Alfred State College Associate Professor Dr. Angela Graves selected for this important statewide program
Ten Fellows from Across SUNY Campuses Appointed to Support Peers in Strategies to Boost Civil Discourse and Civic Education and Engagement
From SUNY, pictured is Dr. Graves
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the second cohort of the Civil Discourse and Civic Education and Engagement Fellowship Program. The ten SUNY fellows were selected to promote civil discourse among students, faculty, and staff throughout campus communities and to advance SUNY’s commitment to civic engagement as an essential outcome of higher education.
“Empowering students to become well-rounded, engaged citizens is an important part of SUNY’s commitment to academic excellence,” SUNY Chancellor King said. “It is essential for a strong democracy that people are not only civically engaged but are also able to communicate and even disagree in civil and appropriate ways. I offer my heartfelt appreciation and congratulations to the faculty fellows selected for this year’s Civil Discourse and Civic Education and Engagement program and thank them for their dedication to building a stronger society for all.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said,“SUNY is leading the way in investing in meaningful programs to increase opportunities for participation in civil discourse and civic engagement for its students, thanks to the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature. We celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s fellows and congratulate each of them for taking on this important work.”
The ten fellows selected for the second cohort of the Civil Discourse and Civic Education & Engagement Fellowship Program are:
- Angela Graves, Associate Professor of Social and Behavior Sciences, State University of New York College of Technology at Alfred
- Shikha Gupta Joseph, Assistant Professor and Emerging Technologies Librarian, Nassau Community College
- Rumiz James “R.J.” Haq, Assistant Director of Civic Engagement, State University of New York at Buffalo
- Ashley Liegi, Assistant Director of Student Community Development, State University of New York at Stony Brook
- Karen Lister, Associate Professor of Psychology, SUNY Cortland
- Angela McGowan-Kirsch, Associate Professor of Communication, SUNY Fredonia
- Serife Ilgu Ozler, Professor of Political Science and Director of SUNY Global Engagement Program, SUNY New Paltz
- Peter R. Sawyer, Professor of Education and Social Sciences, Hudson Valley Community College
- Jennifer K. Uleman, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Critical Thought and Chair of Law and Justice Studies, SUNY Purchase
- Amy Werbel, Professor of History of Art, Fashion Institute of Technology
This year’s fellows will:
- Support SUNY faculty, staff, and administration in preparation for the Fall 2026 implementation of the new core competency to advance civil discourse in the SUNY General Education Framework.
- Establish specific projects to advance civil discourse, civic education, and/or civic engagement.
- Gather and amplify resources to provide support for faculty and staff engaged in curricular and/or co-curricular work in the above areas.
- Offer directed support to faculty, staff, and campuses on issues related to civil discourse, civic education, and civic engagement.
- Participate in sustaining and growing a community of practice around these topics.
The inaugural cohort of the Civic Education and Engagement and Civil Discourse Fellowship advanced SUNY’s commitment to civil discourse and civic engagement in various ways, including:
- Gathering and amplifying civic engagement and civil discourse resources for faculty use when developing content for SUNY’s Civic Engagement general education requirement.
- Providing civic engagement professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff.
- Participating in a working group to make recommendations for a new core competency in the SUNY General Education Framework.
- Coordinating with campus student government representatives on civic engagement activities.
- Developing a community of practice focused on civic engagement.
- Contributing to a civic education convening to showcase SUNY activities
- Informing a civic engagement strategic plan.
More about Dr. Graves from our previous reporting:
