Outstanding Master's Thesis/Project Award These awards recognize outstanding student research and applied scholarship. Up to three thesis awards and three project awards are made. Students may self-nominate or seek nominations from their thesis or project advisers. Additional reviews are required from the department chair and one external evaluator. President's Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Student and SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence The President’s Medal is the highest honor awarded to a student by Buffalo State University. This award is given to a student who, through use of his or her natural talents and acquired skills, has demonstrated a commitment toward meeting the goals of higher education as set forth in the university's mission statement. The recipients will deliver the student address at Commencement. A grade point average of at least 3.5 is required for consideration for this award. Selection Criteria Selection criteria are similar for the SUNY Chancellor's Award and the President's Medal; however, to be considered for the President’s Medal a grade point average of 3.5 or higher is required. A student may be nominated for either or both awards. Academic Performance: Documented via grade point average, honors received, rank in class, research, and other scholarly projects. Citizenship: As measured by university and community service, the quality of extracurricular activities, and/or involvement in professional organizations. Leadership/Creativity: Documented local, state, national, or international recognition for excellence (i.e., recipient of major national scholarships/athletic awards and/or recognition by national and international associations and honor societies). For Graduate Students: Documented by activities related to the discipline of graduate degree program or other university service leadership in a professional organization, or community outreach activities related to the field of study. More Info & Nomination Forms SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence The Chancellor’s Award is the highest honor bestowed by SUNY upon a student. This award recognizes model students who have integrated academic excellence with achievement in areas such as athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, entrepreneurship, leadership, and career achievement. Although there is no prescribed grade point average for this award, it is assumed that recipients will have high academic achievement. Award recipients will be recognized at a spring ceremony in Albany and at Commencement. Students must be nominated by a faculty or staff member at Buffalo State. Selection Criteria Selection criteria are similar for the SUNY Chancellor's Award and the President's Medal; however, to be considered for the President’s Medal a grade point average of 3.5 or higher is required. A student may be nominated for either or both awards. Academic Performance: Documented via grade point average, honors received, rank in class, research, and other scholarly projects. Citizenship: As measured by university and community service, the quality of extracurricular activities, and/or involvement in professional organizations. Leadership/Creativity: Documented local, state, national, or international recognition for excellence (i.e., recipient of major national scholarships/athletic awards and/or recognition by national and international associations and honor societies). For Graduate Students: Documented by activities related to the discipline of graduate degree program or other university service leadership in a professional organization, or community outreach activities related to the field of study. More Info & Nomination Forms Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity For 25 years, Dr. Phillip Santa Maria served as dean of students at Buffalo State. During his tenure, he was recognized both on campus and throughout the community for his leadership on a variety of diversity and social justice issues. The Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity has been established in his honor and is given annually to recognize students who exemplify Dr. Santa Maria’s commitment to service, social justice, and diversity. