 Cheryl Drout, Ph.D. |
 Audrey Miga |
 Denise Szalkowski |
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At left, the awardees after being honored at the annual President's Award for Excellence Luncheon. From left to right are Audrey Miga, Denise Szalkowski, Cheryl Drout, and President Dennis L. Hefner. | |
Nearly 85 years of service to SUNY Fredonia are reflected in the distinguished careers of the three recipients of the 2012 President’s Awards for Excellence and Service to be presented at the recognition luncheon Tuesday, April 24, beginning at noon, at the Dods Hall multipurpose room.
This year’s honorees -- the last to be conferred by President Dennis L. Hefner -- are Dr. Cheryl Drout, Psychology professor; Audrey Miga, office manager, Fredonia College Foundation/University Advancement; and Denise Szalkowski, assistant to the President. The cost of the recognition luncheon is $5 per person. Registration, available at Student Accounts E148 Thompson or on line, may be made until April 16.
The annual award recognizes effectiveness in performance, initiative and innovation, continuous personal growth and reflection of the spirit of SUNY Fredonia. Service pins and certificates will also be presented to employees with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45 years of service in recognition of their SUNY Fredonia milestones.
Psychology Professor and Department Chair Cheryl Drout, Ph.D.
In her 20-plus years at SUNY Fredonia, Drout remains an integral part of the Psychology Department and the campus commitment to serve international students and expand international educational opportunities. By utilizing her training as a psychologist and interest in cultural studies, Drout has enabled visiting Asian students to receive a full SUNY experience. She has worked closely with Japanese international students and hosted students from Aichi University of Education and Aichi Prefectural College in her classroom, providing them with a warm welcome to American teaching as well as interactions outside of the classroom. These students feel at ease partly due to Drout’s own experience living in Aichi, Japan as a Fulbright Scholar. A member of the executive board of the Western New York/Northwestern Pennsylvania Fulbright Alumni Association, Drout recently collaborated on a Fulbright Outreach, Mentoring and Enrichment grant which she co-authored with faculty from Niagara University and Buffalo State.
As chairperson of the Psychology Department, Drout oversees 12 permanent faculty serving 300 majors and another 80 students with minors in Psychology. She specializes in social psychology with a focus on gender roles. She successfully developed and implemented SUNY’s first Dual Diploma program in psychology in Turkey with Izmir University of Economics, Turkey. She joined the Fredonia faculty in 1989.
Audrey Miga, Secretary and Office Manager of the Fredonia College Foundation and University Advancement Division
Audrey Miga has played a valuable role at SUNY Fredonia in University Advancement and Fredonia College Foundation as well as in the President’s Office during her 35 years of service to the campus. As office manager and Secretary 2 of the Foundation, Miga performs receptionist and clerical duties for a team of 20 staff members, coordinates a variety of functions held at the busy Foundation House and assists with various special events, such as the Scholars Breakfast and Distinguished Service Awards dinner, hosted by the Foundation staff. She’s also the contact person on the Foundation’s website and is serving on the President’s Retirement Planning Committee. A careful steward of campus resources, Miga’s considerable initiative and innovation have helped trim office and campaign expenses without compromising outcomes. She’s played a key role in creating policies and procedures to maintain donor information and train student workers. Her vast knowledge of the Foundation and commitment toward the organization and its goals are valued by the Foundation staff. Before joining the Foundation in 1987, Miga was a stenographer for the Assistant to the President for 10 years. She previously worked as a legal secretary and medical records transcriptionist. Miga is a graduate of Dunkirk High School and earned an AAS Medical Administrative Assistant degree from Bryant & Stratton Business Institute.
Outside of campus, Miga is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, where she has served as an officer, chair and delegate, and of the Chautauqua County American Legion Auxiliary.
Denise Szalkowski, Assistant to the President
As Assistant to the President, Szalkowski is regarded throughout campus as a consummate professional who -- drawing upon strong organizational, technical and interpersonal skills -- skillfully handles the Herculean task of managing this fast-paced, demanding office. With stopwatch precision, she maintains the president’s schedule, coordinates information packets for College Council members, attends Commencement Committee meetings and other gatherings and is responsible for a myriad of other details, duties and responsibilities. From her desk outside of the President’s office, Szalkowski is attentive and responsive to needs and requests from a variety of constituents, and interactions with faculty, staff, students, alumni, SUNY administrative officials, parents, College Council members, major donors and elected officials are an important part of her daily routine. Prior to joining the President’s Office in 2003, Szalkowski served as a Secretary 2 in the office of the Vice President for Administration for four years and as a Secretary 1 to the assistant vice president for Human Resources from 1986 to 1999.
Szalkowski earned a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Human Resources Management and an associate’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, both from SUNY Empire State College.
