(SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York – June 21, 2019) Members of SUNY Empire State College’s faculty, professional and support staff have been recognized with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence.

They are:

• Adam Cross, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.
• Kara Loy, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in the Classified Service.
• Patricia Isaac, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.

“Adam, Kara and Pat reflect the best qualities of the college’s employees and are most deserving of prestigious, systemwide recognition as recipients of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence,” said Officer in Charge Mitchell S. Nesler. “Having chancellor’s award winners from these three sectors demonstrates the strength of college’s employees. Congratulations to Adam, Kara and Pat, you set an example for us to follow, burnish the college’s reputation and, most importantly, have a positive impact, directly and indirectly, on teaching, learning and degree completion for our students.”

About Adam Cross, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service

This award provides SUNY-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and encourages the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

Adam Cross, assistant director of cloud computing, serves as a computer systems administrator/lead programmer and analyst in the college’s Information Technology Services Division.

At the college in various positions of increasing responsibility since 2010, Cross demonstrates the highest degree of competency and efficiency, a collaborative spirit, strong work ethic and willingness to share his knowledge and expertise.

Additionally, he was cited by nominators and peers for “superb leadership skills and project management,” successful conflict resolution and his ability to work closely with vendors to reduce costs on college contracts.

Cross’ expertise, reflected in certifications in ITIL Foundations, Lotus Domino Systems, CompTIA Linux+ and CompTIA A+ Systems, as well as specialized training in Splunk Administration, Marakana Apache Tomcat, Apache Web and CompTIA security, is sought after by colleagues in and out of IT.

His work with student-facing departments on multiple projects includes designing recruitment office call flows and call center redesigns, positively impacting both students and internal clients.

Colleagues remark he uses “creative approaches to solve complex IT problems and always asks, ‘What are we trying to accomplish?’, keeping the focus solution-oriented.”

Cross represented the college as a speaker at the SUNY Technology Conference, chaired/co-chaired several search committees at the college and participates in site visits to SUNY campuses to better collaborate, learn and share best IT practices throughout the 64-campus system.

He was presented with the chancellor’s award by Officer in Charge Mitchell S. Nesler during the college’s commencement event at Albany, Sunday, June 2.

About Kara Loy, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in the Classified Service

This system-level award was established to give recognition for superior performance and extraordinary achievement by employees in classified service.

Kara Loy, a secretary II with the Office of Enrollment Management (OEM), is characterized by her supervisor as an employee who always goes “above and beyond” and always with a positive attitude.

Loy has been at the college since May 2005 and has broad and deep knowledge of policies and procedures, budget, regulations, staff functions, labor-management relations and department and college data and operations.

She has been exemplary in prioritizing and executing her responsibilities, training others during college and department transitions and demonstrates loyal support for her team, as well as commitment to the mission of the college.

Her informed insights are valuable to Vice President Clayton Steen and the OEM team and she can be relied upon to assist in organizing information to meet both detailed and large-picture demands – from identifying significant efficiencies to setting up retreats.

She is known to be both flexible and creative in her approach, making her an excellent steward of resources and a mainstay in the productive OEM environment.

Loy was presented with the chancellor’s award by Officer in Charge Mitchell S. Nesler during the college’s commencement event at Albany, Sunday, June 2.

About Patricia Isaac, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service

This award recognizes the consistently superior service contributions of teaching faculty over multiple years in a variety of venues.

Associate Professor Isaac coordinates the Master of Teaching and Master of Education in Adolescent Special Education Teacher Certification program, in the college’s School for Graduate Studies.

At the college since 2007, Isaac is a skilled and dedicated mentor to students and faculty and a productive scholar, exceeding expectations in every arena.

Known by her peers for her commitment to serving her division, school, college and academic discipline, she brings her scholarship, knowledge and experience to her community through work with Van Duyn Elementary School, in the Syracuse City School District.

In turn, she brings the knowledge gained from working with Van Duyn’s primary school teachers back to her colleagues and students.

Isaac volunteered to spearhead major academic initiatives, such as the development and successful launch of the college’s innovative M.A.T. and M.Ed. in Adolescent Special Education programs. She also is coordinating the college’s teacher education program’s current Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation accreditation self-study.

Her work within her community includes a variety of boards and committees, such as the American Psychological Association Committee on Children, Youth, and Families Workgroup, which developed a guide for practitioners addressing the mental health needs of racial and ethnic minority youth.

She also has served on various SUNY and NYSED advisory groups, including those working on revising New York State Teacher Certification exams.

In addition to working with Van Duyn’s teachers, Isaac has been generous with her time and expertise, in the Syracuse City School District, addressing the needs of at-risk students, including providing ongoing professional development to the school’s faculty and staff. Her most impactful contribution has been introducing the faculty and staff to the Trauma Sensitive Schools model, which enables them to better support the many students who have experienced trauma in their home or community.

Isaac initiated this relationship on her own, without institutional support or compensation, out of concern for children most in need.

She was presented with her award by Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Nikki Shrimpton at the college’s June 13 commencement event at Syracuse.

About the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence programs underscore SUNY’s commitment to sustaining intellectual vibrancy, advancing the boundaries of knowledge, providing the highest quality of instruction and serving the public good.

In addition to a certificate of recognition, recipients are presented with a Chancellor’s Medallion, which may be worn with regalia during academic events, such as convocations and commencements.

Through the awards, SUNY publicly proclaims its pride in the accomplishments and personal dedication of its instructional faculty, librarians and professional staff across its campuses.

These awards are presented annually to faculty and staff in seven categories: Faculty Service, Librarianship, Professional Service, Scholarship and Creative Activities, Professional Service, Adjunct in Professional Service and the Classified Service.

About SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College educates more than 17,000 students in person, online and through a blend of both, at more than 30 locations in New York and at eight international sites worldwide. Together with one of SUNY Empire’s more than 1,300 faculty mentors, each student designs his or her own individualized pathway to a college degree that accommodates his or her schedule and awards credit for prior college-level learning. SUNY Empire awards more than 3,000 degrees annually and 94 percent of graduates stay in New York state. Today, more than 84,000 SUNY Empire alumni are entrepreneurs, veterans and active members of the military, professional athletes, teachers, medical professionals and leaders in their field, as well as in their communities. To learn more, visit www.esc.edu and follow the college on social media @SUNYEmpire.