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit nominations of student leaders who exemplify Dr. Santa Maria’s commitment to service, social justice, and diversity through promoting respect for diversity and individual differences in their activities, projects, discussions, or their leadership with student organizations and groups for this purpose. Selection Criteria Undergraduate and graduate students Recipients must have demonstrated leadership in the promotion of respect for diversity and individual differences through their roles in organizing discussions, curricular experiences, out-of-classroom experiences, or special projects for programming that go beyond that usually expected of a student. Recipients must demonstrate leadership in encouraging their peers to embrace diversity and to appreciate the benefits of diversity on campus, in the community, and in their everyday lives. Recipients must have created or played a significant leadership role in initiatives or programs that promote access, equity, or social justice in relation to the diversity of thought, diversity of experiences, diversity of values, or other aspects of diversity within the university or the broader community. More Info & Nomination Forms If you have questions, please contact the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Cleveland Hall 415, (716) 878-6210. Past Award Winners View All 2021 Outstanding Master's Project Quinn Thomson Building a Model of Optical Diffraction and Interference for High School Students Using Multiple Inquiry-based Physics Activities Dr. Daniel MacIsaac, Project Adviser (Physics) Courtney R. Whetstine GC-MS Analysis of Synthesized Biodiesel Dr. Sujit Suwal, Project Adviser (Chemistry) Caitlin Jantzi, Breonna E. Kiblin, Stephanie Novo, Christina Tomassi Using a Token Economy to Decrease Inappropriate Classroom Behaviors and Improve Math Productivity for High School Students with Emotional Disturbance Dr. Theresa Janczak, Project Adviser (Exceptional Education) 2020 Outstanding Master's Thesis Evan R. Kaderbeck Toward a More Universal Currency: The Impact of the Clearing Mechanism on Developing Economies Dr. Ted P. Schmidt, Thesis Adviser (Economics and Finance) Megan C. Kocher Release of Captive-Raised Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) to Test the Success of a Chytrid Vaccine in New Cage Design Dr. Amy M. McMillan, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Paul T. Moon Jr. Missed Moments: Kodak’s Failure to Define the Consumer Market for Digital Photography Dr. Kenneth S. Mernitz, Thesis Adviser (History) Outstanding Master's Project Clara Huisman Investigation and Treatment of a 17th-Century Antiphonary Theresa J. Smith, Project Adviser (Garman Art Conservation) Carolyn E. Burns Experimental Loss Techniques for the Filling and Inpainting of Horizon ’72: A Screenprint by Noriko Yamamoto Prince Theresa J. Smith, Project Adviser (Garman Art Conservation) Jessica E. Chapman SLP Training and Legislative Knowledge When Working with Immigrant and Refugee Populations: A Qualitative Study Dr. Camilo Maldonado III, Project Adviser (Speech-Language Pathology) Mariah A. Blocho, Morgan E. Gibeault, Danielle M. Jarosz Implementation of Computer Assisted Instruction to Increase Early Reading Foundational Skills for Students with Emotional Disturbance Disorder Dr. Theresa Janczak, Project Adviser (Exceptional Education) 2019 Outstanding Master's Thesis Scott E. Miller The Bully Pulpit and The Pulpit Bully: A Comparison of How Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Donald Trump Used the Media To Propel Their Careers and Political Agendas Dr. David Carson, Thesis Adviser (History) Garrett Busshart The Lacanian Real as Absent Cause: The Name(s)-of-the-Father, or Les Non-Dupes Errent Dr. David Ben-Merre, Thesis Adviser (English) Outstanding Master's Project Christopher Mesi Bail Treatment and Judicial Discretion: Effects of Offender and Case Characteristics Across Four U.S. Courts in New York Dr. JawJeong Wu, Project Adviser (Criminal Justice) Christina Lopardi Critical Ecological Literacy through Ecojustice Education at the Elementary Level Dr. Jevon Hunter, Project Adviser (Elementary Education) 2018 Outstanding Master's Thesis Alyson K. Borowczyk "I am the Handmaid of the Lord": The Spiritual Development of Mary Ward Amidst English Catholic Clerical Crisis, 1585-1630 Dr. Andrew D. Nicholls, Thesis Adviser (History) Bethany N. Pryor Scottish Emigration to British North America 1770-1783: The First Phase of Scottish Highland Diaspora Dr. Andrew D. Nicholls, Thesis Adviser (History) Megan C. Cole Histories Become Fiction: Variations on the Literary Case Study Dr. Jennifer Ryan-Bryant, Thesis Adviser (English) Jeremy D. Williams The French Way: Henry James and the British Theater Dr. Anthony J.W. Chase, Thesis Adviser (English) Outstanding Master's Project Caroline M. Alagna Education for the Changing Public Sector: An Impact Study of the SUNY Buffalo State's MPA in Erie County Department of Social Services' Employee Education Program Dr. Laurie Buonanno, Project Adviser (Public Administration) 2017 Outstanding Master's Thesis Michael J. Olejniczak Forest Islands in a Sea of Urban Habitat Dr. Robert J. Warren II, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Philip L. Pinzone Do Novel Weapons that Degrade Mycorrhizal Mutualisms Explain