SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence Bestowed

The award was created in 1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement or career achievement.

“I am immensely proud of these students, who have demonstrated academic excellence and dedication to enriching their campuses and communities,” says SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson, who presented the awards April 10 at a ceremony in Albany.

“From research publications in industry journals to volunteering in hospitals and local clinics to holding leadership roles at their institutions, I am inspired by each student we recognized. Congratulations to all of the students receiving this year’s award.”

The Jacobs School recipients are:

The Buffalo native graduates with a doctorate of philosophy in biomedical engineering. A Western New York Prosperity Fellow, Canty received the Woman in Technology Award at InfoTech WNY’s 2017 Buffalo Emerging Technology Awards Showcase.

She was a Presidential Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, where she conducted research on preventing orthopaedic implant infections as part of the Kenneth A. Krackow, MD, Orthopaedic Research Laboratory.

She graduates with a bachelor of science in biomedical sciences and a bachelor of arts in psychology. Fayo is a community assistant and a mentor for the Leadership House living-learning community.

In addition, she has been a Leadership House resident adviser, a research assistant for the Department of Psychology and a teaching assistant for the Department of Biological Sciences.

Fayo, from Washingtonville, NY, has served as vice president of UB Amnesty International and is an active member of the UB Choir.

A native of Wollongong, Australia, she graduates with a bachelor of science in biomedical sciences.

A member of the UB women’s basketball team, Ups helped lead the Bulls to the Sweet 16 following upset victories in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

In addition, she helped her team win the 2016 Mid-American Conference Championship and made the MAC’s Distinguished Scholar List multiple years.

Twice named to the All-MAC Academic Team, Ups was a 2016 nominee and 2017 winner of the Chrisy Dickerson Unsung Hero Award. She has consistently been involved in community service in the Buffalo area.

Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews the accomplishments of exemplary students.

Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the chancellor to become recipients of the award.