Speakers
Jeffrey Riman is the coordinator of the Center for Excellence in Teaching at FIT. He serves as the Chair of the FACT2 Council. Jeffrey is also the Chair of the FIT Faculty Senate Committee on Instructional Technology and the President of the National Public Radio station WBGO Community Advisory Board. He has presented at numerous conferences including CIT and Assessment Network of New York. Jeffrey is a part time faculty member in the School of Design Strategies at Parsons School of Design. Jeffrey is the recipient of the New Schools 2019 Distinguished University Teaching Award.
Tod A. Laursen is the Senior Vice Chancellor and Provost of the State University of New York (SUNY), a post he assumed in September of 2018. Dr. Laursen joined SUNY from Khalifa University (KU) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he was the founding president and served as its leader since 2010. In February of 2017, KU as it exists today was formed by the merger of three Abu Dhabi higher education institutions: Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR), the Masdar Institute, and the Petroleum Institute. Dr. Laursen had served as the president of KUSTAR for the first seven years of his tenure in Abu Dhabi, and was named leader of the merged institution subsequently. Prior to becoming President of Khalifa University, Dr. Laursen was a member of the faculty of Duke University (USA), between the years of 1992 and 2010, during which time he had appointments in civil engineering, biomedical engineering, and mechanical engineering. He served as Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from 2008-2010, and served as Senior Associate Dean for Education in the Pratt School of Engineering from 2003-2008. In the latter capacity, he had oversight responsibility for all undergraduate and graduate engineering programs at Duke.
Austin Ostro serves as the 2019-20 President of the SUNY Student Assembly (SUNYSA) and Trustee on the SUNY Board of Trustees. Austin is in his second year as a graduate student at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany. He is pursuing his Master’s in Public Administration (MPA). Throughout his journey in the Student Assembly, Austin has proven his dedication, talent, passion, and perseverance. As President, Austin is committed to continuing the efforts of past leaders to expand the impact of Student Assembly advocacy; promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; build organizational capacity; and fight for students on the system, local, state and federal levels.
Dr. John L. Graham serves as Associate Provost for Student Affairs and University Life at the State University of New York System Administration. Prior to this, he served as Provost Fellow for Academic and Strategic Development, supporting the implementation of SUNY’s priority Completion Agenda and as liaison to campuses to support the achievement of SUNY Excels Performance Improvement Plan goals. As well, he assisted with the refinement of student effectiveness and the strategic Enrollment Planning process. Previously, Dr. Graham served as the transitional Vice President for University Advancement and External Relations at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. He was the chief development officer, providing strategic and operational leadership for several cross-functional areas such as alumni relations, corporate and foundation relations, government relations, sponsored research and community relations.
Dr. Jeffrey Putman serves as the Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs for all five of the SUNY Downstate schools and colleges. In his role, he provides overall coordination of services for students and serves as the deputy Chief Academic Officer. In addition, Dr. Putman also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Putman previously served as Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students (2013-2017) and as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs (2006-2013) at SUNY Downstate. Prior to coming to Downstate, Dr. Putman served from 1996–2006 in multiple Student Affairs roles at Purchase College, SUNY, including as Interim Dean of Students and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs & Ombudsperson.
Kim A. Scalzo is the Executive Director of Open SUNY, SUNY’s system-wide online learning initiatives. She is also the Interim Executive Director for Academic Technologies and Information Services with oversight for SUNY’s Center for Professional Development and Academic Innovation initiatives. For the past two years she served as a lead facilitator for three Communities of Practice across SUNY to drive innovation and build campus capabilities in the areas of Student Success, New Models for Enhancing Enrollment and Completion, and a Core Framework for Student Information Systems.
Ryan McCabe is the Associate Vice President of Academic Technology and High Impact Practices at Finger Lakes Community College. In his current role Ryan oversees Curriculum, Applied Learning, Academic Technology, and Online Learning. Ryan came to FLCC in 2008 after having worked at SUNY Canton. Ryan’s primary areas of interest are student support, online pedagogy, curriculum design and development, and academic strategy. Ryan is SUNY born and bred with time spent at Monroe Community College with a B.A. from SUNY Potsdam and a M.S. from Buffalo State College.