Invasive Species Success? Dr. Robert Warren II, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Zachary A. Cava Behavioral Differences between Native and Exotic Invertebrate Prey Affect Susceptibility to Predation by a Native Amphibian Predator Dr. Amy M. McMillan, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Outstanding Master's Project Anna R. Leone Thinking like an Artist: An Action Research Study Applying Artist-Teacher Philosophy in an Elementary Art Classroom Dr. Alice Pennisi, Project Adviser (Art Education) 2016 Outstanding Master's Thesis Anthony J. DiGesare Confining Country, Confining City: Real Imaginary Places in the Work of Sam Selvon Dr. Karen Sands-O'Connor, Thesis Adviser (English) Matthew Candeias Rareness Starts Early for Disturbance-Dependent Grassland Place Species Dr. Robert Warren II, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Charlene H. Gray More than Movement - Ant Seed Dispersal Inhibits Phytopathogenic Fungi Dr. Robert Warren II, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Brian E. Haas Home Range, Habitat Use, and Movements of Native Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica), and Sympatric Invasive Red-eared Slider Turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans), in the Upper Niagara River Dr. Edward Standora, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Outstanding Master's Project Rebecca L. Saunders The Design and Development of Educational Technology Professional Development Using Classroom Performance System (CPS) for Secondary Mathematics Teachers Dr. Jo Yudess, Project Adviser (Educational Technology) Christine "Minna" Kempf Creating a Place for Muslims in America: An Action Research Study Documenting the Implementation of an Islamic Middle School Art Curriculum Focused on Cultural Identity Dr. Alice Pennisi, Project Adviser (Art Education) 2015 Outstanding Master's Thesis Ashley L. Smith Artist Practice in the Elementary Classroom: Redefining Art Teaching Through Artist-Teacher Philosophy Dr. Alice C. Pennisi, Thesis Adviser (Art Education) Allyse M. Fischer Effects of Round Goby Presence on Invertebrate and Microbial Communities in Decaying Leaf Matter of a Lake Erie Tributary Stream Dr. Christopher Pennuto, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Timothy A. Collins Rap Aesthetics and the Postmodern Imaginary Dr. Jennifer Ryan, Thesis Adviser (English) April L. O'Brien “God Loves All Them Feelings”: Renegotiating Faith and Sexuality in The Color Purple and Angels in America Dr. Jennifer Ryan, Thesis Adviser (English) Outstanding Master's Project Tracy Fox A Case Study Investigating How Art Education Fosters Collaboration in an Urban Environment Through the Lens of Public Pedagogy Dr. Shirley Hayes, Project Adviser (Art Education) Corinne E. Carter-Stadler, Kimberly Farr, Liane Schaub, and Jessica D. Washington Using an Early Reading Intervention Program to Increase Phonological Awareness Skills in Pre-Kindergarten Students At-Risk for Reading Failure Dr. Theresa M. Janczak, Project Adviser (Exceptional Education) 2014 Outstanding Master's Thesis Darlene García Torres Sustainability through Autonomy, Safety, Ownership, and Adaptability: A Qualitative Case Study of Locust Street Art in Buffalo, NY Dr. Alice C. Pennisi, Thesis Adviser (Art Education) Meghan K. Jensen Conservation Genetics in New York’s Giant Salamander: The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) Dr. Amy M. McMillan, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Heidi Wallace Now, in the Time of Salpiglossis: A Study of Sound and Image in the Poetry of Stevens, Moore, and Bishop Dr. David N. Ben-Merre, Thesis Adviser (English) Joelle L. Mann (Re)Visions of Gender: Reading the Uncanny in Virginia Woolf, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Hilda Doolittle Dr. Peter Ramos, Thesis Adviser (English) Outstanding Master's Project Lisa J. Pavlak Be Your Own Art Teacher: How a Novice Art Teacher Learns About Contemporary Art and How to Teach it Meaningfully Dr. Alice C. Pennisi, Project Adviser (Art Education) Katarina N. Silvestri Vocabulary Instruction for Young English Learners: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study Examining Best Practices for a Growing Population Dr. Keli Garas-York, Project Adviser (Elementary Education & Reading) Sarah A. Chudyk Parentage Analysis and Conservation Genetics Educational Material for the Eastern Hellbender Salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis Dr. Amy M. McMillan, Project Adviser (Biology) 2013 Outstanding Master's Thesis William Marks Structural Analysis of the Drosophila Innexin ShakB: Role of the N-Terminus in Rectifying Electrical Synapses I. Martha Skerrett Thesis Adviser (Biology) Alana Ryder By My Side: Charles E. Burchfield's Letters to Bertha