SUNY New Paltz will award the President’s Medal, the highest recognition that can be bestowed by the campus president, to Nina Smiley and, posthumously, her husband, Albert K. “Bert” Smiley, at the Sunday Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 19, 2019.
Nina Smiley also will serve as Sunday’s commencement speaker.
The award is given in honor of the Smiley family’s special place in the New Paltz community as stewards of Mohonk Mountain House, an iconic Hudson Valley resort celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, with which the College enjoys a strong and long-standing relationship.
“I am touched and delighted by this recognition,” Nina Smiley said. “The connections that Mohonk Mountain House and the Smiley family have with SUNY New Paltz are precious to us, and our relationship with the College has enriched our lives in many ways, both personally and professionally. On behalf of myself, and my beloved Bert, and the entire Smiley family, I am honored to accept the President’s Medal.”
Mohonk Mountain House has been under the management of the Smiley family since 1869. Bert and Nina Smiley took over as president and director of marketing, respectively, in 1990, and helped usher the property into a new era, adding modern spaces and amenities while preserving its inherent natural beauty and architectural charm.
Nina Smiley holds a Ph.D. in psychology from Princeton University and taught psychology for many years at the University of Maryland. She is a former director of public relations for the American Psychological Association.
Nina is currently the director of mindfulness programming at Mohonk. She is a strong advocate for meditation and wellness and is co-author of “The Three Minute Meditator” and “Mindfulness in Nature.” Her work has been featured in The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Shape, The Huffington Post, InStyle, Family Circle, and Prevention, among other publications, as well as in a CBS segment on “Forest Bathing.”
Bert Smiley held a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University, where he graduated with top honors across all disciplines for his outstanding work. He was director of research for the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice before assuming the role of president of Mohonk Mountain House, which he held for nearly three decades. He died on Oct. 16, 2018.
Now under the direction of SUNY New Paltz alumni Tom Smiley ’09g (Business), chief executive officer, and Eric Gullickson ’00 (Journalism), president, both fifth-generation Smiley family members, Mohonk Mountain House maintains strong ties with the Village of New Paltz and with SUNY New Paltz in particular.
Students and faculty are frequently invited to the property to conduct ecological fieldwork, artistic study and performance, and historical research. Most recently, a group of Art History students worked with Professor Kerry Dean Carso to curate and provide commentary on an exhibition titled “Mohonk Mountain House at 150,” which is on view at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art through July 14, 2019.
A new Smiley Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, established in late 2018 with support from SUNY New Paltz Foundation chair Michael Keegan and wife Mary Keegan, honors the legacy of Mohonk Mountain House and the Smiley family, and their close bond with the academic and cultural community at the College. The scholarships support SUNY New Paltz students who are employees or family of employees at Mohonk Mountain House.
Smiley Art Building, the College’s home for programs in art history and art education, has stood on campus for more than 50 years as a testament to the Smiley family’s sustained support of SUNY New Paltz.
The President’s Medal is given at the president’s discretion and is the highest award that can be bestowed on an individual by SUNY New Paltz. It is a rare honor that was brought into occasional practice more than 20 years ago as a tribute to significant accomplishments and contributions to the life of the College.
This year’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, 2019, on the Old Main Quad on the SUNY New Paltz campus. Both ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m.
The Saturday Ceremony honors graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and the Sunday Ceremony honors graduates of the School of Business, School of Education, School of Fine & Performing Arts and School of Science & Engineering.
The Graduate Commencement Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 17, at 6 p.m. in the Athletic & Wellness Center.
More information at https://www.newpaltz.edu/commencement/.
