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Purchase College Listed in “Top Ten Public Liberal Arts Colleges” in Nation by U.S. News & World Report
Purchase College, SUNY is listed as one of the “Top Ten Public Liberal Arts Colleges” in the nation and a “Tier 1 National Liberal Arts College” in the 2015 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges.
“When we look at how Purchase College is consistently recognized by prestigious national ranking systems, we see the strength of our mission revealed. Ours is an institution driven to advance the creative process, open-minded engagement and academic excellence. The environment here is unique and supportive–dedicated to nurturing our students’ inventive spirits, ensuring our students’ academic and personal success, as well as opening doors to professional opportunities,” says Thomas J. Schwarz, president of Purchase College, SUNY.
In addition to the U.S. News & World Report recognition, Purchase College has been included on a number of other highly significant college ranking lists:
+ The Princeton Review named Purchase College in its Best 379 Colleges, 2015 edition.
+ The Princeton Review’s The Best Value Colleges, 2014 edition, selected Purchase College; one of only 75 public and 75 private colleges chosen.
+ Kiplinger’s Personal Finance named Purchase College to its list of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges; Purchase was also included on the list of the “Top 30 Best Values in Small Colleges.”
+ Purchase College was selected for inclusion in the 2014 edition of The Fiske Guide to Public Colleges, a selective guide that includes just over 300 colleges and universities.
SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said, “Again this year, we are proud to see so many of our SUNY campuses recognized as being among the best nationally by U.S. News & World Report. In every community across New York State, SUNY colleges and universities like Purchase College offer students top quality degree programs and applied learning opprtunities that prepare them for success in today’s 21st century global economy. Congratulations to each of the SUNY campuses making the list for 2015.”
The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, now in its 30th year, are based on graduation and retention rates, assessment of excellence, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate performance and alumni giving.
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Purchase College Alum Jonah Kaplan ’93 Wins Emmy
Congratulations to Purchase College alum Jonah Kaplan ’93 (film) for winning a Creative Arts Emmy Award for his work as a series producer on HBO’s VICE in the category Outstanding Informational Series or Special.
On Saturday, August 16, the Television Academy tonight presented the 2014 Creative Arts Emmy Awards for programs and individual achievements at the Nokia Theatre L.A. in Los Angeles. This first ceremony of the 66th Emmy Awards honored guest performers on television dramas and comedy series, as well as the many talented artists and craftspeople behind the scenes to create television excellence.
Jonah Kaplan is an editor and producer, known for Stalker Guilt Syndrome (2002),Getting Made: The Making of ‘GoodFellas’ (2004) and A Shot at the Top: The Making of ‘The King of Comedy’ (2002).
Pictured: Executive Producer of VICE Shane Smith tweets a photo of himself (right) with Jonah Kaplan (left) following their win.
For more information about the film programs at Purchase College click here.
Purchase College Alum Jay O. Sanders ’76 Receives Praise For King Lear
A perennial summer favorite is underway in New York—The Public Theater’s annual free Shakespeare in the Park. In its current production of King Lear, Purchase College alum Jay O. Sanders ’76 plays the Earl of Kent, a performance for which he’s receiving laudatory reviews.
In the New York Times, Ben Brantley writes, “Only Jay O. Sander’s staunchly loyal Earl of Kent and Steven Boyer, as Lear’s Fool…suggest a genuine relationship with the demented king they serve.”
The Conservatory of Theatre Arts is well-represented by both Sanders and Jeff Croiter ’93, whose lighting design was described by Brantley as both “fabulous” and “transformative.”
Photo courtesy of The Public Theater and Joan Marcus
More about Purchase College Conservatory of Theatre Arts here.
Purchase College Included In The Princeton Review’s Best 379 Colleges, 2015 Edition
Purchase College is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company features the school in the new 2015 edition of its annual flagship college guide, The Best 379 Colleges.
Only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and only four colleges outside the U.S.A. are profiled in the book. The guide includes detailed profiles of the colleges with rating scores for all schools in eight categories, plus ranking lists of top 20 schools in the book in 62 categories based on The Princeton Review’s surveys of 130,000 students attending the colleges.
According to the Guide, “While Purchase’s arts programs are very frequently named by students as their reason for attending, the school offers a ‘wide variety of majors,’ and students report being ‘in love’ with their diverse courses of study. Students also appreciate their education’s ‘affordability,’ and say that Purchase leaders don’t sacrifice personal attention for cost value, creating an ‘efficient, helpful and… very welcoming community.'”
