For Release:         Immediate – February 23, 2016

Contact:                Jerry Gretzinger, Vice President of Strategic Communications and Public Relations ­

(518) 956-7359 | jgretzinger@sunypoly.edu

SUNY Poly Professor Honored with Third Fulbright Award

Award earns Dr. V.K. Kool invitation to present lecture series at Mahatma Gandhi University

[caption id="attachment_21331" align="alignright" width="300"] Dr. Kool on a 2013 trip to India.[/caption]

Utica, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute today announced Professor of Psychology Dr. V.K. Kool has received his third Fulbright award, second as Fulbright Specialist, to deliver a series of lectures to faculty and postgraduate students at Mahatma Gandhi University in India.

“It is truly an honor for both Dr. Kool and SUNY Poly that he was chosen for this competitive award by the American Psychological Association’s Peace Division,” said Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, President and CEO of SUNY Polytechnic Institute. “The distinction Dr. Kool has earned for himself and our institution is another indication of the unparalleled faculty and staff serving our students. On behalf of SUNY Poly, I congratulate Dr. Kool and thank him for his dedication.”

Kool’s Fulbright-winning proposal was about writing a book on Gandhi and Modern Psychology to highlight the psychological aspects of Gandhi’s life and work, with plans to publish it on Gandhi’s 150 ^th birthday – October 2, 2019. In the proposal, Dr. Kool emphasized that after the Pulitzer Prize winning book Gandhi’s Truth was published in 1969, not much work has been done in psychology, such as the significance of self-control, a relatively new concept in the current neuro-social psychology, Kool says, as a tool in that Gandhian movement.

Dr. Kool was also invited to present his keynote speech, “The Art and Science of Self-Control and Yoga,” at the inauguration of the university’s Yoga Center on January 12, 2016.

“It is an honor to have Dr. Kool, Fulbright Senior Scholar and two times Fulbright Specialist, among our world-class faculty,” said Dr. Zora Thomova, Interim Dean of SUNY Poly’s College of Arts and Sciences. “The Fulbright Award allows educators like Dr. Kool to create connections with educational and cultural leaders of other countries that in turn, give our students an unparalleled and world-class education.”

“Fulbright Awards have long been known as evidence of success in the American academic life. I have been very fortunate to have not only received this award on three occasions but was also approached to help in the selection of Fulbright scholars. Each award motivated me to work harder to receive the next higher level of award,” Dr. Kool said. “It was indeed very gratifying to compete and subsequently, to succeed in competition with scholars from so called “elite” universities. Also, it offered me opportunity to learn from scholars around the globe to broaden my own cross-cultural perspective.”

The opportunity allowed Dr. Kool the chance to discuss with those at Mahatma Gandhi University the world-class opportunities available at SUNY Polytechnic Institute since its formation out of the merger between the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and the former SUNY Institute of Technology. Kool said he especially described the unparalleled work being done by the SUNY Poly computer science department, with numerous faculty and students from Mahatma Gandhi University showing significant interest.

Dr. Kool also enabled SUNY Poly Psychology major Stacey Griffith’s presentation via Skype on January 6 to the faculty and students of the Behavioral Sciences Department at Mahatma Gandhi University. Kool says the interaction facilitated a great dialogue between the students of India and the United States. Throughout Griffith’s almost 75-minute presentation, she answered several questions from the faculty and students, keeping the focus on how cultural understanding and misunderstanding can be managed through continuous dialogues.

Dr. Kool recently co-authored the book Psychology of Technology with Dr. Rita Agrawal. The book is slated for a 2017 release through Springer Publishing. Dr. Kool and Dr. Agrawal also co-wrote a chapter titled On Using Experimental Designs in D. Hegde’s book Essays in Research Methodology from Springer Publishing in 2015.  He has previously published six other books.

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 SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. 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 location 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 location. 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 more than $43 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 4,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) in Troy, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit www.sunycnse.com andwww.sunypoly.edu.