K. Burchfield from 1923 to 1963 Cynthia A. Conides, Thesis Adviser (History and Social Studies Education) Christopher N. Brown Perceptions Measurement of Professional Certifications to Augment Buffalo State Baccalaureate Technology Programs, as a Representative American Postsecondary Educational Institution John J. Earshen, Thesis Adviser (Technology) Outstanding Master's Project Lawrence Banach Isostatic Pressing Effects on Silicon Carbide Mohan Devgun, Project Adviser (Technology) 2012 Outstanding Master's Thesis Caitlin M. Hogan-Lazar "One-Piece Suit": Gender as a Construction in Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children Barish Ali, Thesis Adviser (English) Nicole L. Wagner Leonardo's Virgin of the Rocks: The History, the Mystery and the Museums' Considerations of the Two Paintings Cynthia A. Conides, Thesis Adviser (History and Social Studies Education) Sean M. Piatek The Feasibility of Martian Colonization: An Input-Output Analysis Victor Kasper, Jr., Thesis Adviser (Economics and Finance) Outstanding Master's Project Robin L. Reczek Qualitative Action Research on Teaching Diversity in a Non-Diverse High School Setting Using Contemporary Art Shirley Hayes, Project Adviser (Art Education) Luigi Palumbo International Fisher Effect: An Analysis of European Monetary Union Theodore F. Byrley, Project Adviser (Economics and Finance) Joselyne L. Chenane Adaptation of African and non-African Refugees to Law Enforcement in Buffalo, New York John H. Song, Project Adviser (Criminal Justice) 2011 Outstanding Master's Thesis Nini Dong Effects of Prior Experience and Age on Predator Avoidance and Olfactory Associate Learning by Crayfish in Great Lakes Christopher M. Pennuto, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Maureen E. McCarthy Enacting an Assets-Pedagogy to Develop Youth Assets: Teaching K-12 Urban Youth in an After-school Visual Arts Program Using Participatory Action Research Shirley Hayes, Thesis Adviser (Art Education) Outstanding Master's Project Karen M. Zelak A Contemporary Approach to Art Education for At-Risk, Alternative High School Students Mary J. Wyrick, Project Adviser (Art Education) Amy E. Hambridge Exploring Student Response to Literature in an Online Forum versus a Reading Response Journal Keli Garas-York, Project Adviser (Elementary Education) Morris W. Suttles The Death Penalty as Applied to Corporate Crime Geoffrey R. Skoll, Project Adviser (Criminal Justice) 2010 Outstanding Master's Thesis Nicola R. Matthews Poverty Through the Looking Glass: How Neoclassical Economics Veils the Nature of Poverty Tae Hee Jo, Thesis Adviser (Applied Economics) Salvatore T. Sedita Tracing Shadows: The Africanist Presence in Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables and Morrison's Jazz Aimable Twagilimana, Thesis Adviser (English) Outstanding Master's Project Daniel L. Adamchick Development of Purpose-Built CNC Rolling Lathe for Production John Earshen, Project Adviser (Industrial Technology) Jennifer M. Breier Symptoms of Society: A Study of Issues Regarding the Incorporation of Female Artists in Art Curricula and Approaches to the Pedagogy of Gender Matters in Education Alice Pennisi, Project Adviser (Art Education) Stavros Michailidis Developing and Presenting the workshop "Make it Happen with Momentum" Jon Michael Fox, Project Adviser (Center for Studies in Creativity) 2009 Outstanding Master's Thesis Awatif Z. Abu-Ahmed Evaluation of Foreign Aid as an Effective Policy Option for Economic Growth in Developing Countries Victor Kasper, Thesis Adviser (Applied Economics) Dekasset L. Drabo The Impact of Political Instability on Per Capita Income: Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa Victor Kasper, Thesis Adviser (Applied Economics) Christine L. Fina I am not a 'spook'; I am a 'Lost Boy': Learning to see the Underachieving Boy in High School English Classes Aimable Twagilimana, Thesis Adviser (English) Outstanding Master's Project Caroline M. Aungst Geographic Literacy and Second Language Acquisition: How to Connect LOTE Students to Their World Eliane McKee, Project Adviser (Modern and Classical Languages) 2008 Outstanding Master's Thesis Christopher T. Kokoszka The Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907: The Events that led to its Successful Completion and How it was Received by the British Press Andrew D. Nicholls, Thesis Adviser (History and Social Studies Education) Stephanie E. Richards Assessing Cognitive Style Using a Problem Construction Task John F. Cabra, Thesis Adviser (Center for Studies in Creativity) Outstanding Master's Project Lisa A. Lucente, Kim A. Parzymieso and Debra S. Pretorius Use of Self-Regulated Strategy to Assist with Essay Writing on State Assessment Kevin Miller, Project Adviser (Exceptional Education) Heidi D. SanGeorge Seeking Ways