Commencement Profile: Leanna M. Kalinowski

Leanna Kalinowski has earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, attaining a 3.8 GPA while participating in the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program and its summer research program.

Kalinowski will receive the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence during the 10:00 a.m. baccalaureate ceremony at Buffalo State’s 144th Commencement, Saturday, May 14, in the Sports Arena.

During her time at Buffalo State, Kalinowski has distinguished herself with intelligence, motivation, and commitment to academic excellence, as well as consistent, high-quality contributions to the college and greater community. She has amassed a remarkable record of achievement inside and outside the classroom.

Based on six weeks of research that she initiated during the McNair Scholars Summer Research Program, Kalinowski completed an honors thesis examining the effects of Ecstasy use, with adolescent rats as a neurological model. She also was awarded a separate Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship at Buffalo State to examine visual and cognitive influences on spoken-language comprehension. In addition, she conducted research assessing the kinds of information that breach our visual attention filter on an unconscious level. She has presented her findings at six conferences, including two regional professional conferences. She is a valued teaching assistant and tutor in the Psychology Department and is poised to pursue a career in behavioral neuroscience and psychology.

Kalinowski’s campus leadership and volunteer experience is also notable. She served as president of the college’s chapter of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, and founded the Buffalo State Psi Chi Research Team, which provides undergraduates with the opportunity to conduct research and present findings at a regional conference. She is an academic mentor and tutor with the Educational Opportunity Program, a peer educator with Weigel Health Center’s Health Promotions Office, and a member of the Alternative Winter Break service team that worked with homeless citizens in Washington, D.C.

She embodies the best qualities of a Buffalo State scholar and citizen of considerable zeal and talent. She is an interested and thoughtful participant in academics and in life.