For Release:         Immediate – May 13, 2016

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

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

SUNY Poly Scholar Athletes Receive Statewide Recognition

Two students recognized by SUNY Chancellor for outstanding academic and athletic achievement

Utica – SUNY Polytechnic Institute today announced that two of its students have been selected as recipients of the 2015-2016 Chancellor’s Scholar Athletic Award, which recognizes outstanding academic excellence and athletic achievement.  Abby Black (Women’s Softball) and John Hohl (Cross Country) are among just 80 SUNY students to receive the distinction statewide.

"Recipients of this award are honored for high achievement in and out of the classroom, accomplishment marked by hard work, dedication, and discipline,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Congratulations to each of this year’s SUNY scholar athletes, and thank you to the many faculty, coaches, and staff across SUNY who mentor and support them."

“It is a tremendous honor to have two of our SUNY Poly students recognized with the prestigious Scholar Athletic Award, a testament to the dedication and drive that is required to excel at both athletics and academics,” said SUNY Polytechnic Institute President and CEO Dr. Alain Kaloyeros. “We could not be prouder of the leadership both Abby and John have demonstrated on and off the field and the fine examples they set for the entire SUNY Poly community.”

Black, from Turin, NY, graduated in May 2015 Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in community and behavioral health. Hohl, from Webster, NY, is a senior is civil engineering major and a math minor.

For one to be considered for the Chancellor’s Scholar Athletic Award, athletes must first be nominated by their campus athletic director. A panel of athletic directors from across the SUNY system and members of the provost’s office determines award recipients after reviewing academic credentials and athletic accomplishments.

“These athletes have shown an incredible commitment and passion for their sports as well as their studies, and this award is a wonderful testament to that,” said Dr. Robert Geer, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SUNY Polytechnic Institute. “Abby and John have perfectly managed their time to juggle the responsibilities of both these worlds, and their ability to do it so well will be a keen skill well beyond their time at SUNY Poly.”

The current roster of SUNY Polytechnic Institute sports includes baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s lacrosse.

SUNY Poly is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division III) and the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC).

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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.