Employees Receive SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: May 7, 2010

CONTACT: Lisa Saunders

(845) 574 - 4244

lsaunde2@sunyrockland.edu

Three SUNY Rockland Community College Employees Receive
the Prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

Suffern, NY - Three SUNY Rockland Community College employees received the SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence from the State University of New York system. They will be recognized at the RCC Commencement on May 23.

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service:

Peter Arvanites, Professor, Mathematics, has been with the College since 1987. In addition to teaching, Arvanites of New City is the advisor to the student Chess Club and serves as a mentor in the Sam Draper Mentor/Talented Student Honors Program, with his “mentees” gaining acceptance into the Ivy League and other top tier colleges. He served as Faculty Senate President from 2005 to 2009.Arvanites earned a B.S. degree in mathematics from Manhattan College and a M.A. degree in mathematics from the University of South Florida. In 1997, he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Classified Service:

Diane Mena, Support Staff, Business Department, has been with the College since 2003, working with the Departments of Mathematics, Business and Foreign Languages, providing outstanding service to students and faculty, including assisting with the scheduling of classes. A single mother who formerly worked two full-time jobs waitressing to support her children, she excels in developing procedures to improve office efficiency. She also assists and oversees the annual planning of special academic events for the Business Department. Bilingual, she is often overheard assisting Spanish speaking students in need of help. Mena earned a B.A. degree in Environmental Science at SUNY Purchase. She resides in Spring Valley.

SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service:

Elissa Silverstein, Assistant Professor/Counselor of Financial Aid, a 1979 graduate of RCC, began her career at the College in 1981.  In addition to providing financial aid information to new and continuing students, she is also the Veterans Certifying Officer, advising veterans on Veterans Educational Benefits. Silverstein volunteers her time to serve as Chair of the Foundation's Annual Scholarship Program and personally funds two family scholarships while supporting two other scholarships dear to her heart.  A Suffern resident, she earned an A.A. degree from Rockland Community College and a B.A. degree in Psychology from Harpur College, SUNY Binghamton. Her son, Max, is also an RCC graduate.

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Rockland Community College, a unit of the State University of New York, is located 25 miles northwest of NYC. The majority of its students transfer to four-year colleges, and many find immediate employment upon earning their associate's degree or certificate. The College also offers others, from preschoolers to senior citizens, the opportunity to simply learn something new. Quality education...at a price you can afford.