Milestones

Major General Raymond F. Shields, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces recent awards and individual recognitions for members of the New York Guard state defense force for their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of New York State's military forces.

Staff Sgt. Phillip Gaudy, from Batavia, serving with the 10th Area Command, received the Operational Support Medal during recent unit training events.

The New York Guard is a force of 500 uniformed volunteers, organized as a military unit, who augment the New York National Guard during state emergencies.

They provide administrative and logistics support to the National Guard. Members of the New York Guard supported flood control efforts along the Lake Ontario shoreline this summer and have been part of the statewide COVID-19 pandemic response since March.

Unlike members of the New York National Guard, New York Guard members do not have a federal military role and do not deploy outside the state. New York Guard members usually train in a volunteer status and are only paid when they are placed on state duty during emergencies.

The New York Guard, which is one of 23 state defense forces around the country, is authorized to recruit just over 1,000 volunteers organized into units located across New York. Currently there are 500 New Nork Guard members.

About half of the New York Guard volunteers are former members of the active duty military or National Guard who bring a wealth of experience to the force while the other half have never served in the military. Previous military membership is not a requirement for New York Guard service.

People who have served in the military can serve in the New York Guard up until age 68. Those who have never served in the military must be between age 18 and age 55 to join.

The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state's executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York's Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.

Serena E. Strollo-DiCenso, a 2017 graduate of Batavia High School, daughter of Anita Strollo, of Batavia, and Joseph DiCenso, of Williamsville, was honored at a ceremony on April 27 at the University at Buffalo as the Outstanding Senior for the Romance Languages and Literatures Department at the University at Buffalo.

This award is given to one student in each of the 29 departments at the University. Strollo-DiCenso graduates magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences and Italian.

Strollo-DiCenso is a University Advanced Honors College Scholar, president and cofounder of the Italian Student Association and a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta Health Pre-Professional Honor Society.

She is a recipient of the President’s Circle Study Abroad Scholarship, the Linda Rock Scholarship and the George K. Fraley Scholarship, among others.

During the Spring 2020 semester, Strollo-DiCenso studied abroad in Florence, Italy. She also participated in research as an undergraduate scientist in Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

In the fall, Strollo-DiCenso will be pursuing a doctorate degree in medicine.

Press release:

Elmira College released its dean's list for Academic Achievement for the Winter 2021 Term. The dean's list recognizes full-time undergraduate students who were registered for at least 12 computable credit hours and who earned a term grade point average of 3.6 or higher.

Students recognized include:

• Lydia Milligan, of Pavilion
• Kyra Stella, of Batavia

Founded in 1855, Elmira College is a private, residential, liberal arts college offering 25-plus majors, an honors program, 17 academic societies, and 18 Division III varsity teams. Located in the Southern Finger Lakes Region of New York, Elmira's undergraduate and graduate student population hails from more than 20 states and nine countries.

Elmira is a Phi Beta Kappa College and has been ranked a top college, nationally, for student internships. The College is also home to the Center for Mark Twain Studies, one of four historically significant Twain heritage sites in the United States, which attracts Twain scholars and educators from around the world for research on the famous literary icon.

Proud of its history and tradition, the College is committed to the ideals of community service, and intellectual and individual growth.

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines:

• Molly Huber, of Batavia, at Rochester Institute of Technology
• Lauren Burke, of Bergen, at Rochester Institute of Technology

They are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter.

Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines.

Today, the Society has chapters on more than 325 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others."

More About Phi Kappa Phi

Since its founding, more than 1.5 million members have been initiated into Phi Kappa Phi. Some of the organization's notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley.

Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards more than $1 million to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, funding for post-baccalaureate development, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.

For more information about Phi Kappa Phi, visit www.phikappaphi.org.

Breton Stephens, of Alexander, has been named to the winter 2021 quarter dean's list at Palmer College of Chiropractic's Florida campus in Port Orange, Fla.

Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest college in the chiropractic profession, also has campuses in Davenport, Iowa, and San Jose, Calif.

SUNY Oswego recently recognized Genesee County residents as high academic achievers on its President’s List and dean's list for the fall 2020 semester.

President's List students are those attaining semester grade-point averages of 3.8 or higher while carrying required academic credits. Students on the President’s List include:

• Alexis N. Begin, Corfu, Communication

• Collin J. Knapp, Byron, Journalism, History

• Chase N. Monachino, Batavia, History

Deans' List students are those attaining semester grade-point averages between 3.3 and 3.79 while carrying required academic credits. Students on the Deans’ List include:

• Charles T. Burton, Batavia, Creative Writing 

• Kelsey Kasmarek, Stafford, Criminal Justice 

• Tyler Wakula, Batavia, Public Relations 

SUNY Oswego enrolls nearly 8,000 students in more than 110 academic majors across its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; School of Business; School of Communication, Media and the Arts; and School of Education. For more information, visit oswego.edu.

