Lenore Friend is the director of public relations and communications at FLCC and the college's liaison with Finger Lakes TV. Contact her at (585) 785-1623 or Lenore.Friend@flcc.edu.
Finger Lakes Community College President Robert Nye and SUNY Geneseo President Denise Battles signed an agreement on Aug. 29 to establish a cooperative admission program, allowing FLCC students to transfer to Geneseo without an additional application. Seated from left are Melanie Blood, SUNY Geneseo associate provost for assessment and curriculum; Denise Battles; Robert Nye; and Beth Johnson, FLCC interim associate vice president of instruction. Standing from left are Costos Solomou, SUNY Geneseo vice president for enrollment management; Ryan McCabe, FLCC associate vice president of academic technology and high impact practices; and Matthew Stever, FLCC director of admissions. Photo by Jan Regan
SUNY Geneseo and Finger Lakes Community College ceremonially signed an agreement on Aug. 29 to establish a cooperative admission program, allowing FLCC students to seamlessly transfer to Geneseo without an additional application. The agreement, which goes into effect during the fall 2022 semester, applies to psychology, education, accounting, biology, history, and sustainability studies majors.
Such cooperative programs help extend students’ education, often allowing them to complete more than one degree in a shorter period.
“Our partnership programs allow seamless transfer opportunities for students as they pursue their degrees,” said Costas Solomou, SUNY Geneseo vice president for enrollment management. “Cooperative programs also give students a competitive advantage over other candidates when it’s time to start their careers.”
“Cooperative admission agreements have great value for our students,” added FLCC President Robert Nye. “They simplify the transfer process for students and help them determine what classes to take in order to make the most of their time at FLCC.”
For information on FLCC’s joint admission and transfer agreements, visit flcc.edu/transfer.
FLCC held a ribbon-cutting on Aug. 25 for the Sands Family Center for Allied Health, a $7.2 million renovation and expansion of its nursing wing. Photo by Tim Wilkes
Finger Lakes Community College celebrated the opening of the $7.2 million Sands Family Center for Allied Health, a renovation and expansion of its nursing wing, at the main campus today.
With the expansion, the college will accept new students in both the fall and spring semesters. The application for the spring 2023 semester is currently open through Oct. 15. FLCC will also launch a licensed practical nursing program, starting in fall 2023. (Editor’s Note: The LPN launch may be delayed to 2024; please watch this blog for an announcement of the opening date for applications. )
“The Sands Family Center for Allied Health reflects a true team effort among the Sands Family Foundation, Thompson Health, Ontario County and the college,” said FLCC President Robert Nye. “We were united in our mission to fill a critical community need for nurses at our hospitals, medical offices and skilled nursing facilities.”
Richard Sands, representing the Sands Family Foundation, joined college and community leaders for a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The Sands Family Foundation contributed $3 million to the project.
“As important as today’s ribbon-cutting is, I am already thinking about the impact this center will have on our community,” Sands said. “Five years from now, hundreds of students will have passed through these halls and taken their places in our medical facilities where their compassion and skills are so needed.”
Finger Lakes Community College will expand its rural outreach program by offering manufacturing and computer courses this fall at the Clifton Springs Library and Macedon Public Library.
“As the library director and vice president of Wayne County Business Council, I am acutely aware of patrons who would like to improve their earning power and businesses who are looking for people to fill mid-level positions,” Stacey Wicksall said of her library’s decision to join the project.
The Macedon Public Library is now a host site of FLCC’s rural outreach program. Photo courtesy of M. and R. Kelsey
“These are the sorts of positions that require some training beyond high school, but not a four-year degree. The FLCC GRIT program makes it possible to connect the two by offering convenient and rapid certifications in the skill areas local businesses urgently need, and it can all be done while at the library,” she added.
GRIT is the name of the outreach project and stands for Growing Rural Infrastructure Together. It is part of a national pilot project to overcome barriers to education in rural areas.
Clifton Springs Library is a new host site for FLCC rural outreach program.
GRIT began in January 2022 with manufacturing courses at the Bloomfield Central School District Operations Center and the Yates County Workforce Development Office in Penn Yan. Both the Bloomfield and Penn Yan locations will continue to offer classes. FLCC will also offer the same courses at its Geneva and Newark campus centers, for a total of six sites, including the libraries.
