Commencement Profile: Carly N. Pershyn

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

Carly Pershyn has earned bachelor of arts degrees in psychology and arts and letters, attaining a 3.77 GPA while completing an honors thesis based on research funded by the Undergraduate Research Office’s Small Grants Program.

She will receive the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence at Buffalo State’s 145th Commencement afternoon ceremony, Saturday, May 13, at 1:00 p.m. in the Sports Arena. 

Pershyn is an outstanding and accomplished student, tutor, mentor, and activist. She is bright, motivated, and energetic and has earned the respect of peers and faculty alike. With the ability to think critically and formulate ideas at levels that exceed most undergraduates, she is well prepared for graduate studies.

For her honors thesis on perceptions of sexual intimacy, she worked to learn new statistical techniques and wrote multiple drafts of the final project, which she submitted for presentation at the Association for Psychological Science’s annual convention. In addition to her research experience, she has sought applied experience in the field. She completed an internship in an advocacy and education program at Planned Parenthood and then founded a local chapter of Generation Action, a student group affiliated with Planned Parenthood.

A student who does not shy away from difficult courses, she instead chooses those that challenge and lead to the greatest outcome in terms of knowledge gained. She has shared her knowledge on numerous occasions as a panelist, commentator, and presenter at campus events such as the Student Research and Creativity Conference, the Philosophy Department’s Spring Colloquia, and Ethics Bowl meetings. She was named Outstanding Philosophy Student in 2016–2017.

Pershyn has provided exemplary work as a supplemental instruction leader, teaching assistant, and peer tutor in philosophy and academic mentor in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). She is an officer in Buffalo State’s chapters of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, and Phi Sigma Tau, the philosophy honor society, as well as Ethics Bowl, a competitive tournament in ethical reasoning for undergraduates. A member of the Women in Philosophy club and the Psychology Club, Pershyn also serves the college community as a student assistant for the University Police Department.