement towards community investment/economic development through adult-literacy education in the Syracuse area.

“Dr. Murphy has devoted much time and energy to developing strong connections in the Central New York community,” said Nikki Shrimpton, dean of the college’s Central New York Center. “I am thrilled that she is being recognized for her efforts and is getting the opportunity to develop such a worthwhile project aimed at a historically underserved population.”

About Yvonne Murphy

Murphy is a widely published poet and scholar in the areas of creative writing, interdisciplinary studies, visual arts and visual culture, literary theory, culture of the book, literature, popular culture and creativity studies.

She has a Ph.D. in creative writing and literature, an M.A. in American literature and a B.A. in English literature: creative writing.

She also has worked as an editor, publications writer, journalist, library clerk, storyteller, researcher and writer and artist-in residence in public schools, community organizations, hospitals and art museums.

At the college, she mentors in the arts area of study. She offers individualized studies to undergraduate and graduate students both face-to-face and at a distance.

Her first book of poetry, “Aviaries,” was published in February 2011 by Carolina Wren Press in Durham, N.C.

About The Arthur Imperatore Community Forum Fellowship
The Arthur Imperatore Community Forum Fellowship is an endowed fellowship through the Empire State College Foundation. Inaugurated more than 20 years ago, the fellowship supports a major community-related research or artistic activity that culminates in a community forum, as well as other opportunities for public and professional engagement.

About SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College was established in 1971 to offer adult learners the opportunity to earn associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the State University of New York.

In addition to awarding credit for prior college-level learning, the college pairs each student with a faculty mentor who supports that student throughout his or her college career. Students engage in guided independent study and course work onsite, online or a combination of both, which provides the flexibility for students to learn at the time, place and pace they choose.

The college serves more than 20,000 students worldwide at more than 35 locations in New York state and online. Its 66,000 alumni are active in their communities as entrepreneurs, politicians, business professionals, artists, nonprofit agency employees, teachers, veterans and active military, union members and more. More information about the college is available here .

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Media contact: David Henahan, director of communications

518-587-2100, ext. 2918

David.Henahan@esc.edu

518-321-7038 (after 5 p.m. and weekends)