Four SUNY New Paltz students have been honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest honor bestowed upon students by the state university system. The Chancellor’s Award recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, service, campus involvement and/or the arts.
Please join us in congratulating these outstanding SUNY New Paltz students:
Elias Elcock ’24 (Communication Studies) of Macungie, Pennsylvania
A Communication Studies major with a concentration in Interpersonal/Intercultural Communication, Elias Elcock is a student athlete, scholar, and campus leader. He competes as a midfielder for Men’s Lacrosse, serves as the President of New Paltz Athletes of Color, and is active in the Student Athlete Advisory Council. He also sits as a first-chair cellist in the Department of Music’s orchestra. Elcock has interned with PricewaterhouseCooper and Bayer during his time as a student and also studied abroad to both Spain and New Zealand. After graduation, Elcock plans on attending law school specializing in family law.
Wren Kingsley ’24 (Visual Arts) of Ithaca, New York
A member of the Honors Program, Wren Kingsley has maintained a 3.9 GPA through an interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on her major in Visual Arts, her minor in Anthropology, and her passion and advocacy for environmental sustainability. She has served as a member of the Sustainability Ambassadors and has held leadership roles as the Executive Vice President of the Student Association and as the Vice President for the New York Public Interest Group (NYPIRG). Kingsley’s Honors Program thesis, “Sustainable Materials Management and Community Solutions,” will be undertaken as part of an internship offered through the Sustainable Materials Management Stewardship Program at Syracuse University.
Alexei Temidis ’24 (Physics) of Wallkill, New York
Originally from Wallkill, New York, Alexei Temidis joined SUNY New Paltz as a transfer student seeking a bachelor’s degree in physics, and working toward his ultimate goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in soft matter or biophysics. He participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of Notre Dame in the summer of 2023, and has served as a learning assistant and tutor in multiple physics courses. He is also an active member of the local community through various volunteer organizations, including Pohvala Russian Youth Choir and the youth Russian American Camp NORR.
Carolyn Weinstein ’24 (History; Geography; Political Science) of Montgomery, New York
Carolyn Weinstein is an accomplished scholar who has succeeded while juggling three majors in history, geography and political science. She has shown a strong commitment to advancing knowledge through multiple, extensive research experiences, and has also been active in student leadership as a senator in Student Government and as President of the History Club and the Political Science & International Relations Association. In her limited spare time, Weinstein volunteers with the Plattekill Library and Valley Central High School, and is a copy editor supporting academic scholarship through the Faculty Development Center.
About the Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence
The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement.
Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish selection committees to review the accomplishments of exemplary students. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the award. Each recipient receives a framed certificate and medallion, which is traditionally worn at commencement.
