Lanford Presidential Prize recipient Mia Piede, with President Stephen H. Kolison Jr.
An enduring “intent on giving back to the community” has guided Mia Piede, recipient of the 2025 Lanford Presidential Prize.
It’s positioned the Dunkirk, N.Y., native to receive the highest distinction SUNY Fredonia grants to a graduating senior who attains balanced achievement and the university’s ideals.
“The requirements for selection are rigorous and the recipient exemplifies excellence in and out of the classroom,” President Stephen H. Kolison Jr. said of the award generously created and endowed by the late President Emeritus Oscar E. Lanford and Mrs. Lanford through the Fredonia College Foundation.
My hometown, Dunkirk, has greatly influenced my morals, generosity and humility. As a result, I have been intent on giving back to the community that shaped me into the person I am today. From coaching to volunteering, or working in Dunkirk/Fredonia, I want to provide the same influence on this community as it has had on me.” - Mia Piede
Excelling both “in and out of the classroom” is what Ms. Piede has accomplished ahead of the next chapter in her education, a journey that begins this fall at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University at Buffalo. She has enrolled in the M.D. program and has an interest in women’s health but is open to other specialties.
Piede, a daughter of Chris and Tonia Piede – both SUNY Fredonia graduates – enrolled in classes at Jamestown Community College while attending Dunkirk High School, where she was class valedictorian.
“Growing up in Dunkirk has shaped the person I am today. The people I had the privilege of working with (teachers, coaches, classmates, etc.) have impacted me in inexplicable ways that I am forever grateful for,” she said.
A pre-med student and candidate for a B.S. in Biology with a second major in Psychology, and a minor in Chemistry, Piede entered her last semester at SUNY Fredonia with a 3.96 GPA. She’s logged over 100 hours of shadowing experience at 11 clinical sites in the areas of obstetrics/gynecology, emergency medicine and private practice. Piede also had the opportunity to “scrub in” and observe open-heart surgery at the renowned Cleveland Clinic.
Piede volunteered at two medical brigades in Honduras during 2023. In rural, low-income communities there, Piede engaged in the in-take process and collection of vitals, collaborated with fellow peers, pharmacists, nurses and doctors and also shadowed doctors. She became skilled in taking blood pressure, pulse, temperature and blood glucose readings, hearing heartbeats and lungs with a stethoscope and listening for vocal cord abnormalities.
Ahead of brigade duty, Piede was able to become proficient in Spanish so she could communicate with patients.
The greatest takeaway from brigade experiences for Piede was a case of two patients. Both were around the same age yet lived completely different lives. One was a diminutive 15-year-old girl who had a child and was pregnant with another, the other a boy who didn’t know his birthday, despite knowing his age.
“I was astounded and heartbroken to see two different sides of the spectrum in these children who were so close in age. When I consider these moments, I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given in my life,” Piede said. “It was truly a life-changing experience.”
Piede devoted the 2024 summer to biochemistry laboratory research at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where she gave oral and poster presentations to faculty in the State University at Buffalo campus community.
As a research exposition presenter in the field of pandemic health at SUNY Fredonia, Piede showcased a poster to the campus that presented silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic; she cited increased exercise, pet adoptions and closer relationships within families.
Piede’s research experience at SUNY Fredonia has been undertaken in a genetics laboratory, a biochemistry laboratory and Advanced Organic Chemistry II laboratory. She has served as a research student in Dr. Scott Ferguson’s genetics lab since her sophomore year. For her senior capstone project, Piede is engaging in another aspect of genetics research, working directly with Dr. Ferguson in his lab, that represents an extension of research she does in the more structured genetics laboratory class setting.
She pursued campus engagement through the Biology Club (President), Psychology Club (Secretary) and Psi Chi International Honors Society in Psychology (Public Relations Chair). She was a member of Fredonia for Friends of Honduran Children Club and a mentor in the International Student Buddy Program, working with students from China, Iran, Malaysia and Japan, helping to make them feel more at home while studying. She also mentored new Psychology students, aiding them in the transition to new college life. In addition, she is a participant in the Fredonia Honors Program and a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society.
Piede has been the recipient of multiple academic honors through the Fredonia College Foundation. These include the Carnahan Jackson Scholarship Award, Foundation Commuter Scholar Award, SUNY Fredonia Honors Award, Adele Maytum Hunter Scholarship Award, Kara Grace Hall Memorial Scholarship, Fredonia-Honduras International Scholarship and the James D. Burdick Memorial Scholarship. She is also the recipient of a NYS Scholarship of Academic Excellence and a Special Donation Scholarship.
Piede was awarded a Kaplan MCAT Prep Course Scholarship, valued at $2,800, and received a Special Donation Scholarship and Faculty/Staff Scholarship.
Away from campus, Piede plays clarinet and sings in the choir at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, her home church. Piede was inspired by a choir member, who was unable to walk to the altar due to mobility issues, to become a Eucharist minister, and now provides her with the Eucharist every weekend. Teaching religious education classes and serving as a Eucharistic minister “are both dear to my heart as a community member and in my faith as a whole,” Piede said. “Being able to bring others closer to God has brought a new light to my faith.”
As part of the Special Topics course, PSY 380: Psychology of Prejudice, Piede and fellow classmates developed a set of recommendations to help underrepresented groups to feel seen and to be encouraged to be a part of the campus community.
“I believe in the importance of representation, as I feel that it fosters an environment in which patients and staff feel a sense of safety and respect,” Piede said.
“My hometown, Dunkirk, has greatly influenced my morals, generosity and humility. As a result, I have been intent on giving back to the community that shaped me into the person I am today. From coaching to volunteering, or working in Dunkirk/Fredonia, I want to provide the same influence on this community as it has had on me,” she said.
Piede also expresses immense gratitude to her parents, siblings [Angelina, Anthony and Isabella], as well as boyfriend [Bradley LaGrow] for their never-ending support. “They're a huge part of who I am, and I would not be where I am if it were not for each and every one of them.”
