Skip to main contentSkip to footer content

ESF Faculty, Staff Honored by SUNY Chancellor

Five ESF employees were honored by Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher for their service to the State University of New York.

Caroline B. Bailey, senior staff assistant in the Department of Landscape Architecture, was honored with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. The award recognizes consistently superior professional achievement within and beyond the position and those who serve as professional role models for a university system in the pursuit of excellence.

Bailey has been with ESF since 1978. She is well known at the college for her dedicated and effective commitment to alumni, students and colleagues in the Department of Landscape Architecture. Senior staff assistants are responsible for all administrative matters in the absence of the department chair or as delegated. As such it is difficult to find a task to perform that would be considered "beyond the position description." However, Bailey's activities demonstrate accomplishment and contribution well beyond this expansive position. Bailey is widely acknowledged for her sustained, selfless and outstanding commitment to serving the college and department.

Douglas J. Daley, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award honors those who consistently have demonstrated superb teaching at the undergraduate, graduate or professional level.

After receiving both his bachelor's and master's degrees at ESF ('82, '84), Daley joined the college faculty in 1996 as an assistant professor. He is also the director of the SUNY Center for Brownfield Studies.

Daley's teaching and research interests bridge related topics in environmental engineering design, phytotechnology and related physical processes, and green infrastructure. He works to combine class instruction with relevant "real-world" projects that engage students in collaborative projects with local professional engineers. He is described as "an exceptionally talented, thoughtful and dedicated teacher who aspires to and consistently achieves high levels of effectiveness and innovation in instruction."

Dr. David J. Keiber, professor and associate chair in the Department of Chemistry, received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. The award recognizes outstanding academic and creative achievements across a broad spectrum of scholarly and artistic fields.

Kieber has been with ESF since 1990. He is widely recognized as one of ESF's international experts in the field of oceanography, a prolific researcher and writer, and a leading expert on the global sulfur cycle.

Kieber received an Office of Naval Research Young Investigators award for 1991-1994, the Research Foundation Award for Research Excellence in 2003, and the ESF Exemplary Researcher Award in 2007. He has co-authored more than 70 publications that have been cited more than 2,500 times. His enthusiasm for science and ability to communicate the need to understand the basic chemical principles that underlie the modern complex issues surrounding our oceans and climate has inspired a generation of students to pursue studies in chemistry, oceanography and marine chemistry.

Dr. Jack P. Manno, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies, was honored with the Chancellor's Award for Faculty Service which recognizes outstanding achievement and skill in providing leadership, service and assistance to the university, community and profession that exceeds expectations.

Manno came to ESF in 1986. He was initially hired as administrator for the Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC), which started with only five SUNY campuses focused on developing New York's Great Lakes research capacity. The GLRC has since grown to include 18 New York state college campuses, both public and private, plus eight Canadian campuses with more than 300 participating faculty members.

Manno has been a leader in developing and nurturing the relationship between Onondaga Nation and ESF for many years. His efforts helped create the foundation for the success of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. In partnership with other faculty members at ESF and the environmental leaders at Onondaga, Manno has substantially contributed to the development of a rare, long-term collaboration between a sovereign indigenous nation and ESF founded on mutual respect, common goals and friendship

Dr. Diane Kiernan, a lecturer in the Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching, which recognizes consistently superior teaching at the graduate, undergraduate,or professional level.

Kiernan completed her Ph.D. in quantitative methods in forest science at ESF in 2007 and teaches Introduction to Probability and Statistics, and Forest Biometrics.

She is among the pioneers to publish an online textbook in Open SUNY Textbooks titled, "Natural Resources Biometrics." Kiernan's textbook provides students with an understanding of commonly used statistical analysis techniques in a natural resources context. It is currently in use at ESF. She has authored and co-authored two previous books on statistics currently being used in her classes. Kiernan has distinguished herself with outstanding student reviews for her dedication and effectiveness. Her teaching style, positive approach to students, and enthusiasm for statistics has motivated several students to pursue the extra work of a minor in applied statistics. Colleagues who have offices near hers marvel at the hours she spends working with individual students as she tries to help them succeed.