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DR. RICHARD C. SMARDON
ESF Professor Earns Highest Faculty Honor
Dr. Richard C. Smardon, a faculty member at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) received SUNY's highest faculty honor May 7 when he was appointed a Distinguished Service Professor.
Smardon was one of 16 faculty members from the 64-campus system who were added to the distinguished ranks by the SUNY Board of Trustees.
Candidates for Distinguished Service Professorship must have demonstrated substantial distinguished service not only at the campus and the State University, but also at the community, regional and state levels. Many candidates have performed influential service at the national and international levels.
In announcing the award, SUNY noted Smardon has an outstanding record of service to the university, his professional colleagues and the community, both locally and beyond.
In some 30 years with ESF, Smardon has served as a full professor for more than 15 years, also acting as co-director of the SUNY Great Lakes Research Consortium, co-director of ESF's Division of Environmental Science, director of ESF's Graduate Program in Environmental Science, chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, and director of the Randolph G. Pack Environmental Institute.
SUNY noted that Smardon's record encompasses sustained, effective service at every level: local, statewide, national and international. He was cited for his service to students and professional organizations, his partnerships with an array of colleagues, and his willingness to share his expertise with organizations and agencies working to solve environmental challenges.
Smardon's scholarly expertise and commitment to his profession and the university were described as a testament to his outstanding record of service.
In attaining the rank of Distinguished Service Professor, a faculty member's service must exceed the work generally considered to be a part of a candidate's basic professional work. It must extend over multiple years and involve the application of intellectual skills drawing from the candidate's scholarly and research interests to issues of public concern.
All distinguished faculty in active service within SUNY are also members of the SUNY Distinguished Academy that was established in March 2012.
"One of the board's most exceptional honors is to confer the distinguished ranking upon some of our best and brightest faculty," said Chairman H. Carl McCall. "To earn one of the distinguished ranks, SUNY faculty members have shown a steadfast commitment to the students, faculty, and staff at their respective campus and accomplished high achievement in their field."
"In bestowing its highest faculty honor, SUNY proudly recognizes the extraordinary achievements of these faculty and the positive impacts they have had on SUNY, on the students they teach and mentor, and on their colleagues both on campus and across the globe," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. "Many thanks and congratulations to today's honorees."
Since the program's inception in 1963, SUNY has appointed 966 faculty to distinguished ranks, as follows, including these most recent appointments: 319 Distinguished Professorships; 294 Distinguished Service Professorships; 348 Distinguished Teaching Professorships; and five Distinguished Librarian Professorships.