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Raymond Bailey and Gabrielle "Gabby" Augustin-Orcel
ESF Students Honored with Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – April 29, 2026 – Two students from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) received the 2026 Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence, the highest honor SUNY bestows upon graduating students. Gabrielle “Gabby” Augustin-Orcel and Raymond Bailey were recognized for integrating outstanding academic achievement with leadership, research and service. SUNY honored them April 27 at a ceremony in Albany.
"SUNY students are New York's future, and the outstanding individuals I am proud to recognize with the Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence embody the very best of our state university system," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. "The students who have earned this recognition have inspired their classmates, their educators, their campuses and me with their inspiring work, tenacious drive, and dedication to their academic success. I commend each of the awardees and thank them for being examples for others to follow."
“Gabby and Raymond exemplify the very best of ESF and the SUNY system through their academic excellence, leadership and commitment to addressing real-world environmental challenges,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “Their accomplishments reflect both personal dedication and the power of experiential learning to prepare students to lead with purpose and impact.”
Augustin-Orcel is an environmental studies major with a minor in environmental writing and rhetoric from Brooklyn, New York. She was active in campus organizations including the Mighty Oak Student Assembly (MOSA), Student Environmental Education Coalition, Environmental Studies Student Organization and Black Student Union. She completed an externship with PricewaterhouseCoopers and served as social media manager and research intern supervisor for From Soil to Boil, a nonprofit organization in Saint Lucia.
As a Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Scholar during her first year, Augustin-Orcel developed a strong interest in research and environmental justice. Through LSAMP, she conducted research with From Soil to Boil, an all-women food cooperative, interned with the organization for three years and co-authored a grant that secured funding to provide fresh produce to local residents. She presented her research at the 2023 LSAMP Alliance Symposium in Ithaca, New York.
Her commitment to food justice also led to a yearlong position as a research assistant in ESF’s Office of Sustainability, where she helped identify strategies to strengthen campus food system sustainability. Her senior capstone project examined the environmental and community impacts of a proposed airport in the Archanes-Asterousia municipality in Greece, a project that included fieldwork in Crete and collaboration with local residents. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in sustainability and environmental justice.
Bailey is a conservation biology major and Honors student from Coram, New York. His academic interests center on crayfish and aquatic systems, and his independent research uses genetics and microscopy to study symbiotic organisms associated with crayfish and their relationship to habitat and water quality across New York state.
Bailey conceived and implemented his research independently, conducting fieldwork at multiple sites during summer 2025 and collecting hundreds of crayfish and thousands of symbiotic worms. His genetic analyses identified several species, revealed significant genetic variation and highlighted potential taxonomic questions. He secured three competitive funding awards, including the William Porter Fellowship, which supported critical sampling in the Adirondacks.
An active campus leader, Bailey coordinated ESF’s inaugural American Fisheries Society Chapter Conference, drawing 130 attendees and representatives from 21 external organizations while securing $3,800 in sponsorships to cover most conference costs. He served as vice president of the ESF Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, MOSA’s chief financial officer, orientation leader and member of the search committee for the director of student success and engagement. As MOSA’s CFO, he implemented policy changes that eliminated a $56,000 deficit. He also revitalized the ESF Entomology Club, growing membership from zero to 171 students, and remains active in several academic and recreation-focused student organizations.
The Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence recognizes students who demonstrate a unique blend of academic excellence, leadership, campus involvement, community service and creative or research achievement.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.