SUNY Morrisville recently announced that Emily R. Mikel, of Stafford, was named to the President's List for the Fall 2020 semester. Emily is majoring in Dairy Management -- BT.

To be named to the President's List, a student must achieve a perfect 4.0 average for the semester and complete 12 credit hours.

SUNY Morrisville's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.

The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2021 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2021 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about SUNY Morrisville, visit or connect with us at: www.morrisville.edu.

SUNY Morrisville recently announced those students who were named to the dean's list for the Fall 2020 semester. To be named to the dean's list, a student must achieve a 3.0 to 3.99 grade-point average for the semester and complete 12 credit hours.

Jason Doemling, of Le Roy, majoring in Automotive Management -- BBA

Braeden Zimmerman, of Bergen, majoring in Autobody Technology -- AAS

SUNY Morrisville's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.

The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2021 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2021 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about SUNY Morrisville, visit or connect with us at: www.morrisville.edu.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Kimberly Bank, of Darien Center, NY, announce the engagement of their daughter, Kylynn Bank to Lee Kerwin, son of Glenn and Marie Kerwin of Eden, NY.

The future bride is a 2011 graduate of Alexander Central High School and a 2017 graduate of D’Youville College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Analytics. She is employed as a Healthcare Informatics Analyst at HEALTHeLINK located in Depew, NY.

The future groom is a 2013 graduate of St. Francis High School and 2017 graduate of Alfred University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is employed as a Project Engineer at Edison Welding Institute located in Buffalo, NY.

A November 2021 wedding is planned. The couple will reside in the Western New York area.

The University of Hartford is pleased to announce Emily Chaback, of Bergen, has been named to its President's Honors List for Fall 2020.

The President's Honors List is made up of an extremely select group of students who earned a grade-point average of 3.75 or higher in the semester. This is the GPA that must be sustained over a full undergraduate career to qualify for a degree summa cum laude. 

Spread across seven dynamic schools and colleges, the University of Hartford has been guiding the purpose and passion of students for over six decades. On our 350-acre campus alongside Connecticut's capital city, approximately 5,000 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students from 48 states and countries come together for a common purpose: to collaborate across different disciplines, diversify perspectives, and broaden worldviews.

We're a four-year private university focused on advancing the public good through meaningful connections within our communities. Our unique approach to comprehensive education gives us the critical perspectives that lead to impactful change, regionally and beyond. With degree programs spanning the arts, humanities, business, engineering and technology, education, and health professions, we focus on doing the work that matters. Visit www.hartford.edu for more information.

More than 200 students transferred to SUNY Canton for the Spring 2021 semester.

The college's Director of Admissions Melissa J. Evans said, "We pride ourselves on our ability to provide the right programs and services for our transfer students."

In addition to traditional college freshmen and transfer populations, Evans said the college's current recruiting strategy includes reaching students who attended college but never completed a degree.

"We are able to walk people through the process of applying to college whether they've been away for a few months or 10 years," she said. "We can help evaluate transcripts before beginning the application process." 

Among the students who transferred are:

• Dawn Hunter, a SUNY Canton Legal Studies major from Batavia;
• Zechariah Gowanlock, a SUNY Canton Emergency Management major from East Bethany;
• Tonya Smith, a SUNY Canton Health Care Management major from Le Roy.

About SUNY Canton 

As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton Online offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 22 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.

Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces the recent promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership.

Clayton Sadler, from Byron, and assigned to the 222nd Military Police Company, received a promotion to the rank of specialist on Jan. 7.

Army National Guard promotions are based on overall performance, attitude, leadership ability, and development potential.

These promotions additionally recognize the best qualified Soldiers and attract and retain the highest caliber Citizen Soldiers for a career in the New York Army National Guard.

For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit www.dmna.ny.gov or www.1800goguard.com

The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state's executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York's Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.

The University of Hartford is pleased to announce Emily Chaback, of Bergen, has been named to its Dean's List for Fall 2020.

Spread across seven dynamic schools and colleges, the University of Hartford has been guiding the purpose and passion of students for over six decades. On our 350-acre campus alongside Connecticut's capital city, approximately 4,600 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students representing 49 states and 47 countries come together for a common purpose: to collaborate across different disciplines, diversify perspectives, and broaden worldviews.

We're a four-year private university focused on advancing the public good through meaningful connections within our communities. Our unique approach to comprehensive education gives us the critical perspectives that lead to impactful change, regionally and beyond. With degree programs spanning the arts, humanities, business, engineering and technology, education, and health professions, we focus on doing the work that matters. For more information, visit hartford.edu.

