Faculty, staff recognized by SUNY chancellor

Three SUNY Old Westbury faculty, professional staff and classified service members will receive the prestigious State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence.

The Chancellor's Awards provide systemwide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and meant to encourage the pursuit of excellence at all 64 SUNY campuses. Each campus president submits nominations, which are reviewed by the SUNY Committee on Awards.

The campus' 2024 honorees are:

• Dr. Sylvie Kandé, associate professor of History and Philosophy: 2024 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.
• Penny Jane Chin '90, director of alumni affairs: 2024 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service.
• Brian Realmuto, office assistant: 2024 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in the Classified Service.

"Our faculty and staff are the core of what makes SUNY Old Westbury such an extraordinary institution," said University President Timothy E. Sams. "I am very pleased that these honorees have been recognized for their efforts and I look forward to celebrating their achievements."

The recipients will receive their medals on the morning May 22, 2024, before the University's 58th Commencement Ceremony, and will be recognized during the graduation program later that day.

About the Honorees

Dr. Sylvie Kandé

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities recognizes consistently outstanding scholarly and creative productivity, conducted in addition to teaching, by SUNY's instructional/teaching faculty. A member of our campus community since 2001, Dr. Kandé is an accomplished scholar who is widely recognized and respected in the field of African Studies, as well as an award-winning poet whose creative work has been translated by scholars and performed at museums and theaters around the world.

Penny Jane Chin

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service recognizes individuals who continuously demonstrate outstanding achievement, skill, and commitment and who show excellence in their position, and beyond the scope of their job description. A 1990 graduate of SUNY Old Westbury herself, Chin has been employed at the campus since 1992 and is most well-known for her work as the professional tasked with connecting with the campus' 35,000 alumni.

Brian Realmuto

The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in the Classified Service recognizes superior performance and extraordinary achievement by employees in the Classified Service who demonstrate the University's commitment to providing superior service to its students and the community at large. Realmuto joined SUNY Old Westbury's mailroom operations in 2015 and has shown dedication to improving and maintaining essential mailroom services while exhibiting professionalism and enthusiasm recognized by students, faculty and staff alike.

Achievements