Sean Moriarty is Oswego State’s chief technology officer. In this role, he provides leadership for the continued development of a client-centered, robust and secure campus technology environment to advance the college’s strategic goals. The primary responsibility of this position is the planning, development and use of technology in support of Oswego State’s vision of excellence and our goal of being a learner-centered environment. Additionally, Sean is the chair of the SUNY Council of CIOs. Sean came to SUNY Oswego from the University of Windsor, Canada in April 2013. His professional association with Windsor’s IT Services began in 1986 serving as a computing consultant. He joined the Information Technology management team in 1999 and served as manager Client Support, assistant director, Client Support and acting executive director. Moriarty holds a bachelor of science in Math and Computer Science, a bachelor of commerce, and an M.B.A from the University of Windsor.
Karen Geduldig is the Executive Deputy Chief Information Officer for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services, the only state technology entity in the country providing centralized and full-service technology solutions -- from infrastructure and network to analytics and applications -- to over 50 executive branch agencies. In her role, Karen is responsible for New York State's technology enabled innovation agenda and aligning technology solutions to the business of ITS' agency clients. This includes application development and support, application and system modernization, analytics, portfolio and project management and challenging the State's technology experts to use technology to meet business problems. Karen accepted this position in June 2017.
Erin Maney is the Manager of Communications and Community Engagement for Open SUNY. In her role, she cultivates and supports the various dynamic communities of practice throughout the SUNY system. Erin has served in many roles supporting educators in K-12, at-risk youth facilities, technical and career high schools, community colleges, and universities. She has worked for community colleges and universities in Wisconsin and Florida before returning to upstate NY.
Dr. Gwen Kay, Professor of History at SUNY Oswego and President of the Faculty Senate, joined the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees July 2017. A member of Oswego’s faculty since 2000, she specializes in 20th-century American history, particularly issues of medicine, science, and gender. She has taught undergraduate courses in History, First Choice, as well as in the Honors program. She has supervised four students working towards their Master's degree in History, as well as more than 20 undergraduate Honors theses. Professor Kay also serves the academic community. She is Director of Oswego’s Honors program, served as coordinator of the History department’s graduate program, is on numerous campus and SUNY-wide committees, and is Vice President and Secretary of the University Faculty Senate.
Christy Fogal was elected President of the Faculty Council of Community Colleges in 2019. She first served as alternate delegate and then delegate for the FCCC representing Monroe Community College for the last 9 years. Christy has been a Mathematics Professor at Monroe Community College since 2000. Having received a B.S. in Mathematics from Clarion University of Pennsylvania then an M.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology she regularly teaches Statistics I and Statistics II both in the lecture and online formats and developed the Statistics for the Social Sciences course. She was recently granted the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service in spring of 2019. In Christy’s time with the FCCC she served as the first chairperson of the then newly formed Education Initiatives Committee after which she was elected to the vice president’s position where she served for 4 years. During this time Christy was a member of the Provost’s Open SUNY Advisory Committee, Student Mobility Steering Committee, Co-chaired the Applied Learning Task Force, General Education Advisory Committee, and planned and attended several SUNY Voices events.
Michele Forte is an Associate Professor at SUNY Empire State College in the Department of Human Services. She is currently reassigned to SUNY System Administration as Project Manager for student supports initiatives in online and hybrid education. Dr. Forte’s interests related to this position include holistic student supports and leveraging faculty expertise to inform student success as well as curricular and advising innovation in distance education and advising. She has taught courses about grief, loss, and resilience online and in face-to face-settings. Dr. Forte is also a licensed, community-based mental health clinician with focus on grief/loss/bereavement appended to chronic / sudden health diagnoses and other life changing events.
Alexandra M. Pickett (@alexpickett) gives leadership and direction to Open SUNY Online Teaching. She is the former the director of the Open SUNY Center for Online Teaching Excellence, and the former associate director of the award-winning SUNY Learning Network (SLN). Working with the 64 SUNY institutions, she has directly supported or coordinated the development of 300+ online instructional designers and more than 6,000 online faculty and their web-delivered courses.
Jamie Heron is the Open SUNY Program Manager at the SUNY Center for Professional Development. In her role as Program Manager, Jamie works to provide professional development programming for SUNY Online and Open SUNY stakeholders, SUNY administration, and associated SUNY communities of practice. Prior to taking the position with the CPD, Jamie worked as an instructional designer and professional development coordinator at SUNY Broome Community College for nine years. In 2015 Jamie received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.
