The SUNY Adirondack monthly newsletter
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHTS
ENGINEERING SCIENCE
Fiona Wohlfarth graduated from SUNY Adiorndack in 2013 with a degree in Engineering Science.
“The coursework at SUNY Adirondack really prepared me for the next step in my education. Because the class sizes are small — especially when the material is difficult — you really have the opportunity to understand the material and ask questions.” — Fiona Wohlfarth
Finding direction
Fiona Wohlfarth had her name on a scientific patent before earning a bachelor’s degree.
“It was really exciting. It’s one of those bucket-list items in your life,” said Wohlfarth, who grew up in Lake Luzerne and Corinth.
Wohlfarth credits retired SUNY Adirondack Professor Ken Manning with helping her find her career direction.
“I went to college not knowing what I wanted to do, and I thought I would start by taking my general education classes. I took physics with Ken Manning, and his class was so engaging and interesting that I told him I wanted to be in every class he taught,” she said.
Wohlfarth graduated in 2013 in Engineering Science and transferred to the University of Colorado at Boulder to finish a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
As part of her senior design project, she worked with a team that partnered with Covidien to create a fluid management system for surgical procedures.
“We were one of only two student groups that got a patent,” Wohlfarth said. “The device filters saline down to the blood level so it can be reused during several hours of surgery. The system allows for less biohazard waste at the end of the day.”
She currently works in Colorado as an associate test engineer with Medtronic Surgical Navigation, a company that invents software used for brain, spine, ear, nose and throat surgery. Wohlfarth is responsible for testing the software and travels across the country to train surgeons on the new technology.
“Attending SUNY Adirondack was the 100 percent right choice. If it weren’t for SUNY Adirondack, my career path would not be what it is,” Wohlfarth said.
MEET OUR FACULTY
Anthony Carbone joined the SUNY Adirondack faculty in January 2019 as assistant professor of engineering.
"Engineering can be really tough for students. You have to make a connection to something real. That helps ignite the excitement and passion, and then the students are able to get through the hard stuff. SUNY Adirondack has a really good quality of student. I think the biggest thing is their perseverance. I can’t think of one student in the core engineering classes who doesn’t show a good effort and seem like they really want to succeed and put the effort out. It’s great to see that kind of engagement." — Anthony Carbone
MUSIC
Faith Spangler, who majored in Music with a focus on vocals, is a singer-songwriter.
"The people I’ve met and the experience I’ve had at SUNY Adirondack have shaped who I’ve become and were a crucial part of my journey to find myself — and the right path for me. I’ve been able to experience not only academic growth, but personal growth.” — Faith Spangler
Hitting a high note
Faith Spangler graduated from college in May feeling unburdened.
“The affordable college tuition was a big factor in choosing to attend SUNY Adirondack,” said Faith Spangler, a native of Bovina Center in Delaware County. “Knowing that I was graduating debt free gave me more freedom to make decisions after I graduate.”
A Music major with a focus on vocals, Spangler is headed to Boston to gain experience and pursue a career in the music business.
“Boston has a cool music scene. I grew up in a rural area, so I want that culture shock. I’m looking forward to expanding my horizons in general,” she said.
Spangler plays acoustic guitar, piano and writes her own music. Although she has been performing since she was a child, she values the formal education she received in the discipline.
“Learning about music history and theory really inspired me. Music has an emotional element, but when you go deeper, you learn that it has an analytical basis. Music incorporates math into its complexity,” she said.
Spangler credits the Music faculty with making the conceptual material accessible.
“The teachers are wonderful, and they cultivate a welcoming environment. The professors are so personal with you, and music is a personal thing,” she said. “You feel like they really care about your life as a musician.”
MEET OUR ALUMNI
Alumnus Tom Torrisi enjoys returning to SUNY Adirondack to meet the next generation of music professionals.
"The journey from starting out as a beginner musician at SUNY Adirondack and getting a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music probably seems like an unlikely one to a lot of people, but it is something that I pointed at and did. Others can do it, too.” — Tom Torrisi, classical guitarist
The SUNY Adirondack Music program recently made adjustments to its curriculum to better serve students. Changes include:
- Eliminating the music placement test and providing a positive environment in which all interested students can start to gain the skills, experiences and knowledge to grow and move toward their music potential.
- Providing an expanded list of program electives to support a variety of student interests within the field of music, ranging from students having their own local bands to music education, music therapy, music performance, musical theater, sound recording engineering and music business (including music industry, arts management and arts administration).
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Students can visit Norway and Denmark as part of a 2020 International Education trip.
See the world
SUNY Adirondack’s reach extends around the globe.
The college’s International Education program enables students and community members to learn about other cultures — and then travel to the locations they have been studying, including Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.
