 Dr. Ted Schwalbe watches his students graduate at Commencement 2011. |
Dr. Ted Schwalbe, now in his fourth decade of service at SUNY Fredonia, has been named a Distinguished Service Professor by the SUNY Board of Trustees.
With the honor, Schwalbe, professor of Communication, chair of the Department of Communication and coordinator of International Learning, becomes one of only seven faculty members throughout SUNY to receive the designation in 2011. It is the highest honor that the SUNY Board of Trustees can confer to instructional faculty for extraordinary service that extends over many years to their respective campuses, to SUNY and the state.
“It is with great pride that we recognize the brilliant scholars and teachers whose service merits one of the SUNY distinguished ranks,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Carl T. Hayden. “The Board joins with the recipients’ families and campuses in celebrating their academic, service, research, and teaching accomplishments.”
Since joining SUNY Fredonia in 1980, Schwalbe has been chair of the Department of Communication for 17 years, earned the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1986 and, more recently, created new majors in Public Relations and Journalism. His teaching and research areas of interest include communication and computer technologies, mass media law, media management, and international media.
Schwalbe’s achievements in International Learning at SUNY Fredonia have been far-reaching and have led to unsurpassed accomplishments to improve opportunities for international learning experiences for students and faculty. Schwalbe cultivated educational partnerships with universities in Turkey, India and Bulgaria. He was a founding faculty member of the SUNY Model EU press corps and served as president of the WNY/NP Fulbright Association chapter and continues to serve on its board.
In the last 10 years, Schwalbe has been very active in international media development. He received four Fulbright Awards – to Bulgaria, Swaziland, Hungary and Namibia -- a U.S. State Department Turkey social issues film grant and three U.S. Information Agency grants.
Schwalbe, who resides in Fredonia, earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio University, two master’s degrees, in Public Administration and Communication, and a doctorate, in Communication Theory, all from the University of Southern California.