“Many students choose the ‘very academically sound’ SUNY Purchase over private options for this reason, affirming that their education offers the ‘same likeliness of obtaining a suitable and successful job/career as a private school.'”
When the students surveyed were asked to rate the college’s theater productions, their overwhelmingly positive responses resulted in a #4 ranking in the category of Best College Theater.
Dennis Craig, vice president of Enrollment Management and Marketing, notes that inclusion of Purchase College in the prestigious Princeton Review’s Best 379 Colleges“validates the fact that we are providing a well-rounded offering for students, one that allows students to ‘Think Wide Open’ and provides an excellent education in an environment that offers a very good quality of life.”
Says Rob Franek, Princeton Review’s Senior VP / Publisher and author of The Best 379 Colleges,” “Purchase College offers outstanding academics, which is the chief reason we selected it for the book. We base our choices primarily on data we obtain in our annual surveys of administrators at these schools and at hundreds of other colleges. We take into account input we get from our staff, our 27-member National College Counselor Advisory Board, our personal visits to schools, and the sizable amount of feedback we get from our surveys of students attending these schools. We also work to maintain a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character.”
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is a leading test preparation and college admission services company. Every year it helps millions of college- and graduate school-bound students achieve their education and career goals through its test preparation, tutoring, and admissions services, its online resources, and its more than 150 print and digital books published by Random House LLC. The Company delivers its services via a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors in the U.S.A. and Canada, and through its international franchises in 14 other countries. The Company also partners directly with school districts and non-governmental organizations to provide students with college readiness services including college selection, test preparation, financial aid advice, and admissions support. The Princeton Review is headquartered in Natick, MA.
Purchase College Alums David Grill ’86 and Edie Falco ’86 Earn Emmy Nominations
Two Purchase College alumni were among the Emmy nominees announced yesterday.
DAVID GRILL
David Grill ’86, assistant professor of theater design/technology, earned a nomination for Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special for his work on the Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show Starring Bruno Mars.
Grill has won two Emmy Awards in his career and has extensive experience in lighting design and direction for international events, dance, architecture, television, and corporate theater. His credits encompass multiple Super Bowl half-time shows as well as the Pan American Games and the Olympic Winter Games.
In 2013, he served as lighting director for Michelle Obama’s Best Picture award sequence during the Academy Awards. The presentation was the climatic moment of the Oscars—and represented an apex of achievement in the field of lighting design.
“Dave exemplifies what distinguishes Purchase College: our faculty of top-tier working professionals who bring their firsthand knowledge and unsurpassed expertise to our students,” says Greg Taylor, Director of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts. “We are proud that Dave has received this validation of his talent.”
Grill earned his BFA in theatre design at Purchase College in 1986. He has taught at the college since 1998 and is coordinator of its Design/Technology BFA and MFA programs.
EDIE FALCO
Edie Falco, ’86 earned her fifth Emmy nomination in the category Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Jackie Peyton in Showtime’s Nurse Jackie.
Falco has earned 12 Emmy nominations in her career and has won four times.
Winners will be announced Monday, August 25 on NBC.
More about Purchase College here.
Purchase College Among 300 Chosen for 2015 Fiske Guide to Colleges
Purchase College, SUNY is proud to appear in the 2015 Fiske Guide to Colleges, which considers many qualities when selecting schools for inclusion, such as academic ratings, price category, and quality of student life on campus.
According to the guide, Purchase College is “…a perfect place to study the arts and still be able to indulge in academics of all kinds, or vice versa….Purchase offers the opportunity for a personalized, diverse education unique within the SUNY system.”
A literature major quoted in the publication says, “There’s a raw energy that exists on campus—in the students and professors—that I don’t think many other colleges have.”
Another student adds, “The professors are engaged, extremely qualified, and very interested in our education.”
The 2015 Fiske Guide to Colleges will be released July 5.
About the Fiske Guide
For more than 30 years, millions of students, parents, and guidance counselors have relied on the Fiske Guide to Colleges to present the “best and most interesting” schools during their college search.
Compiled by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, the top independent voice in college admissions, Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 is a selective, subjective, and systematic look at 300+ colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain.
