Governor Cuomo and New York State legislative leaders today announced an agreement on the Start-Up New York legislation that will implement Governor Cuomo’s Tax-Free NY plan. SUNY has wholly endorsed the plan and continues to work to help New York realize its results.

“The State University could not be more excited about today’s agreement on the Governor’s START-UP NY legislation that positions our campuses as magnets for entrepreneurs and businesses from around the globe,” said SUNY Chancellor Zimpher.

The legislation recognizes that the “New Economy” is growing in higher education; New York State’s relationship with SUNY at campuses fosters positive synergy between academia and entrepreneurial activity. START-UP NY will encourage entrepreneurialism and job creation on a large scale by transforming public higher education through tax-free communities across the state, particularly upstate.

“Upstate New York has seen too many years of decline, and our communities have lost too many of their young people,” Governor Cuomo said. “We desperately need to jumpstart the Upstate economy and these new tax-free communities will give New York an edge like we’ve never had before when it comes to attracting businesses, start-ups, and new investment.”

The SUNY System, along with other college communities, will serve as the framework of the START-UP NY program to attract high-tech and other start-ups, venture capital, new business and investments from across the world. START-UP NY will entice companies to bring their ventures to Upstate New York by offering new businesses the opportunity to operate tax-free – including no income tax for employees, no sales, property or business tax – while also partnering with the world-class higher education institutions in the SUNY system. In addition, the START-UP NY program will help existing companies, especially high-tech firms and start-ups, stay in New York and grow.

Last week, SUNY leadership endorsed Tax-Free New York as its campuses are strategically placed to power the engine of economic growth across New York. Currently, 99.8% of New Yorkers are within 30 miles of a SUNY campus.

“I want to thank Governor Cuomo for his bold, innovative ideas and leadership, and our legislative leaders for backing this landmark agreement,” said Chancellor Zimpher.

“Today’s agreement on the START-UP NY legislation is a major victory for our Upstate communities as we are now set to launch what will be one of the most ambitious economic development programs our state has seen in decades,” added Governor Cuomo.

“SUNY’s power to revitalize New York’s economy is now ready to reach its full potential. I think New Yorkers will be pleased to see how engaged, responsible, creative, and impactful our campuses will be as this process moves forward,” said announced Chancellor Zimpher. “To the business community in New York and beyond, may I say proudly that not only are we open for business, we are building something special and unique in New York. Through our world class facilities and faculty, SUNY is delivering the 21st century workforce that businesses need to grow and thrive. Come join us!”

Details of the START-UP NY legislation include:

• Tax-Free zones for participating companies (business/corporate taxes, sales taxes and property taxes) and employees (income tax)
• Businesses must be aligned with academic missions of nearby campus
• Banned competition with existing businesses outside the tax-free zone
• Range of eligible colleges and universities, including all SUNY, select CUNY and independent/private institutions
• Up to 20 strategic State assets can be designated as tax-free communities
• Robust protections against fraud
• Enhances the Excelsior Jobs Program
• Expanding the Mandate Relief Council to include Cost-drivers to Business

 
More information, including full details, may be found at Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Start-Up NY website.
 

Central New York S-TEN members discuss teacher education at a Spring workshop

Last November, SUNY hosted higher education faculty and their education partners from across the state for the launch of the SUNY Statewide Teacher Education Network (S-TEN). Supported by a $3.5 million Race to the Top grant, S-TEN engages higher education faculty and their educational partners in the renewal of teacher and school leader preparation to meet the needs of today’s children. The S-TEN initiative involves the work of 17 campus network teams (C-TENs) from the SUNY institutions with teacher and school leader preparation programs. The C-TENs share a purpose and passion around renewing the preparation of teachers and educational leaders throughout New York State.

SUNY is in a unique position to be of service to the state’s students. SUNY prepares 5,000 new teachers, or over one quarter of New York’s teacher workforce, every year and SUNY graduates are employed in every one of the State’s nearly 700 school districts. This depends not only on Teacher Education faculty on our campuses, but also on the content expertise of Arts and Sciences faculty, and the on-the-ground experts in schools around the state. The preparation of excellent educators and school leaders at our SUNY schools lets SUNY build upon existing success across the system infrastructure, as systemness in teacher education is displayed through sharing and distributing best practices.