The three- or four-credit INT 204 courses begin in either the fall or spring semester (with travel occurring over winter, spring and summer breaks). The one- or two-week travel experience portion of the course allows students to actively engage in the culture of other nations.
SUNY Adirondack also enjoys a Sister College relationship with Japan’s Saga City Junior College and Saga Women’s Junior College, which alternates host sites. Japanese students visit upstate New York in odd years, and our students travel to Saga City in even years. Students study Japanese culture and visit Saga City through enrollment in INT 206.
In May 2020, students will visit the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Denmark, known for their fairytale beauty, rich history and ratings as the “Happiest Countries in the World” (2018 World Happiness Report). The group will explore Copenhagen and Oslo and see a variety of sites, including 1,200-year-old Viking ships, royal palaces, museums, colorful harbors and majestic fjords.
Also in May 2020, SUNY Adirondack will travel to Japan and be welcomed by both Nishikyushu University and Saga Women’s Junior College. Students travel as a group during the day, experiencing Japanese culture, history and entertainment. During the evenings and weekends, students are welcomed into their host family’s home to experience Japan firsthand. Past students have formed lasting friendships with the students and host families they met while in Japan.
For more information on the trip to Scandinavia, contact Professor Carol Hopper at hopperc@sunyacc.edu or Professor Kevin Ankeny at ankenyk@sunyacc.edu.
For more information on the Japan trip, contact Professor Carrie Menard at menardc@sunyacc.edu or Professor John Hampshire at hampshirej@sunyacc.edu.
Community members may participate in International Education offerings on a space-available basis. Course registration for community members occurs through the Office of Continuing Education.
Spring 2021 Trips
- Ireland and Scotland
- Colombia
For more information, go to www.sunyacc.edu/academics/international-education
IN THE NEWS
Chef Matt Bolton prepares a dessert for a Collaborative Cuisine event at Seasoned.
A tasty collaboration
SUNY Adirondack will hold a Taste NY Collaborative Cuisine dinner series this fall at Seasoned, the college’s student-run restaurant in downtown Glens Falls.
The four-course dinners, planned on Sept. 14, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, will be curated and prepared by SUNY Adirondack Chef Matt Bolton, with the assistance of SUNY Adirondack Culinary Arts students. Each dinner will have a different menu highlighting local ingredients sourced from the Taste NY Market vendors at the Adirondacks Welcome Center.
Bolton served as executive chef at the award-winning Friends Lake Inn in Chestertown. A SUNY Adirondack Culinary Arts program alumnus, he mentors the program’s current students as an instructor at the college’s Culinary Arts Center and restaurant. Bolton was recognized as one of the top 5,000 Best Chefs in America and was included in the Albany Business Review 40 Under 40 honorees in 2019.
Taste NY, launched by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2013, highlights the quality, diversity and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced or processed in New York state. Taste NY aims to create new opportunities for producers through events, retail locations and partnerships.
“As the operator of the Taste NY Market at the Adirondacks Welcome Center, we are proud partners of many regional producers with a mission to grow their business through the market program. These Seasoned events are another opportunity to showcase their products while collaborating with SUNY Adirondack,” said Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Taste NY Collaborative Cuisine dinners are $55 per person per meal, with seating at 5:30 p.m. and a 6 p.m. service. Limited seating is available.
SUNY Adirondack’s Office of Continuing Education and Culinary Arts program launched the Collaborative Cuisine series last spring with dinners partnering with local businesses, including Rachel’s Spice Company and Lake George Olive Oil Company.
For reservations, call Seasoned at 518.832.7725 or go to www.sunyacc.edu/collaborative-cuisine. The restaurant is located at 14 Hudson Ave. in Glens Falls.
For more information on Collaborative Cuisine, email events@sunyacc.edu.
SUNY Adirondack's Culinary Arts Program will launch its second year in downtown Glens Falls.
Seasoned to open in October
SUNY Adirondack’s culinary arts program will open for food service in October.
The program will serve lunch and dinner every Wednesday and Thursday from Oct. 9 to Dec. 5 at Seasoned, located in downtown Glens Falls at 14 Hudson Ave.
Reservations can be made online at www.sunyacc.edu/seasoned.
Wednesday lunches offer a three-course meal in a fine-dining setting. The menu features an appetizer, entree and dessert. Lunch includes soda, tea and coffee. The restaurant now has a cash bar featuring beer and wine.
Seatings are available at 11 a.m., 11:15 a.m., noon, 12:15 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. Reservations are preferred. The cost is $15.95, plus tax (cash, check or credit card accepted). Kids 12 and younger are $9.95 plus tax.
Diners can come for a Garde Manger lunch on Thursdays. Culinary students will prepare and serve an a la carte menu of soups, salads and sandwiches. The Casual Dining Room Service class will run the front of the house operation.
Seatings are available at 11 a.m., 11:15 a.m., noon, 12:15 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. Reservations are preferred. Prices are A La Carte. A cash bar is available.