Edward B. Fiske served for 17 years as education editor of the New York Times, where he realized that college-bound students and their families needed better information on which to base their educational choices.
More about Purchase College here.
Best of SUNY Art Exhibition Features Three Recent Purchase College Graduates
The work of three recent Purchase College graduates earned places in this year’s Best of SUNY juried art exhibition. Works of art by Class of ’14 painting and drawing majors Kyle Breitenbach, Nora Fantry, and Stephanie Manzi are currently on view at the New York State Museum in Albany until August 31.
Breitenbach, originally from Sleepy Hollow, NY and now living in Philadephia, PA, earned an Honorable Mention award for his submission, Untitled (11-5), a 60-inch square painting on canvas.
“We are deeply proud to have our Best of SUNY art exhibition on display at the New York State Museum again this year,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher.
“Showcasing our top student works from the past year, this annual exhibit has become a must-see attraction for those who live in Albany as well as the museum’s many visitors from across the state and nation. Congratulations to all of this year’s contributors.”
When asked about his post-graduation plans, Breitenbach responded, “I will continue to paint.”
About SUNY Exhibitions
The SUNY student art shows were initiated in 2002 so that the work of SUNY’s most talented student artists would be seen by a wider audience. SUNY student art is also on display year-round at State University Plaza in Albany, SUNY Global Center in New York City, and Governor Cuomo’s Washington, DC office.
Above
Kyle Breitenbach
Untitled (11-5), 2013
Flashe on canvas, 60 x 60 inches
Image courtesy of the artist
More about Purchase College Conservatory of Art+Design here.
SUNY Announces Six Purchase College Recipients of the 2013-14 Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence
SUNY announced today the 304 recipients of the 2013-14 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and six members of the Purchase College community were honored.
Congratulations to the following for their accomplishments and continued dedication.
Excellence in Teaching
Kathleen McCormick
Professor of Literature and Pedagogy, School of Humanities
Jennifer K. Uleman
Associate Professor of Philiosophy, School of Humanities
Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
Rachel Hallote
Professor of History, School of Humanities
Excellence in Professional Service
Dennis FitzGerald
Wood Shop Instructional Support Specialist, School of Art+Design
Pat Amanna
Director of the Children’s Center
Excellence in Classified Service
Nancy Mascolo
Secretary II, Student Health Services
“Faculty and staff who receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence have served their students, fellow faculty and staff, campuses, and communities with the utmost distinction, and it is a great honor to be able to recognize them with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients.”
About the Awards
The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence are presented annually to faculty and staff in six categories: Faculty Service, Librarianship, Professional Service, Scholarship and Creative Activities, Teaching, and Classified Service.
The honor provides system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and encourages the ongoing pursuit of excellence. Through these awards, SUNY publicly proclaims its pride in the accomplishment and personal dedication of its instructional faculty, librarians, and staff across its 64 campuses and system administration.
More about Purchase College here.
Three Purchase College Students Recognized for Athletic and Academic Achievement
Three Purchase College student-athletes— Kevon Kareem Bruce ’14 and rising sophomores Andrew Latona and Emma Yavel—were among 83 students from across the SUNY system recognized for a combination of athletic and academic achievements.
Hailing from Hayes, Jamaica, Bruce ’14, was a member of the men’s volleyball team and graduated last May with a major in theatre and performance and a minor in playwriting and screenwriting. He capped his Panther career by being named to the All-Skyline 2nd Team, the league office announced in April.
Latona, from Silver Spring, MD, competes in men’s swimming and studies jazz guitar performance in the Conservatory of Music. He was named a Skyline Conference Men’s Swim Rookie of the Week last February.
Brooklyn native Yavel, a psychology major, competes in women’s tennis. Last October she earned the Skyline Conference Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Week award.
“SUNY scholar athletes are stand-out students who have excelled not only in their respective sports but in our classrooms as well,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher.
“With an average GPA of 3.55 among this year’s honorees, we are exceptionally proud of their achievements. Congratulations to each of the students recognized, and thank you the many professors, coaches, and staff across SUNY who support them.”
In order to be considered for this award, student-athletes were nominated by their campus athletic director. Nominees’ academic credentials and athletic accomplishments were then reviewed by a panel of athletic directors from across the SUNY system and members of the provost’s office.
Above: Purchase College student Andrew Latona studies jazz guitar performance and is a member of the men’s swimming team.
Purchase College, SUNY 