Meet the Buffalo State recipients of the 2025 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

Buffalo State University proudly recognizes three exemplary students who have been awarded the 2025 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest student honor bestowed by the State University of New York. The Chancellor’s Award recognizes students who have integrated academic excellence with distinguished achievement in areas such as community service, campus involvement, creative and performing arts, athletics, entrepreneurship, leadership, and career achievement.

The Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence were officially awarded by SUNY during a ceremony on April 29 at the Hart Theatre in Albany, New York. Buffalo State’s winners will again be recognized during the university’s 153rd Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17, in the campus Sports Arena. 

Imran Fazal

SUNY CHANCELLOR’S AWARD FOR STUDENT EXCELLENCE

SCHOOL OF THE PROFESSIONS STUDENT ADDRESS
9:00 a.m. Ceremony | School of the Professions

Imran Fazal has earned a bachelor of science in social work, attaining a 4.0 GPA while serving as a passionate advocate for refugee rights and social justice. Born stateless in Myanmar, Fazal was denied citizenship and education, forcing him to flee alone as a teenager. He spent eight years in refugee camps, including an Australian offshore detention center, where he taught himself to read and write—an act that ignited his passion for storytelling and advocacy.

After resettling in the United States in 2018, Fazal began formal education at age 21. Despite the late start, he excelled—serving as president of Phi Theta Kappa at Truman College and student trustee for the City Colleges of Chicago.

As a writer, Fazal uses journalism to uplift the voices of displaced communities. He won a blog competition with Amnesty International and became a Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow, later receiving the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2021 Mark of Excellence Award. He has published nearly 50 articles in major outlets, and his personal journey was featured in the New York Times.

At Buffalo State, Fazal was named an Undergraduate Research Fellow and received the 2024 Social Work Excellence Award. His study on the resettlement and educational experiences of Rohingya refugees in Buffalo was accepted for presentation at the 2025 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and the Student Research and Creativity Conference.

Fazal founded the Rohingya Empowerment Community (REC), a nonprofit currently awaiting 501(c)(3) approval, which provides case management, education, and employment support. He also partnered with the Community Academic Center on the Learning Family Project and served on the board of the Refugee Education and Adventure Challenge. His advocacy has taken him to Washington, DC, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University, and the upcoming United Nations Civil Society Dialogue in Geneva, Switzerland. Recipient of the Deborah K. Renzi Social Advocacy Award and a Phi Alpha Honor Society inductee, Fazal has led a journey that reflects the power of resilience, education, and a commitment to justice.

Lorinda M. John

SUNY CHANCELLOR’S AWARD FOR STUDENT EXCELLENCE
9:00 a.m. Ceremony | School of the Professions

Lorinda John has earned a bachelor of science in hospitality administration with a concentration in restaurant and institutional management, attaining a 3.46 GPA while working as an Indigenous private chef and award-winning cultural bearing artist. John has successfully balanced her academics with multiple thriving professional businesses and an exceptional record of volunteerism and community service.

A charismatic entrepreneur, John is the owner and operator of LoMade Meals, which creates menus and culinary experiences highlighting Indigenous culture. Her business delivers much-needed nutritional meals to elders in the Seneca community and has been featured at high-profile events hosted by the Buffalo Bills, Delaware North, and others. Her business was designated as an approved internship site by Buffalo State, allowing Ms. John to supervise two interns who are hospitality administration majors. In line with her business plan and philosophy, John continues to pursue additional opportunities that meet her goal of providing services to the Seneca territory and the community.

John has demonstrated ongoing leadership within her academic circles, as well as within numerous local organizations and programs. She was invited to participate in multiple events at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum for Indigenous People’s Day, Indigenous Veterans Day, and Remembrance Day this past fall, curating menu options highlighting Indigenous food. In October 2024, she was invited by the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute (NFCI) to prepare a multicourse menu at their Savor Restaurant. As a result of her performance at this event, she has been invited to return and work at the 2025 NFCI summer camp.

As a gifted cultural bearing artist, John received the prestigious Creatives Rebuild New York Fellowship that provides an 18-month stipend for emerging artists. Under the fellowship, she established her own art studio, Aurora Treasures, which specializes in cedar wood creations and makes art presentations at local schools, libraries, and universities. She also has participated in a group exhibition at the Tri-County Arts Council.

John participated in the Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) Entrepreneurship in the Arts program in the fall and was also a member of the SBDC Bengal Entrepreneurship Program, where she was a finalist in the SBDC and Bank of America Student Business Plan Competition. In addition, Ms. John has volunteered with World Central Kitchen, providing on-site fresh meals in response to global humanitarian, climate, and community crises.

Sophie Tversky

SUNY CHANCELLOR’S AWARD FOR STUDENT EXCELLENCE
9:00 a.m. Ceremony | School of the Professions

Sophie Tversky has earned a master of science in creativity and change leadership, attaining a 4.0 GPA. A distance student working internationally, she has made herself a vibrant member of the worldwide creativity and innovation community. She has been described as a global citizen, demonstrating a strong commitment to her graduate studies and ability to embrace change as she helps others to come together to create impactful solutions.

Continuing to work full time while pursuing her master’s degree program, Tversky is a cultural transformation and innovation consultant, helping global organizations to innovate as well as transform their organizational cultures and collaborative practices. She also is an Australian lawyer, bringing a strong understanding of governance, ethics, and critical thinking.

Tversky has received numerous academic and professional awards. At Buffalo State University in 2024, she received both the Firestien Family Creative Achievement Award and the Mary Murdock Creative Spirit Award from the Creativity and Change Leadership Department. She trained in and has facilitated Polarity Thinking since 2023, adding to her robust toolkit and demonstrating her commitment to learning.

Tversky has been an active contributor to online learning at Buffalo State, engaging with the Creativity and Change Leadership Department to further improve the benefits and learning experience for all distance students. Her leadership abilities have been ever-present throughout the master’s program, both through her rigorous research addressing key gaps in creativity and innovation literature and her ability to bring people together during instructional activities. Ms. Tversky’s mentorship in her studies and professional work was particularly noted.

Tversky has quickly risen to an influential position in her field. In 2024, she was a selected participant in the Executive Leaders Mentoring Program with the International Women’s Forum in Canada. She was appointed a member of the 2024 MindCamp Creativity Conference Organizing Committee and as a program facilitator at the 2024 CREA Conference in Italy, Europe’s largest creativity and innovation conference. She was invited to return to CREA in 2025 as a core facilitator.

Fazal and John headshots by Jesse Steffan-Colucci, Buffalo State photographer; Tversky headshot by Jonathan Tversky.