Professor Melendez selected for significant leadership growth opportunity with SUNY system, complementing his advanced research at SUNY Poly

ALBANY, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) Professor of Nanobioscience Dr. J. Andre Melendez has been selected to be a 2018 Fellow-In-Residence in the State University of New York’s (SUNY’s) Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI), an intensive 12-month experience based at SUNY System Administration with rotations at different SUNY campuses. The honor is designed to support leadership growth while simultaneously providing additional real world experience in the field.
 
“I am proud to congratulate Dr. Melendez on becoming a Fellow-In-Residence for SUNY’s Hispanic Leadership Institute, which is a testament to his leadership both in and outside the lab as he conducts exciting nanobioscience-related research that could lead to improved understanding of diseases and aging, and potentially, to improved treatments,” said SUNY Poly Interim President Dr. Bahgat Sammakia. “The SUNY Fellow-In-Residence program is a powerful tool for enabling on-campus leaders to further enhance the university’s culture of success, and on behalf of SUNY Poly, we congratulate Dr. Melendez on this recognition.”
 
“I am honored to become a Fellow-In-Residence for the SUNY HLI, and I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate across a number of SUNY campuses and benefit from this valuable program that inspires leaders to achieve even more in their careers,” said Dr. Melendez. “I am eager to gain, share, and enhance skills that can not only add to my background but also benefit SUNY Poly, the advanced research undertaken in my lab, and SUNY overall.”
 
Dr. Melendez, who is also the Associate Head of the Nanobioscience Constellation, or department, at SUNY Poly, maintains a research focus in areas that include free radical biology, cellular and organismal aging biology, matrix remodeling, nanobiotechnology, and host and pathogen interactions. He has received numerous honors and awards, such as Sigma Xi support in aid of research, the National Hispanic Scholarship, and the Sosa Academy of Medicine Outstanding Mentor Award, among others. He currently serves on the editorial board of Free Radical Biology and Medicine, and his research has been published in dozens of publications. He has participated in numerous invited lectures and presentations at conferences and universities throughout the United States.
 
As part of the HLI Fellowship program, Dr. Melendez will undertake either a scholarly or applied learning experience that will support leadership development in higher education. Each Fellow is also assigned a mentor, gaining leadership experience through a series of article reviews and analysis, along with several online-based 90-minute group sessions that are held to provide growth opportunities.
 
The 2018 SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute Fellow-In-Residence program kicked off in conjunction with the SUNY SAIL Institute’s Winter Leadership Retreat in January. In addition, a one-day, in-person gathering of the HLI fellows will occur in Albany during the month of April, with a June closing retreat planned in conjunction with SUNY’s Executive Leadership Academy in New York City. The Inaugural Class of SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute Fellows was recently announced here.

 
 
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About SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)
SUNY Poly is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.

Contact: Steve Ference, Director of University Communications
                    (518) 956-7319 | sference@sunypoly.edu