Immerse yourself in a campus culture that's as eclectic as you are.
Road Warrior
As wild animals travel from Canada’s Algonquin Park to the Adirondacks, their lives are in jeopardy at every intersecting road. That’s where Emily Yousey ’25 steps in. This summer she has been working on a road ecology research project to identify the locations where animals are losing their lives to passing cars. The study will inform decisions about where to create wildlife crossings, and lead to the creation of overpasses or underpasses to provide safe passage for the animals in the future.
Just days after receiving her degree, Sydney O’Melia ’24 launched her career as an archaeologist. Hired to work for Fort Drum’s Cultural Resources Program, she has been conducting research at the military base—helping to identify and protect Native American artifacts found at Fort Drum, and as needed, safeguarding parcels of land from future development.
This summer, six SUNY Potsdam students have completed hands-on internships around New York State focused on examining the local history of the Revolutionary War. Part of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Semiquincentennial Summer Fellowship Program, the students have been diving into the local history archives and helping historians plan for upcoming celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
Last month, Dr. Hadley Kruczek-Aaron and her students spent four weeks excavating artifacts from Heaven Hill Farm, a historic farmstead in the heart of the Adirondacks. The immersive hands-on experience allowed students like Sebastian Herrera ’25 and Leia’lani Dibble ’26 to use trowels and other tools to uncover food remains, shells, bone, ceramics, and glass, and reveal signs of everyday life on the farm over the past 200 years.
As the first graduate of SUNY Potsdam's dual degree program with the Kyiv National Economics University, Stephanie Bulakh '24 brought big dreams with her, as she seeks to use her degree to help build a brighter future for her war-torn country.
After being diagnosed with Leukemia, José Abel Santiago ’24 has grappled with both physical and emotional side effects, while using his artwork to reflect on his illness. This spring, doctors told him that his cancer is in remission, and he’s now looking ahead to a bright future with his undergraduate degree in hand.
Jada West ’24 is working with a team of SUNY Potsdam researchers and students to unlock the secrets of pervasive and spreading tick-borne diseases with a goal of providing better information for the public.
In just three years, Jessica Evans ’24 completed her degree in business administration, while landing on the President’s List every semester. She’s now launching a career as a real estate agent and freelance photographer, two professions she said will afford her the perfect work-life balance.
This spring, 11 students joined Dr. Page Quinton, Dr. Mike Rygel and Dr. Christian Schrader on an amazing journey to explore significant geological sites of west Texas and southwestern New Mexico. They plied acres of ground in search of clues and fossilized life forms, climbed 2,000 feet in elevation and hiked 10 miles roundtrip along the way—bringing to life topics discussed in their classes back home.
Weaving together academic research and applied learning experiences, Emily Bailey ’24 and Annabelle Kahle ’26 have been immersing themselves in unique hands-on research projects through the Presidential Scholars Program—examining the history of homespun garment manufacturing and using historical tools to create costumes that their ancestors would have worn.
No stranger to challenges, Theresa Adams ’24 draws from a deep well of lived experience to help remote First Nations people get the health care they need.
Building on teaching experiences in her father’s kindergarten classroom throughout her youth, Hannah McArthur ’25 is now pursuing a degree in early childhood/childhood education, and gaining valuable real-world experience through numerous elementary school classroom placements around New York state.
Liza Paige ’12, a Potsdam native and adjunct instructor of art at SUNY Potsdam, is hard at work on her next project—an interactive optical illusion drawn entirely in outlines, with props chosen to help replicate the feeling of a college dormitory dwelling. The “2D Dorm Room” is an immersive art experience that will be revealed in the Lougheed Learning Commons in time for the 2024 LoKo Arts Festival starting May 1.
A standout hockey player in her youth, Olivia Cook ’24 went on to achieve great success as a Division I athlete and make a significant impact in both her Mohawk community of Akwesasne and in remote First Nation communities throughout Canada. Now, she’s a leader at SUNY Potsdam as head coach of the women’s hockey team where she mentors student-athletes, while simultaneously completing her degree in public health.
For Hannah Richardson ’24 entrepreneurship has always run in the family. Now a senior in the business administration program, she’s looking ahead to a career at her parents’ company, H. Richardson & Sons and HRS Forestry. After she receives her degree, she will not only be managing the books for her parents’ company, but also pursuing her MBA this fall.
Dr. Tim Messner talks about the value of the HEARTH (Hand-crafted, Experiential, Archaeological Research and Teaching Hub), a brand-new applied learning center at SUNY Potsdam.
In a world with rising education costs, Dr. Michael Rygel and Dr. Page Quinton are at the forefront of reducing financial burdens, while also elevating the academic experience for their students. They recently completed an OER textbook on sedimentary geology, full of photos and illustrations from their research with SUNY Potsdam students and alumni, which is now part of the curriculum in Rygel’s 300-level course.