To achieve truly exemplary teacher education, over 200 individuals participate on C-TEN teams from the 17 SUNY campuses. Each team is comprised of 7 to 20 members and includes representatives from School of Arts and Sciences, PreK-12 principals and teachers, superintendents, Teacher Education and Educational Leadership faculty, Community College faculty and representatives of related agencies in the community.

The operational structure of the S-TEN project uses a community engagement model of faculty-designed professional development, put into practice thus far by workshops and regional forums. The workshops focused on four topics of the Regents Reform Agenda: Common Core Standards, Clinically-Rich Teacher and Leader Preparation, Performance Assessments, and Data-Driven Instruction and Annual Professional Performance Review.

The next phase of S-TEN will include:

• Grants for campus-based, clinically-rich practices implementation to give teacher education candidates the in-depth practical preparation they need.
• Grants to support faculty-led regional P-20 collaborative projects to implement regional collaboration with local educational partners.
• The creation of an online resource center to support activities relating to the systematic vetting, archiving, retrieving, and dissemination of online educational resources, webinars, and online courses.
• The establishment of regional “Centers of Pedagogy” to support developing communities of practice, field practices for rural and urban education, research, and other areas.

As these developments occur and results come in, please stay up to date on the S-TEN initiative through the Generation SUNY Blog.

In addition to our regular Alumni Profile series, we hear about great things our graduates are doing around the country. Why not share them?

Two Herkimer County Community College alumni, Jeanne Galvin and Todd Allen, will be inducted into the College’s 2013 Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.

SUNY Downstate highlighted its prominence in the medical community; the institution ranks ninth nationally in the number of alumni who are on the faculty of American medical schools.

In an interview with SBNation, an Ohio State website highlights The University at Buffalo‘s strong alumni base:

In terms of famous alums, former president Millard Fillmore was the school’s first chancellor, astronaut Ellen S. Baker graduated from there (which omits them from being made fun of by Michigan), Wolf Blitzer of CNN fame, Terry Gross, the host and producer of NPR’s Fresh Air, noted mainstream indie film producer Harvey Weinstein, and jazz great Charles Mingus are also all alumni.

Based on data from alumni reporting, seven SUNY schools have been named among the top return on investment in the nation.

The Buffalo News recognized Joseph P. Dispenza, SUNY Fredonia Class of 1980, for his work in theater and community outreach.

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SUNY Fredonia alumnus Jud Heussler works his way through the ranks of a radio host

In high school, Jud Heussler knew he wanted a career in radio. He was a big fan of Buffalo’s Top 40 music station, Kiss 98.5. He went to the annual December “Kissmas Bash” concert for the first time in 2006. He had no idea, however, that in just a few years that station would hire him – and he’d be on stage and part of the show.

Heussler joined Fredonia Radio and got his own show his freshman year. He also started his own Top 40 show and climbed the station’s ranks, eventually becoming general manager his senior year. He helped get the station’s morning show into syndication in Buffalo, and was honored at the Intercollegiate Broadcast Systems National Conference, earning its “Best On-Air Personality” award two years in a row. He also earned an internship with Entercom Radio, the parent company of Kiss 98.5, and got the attention of The New York Times, which included Fredonia Radio in a piece on today’s top college stations.

“There wasn’t anyone in that (Communication) department who didn’t help me in some way,” he insists. “Whether it was taking a class or getting advice, they were very accommodating. They gave me the flexibility I needed to succeed, especially when I had a chance to start my career before graduation.”

Today, Jud – a name made for radio – is one of the young stars at Entercom. He currently serves as Kiss 98.5′s Music Director and afternoon drive host. He’s also seen all over Western New York, working at live remotes, night clubs and major concerts. Some of his early highlights include a limousine interview with pop sensation Carly Rae Jepsen (who had the #1 song of 2012), and hanging out with Ed Sherran (nominated for a 2013 Grammy). He’s also been part of two Kissmas Bashes, pumping up the crowd between sets, interviewing the stars and, as he puts it, “being famous for a night.”

