Two SUNY Jamestown Community College faculty members have been selected for State University of New York fellowship programs for the 2025-26 academic year.
Dr. Johnny Stein, associate professor of English, has been named to the AI for the Public Good Fellows program, while Simone Sellstrom, assistant professor of Communication, has been selected for the SUNY Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DEISJ) Fellows program.
Stein will assist faculty and staff across the SUNY system in preparing for AI-focused updates to the SUNY General Education framework’s Information Literacy core competency, which is scheduled for implementation in fall 2026.
SUNY recently revised its General Education Framework to include AI within the Information Literacy core competency. Starting in fall 2026, AI literacy will be required for all incoming undergraduates. To support this transition, SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellows will provide resources and guidance on AI literacy and its ethical use for faculty and staff across the system.
Before joining JCC’s faculty in 2016, Stein taught at the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Woman’s University, and Tarrant County Community College. He attended the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Academy and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas Woman’s University, as well as a doctorate from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Sellstrom will collaborate with faculty to revise and develop courses that meet the SUNY DEISJ General Education requirement at JCC and throughout the SUNY system.
DEISJ Fellows, who bring expertise from a variety of disciplines, create resources and provide targeted support for DEISJ curricular matters while building a SUNY-wide community of practice on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in higher education.
Sellstrom joined JCC’s faculty in 2013 after teaching at Oral Roberts University and the University of Arkansas. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from the University of Arkansas, where she focused on rhetoric and public discourse. Her academic interests include communication theory and criticism, interpersonal communication, public speaking, and the intersections of race, class, and gender in popular culture.
In addition, Shannon Bessette, JCC professor of Anthropology and DSP Project Manager, will continue her service as a SUNY Accessibility Fellow through the end of 2025.
“These fellowships represent a tremendous opportunity for our faculty to help shape SUNY’s academic initiatives and ensure students across New York have access to a dynamic, inclusive, and forward-looking education,” said Dr. Jessica Kubiak, JCC’s academic vice president.