Celebrating Students and Service

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center will hold its annual Celebration of Service awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 7, at 12:15 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210.

Stephanie Zuckerman-Aviles, director of the Career Development Center where the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center is housed, will moderate the event. Hal Payne, vice president of student affairs, will welcome guests and the keynote speaker, Dove Russo, regional recruiter for the Peace Corps and current student in the master of public administration program.

“Celebration gives us the opportunity to recognize the dedication of so many Buffalo State students,” said Zuckerman-Aviles. “We are very pleased that so many faculty members have developed service-learning classes, and we are grateful to the community partners who enable us to provide such a valuable experiential learning opportunity to our students.”

The following student-awards will be given:

• Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award for Community Service in a Service-Learning Course (15 hours or more of community service): Megan Jones
   
• Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Community Service in a Service-Learning Course (15 hours or more of community service): Paige Decosse
   
• Outstanding Service-Learning and Academic Learning Connection Award: Katherine Somerville
   
• Outstanding Student Volunteer Award: Tina Rinaldi
   
• Outstanding Community Work-Study Student Award: Paul Gabriellini
   
• Outstanding AmeriCorps Peer Leader Award: Jasmine Milton

The following awards will recognize outstanding service-learning courses, the students enrolled in them, and the faculty:

• Outstanding Service-Learning Course Award (14 hours or less of community service required): Robin Harris, associate professor of earth sciences and science education, and students enrolled in SCI 445/545 Literacy for Teaching Science
  
  

  Harris will also receive the Outstanding Faculty Commitment to Service-Learning Award.

• Outstanding Service-Learning Course Award (15 hours or more of community service required): Jill Gradwell, associate professor of history and social studies education, and students enrolled in MST/SSE 632 Teaching with Historic Places

The Buffalo State Rotaract Club (student rotary club), whose faculty adviser is Carol DeNysschen, associate professor of dietetics and nutrition, will receive the Outstanding Community Service by a Student Organization Award. The American Red Cross will receive the Outstanding Service-Learning Community Partner Award.

In addition, the students who took part in the alternative winter break and/or the alternative spring break will be recognized, as will students who completed at least 120 hours of service work.

More than 85 service-learning courses were offered in 2012–2013. Buffalo State has more than 200 community partners who benefit from, and contribute to, students’ educational experience.