Ohio University College of Fine Arts student Taylor McKenzie, from Batavia, has been named to Ohio University's Fall 2020 dean's list.

More than 8,400 students qualified for the fall semester 2020 dean's list at Ohio University, including main and regional campuses.

More than 40 states were represented on the dean's list, including: Arizona, Connecticut, California, Florida, Illinois, Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio. Students also represented Ireland, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and many other countries.

Due to COVID-19, O-U students who earned 12 semester hours of credit, including at least six hours attempted for letter grades, with a minimum grade-point average of at least 3.5 achieved this distinction.

About Ohio University

Ohio University strives to be the best student-centered, transformative learning community in America, where students realize their promise, faculty advance knowledge, staff achieve excellence, and alumni become global leaders. O-U is committed to fostering, embracing, and celebrating diversity in all its forms.

Our Athens Campus offers students a residential learning experience in one of the nation's most picturesque academic settings. Additional campuses and centers serve students across the state, and online programs further advance the University's commitment to providing educational access and opportunity. Visit www.ohio.edu for more information.

The following local residents made the dean's list at Rochester Institute of Technology for the 2020 Fall Semester.

Undergraduate students are eligible for Dean's List if their GPA is greater than or equal to 3.40 for nine credit hours of traditionally graded coursework; they do not have any grades of "Incomplete," NE, D, or F; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.

Nicholas Kelly, of Byron, who is in the Software Engineering program.

Celia Mercovich, of Bergen, who is in the Physics program.

Erik Scharlau, of Alexander, who is in the Physician Assistant program.

Andrew Pickard, of Batavia, who is in the Software Engineering program.

Ava Vescovi, of Le Roy, who is in the Business Administration-Marketing program.

Bethany Zwolinski, of Corfu, who is in the Biomedical Sciences program.

Sophia Zwolinski, of Corfu, who is in the Mechanical Engineering program.

Tyler Henry, of Bergen, who is in the Illustration program.

Haley Scripp, of Le Roy, who is in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program.

Taylor Schofield, of Pavilion, who is in the biomedical engineering program.

Lauren Burke, of Bergen, who is in the applied mathematics program.

Amelia Pestillo, of Batavia, who is in the management information systems program.

Maddi Howard, of Elba, who is in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.

Cambria Kinkelaar, of Bergen, who is in the Mechanical Engineering program.

Alex Warren, of Corfu, who is in the Computer Science program.

Alex Rosse, of Byron, who is in the Computing Security program.

Grace Vogler, of Corfu, who is in the Business Administration-Management program.

Lily Mercovich, of Bergen, who is in the Film and Animation program.

Charlie Stevens, of Le Roy, who is in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program.

Melissa Mountain, of Batavia, who is in the Interior Design program.

David Lapierre, of Oakfield, who is in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program.

Rachel Schauf, of Batavia, who is in the Applied Arts and Sciences Program.

Brett Lubberts, of Linwood, who is in the Computer Science program.

Ella Frank-Doyle, of Batavia, who is in the Medical Illustration program.

Molly Huber, of Batavia, who is in the Robotics and Manufacturing Engineering Technology program.

Will Palmer, of Batavia, who is in the New Media Design program.

John Mercovich, of Bergen, who is in the Mechanical Engineering program.

Chase Roth, of Alexander, who is in the Mobile App Development program.

Charles Carroll, of Oakfield, who is in the Chemistry program.

Ethan Stone, of Batavia, who is in the Computer Engineering program.

Colin Hunt, of Batavia, who is in the Packaging Science program.

Matthew Pencille, of Le Roy, who is in the Biomedical Engineering program.

Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls about 18,600 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.

The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education programis one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.

Kolbee Koch, of Alexander, has been named to the Fall 2020 dean's list at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla.

To be included on the dean's list, a student must complete 12 or more graded credits in a semester with a semester grade-point average of at least 3.4.

Florida Tech was founded in 1958 at the dawn of the Space Race that would soon define the Atlantic coast of Florida and captivate the nation. Now the premier private technological university in the Southeast, Florida Tech is a Tier 1 Best National University in U.S. News & World Report and one of just nine schools in Florida lauded by the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

Florida Tech is ranked among the top 5 percent of 20,000 degree-granting institutions worldwide in the 2020-21 World University Rankings and has been named a Top College and Best Value University for 2019 by Forbes.

Florida Tech offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in aeronautics and aviation, engineering, computing and cybersecurity, business, science and mathematics, psychology, education and communication. Learn more about our relentless pursuit of greatness at www.fit.edu.