Assorted selection of pastries, cakes, pies, bagels, breads, cookies, candies, compound butters, coffee, tea and JUST Beverages will be available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Wednesday dinners offer a four-course meal in a fine-dining setting. The menu will consist of an amuse, appetizer, entree and dessert. Dinners include soda, tea and coffee. Chef's Choice Wine or Beer Pairings will be available for each course.
Seatings are available at 5:45 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. Reservations are preferred. The cost is $26.95, plus tax (cash, check or credit card accepted).
Thursday dinners are a four-course gourmet meal in a casual dining setting. The menu will feature an appetizer, intermezzo, entree and dessert. Dinner includes soda, tea and coffee. Now offering cash bar featuring beer and wine.
Seatings are available at 5:45 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. Reservations are preferred. The cost is $26.95, plus tax (cash, check or credit card accepted). Kids 12 and younger are $18.95, plus tax.
The restaurant will be closed Nov. 27-29. Like Seasoned on Facebook to view all menus.
Bar drinks and tips cannot be paid on a credit card. Parking is available on Hudson Avenue.
College partners with Crandal Public Library for political series
SUNY Adirondack and Crandall Public Library will hold “Politics and Community Today, ” a monthly reading and discussion series, starting in September.
The free series focuses on books that explore American identity in the 21st century, putting the current political climate into a historical context. Wendy L. Johnston, associate professor of political science, will facilitate the series, which is part of the National Endowment for the Humanities funded “Democracy in Dialogue.”
Programming includes:
- “Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship since Brown v. Board of Education” by Danielle S. Allen at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 18 in Room 128 of Bryan Hall on the SUNY Adirondack campus.
- “Indecision” by Benjamin Kunkel at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 2019 in Room 202 of Adirondack Hall on the SUNY Adirondack campus.
- “Between Past and Future” by Hannah Arendt at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Holden Room at Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls.
- “The Book of Daniel” by E.L. Doctorow at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16 in the Holden Room at Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls.
- “The Collected Essays of Ralph Ellison,” edited by John Callahan, at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at SUNY Adirondack (location to be determined).
Copies of the books for this series are available to borrow from the SUNY Adirondack Library and Crandall Public Library. Participants are encourages — but do not required — to read the books before each event.
The “Politics and Community Today,” series was organized through a Humanities NY grant.
For more information, contact Wendy Johnston at 518.832.7729 or johnstonw@sunyacc.edu.
THINGS TO DO
The exhibit 'Itinerances and Driftings' features the photography of Guy Glorieux.
- Itinerances and Driftings: Photography by Guy Glorieux runs through Nov. 7 in SUNY Adirondack’s Visual Arts Gallery in Dearlove Hall. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with extended hours from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
- The college's Fall Club Drive will be held from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. Sept. 18 in the Student Center.
- SUNY Adirondack is holding a Climate Hope in Action event between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Student Center. Activities include electric car test driving, tabling from environmental organizations and a sustainable food table created by Chartwells. Downstairs in the cafeteria, a Ted Talk by Greta Thunberg’s Ted Talk will be screened, and Dr. Lale Davidson will talk on New York state’s new Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Climate Hope in Action is a yearlong endeavor to encourage students to be more civically engaged.
- Dr. Andrew Costa, professor of Philosophy, will present “Synthesizing Mind and World: Immanuel Kant’s Theory of Knowledge” at 12:40 p.m. Sept. 23 in Miller Auditorium in Dearlove Hall as part of the College Lecture Series. The event is free and open to the public.
- Local poets and musicians, including SUNY Adirondack faculty, will participate in 100 Thousand Poets for Change at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 27 in the Visual Arts Gallery in Dearlove Hall. The free event, which is open to the public, will focus on the theme of the environment, climate change and sustainability.
ACCOLADES
- SUNY Adirondack Fishing Team members Hunter Tyminski and Val Decesare recently won the Ticonderoga Collegiate Cup Qualifier, bringing a 16.88-pound mixed bag of Lake Champlain largemouth and smallmouth bass to the scale (including a a 5.33-pound tournament lunker largemouth). The team won the tournament by 4 pounds. Their next tournament is the New York State Collegiate Cup Championship on Sept. 28 out of Mossy Point on Lake George.
- Professor of Art John Hampshire was recently published in Chaluer Magazine. Hampshire has a busy fall schedule, including teaching an October weekend painting workshop at the Oklahoma Art Institute at Quatrz Mountain; being part of the The Hyde Collection exhibit "Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region," running Oct. 11 through Dec. 4; having work featured in the show"En Masse 2019" at the Thompson Giroux Gallery in Chatham; and serving as a juror for "The Process," running Oct. 4 through Nov. 6 at the Lower Adiorndack Regional Arts Council.
