Heritage and Alumni Award recipients will be presented with their awards during Alumni Reunion Weekend. Alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the College are invited to submit nominations in all categories until March 31, 2023.

Categories and Criteria

Heritage Awards: Recognizes an alumnus/a or alumni couple and a faculty/staff couple or individual, whose devotion to the ideals of the College serve as extraordinary examples to the entire New Paltz community.

Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Recognizes alumni who have achieved distinction in a chosen profession or outstanding lifetime achievement.

Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Recognizes alumni volunteers who have made exceptional contributions in support of the activities of the SUNY New Paltz Alumni Association.

Friends of the Alumni Association: Recognizes individuals (non-alumni) who have made exeptional contributions in the engagement of alumni in the life of the College.

Heritage Award Recipients

2022 - Alumni: Michele Di Palo-Williams '77 | Faculty/Staff: Nancy Kassop
2021 - Alumni: Myra Kressner '76 | Faculty/Staff: Martin Rutstein
2020 - Alumni: Dion Baccus '92 and Renee Padmore-Baccus '91 | Faculty/Staff: Gerald Sorin
2019 - Alumnus: Harry Bonsu '90 | Faculty/Staff: David Eaton and Linda Eaton
2018 - Alumni: Everton Henriques '78 '83g and Jeannie Irvine '78 | Alumni: Bruce Orenstein '68 and Sandra (Schwartz) Orenstein '67 | Faculty/Staff: Gail Gallerie | Faculty/Staff Dr. Giancarlo Traverso 
2017 - Alumna: Robin Cohen-LaValle '77 '82g | Alumna: Susan Najork '67 '70g | Faculty/Staff: Dr. Louis Saraceno and Frances Saraceno | Faculty/Staff: Dr. A.J. Williams-Myers  
2016 - Alumna: Mary Kastner '71 | Faculty/Staff: Prof. Joseph C. Paparone
2015 - Alumna: Onika Jervis '93 '05g | Faculty/Staff: Prof. William B. Rhoads 
2014 - Alumnus: Antonio "Tony" Bonilla '87 '05g | Faculty/Staff: Prof. Ronald Knapp 
2013 - Alumni: Robert "Bob" Thorn '66 '70g & Jane (Hausz) Thorn '68 | Faculty/Staff: Linda Delgado-Baker '84 '86g & Prof. Douglas Baker
2012 - Alumni: Robert "Bob" Mountz '68 '71g '80cas and Henrietta (Thomas) Mountz '68 '71g | Faculty/Staff: Dean Robert Michael '75 cas
2011 - Alumna: Sadie (Stellefson) Penzato '66 '68g '76cas | Faculty: Prof. Heinz Meng (deceased)
2010 - Alumna: Rosemarie (Mainberger) McBride '60 '68g | Faculty/Staff: Prof. and Mrs. Karl Budmen (deceased)
2009 - Alumnus: Alan Dunefsky '69 '91g | Faculty: Prof. Ray Snider
2008 - Alumnus: Prof. Joseph Castellana '48 (deceased) | Faculty: Prof. 0. Lin coin "Lin" Igou (deceased)

Alumni Award Recipients

2022 - Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Senator Robert Jackson '75, David Scott '99 '03g | Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Ronald Law '74 | Friends of the Alumni Association: Mark McFadden
2021 - Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Marianne Mizel '76 | Friends of the Alumni Association Award: Michael Keegan
Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Everton Browne '92
2020 - Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Leslie Gordon '93 | Friends of the Alumni Association Award: Glenn Geher
Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Bradley Diuguid '07, Missy Graff-Ballone '13g, Gorgette Green-Hodnett '91, Jennifer Haefele, RDN '12, Lester Mayers '19, Destiny Moore '13, Kelly A. Murphy '13, Lana Pasqual '11, Nia Thomas '11, Juan-Carlos Piñeiro '07, Jason Valentino '07
2019 - Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Mary Elizabeth Bannon '81 | Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Kevin Zraly '74
2018 - Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Patricia (Gisin) King '60 and Rosemarie (Mainberger) McBride '60 '68 | Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Marc Warren '68 and Dennis Rinsler '68 
2017 - Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Camille Jacobs '91 | Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Dr. Neyooxet Greymorning '73 
2016 - Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Robert "Bob" Thorn '66 70'g | Alumni Professional Achievement Award: Col. Joseph D. Davidson '90. 
2015 - Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Amber Greene '03