Classes run from Sept. 6 to Dec. 15, and grant funding is available to cover costs for most students.
Classes will be offered via videoconference using technology that allows for real-time interaction among the instructor, all six class sites, and students who prefer to join from home.
Colleen Blough-Shear of Hemlock, who earned a general equivalency diploma at Finger Lakes Community College, was among the speakers at a graduation ceremony in June at the main campus.
Twenty-six residents of five counties earned a general equivalency diploma (GED) through Finger Lakes Community College over the last year.
FLCC offers free day and evening classes to help students prepare for the GED exam in English or Spanish. Classes are offered in Canandaigua, Geneva, Lyons, Newark, Penn Yan, Sodus, Victor and Wolcott.
Program advisors also offer students assistance with selecting career goals and enrolling in post-secondary education and training.
Students are admitted into the program all year and are given a flexible time frame for completing it. New students entering GED classes must take an in-person pretest in math and reading.
For more information, email GED@flcc.edu or call (585) 785-1431.
Finger Lakes Community College’s downtown gallery, ArtSpace36, will open a soft sculpture exhibit by Anna Warfield on Friday, June 17.
Hours are Thursday through Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the gallery at 36 S. Main St., Canandaigua. The show runs through Sept. 30. A closing reception will be held in September.
Warfield uses words made with fabric to turn ideas about femininity around.
In her artist’s statement, she writes: “In working with both fiber and text, I address complexities in sexuality, femininity, ownership, language, and voice. The materials serve to further complicate the picture. Beyond employing ‘women’s work’ in the service of an unabashedly feminist voice, the fibrous materials also initially cause the works to read like comfort objects – squishable and soft – before revealing themselves to be explicit, demanding, or contorted.”
Warfield holds bachelor’s degrees in fine arts and communication, both from Cornell University, where she has been invited back multiple times to guest lecture. In 2019, Warfield was recognized by the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce for her work in the arts and notable impact on the wider community as a young professional with a HYPE Award.
For information about the gallery, visit ArtSpace36.com.
A total of 502 full- and part-time students were named to the Finger Lakes Community College dean’s list for spring 2022.
To be named to the dean’s list, students must have a 3.5 grade point average and meet other criteria as follows:
Full-time students are eligible if they are matriculated – meaning enrolled in a degree program – and achieve a 3.5 grade point average for the semester (12 or more hours of earned credit) with no grade below passing and no incompletes.
Part-time students are eligible if they are matriculated, have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at FLCC, earn a combined total of at least 12 credit hours for a given year and achieve a 3.5 grade point average with no grade below passing and no incompletes. The student must be part-time for both semesters. The dean’s list for part-time students is compiled at the end of the spring term only.
Canandaigua City Manager speaks to the newest members of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society at FLCC.
The Finger Lakes Community College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the honor society for two-year colleges, inducted 211 members over the course of the last year.
Canandaigua City Manager John Goodwin, who joined PTK while a student at Jamestown Community College, was the keynote speaker at ceremony in May. He described his path to his current role in public administration, urging students to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
Goodwin also shared his thoughts on leadership, explaining his personal emphasis on honesty, transparency and authenticity. “There’s no limit what you can accomplish, or what can be accomplished, if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit,” he added.
Phi Theta Kappa promotes scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship. FLCC’s chapter, Alpha Epsilon Chi, was chartered in 1981 and provides leadership, service and scholarship opportunities for members. Membership requires completion of 15 hours of associate degree coursework and a GPA of 3.0. Phi Theta Kappa members also serve as campus ambassadors.
Naomi Cromer, vice president of the FLCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa; Sim Covington, FLCC chief diversity officer and advisor to the chapter; and John Goodwin, Canandaigua city manager, PTK member and keynote speaker at the induction ceremony.
