Onondaga Community College's Board of Trustees voted earlier this week to award an honorary degree to local broadcasting legend Rod Wood. He recently announced his retirement from WSYR TV, Newschannel 9.
Samira Morton wants to make a difference in her community. That's why she spent election day working from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. at a polling place in the Sunnyside neighborhood in Queens. Her job was to check-in people when they arrived and show them their ballots. "I thought it would be really interesting to be part of a historical election. We were expecting a hectic and problematic day but it was completely the opposite. There was a huge line but it worked out smoothly!"
Onondaga Community College's Board of Trustees welcomed new Student Trustee Eleanor Petrucco today. She was sworn-in by Board Chair John P. Sindoni, Esq. As the Student Trustee, Petrucco will attend Board meetings and participate in all votes.
Petrucco is in the Humanities & Social Sciences degree program. She started taking classes on the OCC campus in the fall of 2018 while in her senior year of home schooling. She became a full-time student the following fall.
Stephen Dugas' face lights up when he remembers what being a part of baseball's Little League World Series was like nine years ago. "It was an amazing experience. We got to meet teams from all around the world and hang out with them. You could play Mario Kart with kids from Japan or Chinese Taipei or Netherlands. It was nice to be boarded up with a whole bunch of your friends doing what you loved at that early of an age. It was like a college experience well before college."
Tom Barrack isn't supposed to be alive. Three years ago he was in the hospital in such bad shape, his family members began planning his funeral. Today he's in his second semester at Onondaga Community College and, thanks to his perfect 4.0 grade point average, is a new member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. "I'm super proud of myself! I have an unshakeable sense of joy and motivation now."
Onondaga Community College's Fire Protection Technology degree program is getting a makeover. New Program Coordinator Kevin Geidel has brought his diverse background to campus and is working hard to introduce students to all of the related career options besides firefighting. Geidel has spent 20 years in the fire service and 15 years as an engineer.
If the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Pfizer biopharmaceutical company becomes one of the solutions to the pandemic, an Onondaga Community College professor and her wife will have played a critical a role in its development. Sociology Professor Dr. Annie Tuttle and her wife Melissa took part in the COVID-19 vaccine trial which was administered by SUNY Upstate Medical University's Clinical Research Unit. "We discussed the risks and decided it was important to do our part during this time and help save lives.
Jackie Barstow loves her job. As Coordinator of OCC's chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa and Coordinator of the Lillian Slutzker Honors College, she helps guide high-achieving students through their time on campus and plan their futures. "Most places where I've worked have a lot of layers between administrators and students. There are none of those layers here. If a student wants to see me I tell them to come and knock on my door. They email me directly. It's really fun and satisfying. I enjoy it."