to Increase Middle School Students' Respect for the Visual Arts Using Action Research Shirley Hayes, Project Adviser (Art Education) 2007 Outstanding Master's Thesis Robin L. Foster A Study of the Hellbender Salamander (Cryptobranchus Alleganiensis) In the Allegheny River Drainage of New York State: Examination of Population Trends, Assessment of Capture Methods, and Development of Genetic Techniques Amy M. McMillan, Thesis Adviser (Biology) Carol Marie Hammond Critically Negotiating the Visual: An Action Research Project Documenting the Creation of a New Curriculum that Emphasizes the Deconstruction of Visual Culture through the Exploration of Gender Stereotypes in the Media Alice C. Pennisi, Thesis Adviser (Art Education) David J. Shapiro-Zysk The Separation of Church and Twain: Deist Philosophy in the Writings of Mark Twain Thomas J. Reigstad, Thesis Adviser (English) Outstanding Master's Project Penny Carlson-Palma Visual Culture Discussions in an Affective Environment: Changing the Pedagogical Approach and Course Content of a Sixth Grade Art Curriculum Alice C. Pennisi, Project Adviser (Art Education) Ashwini J. Kulkarni Reassessment of Valuation Ratios and Portfolio Returns Theodore F. Byrley, Project Adviser (Economics and Finance) Bonnie S. Rice Overcoming Students’ Science Misconceptions: Shedding Light on the Earth-Moon-Sun System Barbara J. Smith, Project Adviser (Elementary Education and Reading) 2006 Outstanding Master's Thesis Troy Macri Oil Price Shocks and the Natural Rate of Unemployment Department: Economics and Finance Graduated: spring 2005 Adviser: Dr. Victor Kasper (Economics) Deborah Martin A (Third) “Place in Which Something Has Occurred”: Conflict and Negotiation in Nadine Gordimer’s Fiction Department: English Graduated: spring 2005 Adviser: Dr. Aimable Twagilimana (English) Suzanna Ramos Cross-Cultural Studies of Implicit Theories of Creativity: A Comparative Analysis between the United States and the Main Ethnic Groups in Singapore Department: Creative Studies Graduated: summer 2005 Adviser: Dr. Gerard Puccio (Craetive Studies) Christopher Riley Relationships between Benthic Macroinvertebrate Indices and Water Quality Parameters for a Great Lakes Watershed Department: Multidisciplinary Studies (Environmental Science) Graduated: summer 2005 Adviser: Dr. Shreeram Inamdar (Great Lakes Center) Outstanding Master's Project Teresa Eberhard Decoding the Earth Science Reference Tables – Developing Graphic Literacy Department: Earth Sciences and Science Education Graduated: spring 2005 Adviser: Dr. Robin Harris (Earth Science and Science Education) Victor Mirgorod The Determinants of an Equity Prices Model Department: Applied Economics Graduated: summer 2005 Adviser: Dr. Victor Kasper (Economics) Tina Schmatz Educating Students with Special Needs in the Foreign Language Classroom Department: Multidisciplinary Studies Graduated: spring 2005 Principal Adviser: Dr. Eliane McKee (Modern and Classical Languages) 2005 Outstanding Master's Thesis Sabrina E. Redwing Saunders Native Perceptions of Curriculum: Embracing One Worldview of Native Curriculum Department: Elementary Education Adviser: Lori V. Quigley Yanqing Wang Analysis of the Role of HSP110 in the Development and Physiology of Caenorhabditis elegans Department: Biology Adviser: Gregory J. Wadsworth Elizabeth Marie McLean Title: Examining the Relationship between Individuals’ Creative Products and their Creativity Styles Department: Creative Studies Adviser: Gerard J. Puccio Outstanding Master's Project Patrick C. Root One Size Really doesn’t Fit All: Differentiated Instruction and Art Education at the Sixth-Grade Level Department: Art Education Adviser: Mary Wyrick Donna M. Sylvester Can Internet-Based Activities Be Successfully Incorporated into the Foreign Language Curriculum on a Regular Basis? Department: Modern and Classical Languages Adviser: Eliane McKee Christopher W. Gosling Challenges Facing High School Physics Students: An Annotated Synopsis of Peer-Reviewed Literature Addressing Curriculum Relevance and Gender Department: Physics Adviser: Dan L. MacIsaac 2004 Outstanding Master's Thesis Steven A. Gill The Decline in Crown Management of the Early Stuart House of Commons: 1604–1629 Department: History Adviser: Dr. Andrew Nicholls (History) Diane M. Steele The Influence of Cognitive Style on Insight Problem Solving Department: Creative Studies Adviser: Dr. Gerard Puccio (Creative Studies) Outstanding Master's Project James P. Grover Science Writing: Writing in a Sixth Grade Science Classroom Department: Earth Science Adviser: Dr. Robin Harris (Earth Science and Science Education) Kori Grasha Latin 2 Curriculum Frameworks: Using the ECCE Romani Text Series Department: Multidisciplinary Studies Adviser: Dr. Eliane McKee (Modern and Classical Languages)