CLINTON
Ellenburg Center: Nicholas Filion
Plattsburgh: Victoria Aguilar
ERIE
Angola: Hanna Donovan
Cheektowaga: Nicolas Churchman
Clarence: Center Owen Probst
Lackawanna: Cody Paternostro, Nicholas West
JEFFERSON
Watertown: Cindy Gay
LIVINGSTON
Conesus: Danielle Trescott
Dansville: Teah Arriaga, William Barrett, Logan Kanaval
Lima: Jake Williams
Livonia: Jared King, Elaina Palmeri
Nunda: Alexandra Hugi
MONROE
Brockport: Amanda Meyer
East Rochester: Lydia Fanara
Fairport: Christopher Braun, Hannah Denigro, Justin Myers, Kai Vogt
Hamlin: Maxwell Jackson
Henrietta: Corrina Rosenfeld
Hilton: Gary Shadders
Honeoye Falls: Brianna Wise
North Chili: Carlos Torres
Penfield: Emily Muchard
Pittsford: Gem Sung
Rochester: Brittany Bland, Adam Callari, Naomi Cromer, Charles Domm, Russell Domm, Rene Garnica , Hanna Roman, Michael Solazzo
Webster: Michael Ditullio, Kayla Halstead, Sarah Hendrickson, Shane Thompson
West Henrietta: Nathan Muller
NASSAU
Elmont: Gary Diaz
Old Bethpage: Heather Lonic
NEW YORK CITY
Brooklyn: Andrew Bogovych
ONONDAGA
Baldwinsville: Matthew Rose
Liverpool: Edward Dumas
Syracuse: Jenna Horton, Joseph Suddaby
ONTARIO
Bloomfield: Glory Gumaer, Catherine Molloy, Mackenzie Smith
Canandaigua: Timothy Atkins, Elizabeth Bentley, Griffin Bond, Rachel Boock, Nicholas Brunelli, Russell Cammarata, Mikayla Coleates, Shelby Debeer, Daniel Disalvo, Carley Ducar, Amber Ertel, Margaret Evarts, Elaina Flynn, Michael Flynn, Kirsten Ham, Samuel Healy, Benjamin Koeberle, Jaxson Marsh, Tyler Marsh, Mikayla Martineau, Morgan Mitchell, Matthew Neininger, Aynsley Rossmann, Erich Rudolph, Sarah Schmeer, Susan Schmeer, Keegan Trainor, Kara Veatch, Aidan Vitticore, Cassie Ward, Erik Winarski
Clifton Springs: Nita Schumacher, Meghann Devito, Olivia Fullerton, Perry Galens, Shae Morrow, Gabrielle Steingraber, Michele Williams
Farmington: Sophia Attardi, Jessica Avery, Emily Butcher, Matthew Butts, Matthew Cary, Haley Fisher, Roy Hibbert III, Delvy Koumba-Mouity, Grace Ledgerwood, Amber Maliborski, Roger Purcell, Marcus Smith
Geneva: Sofia Candidori, Andrew Chilbert, Lucas Cupelli, Janeika Delgado, Nicholas Mazzocchi, Amanda Owens, Kaitlyn Roach
Honeoye: Victoria Armstrong
Manchester: Timothy Baley, Jena Caramazza
Naples: Bruce Elwell, Brianna Faber, Ethan Friend, Theresa Hays, Cris Kenney, Kim Nelson, Ava Sheedy
Phelps: Hayley Peisher, Erik Verdehem
Port Gibson: Daria Algier, Amanda Klahn
Rushville: Madison Jackson
Shortsville: Evan Walker
Stanley: Brianna Demarco
Victor: Julia Baldwin, William Brady, John Davis, Samantha Farrelly, Jonah Grbic, Christine Miller, Delayne Reagan, Aliyah Sone, Nicholas Ward
Jeremiah Naused was recognized as a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence at the Finger Lakes Community College commencement in May.Autumn Dushnick was recognized as a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence at the Finger Lakes Community College commencement in May.
Five Finger Lakes Community College employees and two students were recognized during commencement in May as recipients of SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence.
Recipients were as follows:
Autumn E. Dushnick of West Sayville, Suffolk County, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence. Dushnick is a 2022 nursing graduate who served as the director of the Student Corporation Activities Committee for 2021-22. In this role, she brought together students, faculty, and staff through social and educational events. In the fall 2021 semester alone, the Activities Committee hosted 40 events and made 1,623 connections with students. In addition, Dushnick raised funds at the start of the pandemic to provide food for health care workers.
