Three Receive Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence

Three Geneseo students have received 2019 Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence. SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson presented the awards to the following Geneseo students, all seniors:

   Patrick Buckley from Elmira, NY
   Emily Janiszewski from Hamburg, NY
   Elena Kleinhenz from Delmar, NY

“Today’s award recipients emerged from their campuses this year as the top scholars, athletes, performers, and achievers, as well as a tremendous source of inspiration,” said Chancellor Johnson. “The students being recognized today made the choice to be leaders on their campuses, prioritize their studies, and serve their communities. Congratulations to this year’s awardees, and I applaud you for pursuing excellence in all that you do.”

Buckley, Janiszewski, and Kleinhenz were among 210 SUNY students from across the state to receive the award. They convened in Albany with their families, campus presidents, senior staff, and faculty on April 24 for the presentation.

Buckley is a biochemistry major, a Presidential Scholar, and member of both the Edgar Fellows Honors Program and Phi Beta Kappa. He is an Andrew Goodman Foundation Vote Everywhere Ambassador, a member of the College Task Force on Voter Registration and Engagement, and the office manager of Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development. He was the 2017 James Houston ’80 Ambassador in Innovation, culminating in the development of the Discovery Café program.

Janiszewski is a business administration major and an All-American goalkeeper for the SUNY Geneseo women’s soccer team. A Dean’s List regular, she has volunteered with Special Olympics and served as a mentor with the Council for Exceptional Children. In addition to being a four-time All-Conference selection, including 2018 SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year and twice leading the Knights to the NCAA Tournament, she served as the advertising sales director for Geneseo’s student newspaper The Lamron.

Kleinhenz, a double major in biology and Spanish, is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and TriBeta, Phi Sigma Iota, Phi Eta Sigma, and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. Also an active volunteer for several organizations, she has conducted research at SUNY Geneseo, the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health, and the Neurology and Research Services of the VA Medical Center in Albany, NY.

The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement.

Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews the accomplishments of exemplary students. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the award.

 For a complete listing of student recipients, visit SUNY Chancellor’s Award.