FIT is known globally for its world-class faculty of practitioners and scholars. The 2023 Faculty Recognition Celebration, held May 22 in the Haft Theater, honored the college’s esteemed faculty for their dedication to their students and research.
President Joyce F. Brown and Yasemin Jones, acting vice president of Academic Affairs, presented SUNY and FIT awards. The FIT Faculty Excellence Award went to Sarah Blazer, interim director of the Writing and Speaking Studio; Todd Blumenthal, assistant professor of Fashion Business Management; Susanne Goetz, associate professor of Textile/Surface Design; Delphine Horvath, associate professor of Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing; and Brendan Leach, associate chair of the Illustration MFA program.
Rebecca Bauman, associate professor of Modern Languages and Cultures, was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Shaghayegh Harbi, adjunct associate professor of Science and Math; and Shannon Leddy, adjunct assistant professor of Interior Design, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Adjunct Teaching. And the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching went to Bernard Dillard, associate professor of Science and Math; Margaret Joseph, associate professor of Global Fashion Management; and Md. Imranul Islam, assistant professor of Textile Development and Marketing.
The SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship was awarded to Carli Spina, head of Research and Instruction Services at the Gladys Marcus Library, and the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service was given to Penny Tomasello, executive coordinator in the Academic Advisement Center.
William Low, professor of Illustration; and Mario Sanabria, adjunct assistant professor of Communication Design Pathways, received the President’s Award for Faculty Excellence.
President Brown also announced the recipients of upcoming sabbaticals and Diversity and Sustainability Grants, and she acknowledged nine faculty retirees and presented them with a Tiffany crystal apple.
Additionally, faculty promotions were announced. Jean Amato and Matthew Petrunia, both in English and Communication Studies, were promoted to full professor. Faculty members promoted from assistant to associate professor were Laticha Brown, Fashion Business Management; Delphine Horvath, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing; Ruth Jeyaveeran, Textile/Surface Design; Erica Moretti; Modern Languages and Cultures; and Madhumeeta Roy, Fashion Business Management. Anthony Capparelli was promoted to adjunct professor of Illustration.
“It is a privilege for me to be part of such a vibrant, committed, and accomplished community,” Dr. Brown said, “and a pleasure for me—and, I think, for all of us—to recognize and applaud those of you who, this year, have been singled out for honor.”