“It’s a crazy job where I get to work with some very famous people,” he explains. “It’s so surreal, especially being a Western New Yorker. Six years ago I was at (Kissmas Bash) as a fan. Now, here I am, working for Kiss…organizing the show…on that stage. I’ve even had people come up to me in stores and want to take a photo with me. It’s strange, but very cool.”

This success story was adapted from the SUNY Fredonia website.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Although the survival rate is greatly improving — now over 80% (five-year) — there are a lot of improvements that may be done to help bring this to 100%. One way, according to researchers at the University at Albany, is to use a newly-developed imaging system that reduces false positives in order to provide more accurate diagnosis.

Right now mammography is the best diagnostic tool available to doctors. In most medical practices, a mammogram is used as the test to determine whether or not cancerous cells may exist in the breast tissue. And while mammography has saved countless lives, the process is not without fault. Conventional imaging techniques can sometimes miss carcinomas (the most common type of cancer cell in humans) and produce false positives.

Not only do false positives end up costing insurance providers, taxpayers, and the patient thousands of dollars per case, but can also impose a heavy psychological toll. In a study of more than 1,300 women, those who were given false positive results during their mammogram noted symptoms of anxiety and depression that remained three years later.

UAlbany physics professor Carolyn MacDonald of the Center for X-ray Optics, has patented a new imaging system that can help radiologists tell the difference between cancer and healthy tissue. This advance works to remedy concerns in diagnostic medicine concerning radiation dose, image contrast and resolution, and cost. Altogether, this could result in fewer breast biopsies, reduce unnecessary patient trauma and lower healthcare costs for patients and providers.

Dr. MacDonald and the University at Albany will continue to work with its expert faculty and students in order to continue fostering a Healthier New York.

Tremayne Price, SUNY Student Assembly President, was sworn in as a State University of New York student member of the Board of Trustees on May 30.  He took to his post on June 1 and, for the next year, will vote to represent nearly a half-million SUNY students as he works to further SUNY’s mission and commitment to its broad array of stakeholders.

Generation SUNY’s Will Donovan sat down with Mr. Price to discuss the experience as well as his vision and goals in a three-part video series. Watch part three (the final!) below to learn about his goals for the future with the Board of Trustees. Also, watch Part One to learn more about Mr. Price’s time in Student Assembly and how it shaped his path to the Board of Trustees; or Part Two to learn about his passion for education and education policy.

Tremayne Price, SUNY Student Assembly President, was sworn in as a State University of New York student member of the Board of Trustees on May 30.  He took to his post on June 1 and, for the next year, will vote to represent nearly a half-million SUNY students as he works to further SUNY’s mission and commitment to its broad array of stakeholders.

Generation SUNY’s Will Donovan sat down with Mr. Price to discuss the experience as well as his vision and goals in a three-part video series. Watch part two below to learn about where his passion for education and education policy comes from. Also, watch part part one to learn more about Mr. Price’s time in Student Assembly and how it shaped his path to the Board of Trustees.

The Smart Scholars program will receive a HESC College Tour Initiative grant that will allow 100 students to visit SUNY colleges this summer for an immersive college experience. The initiative provides low-income New York State high school students with the opportunity to experience college first-hand by eliminating the financial burden and costs associated with college campus visits.

The desire to provide access to disadvantaged students parallels the mission of the NY Smart Scholars program. Smart Scholars ECHS provides students who are traditionally underrepresented in post-secondary education the opportunity and preparation to accelerate the completion of their high school studies while earning college credits at the same time. The Farmingdale State College partnership extends to a cohort of students in Brooklyn who are classified as Students in Temporary Housing (STH). In March, we featured the inspiring story of first-generation Smart Scholar student Renado Taylor, 18, during our celebration of Early College High School week. Taylor will attend Farmingdale’s Aeronautical Science program in the fall.

This summer, students like Taylor will engage in a fully immersive collegiate experience on SUNY campuses. They will live in dorms, take college classes, prepare for the next school year, and tour the facilities on campus. The first 50 students from the program will visit SUNY Albany from July 24^th to July 27^th. A separate group of 50 students will have a similar experience while staying at Farmingdale State College from July 28^th to July 31^st.

Make sure to follow Generation SUNY as we spend time with the Smart Scholars on campus, bringing you video interviews with students, and coverage of their experience.

