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Sojourner Truth Library honors outstanding students with personalized bookplates

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NEW PALTZ — Sixteen SUNY New Paltz students (including several from the Hudson Valley, see list on page 2) from 16 different academic departments have been recognized as outstanding graduates through a new initiative called “Honor with Books,” a program that places a personalized bookplate in a newly purchased book for the Sojourner Truth Library.

This spring, department chairs were invited to nominate one of their outstanding graduates to have his/her name become forever a part of the Sojourner Truth Library’s stacks. This fall the books will be placed on the shelves of the library.

“It was great that the departments picked it up,” said Paul Brown, chair of the Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library steering committee. “It helps to honor the students who were the top in their major and is another way for the departments to say they are thinking of them. Those students are going to be forever memorialized here in the Sojourner Truth Library — they’re all a part of history.”

Honor with Books was created one year ago by Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library and SUNY New Paltz Foundation as a way for the faculty, staff or any member of the community to honor a colleague, loved one or friend. The outstanding student program was made possible with both the support of the Provost’s Office and financing from the New Paltz Foundation, and it has helped the library raise $20,000 of its $100,000 goal. “It is doing a lot of good things for the library, like building up a scholarship and filling the coffers of the book purchasing fund,” said Brown.

David Lavallee, provost at New Paltz, said, “The concept of honoring outstanding graduates by placing new books in their names is inspiring. The recognition shows future students that a graduate in their department achieved her or his goal through diligent study. My office is fortunate in having the support of the donors to the New Paltz Foundation to make this new program possible.”

Each of the personalized bookplates read: In honor of (name of student), Outstanding Graduate, spring 2002, Given by the Department of (name of department). Brown said that now that the program has begun, New Paltz will honor outstanding graduates with bookplates every year.

The first students receiving the honor are:

  • Beth Cashara of Kingston, NY (mathematics)
  • Michelle Corin of New Paltz, NY (communication disorders)
  • Nicholas Forzano of New Windsor, NY (economics)
  • Peggy M. Webb of Kingston, NY (English)
  • Christiana Thomas of Highland (history)
  • Dimitrios Stratis of Poughkeepsie, NY (philosophy)
  • Brenda Diane Maiolo of Hopewell Junction, NY (sociology)
  • Stacy Hyers Greenburg of Modena, NY (women’s studies)
  • Bartholomew Moran of Tillson, NY (geography)
  • Joanne Lane of Glenford, NY (educational administration)
  • Delphine Siani of Malden-on-Hudson, NY (French)
  • Barbra Ehlers of Howard Beach, NY (art history)
  • Nikhil Pandya of Clifton Park, NY (biology)
  • Lanae Dowe of New York, NY (black studies)
  • James Schlett of Oakland, NJ (communication and media)
  • Cara Zimmer of Brockport, NY (honors program)