Teaching awards go to 3 SUNY Orange professors

Middletown, N.Y. – SUNY Orange history professor Dr. Michael McCoy has earned a 2022 State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities and arts/communications instructor Mary Roth has received a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching.

Additionally, the College announced that biology professor Dr. Walter Jahn has received the President’s Award for Excellence. All three received their awards in front of their colleagues on May 16 during the end-of-year College Assembly. The Chancellor’s Award is the highest honor regularly bestowed upon community college personnel within the State University of New York.

“Dr. McCoy and Ms. Roth are student-centered, dedicated to their craft and committed to providing our students with the richest educational experience possible,” said Dr. Kristine Young, SUNY Orange president. “Dr. Jahn is likewise an engaging and creative professor who enhances his lectures with videos, photos and other content that he creates himself to bring course materials to life. ”

McCoy, who received the SUNY Orange President’s Award for Excellence in 2017, has been a faculty member at SUNY Orange since 2007. A noted historical researcher and author, McCoy has written a book “Anxious Republic” (now in its second printing) and numerous articles for peer-reviewed journals on 18th and 19th century American history. He is a recent recipient of the Philip S. Klein Award from the Pennsylvania Historical Association (for best scholarly article) and was conferred the Arline Custer Memorial Award by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives (for scholarly work).

A respected and sought-after professor, McCoy has taught a variety of courses at the College, including:

United States History I, United States History II, Diversity & Inclusion—The American Experience, Medieval & Renaissance Europe, The Age of Revolutions; Modern Europe, U.S. National Government, American Civil Rights Movements, and Introduction to Humanities. He has mentored Honors Program students on their capstone projects and has led a number of Honors seminars.

Roth joined the SUNY Orange adjunct faculty ranks in 2017, following six years as coordinator of alumni relations. She consistently seeks out opportunities to expand and continue her own education and professional development, and regularly brings the lessons she’s learned back into her classroom.

Students as well as classroom observers indicate that she links classroom discussion topics to current events and directs students to current online resources to assist in the class and beyond. She champions the use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) that blend contemporary information into accessible and low-cost classroom resources for students. She also supports students by being available outside of class for additional discussions, and challenges students to stretch their creative boundaries.

Roth’s teaching skills span several academic departments and continuing education programming. Her primary work is in the Arts and Communication Department, where she teaches Introduction to Art and Design, Digital Photography, Darkroom Photography, Color Theory and Drawing 2. She leads Introduction to Yoga, Trauma Sensitive for the Movement Science Department, as well as two yoga classes for Continuing and Professional Education

(Yoga: A Journey Through the Chakras, and Yoga: Exploring the Divine Within through the Art of Yoga).

Jahn joined the SUNY Orange faculty in 1997 and has taught 11 different lecture courses (Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy and Physiology II, General Biology I, General Biology II, Intro to Biology, Genetics, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Prehistoric Life, Biology for Today, Diversity of Life and Biological Habitats) and the nine accompanying lab courses. For years, he has supported his classroom materials with accompanying videos that he creates and curates. His catalog of videos exceeds 5,000 with versions ranging from short videos to full lectures. The videos employ a variety of styles including animation, narration and photography.

He has been active on committees within the College’s Shared Governance system and currently serves as chair of the Social Committee. He is active in the community, having volunteered for water monitoring efforts on the Bashakill and other local streams. His service efforts have also supported the Audubon Society, Orange County Land Trust, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.