SUNY Cobleskill President gets Fulbright Award

SUNY President Dr. Marion A. Terenzio Receives Fulbright Award

COBLESKILL — SUNY Cobleskill is pleased to announce that President Marion A. Terenzio, Ph.D. has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award in Agricultural Education to France for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.   

Dr. Terenzio is acutely aware of the role SUNY Cobleskill plays in the global efforts required to feed the world’s citizens and finding solutions to mitigate climate change through agriculture. Her project is focused on creating a network of higher learning institutions within New York State to both complement Governor Hochul’s Strategic Interagency Task Force Lessening Obstacles to Agriculture (SILO) Working Group and provide a coalition of experts to assist in the advancement of agriculture throughout the state.  

In France, Dr. Terenzio will meet with experts who are leading the formation of the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), which is addressing the pressing challenges of minimizing food insecurity and preserving our natural resources. She hopes to develop collaborative initiatives with INRAE and its network that will serve to elevate agriculture education programs in New York and create a robust international curriculum at SUNY Cobleskill.   

Dr. Terenzio said, “Agriculture practices reflect culture, values, environmental conditions, and other key aspects that shape and define communities globally, and the context for this project is viewing agriculture as a global platform for international engagement. Effective agriculture education requires exposure and understanding of these cross-cultural practices that make up the global agriculture ecosystem, and education at all levels is paramount in global efforts to feed the growing population. The Fulbright project will catalyze our efforts to create New York State’s version of INRAE and bolster our agriculture education efforts.” 

SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said, "Our college presidents do amazing work both on campus and in the broader community, and President Terenzio is a stellar example. She is fully aware of the environmental impact agriculture has on climate change, and her project for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program will help society address how the industry can utilize technology and environmentally friendly practices to ensure a safer, more sustainable way to grow and sell food. It is an honor to celebrate Dr. Terenzio as we recognize her selection for this prestigious award. I look forward to learning more about her project and how SUNY Cobleskill and the entire SUNY system can lead the way in agriculture education programs." 

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Agriculture is an essential industry that thrives on collaboration. As we continue to face new and shifting challenges, it is more important than ever that all members of the agricultural community, whether here in New York or across the globe, continue to work together to innovate, exchange best practices, and foster a new generation of leaders. Dr. Terenzio has done exemplary work elevating SUNY Cobleskill as a nationally recognized College of Agriculture and Technology, creating the Insititute for Rural Vitality, and engaging diverse perspectives and developing new, progressive learning environments. This is an incredible opportunity that will help Dr. Terenzio continue her work as a leader in agricultural education in New York.”  

Dr. Terenzio is among over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.  

As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries - chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential - with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.  

Dr. Terenzio’s community engagement and advocacy for agricultural and general education includes includes her current service on the NYS Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 reform and her most recent work as the co-chair for SUNY’s Empowering Students with Disability Task Force. She received the New York State ACE Women’s Network Catalyst Award in 2019 for her work with women leaders, and the Jay Kappraff Award in Excellence in Science and the Arts from NJIT in 2022. She has worked with the National Governor’s Association initiative on Rural Resurgence, sharing her work nationally on establishing the Institute for Rural Vitality; which received an innovation in economic development award from the American Association of Colleges and Universities in 2019.    

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.    

More than 800 U.S. scholars -- faculty members, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds -- teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas.       

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.