Coffee Break Newsletter Masthead

February 23, 2026


Send announcements for Coffee Break (employees) or Solutions (students) to newsletter@sage.edu by end of day Wednesday to appear in the next issues.


(Note: No March 8 issue of Solutions, due to spring break. If you have a time-sensitive announcement for the student newsletter, send it this week!)

Image of a male student speaking in front of a colorful painting of cars.

Celebrating Our Sage Community


The Marketing and Communications team is working on a new "We're All In, Always" advertising campaign, and the first piece of that to be produced was a longform (all of six minutes!) video that debuted at Accepted Student Day this weekend.


This stage of the admissions cycle is about emotion and fit, and from the reaction of the audience Saturday – and the tears in several moms' eyes when it played – we struck a chord. Thank you to the members of our community who participated in the interviews, and know there are more to come.


Thank you all for making Sage such an amazing place to learn and work.

🚨 Strong Alumni Quotes Needed — Do You Know Someone Who’d Help?


Russell Sage is partnering with other local colleges on a campaign highlighting the value of a college education, and we need a few more alumni voices.


We’re looking for graduates willing to talk about how their degree has made a difference in their life or career and how their college investment has paid off.


If you know a local grad who might be willing to help, please send their name and contact information (or make an introduction) to Elizabeth Gallagher in Communications and Marketing.


Thank you for helping us showcase the impact of a college education!

A graduation ceremony with graduates in caps and gowns seated in an indoor arena facing a stage with a green backdrop displaying the Russell Sage College RS initials and nam

Regalia Rental for Commencement: Please Order by April 5


If you’ll be participating in commencement or other end-of-semester events that require regalia (like Honors Convocation or PT Hooding), please contact Carol Pett at 1pettc@sage.edu or 518-274-0199 by Sunday, April 5.


Note: This rental option is for administration, faculty, and staff only. Please do not share with students.


If you rented regalia in the past, the bookstore will not assume you need it again unless you confirm. Please include the following information in your email:


  • Height
  • Jacket or dress size (indicate if over 250 lbs. so the gown fits properly)
  • Hat size or head measurement around the widest part of the forehead in inches
  • Degree and field of study (e.g., Master of Science in Chemistry)
  • College or university and city and state
  • Daytime contact information


Rental Pricing:


  • Bachelor’s unit (cap/gown/tassel/hood): $77 + tax
  • Master’s unit (cap/gown/tassel/hood): $84 + tax
  • Doctoral unit (cap/gown/tassel/hood): $93 + tax
  • Doctoral unit (tam/gown/tassel/hood): $121 + tax
  • Individual components (gown, hood, cap/tam, tassel) can also be rented


Payment is due at pick-up at M.O.S.S. Books, Troy (Gurley Hall, 1st Floor). Please return all items as soon as possible after your ceremony.


Store Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Friday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.


Shipping is $7.99. Contact the bookstore to discuss alternative payment, pick-up, or delivery options. Orders received after the deadline may incur extra shipping charges.

Join Coffee Hour Wednesday, February 25, 9 a.m. for an update from the Student Support team. Find the Zoom link and more Coffee Hour resources or contact the Innovation Committee at innovation@sage.edu.

Graduate Assistant requests due March 6: To request a GA for 2026-2027, fill out the GA Request form even if you have been awarded positions in the past.

Please encourage students to apply for the Library Research Award: The deadline is March 6.

 

What’s New

 

Registration Now Open for the CDPHP Workforce Challenge


Thrive@Russell Sage and Recreation and Fitness are organizing a team for the CDPHP Workforce Challenge, a 3.5-mile walk/run on Thursday, May 21, at 6:25 p.m. at the Empire State Plaza. It costs $5 to join Team Russell Sage College (The “normal” price is $35, but Thrive will cover the remaining $30!) Register for the Workforce Challenge.

Undergraduate Research Day:

Important Info for Faculty


Please encourage students to submit abstracts for Undergraduate Research Day by March 6. (The form asks the student if their abstract has been approved by their instructor.) If you would like your class included in the UG Research Day program, please complete this UGRD Faculty Form. Email Sara Schuman with questions.

30% OFF with Champion logo

Champion Sale at Campus Bookstores


Get 30% off Champion merchandise in the campus bookstores and online, Wednesday, February 25-Tuesday, March 3. Some exclusions apply. Discount taken at register.


Bookstores open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Shop anytime at thebookstorealbanyny.com

and shopsagetroy.com.

A smiling person with short brown hair and a mustache, wearing a black sweater against a plain background

Everything Is Theatre: A Funny and Reassuring Career Talk


On March 16, theatre graduate Brandon Hansen returns to Russell Sage to share how creative skills translate into real-world impact — and why a career doesn’t have to follow a single script.


Read a Q&A with Hansen, now Vice President of External Affairs at the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund. And be sure to sign up to attend the March 16 event, at 6 p.m. in Bush Memorial on the Troy campus.

Emblem with gold laurel wreath and "NYCHE" on a green background

Showcasing Student Scholarship


On March 4, Russell Sage will host the first New York Capital Honors Exchange symposium, celebrating the research and creative work of Honors students from across the region.


Learn more about the NYCHE symposium.

 

Way to Go!

