Video: Ambassador Nawang Sherpa ’20
Nawang Sherpa ’20 struggled during his first year at Geneseo. It inspired him to explore his roots as a Sherpa-American and help other first-generation, Sherpa-Americans be introduced to and prepare for college. As the 2019 John A. ’87 and Mary Grace ’84 Gleason Ambassador in Student Affairs, Sherpa designed a three-part, immersive project in Nepal, Queens, N.Y., and...
Discoveries in the Deep
Marine biologist Mackenzie Gerringer studies the depths of the world’s oceans from the rolling hills of Geneseo. By Robyn Rime Down in the ocean’s trenches — far beyond the reach of sunlight — the deep sea is unimaginably dark, a world of frigid temperatures and immense pressures. Marine organisms manage to flourish in these harsh environments, and assistant professor of biology Mackenzie Gerringer studies how. “I fell in love...
Trending Now: Lose (and Find) Yourself in Nature
The great outdoors is a prescription for reducing stress and feeling good. By Jim Memmott Put the books and your phone down. Go for a walk. Sit outdoors. Watch the sunset. Don’t talk. Take nature in. Geneseo Rx, a program launched last fall, has these and other prescriptions for students (and staff and alumni) who want to reduce the stresses they feel. “A 10-minute walk in the afternoon can really make a difference,” says Charles...
First Words: First-Generation Success
Nawang Sherpa ’20 discovered his Sherpa identity in Nepal and created a program to introduce first-generation Sherpa-Americans to college at Geneseo through his ambassadorship. /Photo by Keith Walters ’11 Nawang Sherpa ’20 struggled to excel in his first year at Geneseo. It inspired him to explore his roots and prepare other Sherpa-Americans for the college experience. By Kris Dreessen Nawang Sherpa’s parents immigrated to...
Seeds and Harvest
While Geneseo’s mission is to foster student growth, faculty and staff learn and gain inspiration from students as well. By Kris Dreessen In higher education, we most often hear about how students learn from professors and staff. But just as often, those faculty and staff members say they learn from and are inspired by students. They are mentors, but their support of students comes back to them in many, sometimes revelatory, ways....
Kindred Spirits
Geneseo community members share how their pets teach them about life, loss, relationships and unconditional love. By Kris Dreessen A paw on the hand, a face full of fur, a loving greeting when we arrive. From dogs and cats to horses and pot-bellied pigs, our pets change our lives — and us — in large and small ways. President Denise A. Battles, Michael Mills and Vejovis: Pet ambassadors and accepting loss We were just going to meet...
Breaking Higher Ed’s Gender Barriers
How Geneseo and two professors are shaping the future of women and underrepresented groups in academia, especially in STEM fields. By Lonny Lippsett Though women in academia have made strides in recent decades, they remain stubbornly underrepresented in higher professorial ranks, especially in STEM fields. Two initiatives at Geneseo have been launched to help surmount entrenched barriers for women faculty. Wendy Pogozelski,...
Video: The Simple Life, Unplugged
At Geneseo, Nik Varrone is the support services manager for IT. At home, he and his wife, Anya, run a farm and plows the land using a method that was most popular in the 1700s. The Varrones use horse plowing and have created a lifestyle that fits their beliefs, goals and is more sustainable. “If you look at what we do from the outside, it looks simple,” says Nik Varrone, Geneseo’s support services manager in the IT...
Toothsayer
Tanya Smith ’97 shows how simple teeth can reveal complex stories about how humans evolved. By Lonny Lippsett When Tanya Smith ’97 peered into the time capsules, two small children who lived 250,000 years ago came back to life. They were Neanderthals, an ancient species of now-extinct evolutionary cousins of humans, who had dwelled in what is now southeastern France. One child, Smith could make out, was born in springtime and was...
Uplifting Voices for LGBTQ History
Illustration by Ellice Weaver Learning our own stories empowers us. When I saw a need to share LGBTQ history, I created my own walking tour to share with the world. By Michael Venturiello ’13 If you look on the homepage of SUNY Geneseo’s website, you will see an enticing message: “Discover why there’s no place like Geneseo.” As a proud alumnus of 2013, I can understand the rationale for that statement. There truly is no place...
Scene Around the World
Where will you take your issue of the Geneseo Scene? Check out our Scene Around the World photo gallery and submit your own snapshot.