Jeremiah Naused of Romulus, Seneca County, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence. He is a 2022 FLCC graduate with a degree in liberal arts and sciences and plans to become a physician. Naused served as the Student Corporation president for 2021-22, helping to reactivate student organizations following the first year of the pandemic and promoting the rollout of the TimelyCare App among students. TimelyCare gives students 24/7 access to health services, including mental health services.
Kathleen Schwartz received a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service.
Kathleen Schwartz of Gorham, Ontario County, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service. Schwartz, who has served FLCC for three decades, recently retired as senior clerk for the Academic and Student Affairs division. Schwartz was nominated for her willingness to serve on college committees, mentor other employees and take on new tasks to help improve programs and processes.
John Foust received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
John Foust of Stanley, Ontario County, professor of environmental conservation and horticulture, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. With 23 years of service to the college, Foust was nominated for his work in developing courses and learning opportunities for conservation students, in particular, in the field of fisheries. He has been a part of research collaborations with local and regional institutions, including a biological survey for invasive species in Loon Lake, Steuben County, and he uses data on student learning to drive improvements in his teaching practices.
FLCC President Robert Nye presents Michael Van Etten with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at commencement in May.
Michael Van Etten of Canandaigua, Ontario County, assistant professor and program coordinator of world languages, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Van Etten is the author and designer of the Language Education Access Foundation, which provides a wealth of teaching resources for a variety of languages and a series of low-cost online textbooks. He is a pioneer in the use of technology to teach language, a strong proponent of experiential learning, and has served as a coach and mentor for the FLCC eSports program.
Lacey McKinney, associate professor of art, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
Lacey McKinney of Liverpool, Onondaga County, associate professor of art, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. A faculty member since 2013, McKinney has exhibited her work at galleries in New York, North Carolina, and Washington. Her solo exhibition Reconfiguration was featured in 2020 – 2021 at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. Her art has been selected for publications that include The Post Standard in Syracuse, Artnet News and huffingtonpost.com. She has been instrumental in the launching of the ArtSpace36 gallery in downtown Canandaigua.
FLCC President Robert Nye presents Jeremy Tiermini with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service at commencement in May.
Jeremy Tiermini of Canandaigua, Ontario County, professor of health science and human performance, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Tiermini was recognized for his contribution to development of the online learning program at FLCC. He has served on several college committees that develop policy and programming and guide the overall direction of the institution. Tiermini also serves as co-chair of the college’s Guided Pathways program, designed to improve opportunities for student success.
From left, Philip Simmons, Matthew Brooks, and Demetrice Garcia, shown in a Finger Lakes Community College lab in March 2021, were the first to work on a project to determine the conditions that promote the fastest growth of mushroom fibers and the bioactive compounds these fibers produce. They have since been joined by current students Leila Doerrer and Chelsea Patterson.
The Finger Lakes Community College Board of Trustees recognized a group of five current and former students who were chosen to present their research on the cultivation of mushroom sugars for a national conference in April.
The research project is part of an 18-month collaboration between FLCC and Empire Medicinals, a Henrietta company that sells mushrooms and mushroom-blended meats. It sought the college’s help for basic research that could lead to the extraction and commercialization of mushroom sugars as a food supplement.
Three of the students, who have since graduated, and two current students represented FLCC at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), an annual event that involves 3,200 students, faculty, and administrators.
James Hewlett
“NCUR is the largest showcase in the country of undergraduate research, so it’s all institution types,” James Hewlett of Webster, the professor leading the project, told the board at its May 4 meeting. ”It’s not a given. You have to apply, and the applications go through some pretty intense scientific review before you’re accepted to present at this conference. It’s a huge deal to actually get accepted, and it becomes a published abstract.”
Presenters were Matthew Brooks, a 2021 biotechnology graduate from Canandaigua, Demetrice Garcia, a 2021 biotechnology graduate from Newark, and Philip Simmons of Keuka Park, who has a 2021 associate degree in biotechnology and a 2020 associate degree in viticulture and wine technology.
Chelsea Patterson
Current students Leila Doerrer, a biotechnology major from Honeoye Falls, and Chelsea Patterson, an engineering science major from Farmington, also contributed to the development of a poster summarizing the research for the conference.