In addition to our regular Alumni Profile series, we hear about great things our graduates are doing around the world. Why not share them?

SUNY Oneonta alumnus Hal Luftig won a Tony Award for Best Musical of his production, “Kinky Boots”.

Buffalo State College alumnus Scott Baxter, who is the founder and chief executive of SA Baxter, wrote a piece in The New York Times this week titled “That Entrepreneurial Itch” about his experience in business.

SUNY Purchase alumnus Rubén Graciani launched the new season of his dance company, RG Dance Projects, this month in Saratoga Springs.

SUNY Fredonia alumni Dr. J. Brien Murphy and Michael Schiavone received SUNY Fredonia College Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award for their “significant contributions to society through business, government, education and the arts” last month.

The SUNY Canton Alumni Association has scheduled its 8th Annual Day at the Races for August 17, which brings together the College’s alumni at the Saratoga Racetrack.

U.S. Army Band Leader and Commander Colonel Thomas H. Palmatier received an honorary doctor of music degree and spoke to graduates at SUNY Potsdam’s Class of 2013 Commencement Ceremony.

Finger Lakes Community College alumnus David Jewett won the Stihl Timbersports Series qualifier, a professional competition held at the college, this month. Jewett will go on to the professional championships in Tennesee in June.

Hundreds of SUNY Oneonta alumni returned to campus this month for Alumni Weekend, which features a reception to honor the 50th Reunion Class of 1963 and recognize winners of the annual Alumni Awards.

“Basically, we’re interrupting the flow of genetic information in the cell, in effect ‘hacking’ the program of the bacterial cell,” researcher Dr. Christopher Nomura said of the findings.

Dr. Nomura was originally working on an experiment to make biodegradable plastics when he discovered that a simple protein molecule can interrupt the process bacteria use to move, eat, attach to surfaces, and communicate with one another or, in other words, to become potentially harmful.

Dr. Nomura and his postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Benjamin Lundgren, overproduced some proteins that they thought would increase the expression of genes to produce the bioplastic materials. But instead of making the bacteria produce large quantities of plastics, the protein had the opposite effect.

The team began to investigate the chemistry behind the startling development and discovered that specific proteins can attach themselves to the bacterial DNA in a manner that essentially prevents the organism from expressing the information contained within its genes and results in short circuiting the ability of bacteria to respond to changes in their environment.

“If we can fundamentally control the mechanism of gene expression, we can control what the bacteria are capable of doing,” Dr. Nomura said.  “We can prevent them from becoming virulent.”

The accidentally-invented process can potentially work against an array of bacteria including stubborn strains that commonly affect hospital patients and strains that occur in desert environments and prove troublesome.  This, the team highlights, would be game-changing for U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan or similar arid environments.

An added benefit is that it is extremely difficult for bacteria to develop a resistance to the process by simply mutating. Since the protein targets hundreds of genes simultaneously, a corresponding mutation would also involve hundreds of changes. Traditional antibiotics attack only one aspect of the bacteria’s development, making mutation a simpler task.

Dr. Nomura will continue to examine and develop this potentially game-changing process in hopes of improving the lives of people around the world.  For more information about SUNY ESF and its world-class research, visit www.esf.edu/research.

SUNY Oneonta raised $800 for the Special Olympics during its inaugural “Greek Life vs. Athletes Olympics” event on April 21. Teams of athletes and Greeks competed in events such as the three-legged race, potato sack races, wheel barrel races, obstacle courses, a whipped cream pie-eating contest, a mummy wrap and a tug-of-war. Decked out in their teams’ colors, fans battled in a “spirit war” to be the loudest and come up with the best cheers. The winner was decided with the tug-of-war at the end of the night. In the end, it was Greek Life that pulled its way to victory.

“We were very happy with our overall attendance, and those who came to the event said they had such a great time that they suggested we hold this type of event in the fall and in the spring next year – this time with an even bigger crowd!,” said softball player and event organizer Nicole Brieva of Kings Park. “The event was a success, and we’re all very happy to be giving back to such a wonderful cause.”

Check out this video of the event and cast your vote at ncaa.org/D3SpecialOlympics!