Young Alumnus Achievement Award

The Young Alumnus Achievement Awards, established in 2002, recognizes outstanding alumni who graduated within the last 20 years who have achieved significant professional advancement, demonstrated service to the community, and demonstrated loyalty and commitment to Buffalo State College. 

Criteria

The ideal candidate will meet the following criteria:

  • Professional achievements, such as significant professional advancement; rapid progression in his or her field; or innovative, entrepreneurial accomplishments.
  • Community service, including involvement in civic affairs, humanitarian efforts, and philanthropy
  • Service to the college, including service to the Alumni Association as well as the college; setting an inspirational example for students; activities that support the college mission
     

Nominations

  • Nominations are welcome year-round.
  • Nominations are welcome from alumni, faculty, staff, emeriti, alumni chapters, students, recognized campus organizations and friends of the college. 
  • Self-nominations are also accepted. 
  • Awards are presented in person at commencement.
  • Those selected must be able to attend the commencement ceremony in May to be eligible for the award.

 

Supporting Materials 

Additional material that supports your candidate's nomination and demonstrates his/her achievements include, but are not limited to:

  • Current resume/vita 
  • Letters of recommendation 
  • Biographical information 
  • Newspapers clippings

To assist the selection committee, please forward additional material to:

Katelyn Brickhouse
Buffalo State Alumni Association
Jacqueline Vito LoRusso Alumni & Visitor Center
1300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-1095
Phone: (716) 878-6001
Fax: (716) 878-6050
alumni@buffalostate.edu

A Note About Award Recipients

Award recipients are chosen by the Alumni Affairs Director and the President of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, from a list of nominees recommended by the Young Alumnus Achievement Award Selection Committee (comprised of alumni, faculty, and board members).

Young Alumnus Achievement Award Recipients

2022
Julia Bottoms, '12, '17
Artist

LaStarsha McGarity, '19
Art Conservator

2021
Raven Baxter, '14, '17
Research Scientist, Science Educator

Nathan Mroz, '16
Entrepreneur, Business Owner

2020
Aitina Fareed Cooke, '12, '16
Artist, Owner/Founder, Get Fokus'd Productions, Youth Advocate

2019
Morgan Williams-Bryant, '03
Senior Vice President for Community Engagement, Girl Scouts of Western NY

Mo Sumbundu, '13, '17
Assistant Director, Regional Economic Development Council of Western NY

2018
Amber Morczek, ’09
Assistant Professor of Criminology, Cottey College

2017
Krista Wierzbicki Todd, ’04
Vice President of Global Communications, Logitech

Gregory Clabeaux, ’03
Vascular Surgeon, Buffalo Medical Group

2016
Kyle R. Bradstreet, ’02, ’04
Award-winning writer and producer

2015
Rodneyse Bichotte, ’95
Member of the NY State Assembly, 42nd District

2014
Kimberly Evering, ’94
Web communications manager, Northern Virginia Community College

Mark T. Miller, '94
Research Scientist, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA

2013
Ara Bagdasarian, '95
CEO & Co-Founder, Omnilert LLC, Leesburg, VA

2012
Thomas "Thom" Tran, '04
Internationally touring stand-up comedian, writer, producer, and actor

2010
Christopher Ciamaga, ‘00
NHL Referee, National Hockey League

Erin Habes, ’03,
Self-Employed Consultant, Adjunct Instructor, Buffalo State College

Nicholas S. Laudico, ‘01
Senior Vice-President, The Ruth Group

Martha Meegan, ’92, ‘06
TV Newsroom Managing Assignment Editor, WIVB-TV

2009
Dr. Angela Maria Caba, DO, ’95 (B.A., Humanities)
Emergency Medicine Attending Physician, Lutheran Medical Center
Family Practice Attending Physician, Urban Health Plan

Richard Trigilio, ’90 (B.S., Design)
President/CEO, Medical Management Services, Inc.

Dr. Rita Zientek, M.S., ’90 (M.S., Student Personnel Administration)
Associate Dean, School of Professions
Buffalo State College

2008
Cesar A. Cabrera, '90, '06
WNY Regional Representative
NYS Department of Labor

Gerald L. Cornish, '90
First Vice President
Merrill Lynch

Kelly (Monahan) Frothingham, '94, '97
Associate Professor, Geography & Planning
Buffalo State College

Christopher R. Gallant, '92
Emmy-Winning Editor/Director
WGRZ-TV

David A. Kopasz, '93
Vice President for Food and Beverages
Seneca Niagara Casino

2007
Jennifer (Whitson) Adams, '99
Communications Director
Aspen Institute, Commission on No Child Left Behind
Washington, D.C.

Marc A. Batchelor, Esq., '89
Vice President - Credit, Builders Bank
Business/Legal Counsel,
Drug Free Kids: America's Challenge, Inc.

Holly (Meier) Hubert, '88
Supervisory Special Agent
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Joseline Pena-Melnyk, '87
State Delegate, The Maryland House of Delegates
District 21

Kevin R. Ryan, B.S. '84, M.S. '05
Special Agent
Department of Homeland Security,
Immigration & Customs

2006
Richard Baumert, '86
Managing Director
Millennium Partners

Edward Czechowski, '95, '97
Supervisor, New Product Development Engineering
Cameron Compression Systems

Beverly Dunn, '92
CEO
Multilink Group Inc.

Lisa Flynn, '86
News Anchor
WIVB-TV/WNLO-TV

Russell Griffin, '93
Assistant Vice President of Diversity
MetLife

James Hill, '88
Producer
ABC News

Amy Pearl, '87
Managing Partner
Performance Management Partners, Inc.

2005
Brett Coppins, '96, '02
Artist and Educator
Lewiston-Porter High School

Joseph Golombek, Jr., '88, '94
Common Council Member
North District

Aileen Hoffman, '88
Director, Family Services
FEGS – Health and Human Services

Nikolas Lemos, '93
Forensic Laboratory Director and Chief Medical Examiner
San Francisco CA

Darius Pridgen, '88
Senior Pastor
True Bethel Baptist Church

2004
Anthony Capece, ’87
Executive Director
Central District Management Association Inc.

Claudine Ewing, ’92
News Reporter
WGRZ-TV, Channel 2

Robert Gonzalez, ’86
Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Manhattan College

Brian Higgins, ’85
NYS Assemblyman
145th District

Uchenna Smith, ’99
Principal
KIPP Sankofa Charter School

2003
Randy Burd, '94
Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
Thomas Jefferson University
Jefferson Medical College

Kenneth Conner, '85
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
University of Rochester, School of Medicine

Robert Denning, '90
President and CEO
Perry's Ice Cream Co., Inc.

Sam Hoyt, '92
NYS Assembly Member
144th District

Gerald Mead, '85/'86
Curator of Education and Outreach/Artist
Burchfield-Penney Art Center

Sundra Ryce, '96
President and CEO
SLR Contracting and Service Company, Inc.

2002
Byron W. Brown, '83
New York State Senator
60th District

Francisco A. Guzman, '90
Supervisor, Building Construction
City of Buffalo

Mylous Hairston, '86
News Anchor and Reporter
WIVB-TV

Gregory Hoffman, '86
Vice President, Metro Banking Group
Fleet Bank

Kirsten B. Moysich, '92
Cancer Epidemiologist
Roswell Park Cancer Institute