“It’s a very fascinating study, and I’m very happy to have been a part of it,” said Patterson. “It’s definitely opened my eyes to the detail that research takes, and I absolutely love everything about it.”
Leila Doerrer
“I have to be honest. This is the most valuable experience I’ve probably ever had in my entire life,” said Doerrer. “I’ve learned so much. I can run a whole bunch of machines, like bioreactors. I’ve learned how to operate an autoclave.”
Hewlett, who has been recognized as a State University of New York distinguished service professor for his work promoting student research, directs the students with adjunct instructor Sarad Parekh of Pittsford and instructional specialist Jessica Halliley of Rochester.
The goal of the project is to determine the conditions that promote the fastest growth of mushroom fibers, called mycelia, and the bioactive compounds these fibers produce.
Mushrooms are well established as a health food; they are low in calories and high in fiber, protein and antioxidants. Sugars they produce, called beta-glucans, are studied for their potential to boost the immune system, lower cholesterol and fight cancer. Isolating the sugars requires growing the mycelia in a broth-like medium, separating the liquids and solids, then filtering the liquid.
The students grew two strains of mushrooms in two different broths – one with glucose and another with lactose. One of the strains produced the highest yield in lactose, a sugar found in milk.
Unlike a carefully controlled lab exercise, researchers can run into problems, Brooks noted.
“If something goes wrong, like one of our batches gets contaminated, it’s not like the professors know the answer right away. It’s a genuine mystery,” he said, adding that it takes collaboration to diagnose the problem.
Trustee George Cushman praised the research program for the range of skills it fosters.
“What I heard … was that you learned a lot of transferable skills, and it’s not necessarily the things that go on a resume all the time, but it’s really what the employers need,” he said. “I heard about working together as a team, solving problems – all these things don’t necessarily translate on a resume, but they really are essential skills.”
Hewlett said the college is seeking more research projects, particularly among small startups like Empire Medicinals that lack research and development capacity. “They need help and we need projects,” he said.
Nursing instructor Tiffani Leyden monitors a nursing simulation exercise from behind a one-way mirror in the renovated Finger Lakes Community College nursing wing. Leyden, who also recorded the session, later debriefed with students about their response to the symptoms a computerized manikin presented during the exercise.
Finger Lakes Community College has received a $1.5 million grant to add an additional science lab to the Sands Family Center for Allied Health now under construction at the main campus.
FLCC broke ground on the $7.2 million expansion and renovation project in June 2021. SUNY later notified FLCC that the College would receive $1.5 million through the SUNY Workforce Development Initiative, which funds projects designed to train people for high-demand jobs. The state has identified health care, and nursing in particular, as a top priority.
The project is opening in stages. The renovated area on the third floor of the main campus, which features a new nursing simulation lab, opened in August 2021. The expansion includes more nursing lab and instructional spaces and a fourth floor lobby; it will open in summer 2022.
Our students are already experiencing an enhanced educational experience in our newly renovated nursing space. The expansion, now nearly complete, and this additional science lab will provide even greater flexibility and capacity as we prepare students for health care careers,” FLCC President Robert Nye said.
The additional 1,800-square-foot science lab and instructional space will be built next to the new lobby and open in 2023. The lab will be equipped with HyFlex technology allowing for simultaneous in-person and remote instruction to support students in health care programs.
When complete, the Sands Family Center for Allied Health will allow FLCC to accept 50 percent more students in the two-year registered nursing program and launch a one-year licensed practical nursing program.
With the new facilities, FLCC will be able to accept students into the registered nursing program in both the fall and spring. The application for the first spring class, in January 2023, will open in early May on the College website at flcc.edu.
The College will also use the center to provide certificate training for nurse assistants, home health aides and phlebotomy technicians. A federal grant currently covers most or all of the tuition for these three short-term certificate programs. Anyone interested in enrolling can learn more at flcc.edu/reimagine or (585) 785-1670.
The Sands Family Center for Allied Health is named for the chief donor, the Sands Family Foundation, which contributed $3 million to the project.
In addition to the Sands Family Foundation gift, the FLCC Student Corporation has pledged $250,000 while the FLCC Foundation and the FLCC Association will each contribute $200,000. These gifts were matched by New York State. The additional grant brings the project total to $8.7 million.
