COBLESKILL – Thomas J. Vilsack, U.S secretary of agriculture in the Obama Administration, will deliver the commencement address Saturday, May 11, at SUNY Cobleskill and receive an honorary doctor of science degree. He is currently president/CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
Confirmed in 2009, he was the longest-serving member of President Obama’s original cabinet, over which time he advocated on behalf of American farmers and agriculturalists, and pioneered initiatives aimed at environmental defense and food security. He has been recognized for his contributions by Congressional Hunger Center, Global Child Nutrition Foundation, and American Farm Bureau.
COBLESKILL – A 133-year-old bottle of beer from the shipwrecked SS Oregon was uncorked yesterday afternoon at Serious Brewing Co., Howes Cave, with the intent of duplicating it in a modern beern.
The project is a collaboration of Serious Brewing and SUNY Cobleskill. If yeast can be extracted from the original beer in the college’s labs, Serious Brewing owner and head brewer Bill Felter intends to develop a new brew using the old yeast.
SWEARING IN – 1 p.m. State Sen. Jim Seward, Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr., County Judge John Lambert, Coroners David Delker & Christian Shaefer, County Judge Brian Burns to administer the oath. Public welcome. Foothills Performing Arts Center, Oneonta.
SCHENEVUS – At approximately 4 a.m. today, a SUNY Cobleskill student died in a car crash involving six students on Interstate 88 in the Town of Maryland, the college reported.
The fatality is Douglas Alvarez, 19, of Mamaroneck, Westchester County. He was a first-year Business Administration student. All other students are either being treated at area hospitals or have been released, the college reported. Details are emerging. New York State Police are investigating.
Meagan Holveck of Oneonta, right, was among members of SUNY Cobleskill’s NAMA chapter (the National Agri-Marketing Association) at NYSHA’s second annual Celebration of Our Agricultural Community underway today at The Farmers’ Museum. Other students, from left, are Jeff King, Greg Pugh and Carolyn Marlowe. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)Dr. Marion Terenzio, SUNY Cobleskill’s new president, who has a background in music therapy, said her mandate includes “putting the culture in agriculture.”Koutnik
COOPERSTOWN – SUNY Cobleskill’s new president, Dr. Marion Terenzio, said the college offers 30 two-year associate degrees, and would be very interested in entering the conversation about creating a community college in Otsego County.
“We’re here. If there are things you want us to look at, we’re very open … Come to us,” said Terenzio, responding to a question from county Rep. Gary Koutnik, D-Oneonta, after delivering the keynote address at today’s second annual Celebration of Our Agricultural Community, organized by NYSHA and hosted at The Farmers’ Museum.
The idea of a community college surfaced most recently in the past few days during a strategic planning exercise, conducted by the Laberge Group of Albany on behalf of the county Board of Representatives.
The conference, which is free and open to the public, continues through the day at the museum’s Louis C. Jones Center.
