Exceptional Faculty and Staff Honored with SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

May 20, 2024

Six members of the Hudson Valley Community College faculty and staff were named recipients of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence for 2024.

Instituted in 1972 by the State University of New York, the SUNY Chancellor's Award recognizes exceptional contributions to the university by dedicated professionals. Recipients must show a strong dedication to their work, scholarship and the college community. Since its inception, nearly 200 faculty and staff members from Hudson Valley have received the award.

2024 Recipients

Excellence in Classified Service

Alicia Phelan
Program Assistant Academics III, Computer Science and Mathematics
Phelan has served as program assistant to several departments in her nearly 16 years with the college and offers exemplary support to faculty and students. She has developed new processes to help department operations and has created and modified forms to enhance operations and efficiency. She is a member of the Academic Senate and secretary of the Personnel Resources Committee and previously served as an officer of her bargaining unit.

Excellence in Faculty Service

Donna Barron, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Barron has served as a faculty member in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics department for 19 years and leads a wide variety of community outreach events and initiatives to reach new student populations. In addition to making a difference in her classrooms and labs, she is the Biotechnology program coordinator and has done an exceptional job in promoting career and transfer opportunities through professional visits, panels discussions, poster sessions and cross-collaboration with transfer institutions and local industry.

Excellence in Professional Service

Jay Deitchman, Ph.D.
Director of Global Initiatives
Deitchman has worked in student services at Hudson Valley for more than 21 years and leads global strategies to position Hudson Valley as a partner in education and workforce training worldwide. He is instrumental in creating agreements and cross-border collaborations, hosts numerous international delegations on campus and is deeply committed to international students on campus. His knowledge and dedication enhance the diversity of the student population and their understanding of our globally connected society.

Dennis Wax
Director of Strategic Planning
Wax first served as assistant director for the college’s Verizon Next Step Program at the college and advanced to a new role in the Institutional Effectiveness office as director of Strategic Planning. In that role, he is credited with supporting and improving the assessment and unit planning process, contributing to the successful development and implementation of college-wide strategic planning activities and collaborating on successful regional accreditation efforts. He is an actively engaged member of the college community and serves on the Academic Senate.

Excellence in Teaching

Mark Stephens, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Stephens has served as professor in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics department for 15 years and excelled at teaching and engaging students with his enthusiasm and real-life, relatable examples to foster the learning of complex scientific concepts. He also has served the college as co-chair of the Middle States working group for the Educational Effectiveness Assessment and devised a new catalog system for the college’s evidence library to support successful regional reaccreditation.

Laura Tubbs
Assistant Professor, Dental Hygiene
Tubbs has served as a full-time faculty member in the Dental Hygiene program since 2016 and led numerous efforts to guide, support and retain students in the departments’ degree programs. Through a caring and compassionate teaching style and innovative use of technology in the clinic and classroom, she has had a remarkable impact on her students’ success. She has made significant contributions to the college’s shared governance community, including service as a member of the Academic Senate and its Curriculum Committee.