Geneseo Faculty and Staff Help Shape SUNY’s Response to Defining Challenges

(SUNY Geneseo/Keith Walters ’11)

As climate change, civil discourse, and artificial intelligence reshape what New York’s students need to learn, three SUNY Geneseo faculty and staff members have been selected to help guide SUNY’s response. Their fellowships will bring Geneseo expertise to efforts that support educators and reach students across the state.

Ahmad Almomani, associate professor of mathematics, and Aaron Herold, associate professor of political science and international relations, have been appointed to SUNY fellowships focused on sustainability and civil discourse, respectively. Alexis Clifton, director of Geneseo’s Teaching and Learning Center, has been reappointed to a fellowship focused on AI for the public good. Together, their roles place Geneseo expertise in systemwide efforts to develop resources, support educators, and shape how SUNY approaches three consequential issues.

“Every student in New York deserves to graduate ready to navigate a changing climate, engage thoughtfully across differences, and use AI with wisdom,” said Mary C. Toale, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “As New York’s Public Honors College, Geneseo is proud to contribute to that work. Ahmad, Aaron, and Alexis are bringing our expertise to colleagues across SUNY, and their leadership will benefit students throughout the state and here on our own campus.”

For Almomani, that work begins with what students learn about the world they will inherit. He joins 11 other Sustainability Faculty Fellows from 10 SUNY campuses who will help faculty bring climate literacy and sustainability into courses across disciplines. This year, the group will also support faculty preparing future teachers to meet New York State’s climate education requirement for P–12 curricula.

Herold’s fellowship addresses another challenge for public education: helping students participate thoughtfully in civic life. He will serve as one of SUNY’s Civil Discourse and Civic Education & Engagement Fellows to support the system’s civil discourse General Education requirement and strengthen civic education and engagement.

Clifton returns for a second term as a SUNY AI for the Public Good fellow. As AI changes how people teach, learn, and work, the 11-member cohort will help faculty and staff across SUNY examine its effective and ethical use and develop professional learning opportunities within academic disciplines.

Together, the fellowships give Geneseo faculty and staff a role in developing resources and approaches that will support teaching across SUNY. It is one way New York’s Public Honors College can help public education meet the challenges ahead.

About SUNY Geneseo

Founded in 1871, SUNY Geneseo is New York’s Public Honors College. Geneseo provides a distinctive, equity-centered honors experience that equips students with the knowledge and skills to build a better world, guided by the values of learning, creativity, belonging, civic engagement, and sustainability.