Making Memories: Chancellor's Award Winners Share Their Favorite UAlbany Moments
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 22, 2025) — Eight UAlbany students will be honored next week as winners of the 2025 Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence, which recognizes student achievement in academics, campus involvement, civics and service, and research or creative works. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a student by SUNY. The awards ceremony will be held April 29 at the Hart Theatre in the Egg, Empire State Plaza, Albany.
UAlbany’s winners reflected on their time at the University, and their plans for the future.
— Photos by Robert Glover
Cathrina Aris
Cathrina Aris, from Brooklyn, is a master’s student in public health in the College of Integrated Health Sciences, studying epidemiology and maternal and child health. She plans to graduate with her MPH in May, and received her bachelor’s degree in 2023 with a major in Human Biology from the College of Arts and Sciences. “During that time, I developed a strong passion for health and community work, which inspired me to continue my education at UAlbany and pursue an MPH,” she said.
Aris said one of her most cherished UAlbany memories is serving as an assistant resident director on Dutch Quad with Residential Life. “It stands out because of the meaningful bonds I built with my staff and the sense of gratitude I gained from helping ensure the safety of UAlbany residents, fostering community on the quad, and creating a supportive and welcoming living environment,” she said.
Aris plans to use her MPH working with the New York State Department of Health, “turning research into practice by developing programs that promote healthier communities across the state.” Future plans include mentoring students to become leaders in the field, continuing her studies in a doctoral program and ultimately driving impactful advancements in public health through a leadership role.
Audrey Coons
Audrey Coons is from the town of Greece, near Rochester. A Human Biology major with a minor in medical anthropology, Coons is a senior graduating in May.
“One of my favorite UAlbany memories was getting cast in Footloose, my first production with UAlbany's Musical Theater Association,” said Coons, who is president of the student ambulance company Five Quad. “Another favorite memory was winning a nationally recognized award for Five Quad through countless drills, meetings and planning.”
Both the Musical Theater Association and Five Quad had a major impact on Coons, she said. “MTA gave me some of my closest friends and taught me to always be myself. Five Quad taught me how to become a better leader and that hard work can accomplish anything.”
Plans after college include becoming a physician assistant through a master’s program, and using her career to advocate for public health.
Shoshanna Kusa
Shoshanna Kusa is a senior from Queens, set to graduate in May with a dual major in digital forensics and cybersecurity from the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
Kusa’s top UAlbany memory comes from being part of the Living-Learning Community in her freshman year. “Being in the World of Future Technologies and Security was an incredible experience, as it gave me access to faculty mentors early in my student career, helped me form lasting friendships, and opened the door to many of the leadership opportunities I’ve taken on since,” she said. The L-LCs meant so much to Kusa that as a senior, she serves as a community assistant and student office assistant for the program, striving to help first-year students have similar meaningful and supportive experiences.
After college, Kusa plans for a career protecting national security through public service in cybersecurity. In the next decade, she hopes to have advanced in that role, “helping defend critical infrastructure and information systems while continuing to develop expertise in emerging cyber threats.”
Thilanka Munasinghe
Thilanka Munasinghe, from Panadura, Sri Lanka, is a PhD student in Information Science in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. His primary focus is on data analytics and his secondary focus is on mathematics, statistics and quantitative systems.
For Munasinghe, a cherished UAlbany memory was participating as a panelist in a discussion organized by the AI+ Institute at UAlbany, focusing on topics related to emerging technologies for the special competitive studies project. “It was a unique experience for me to be among panelists representing different research fields,” he said.
Munasinghe anticipates a career in academia. “I love teaching and doing research with students. In 10 years, I envision myself as a tenure-track faculty member as a professor conducting research and teaching.”
Oroboghene Obaro-Ogbovoh
Oroboghene Obaro-Ogbovoh is from Elmont, N.Y. A senior graduating this May in public policy and management with a concentration in world affairs from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, Obaro-Ogbovoh is also in the combined bachelor’s/master’s program and will continue her studies to earn her Master’s in International Affairs.
Her favorite memory at UAlbany was freshman year at her first Africa Night, the annual gala hosted by the African Student Association to celebrate African cultures. “Everyone gets the opportunity to dress up extravagantly in their ethnic and traditional clothing, listen and dance to old music they don't normally hear, and just have fun,” Obaro-Ogbovoh said, recalling her first gala as the culmination of a year of working in the organization and experiencing her own cultural and ethnic community. “Getting to be around people my age and feeling beautiful while celebrating my culture in a large collective way was an experience I will always remember.”
Obaro-Ogbovoh plans to finish her Master’s, continue language studies and hopes to take the U.S. Foreign Service Officer exam to eventually work as a diplomat. Eventually she’d like to go to law school and to study international law, and maybe work as a foreign policy analyst.
Leah Punnoose
Leah Punnoose, from Guilderland, N.Y., is a biology major and business minor set to graduate this May.
One of many favorite UAlbany memories was attending her first research conference with the BioNano Lab, her first exposure to a national conference. “As a sophomore, I had the incredible opportunity to fly to Michigan for the RNA Rustbelt Conference, where I met so many inspiring researchers,” she said. “This experience was especially meaningful because not only did I feel like a valued part of the scientific community, but I also deepened my understanding of my own research lab and my lab mates.”
Punnoose plans to work as a dental assistant for a year before going to dental school. Her goal is to have a private practice in dentistry.
Mauricio Rodriguez
Mauricio Rodriguez comes from Briarwood in Queens, and is a psychology major with minors in sociology and French, all within the College of Arts and Sciences. A senior, he’ll be graduating in May.
Rodriguez says his long-lasting UAlbany memories will be of his professors. “They have all made their profound impacts on my development as an undergraduate.” In particular, he is grateful to professors Martin, Herbelin, Goldsmith and Dudek, and Arts and Sciences Dean Jeanette Altarriba. “Even in a niche field of uncertainty, I cannot claim a favorite memory or accomplishment without giving thanks to the whole village that has kept my candle lit whilst in the darkness,” he said.
After graduation, Rodriguez plans to relax and travel for the summer before entering the Cognitive Psychology doctoral program at UAlbany, working in the Cognition and Language Laboratory, under the leadership of Altarriba. In 10 years he hopes to be a tenure-track professor at an R-1 university, directing his own cognitive psychology research lab.
Krystyna Rybka
Krystyna Rybka is a postdoctoral research fellow, originally from North Yarmouth, Maine.
Rybka defended her dissertation in October, earning a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience within the Psychology Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. She began a postdoctoral research fellowship position in the Ophthalmology department at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and plans to return to UAlbany in May to take part in Commencement.
Rybka said her time at UAlbany was filled with so many important experiences and memories it’s hard to choose a favorite. “One memory that truly stands out would be helping to establish the Graduate Gathering of the Life Sciences, a GSA-recognized organization aimed at fostering interdisciplinarity of the life sciences and networking among graduate students and postdocs.” The group hosts events ranging from academic seminars to movie nights and social hours, which taught Rybka about the power of community and collaboration, and turned strangers into friends. “It was incredibly rewarding being able to bring people together to connect not just about science but also on a more personal level.”
Rybka plans to use her postdoc experience at Tufts Medical Center to focus on gaining research experience in neuroscience-based techniques. With an interest in the fields of neuroimmunology and neuroendocrinology, she hopes one day to help develop pharmaceutical solutions for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.