Podolefsky Receives Stony Brook University Distinguished Alumni Award

Stony Brook University (SBU) presented Buffalo State president Aaron Podolefsky with a Distinguished Alumni Award on Wednesday, November 9, at a special ceremony in St. James, New York.  

Each year since 1983, the Stony Brook Alumni Association has recognized prominent SBU graduates for their career and community achievements, for their extraordinary commitment to the institution, and for reflecting “the highest values embraced and promoted by the university and the Stony Brook Alumni Association.”

Podolefsky, who has served as Buffalo State’s president since July 2010, is a three-time graduate of Stony Brook, earning master’s degrees in liberal studies (’73) and anthropology (’76) and a Ph.D. with distinction in anthropology (’78). He also holds a B.A. in mathematics from San José State University.

“I am incredibly proud of my ties to two SUNY institutions, Buffalo State and Stony Brook,” said Podolefsky. “I am humbled by this honor, and happy to visit the university that gave me so much and prepared me so well for my professional life.”

Podolefsky, co-chair of the SUNY task force on a seamless education pipeline, has steered Buffalo State to national and regional accolades in his 16-month tenure in Western New York. In July, the university received recognition from the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of 2011’s Great Colleges to Work For, which cited Buffalo State in the categories of Shared Governance and Professional/Career Development Programs.

In September, Buffalo State was named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs, the premier magazine for military personnel transitioning into civilian life. That same month, U.S. News & World Report ranked Buffalo State in the top tier of Regional Universities in the North in its 2012 Best Colleges rankings. In the subcategory of Regional Public Universities in the North, Buffalo State ranked 32nd.

Before coming to Buffalo State, Podolefsky served as president and professor of anthropology at the University of Central Missouri, where he raised the institution’s academic profile, initiated strategic and master planning efforts, cultivated mutually enriching campus-community partnerships, enhanced regional economic development, and launched landmark energy-saving and sustainability initiatives.

Podolefsky previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Northern Iowa. He also taught and served as department chair in Western Kentucky University’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work and in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University. He was a research associate for the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research at Northwestern University.

Podolefsky is married to Ronnie Lynn (Shapiro) Podolefsky, an attorney specializing in civil rights, employment law, and mediation. The Podolefskys have two adult sons, Noah and Isaac.