Chancellor John B. King Jr.
Visits SUNY Oneonta
ONEONTA—State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. visited SUNY Oneonta on Thursday, February 16 to meet with students, faculty, staff, and community leaders and learn more about programs that support student success, research, economic growth, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Chancellor King started his day in Cooperstown with a tour of SUNY Oneonta’s Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies and the 2,600-acre Biological Field Station, which houses labs, classrooms, conference spaces, offices and equipment for research support and is home to the university’s Lake Management graduate program.
At the Physical Science Building, iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) student research team members Liam Buchanan, Julia Alvarenga and Jacob Aubrey gave Chancellor King a synopsis of their cyanobacteria project, which won a silver medal at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris last fall. It was the third consecutive silver medal for the iGEM team, which is guided by Jill Fielhaber, associate professor of biology, Kelly Gallagher, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Bill Vining, professor of chemistry and biochemistry.
At Lee Hall, Chancellor King toured the Center for Racial Justice and Inclusive Excellence, which hosts educational and social events focused on antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion and is home to a social justice museum and learning library.
The visit ended with a meeting with state Assemblyman Brian Miller and members of the Regional Innovation Council, which SUNY Oneonta established last year to bring together leaders of area businesses, nonprofit organizations and government to collaborate on initiatives aimed at meeting the workforce and economic development needs of Oneonta and Otsego County.
Oneonta was the thirteenth stop on a tour that will take the chancellor to each of the 64 campuses in the SUNY system this spring.
