Four from HVCC honored with SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

TROY, N.Y. » Four faculty and staff members from Hudson Valley Community College were named recipients of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for 2023. Colleen Ferris, Mark Flavin, Gabriele Hamm, and Dennis Kennedy.

Ferris was presented with the Excellence in Faculty Service award. She has been the chair of the Health, Physical Education, and Exercise Studies Department for the last eight years and was a full-time faculty member for over a decade before being named to lead the department.

Flavin was recognized with the Excellence in Classified Service award. He has dedicated 40 years of service to the college. For the past several decades, he has served as access control officer and dispatcher for the college’s Department of Public Safety.

Hamm was given the Excellence in Teaching award. She has been a faculty member since 2006 and was one of the guiding forces behind developing the Dental Assisting Certificate Program within the Dental Hygiene Department. She currently serves as the coordinator and lead instructor for the certificate program and the Alternative Dental Assistant Program (ADAP).

Kennedy was honored with the Excellence in Professional Service award. He has been the executive director of the college’s Communications and Marketing Department for the past 12 years. He has also taken on several leadership roles at the college, including serving on the Enrollment Committee, Middles State Standard Review Committee, Emergency Response Team, and the COVID-19 Response Team. In addition, he serves as one of the leaders of the Commencement Committee and was co-chair of the college’s Future Forward Strategic Planning Committee.