Buffalo State to honor Paterson with Distinguished Alumnus Award at 154th Commencement celebration
Buffalo State University alumnus Wendy A. Paterson, ’75, ’76, interim dean of the School of Education and Applied Professions, will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award during Buffalo State’s 154th Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16, in the campus Sports Arena.
Since 1965, Buffalo State has recognized its outstanding alumni with the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award. Through their work, service to others, and generosity, these graduates have demonstrated the qualities the university seeks to cultivate in its students. The ideal candidate meets the following criteria: significant achievement and recognition in their field; dedication to community service, civic affairs, and volunteerism; and demonstrated ongoing support for and loyalty to the university and its mission.
Wendy A. Paterson, Ph.D., Class of 1975 and 1976
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD
9:00 a.m. Ceremony
Wendy A. Paterson, Ph.D., is interim dean of the School of Education and Applied Professions at Buffalo State University, where she also serves as professor and head of the teacher education unit. She earned her Ph.D. in elementary education from the University at Buffalo in 1997; master of science in education with certification in literacy from Buffalo State in 1976; and bachelor of science in education from Buffalo State in 1975.
A native of Kenmore, New York, Paterson enrolled at Buffalo State to follow her life’s ambition to become a teacher. She began teaching as a reading specialist in the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda UFSD, then shifted into the world of higher education as coordinator of developmental skills at Trocaire College. She returned to her alma mater in 1988 to help launch Buffalo State’s new Academic Skills Center; her efforts were recognized with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 1996. She was named an assistant professor in the Elementary Education and Reading Department in 1997, and she was later promoted to full professor and served as department chair for two terms. Her career progressed in various leadership roles over the next two decades, including in faculty governance, diversity initiatives, academic excellence, and strategic planning.
Paterson left Buffalo State in 2009 to become the second dean of the School of Education at St. John Fisher College, a position she held for three years until returning to Buffalo State in 2012 to become dean of the School of Education. She developed six priority areas for the School of Education: Curriculum Renewal, Border Crossing, A Shared Culture of Doing, Impact and Partnerships, Growth Mindset, and Exemplars of Teaching.
Paterson’s publications include Unbroken Homes: Single Parent Mothers Tell Their Stories and The Forgotten Parent: Divorced Dads on Parenting Through and Beyond Divorce. She and four colleagues were awarded the Albert Harris Award from the International Reading Association for their innovative research on instructional technology and early literacy.
Paterson is known as a passionate advocate for teachers and the teaching profession, speaking and writing widely on the subject. Admired by faculty members and students alike, she has spearheaded a wide array of education initiatives at Buffalo State, including the award-winning Professional Development Partnerships and International Professional Development Partnerships; Urban Teacher Academy; two endowed chairs in education; and much more. Since its founding in 1871, Buffalo State has enjoyed and long and distinguished history of preparing highly effective teachers and educational leaders—Paterson has contributed in a prolific way to that mission and legacy.
