News

SUNY Morrisville student, Shelby Benjamin, was crowned 2021-2022 New York State Dairy Princess by the American Dairy Association. In this role, she will serve as dairy ambassador, helping to promote the state’s dairy industry. Benjamin, of Norwich, previously was named Dairy Princess of Chenango County.

There is always something going on in assistant professor Jen Gilbert Jenkins’ labs, even when the campus is quiet. For instance, in a purple box, miraculous transformations are taking place with worms! Gilbert Jenkins is using vermicompost (worm composting) to convert a combination of waste hemp material and food scraps into a biologically active planting medium. They may not be as cute as some of the other animals on campus, but these worms are hard workers.

Our successful dairy drive-thru events have been recognized statewide and are the subject of an award-winning article in the weekly ag publication, Country Folks. The article was written by Troy Bishopp, who attended SUNY Morrisville.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — An abandoned piranha, found by a student on the doorstep of an aquarium store, has found a new home in SUNY Morrisville’s aquaponics greenhouse. Assistant Professor Elisa Livengood obtained a permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation and adopted the fish, which will augment lessons in her aquatic science & aquaculture classes and labs.

We hope you have enjoyed a restful winter break! We have delayed our start of classes until Feb. 8.This delay in the start to the semester will allow cases from the holidays to clear, more people to be vaccinated, and more of the semester’s work to be conducted in (hopefully) warmer weather that allows for more ventilation and outdoor activity.

Brian Simmons’ aunt offered him a job washing dishes on a Friday night when her restaurant in Nunda, New York, was short-staffed. “The rest is history,” he said. Since that day more than two decades ago, Simmons ’01 has built a successful career out of nourishing patrons as owner and chef of The Yard of Ale Restaurant.

Rebecca Werbela ’04 started an agriculture education program at Morrisville-Eaton Middle-High School in a small room with big plans. As they grew, so did the excitement of her students who are grabbing hold of dynamic lessons — getting their hands dirty building and planting, growing vegetables hydroponically and gaining an understanding about the hundreds of careers available to them in the agriculture industry.

Three pairs of siblings at SUNY Morrisville are bringing more than just their skill and abilities to the game — they bring their chemistry, the anticipation of the next move, the difference in balance that counters the other and the desire to make a difference in Mustang athletics. Despite all spring- and fall-season athletics competitions being canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the siblings shared their thoughts about being teammates.

One large, ongoing art project is how Taylor McDowell describes his life.Why? Because its elements combine to create a portrait of what the 2015 SUNY Morrisville graduate loves: web and game development, drumming, storytelling, art and music. Each has shaped the life of the 28-year-old New Hartford, New York resident, whose palette is a colorful blend of perseverance and will.

Like most first-year students in 2020, Mo the Mustang’s (they/them/their) arrival on campus at SUNY Morrisville was not what they originally had in mind. Wearing a face mask, practicing physical distancing, picking up meals to go and otherwise adjusting to pandemic life were some of the firsts that the college’s mascot experienced at the same time as other students.

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused the physical world to remain distanced, the virtual world of esports has emerged to connect people like never before. SUNY Morrisville students are among those taking a hold of esports (electronic sports), an organized sports competition featuring multiplayer video games where gamers from around the world can compete individually or as a team. They also can tune in as spectators.

It was going to be a memorable spring break in Morocco. As she packed her suitcase, Jessica Miller’s mind drifted to the mountainous country of western North Africa, a March trip she had planned for months to marry her fiancé, Mouaad Essaadi, who lives there.

Shortly after he graduated from SUNY Morrisville, Kyle Clark ’18 returned to his fifth-generation family dairy farm with a four-year degree in dairy management and a plan to resurrect the creamery that once stood on the property, located on Elk Creek Road in Delhi, New York.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — A photograph by Timothy Gerken, professor of humanities at SUNY Morrisville, is on display in collaboration with Denniston Hill, as part of For Freedoms’ nationwide campaign “2020 Awakening.” The artist-led collective campaign, which launched on Indigenous People’s Day (Columbus Day) Oct. 12, features billboards that appear in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many touch on pressing issues of the current political campaign process.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — A new minor in agricultural human resources management is preparing SUNY Morrisville graduates to meet the growing demands of the modern farm business. “The diverse nature of the agricultural industry, increased agricultural labor laws and rapid consolidation of the agricultural industry are all factors influencing and creating the demand for this academic minor,” said Sheila Marshman, associate professor of agricultural business at SUNY Morrisville.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville, in collaboration with International Pathway Programs (IPP), has signed a transfer agreement with Beijing Foreign Studies University's School of English and International Studies (SEIS), one of China’s most prestigious universities. SUNY Morrisville is the first college in the United States to partner with SEIS. Students who successfully complete their degree program receive a diploma from The State University of New York.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — Kerin Warner left Rutgers University with a degree in history, but circumstances and a lifetime of horses led him in a different direction.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville has been recognized again for its excellence with numerous listings in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, a publication renowned for its higher education rankings.

MORRISVILLE, NY – The following students were named to the President’s and Dean’s lists at SUNY Morrisville for the spring 2020 semester.

MORRISVILLE, NY – The Morrisville College Foundation has elected three new directors to its 25-member board.  New members, Shirley Crawford, Nancy Roberts and Rita Scharman ’81, took office on July 1. Each will serve a three-year term.

The term “esports” may be unfamiliar to some, but it has quickly become a buzzword on the SUNY Morrisville campus.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — She’s generally a jovial horse, but Lola is happier than ever these days. Poking her nose through a stall at the SUNY Morrisville Western barn, she nickers at two students on whose care she has come to rely the past few months. Equine students Kaitlin Renschen and Kendalle Booth are equally excited to see their four-legged friend, having a natural conversation with her as they lead her to the Western riding ring.

The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), with whom SUNY Morrisville holds associate membership in the sports of field hockey and men’s ice hockey, issued a statement Monday evening, suspending fall sports competition.    In addition, the SUNYAC Presidents, in consultation with the SUNYAC Board of Directors, delayed winter conference and non-conference schedules until Jan. 1, 2021.  

The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Presidents' Council issued a statement Friday, unanimously voting to not conduct intercollegiate athletic competition this upcoming fall semester due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.   SUNY Morrisville competes in the NEAC in men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball during the fall season.  

NORWICH, N.Y. — The SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus is offering a new human services certificate, which is available online and on campus. The 21-credit program provides education and training to individuals who are looking for a career helping others and for professionals already employed in the human services field who want to advance their careers. The campus also offers an A.A.S. degree in human services.