Stephanie Cardone, Renee Funke, and Mark Kirsch of SUNY Jamestown Community College earned Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence from the State University of New York in professional service, teaching, and adjunct teaching, respectively.
The SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence provide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence. The awards provide SUNY-wide recognition in five categories: faculty service, librarianship, professional service, scholarship and creative activities, and teaching.
Cardone has been with the college for nine years and received her award at a staff ceremony earlier this month. She began as a part-time administrative assistant for the JCC Foundation, and was soon promoted to assistant to the vice president for Student Affairs. She is credited with continually evolving her role, which led to the position being reclassified to encompass the responsibilities of a project manager as well.
Cardone holds a bachelor’s degree in science from SUNY Fredonia, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2012. Prior to her work at JCC, she was an employment services administrative assistant at The Resource Center, and head office assistant at We Wan Chu Cottages.
In her current position, Cardone is credited with being the point person for and maximizing the functionality of Starfish, an early-alert platform that is a key mode of communication and appointment scheduling for JCC students and faculty. Cardone leveraged the platform to organize and manage JCC faculty and staff to conduct annual continuing student calling campaigns. In its first three years, the campaigns contributed more than half a million dollars in savings for the college.
“Stephanie plans and coordinates all commencement activities, which took on a vastly different format over the past several years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Daniel DeMarte, president of JCC. “She is described by colleagues as the epitome of professional service, and particularly regarding customer service. Her positive attitude and collaborative nature set an example for how we all can and should treat others.”
Funke is a professor for the Teacher Education program, who began at JCC in the fall of 2009. She received her award during the college’s commencement ceremonies. She is credited with improving the quality of educational experiences for students and making major contributions to the academic environment by serving as a club advisor and creating outreach opportunities that forge academic and advocacy pathways to the college for the community.
Funke earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY Fredonia in elementary education and reading, and a doctorate in special education from Northcentral University. She also has a certificate of advanced study in educational leadership and administration from Buffalo State College. Before coming to JCC, Funke was a coordinator for Erie 1 BOCES, and a teacher at Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES and Pine Valley Central School districts.
She is the advisor for JCC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and Teacher Education Club.
Student evaluations for Funke are uniformly strong, and her most recent faculty evaluation summary shows scores ranging from 4.0 - 4.83 on a scale of 5.00 in all categories. Written feedback in her evaluations includes statements such as “prepared for each class,” “respectful and willing to listen to students’ questions, ideas, and viewpoints,” and “enthusiastic about the course she was teaching.” Peers describe Funke as articulate, intellectually curious, reflective, and open to input from others, which elevates discourse and facilitates accomplishments.
Student feedback describes Funke as extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and pleasant. “Although the course wasn’t my favorite, the professor is super nice and makes it easier to learn,” one student said. She is praised for responding to questions in a timely manner and knowing “how to teach a great class.”
“Dr. Funke approaches collaborations with her colleagues with measures of persistence and assertion, achieving remarkable outcomes with her peers,” DeMarte said. “Renee provides invaluable leadership and service to students, the State University of New York, and to Jamestown Community College.”
Kirsch has been an adjunct art instructor at JCC for more than 30 years. He was also a longtime photography teacher at Southwestern Central School.
"Mark balances the many facets of the adjunct role and enhances his contributions through his passion for art and his caring demeanor,” a fellow JCC employee shared in their nomination of Kirsch. “Over his 30-plus years on the faculty of JCC, he has inspired hundreds of students – from high school students to adult learners – to see the world through the lens of art, and to share their vision through their creations. He embodies the JCC college promise, which commits our faculty to providing 'challenging educational experiences in a caring environment.' Mark is a highly valued member of our adjunct faculty who has earned the special recognition associated with this award.”
Kirsch earned a bachelor's degree in Art Education from Buffalo State University and a master’s in History of Photography & Alternative Processes from SUNY Fredonia.
Through these awards, SUNY publicly proclaims its pride in the accomplishment and personal dedication of its instructional faculty, librarians and professional staff across its campuses. The awards underscore SUNY's commitment to sustaining intellectual vibrancy, advancing the boundaries of knowledge, providing the highest quality of instruction, and serving the public good.