 
Woman standing beside an academic poster on low-level laser therapy
Person speaking at a podium with APTA logo and a laptop
Two people standing next to a presentation screen in a conference room

Presenters from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program shared collaborative faculty-student research at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting in Anaheim, California, February 12–14. Read Russell Sage Physical Therapy Research Showcased at National Conference for the full list of research presented.


Pictured in the above photos are Associate Professor Rupali Singh, PT, Ph.D. (left); Associate Professor and Chair Erin Elkins, DPT, (center); and Assistant Professor Cathron Donaldson, PT, DPT, MS, PCS, and DPT candidate Jacob Tambellini.

Pay it Forward on the Wall of Wins!


Have you been recognized on the Wall of Wins? Why not pay it forward and shout out a colleague?


“Big thank you to Senior Director of Academic Advising Karen Schell, who is a fountain of knowledge and really helped me better understand how to offer classes that will reach my students! I don’t know what this institution would do without her!”

-Assistant Professor of Physics Sandra Penny

Do you have news to share? Send it to newsletter@sage.edu.

 

Tech Check From IT

 

Check your email for the first Security Awareness Training for 2026. Please complete it by March 13.

Access past issues of IT's newsletter in the Sage Guard Newsletter repository.

 

HR Corner

 

Thank you to the 11 members of the college community who participated in the CPR class on February 18, celebrating American Heart Month

From HR: Upcoming Learning Opportunities


Register for Home Buying 101 with Broadview Federal Credit Union.

February 23, noon, online


Register for Heart Health in Women: How Metabolic and Kidney Health Affect Your Heart from CDPHP and Ovia Health. February 26, noon, online


Register for Covered and Cared for: Navigating Leave Benefits

TWO DATES: March 4, noon and March 5, 3 p.m., online


Sign up for Mental Health First Aid: This is a blended course with a two-hour, self-paced online portion to be completed before the in-person training. Lunch provided. Wednesday, March 11, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Cowee IV Classroom, Troy

 

Events

 

Looking for something to do? New events are added to The Chomp online calendar every day. Check it often to see what is going on!


Have an event to promote? Add your event to The Chomp, then email the details to newsletter@sage.edu.

Promotional graphic for Music Bingo Night, featuring Russell Sage College logo and African-inspired patterns for Black History Month

Music Bingo with the Introverted DJ

Tuesday, February 24, 4-6 p.m.

Bush Memorial, Troy


Employees invited! $100 prizes plus food from Allie B’s Cozy Kitchen.

Home Games This Week


Tuesday, February 24

🥍Men’s Lacrosse vs. Morrisville, 2 p.m.


Saturday, February 28 

⚾ Baseball vs. Mt. St. Vincent., 1 p.m.

🏐 Men’s Volleyball vs. Endicott, 4 p.m.

FINAL WEEK Barbara Todd: Undoings

Opalka Gallery, Albany campus


Listen to the Art Town podcast’s interview with Barbara Todd, see the digital guide and view more exhibit events.

WEEKLY EVENTS


MONDAYS


Register for Hot Yoga: 7:30 a.m., Albany, Science 101


Register for Dance Fitness: 5 p.m., Troy, Robison Gym


TUESDAYS


Register for Pilates, 9:30 a.m., Troy, McKinstry 206


Open Discussion with College Chaplain: Tuesdays, noon, Buchman, Troy 

Bring thoughts, interests, concerns, or listen and enjoy the company.


Register for Yoga: 5:15 p.m., Troy, McKinstry 206


WEDNESDAYS


Register for Zumba Fitness: 5:30 p.m., Troy, Robison Gym


FRIDAYS


Register for Flexibility and Mobility, noon-1 p.m., Troy, McKinstry 206

 

Keep in Mind

 

Free Fitness and Nutrition Consultations


To make an appointment or ask questions, email Recreation and Fitness Director Joe Michaud.


Fitness Consultations — McKinstry Fitness Center, Troy

Meet with Certified Personal Trainer Bila Bonifacio. Appointments available:


👟Monday: 2-6 p.m.

👟Wednesday: 1-4 p.m.

👟Friday: noon-3 p.m.


Nutrition Consultations — FitStop, Albany Armory

Walk in or make an appointment to meet with Nutrition graduate student RJ Burkitt for information (not guidance from a Registered Dietitian; Registered Dietitian education in progress).


🍏Mondays: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

🍏 Tuesdays: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

🍏Thursdays: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Children in tie-dye shirts on stage and pointing with a colorful mural backdrop.

TIS Kids, TIS Teens, and Summer on Stage — Register Now!


The Theatre Institute at Sage is excited to announce four shows being produced exclusively for K-12 students, its biggest season ever! Sage community members get $100 off registration for a new program for 6-12 year olds, a revamped summer camp, and the popular TIS Teens program. Email Eddie Knight for more information.

Green square with words Thrive at Russell Sage

Take a Break with the Wellness Center


🌿 Book the massage chair in Albany


🌿 Book the massage chair in Troy.


🌿 Purchase health essentials, including contraceptives, pain relief, menstrual care, and basic first aid at the Troy Wellness Center’s vending machine.


Free tax help at Troy Public Library, across Second Street from the Troy campus, Thursdays, through April 9. Walk-ins welcome; appointments can also be scheduled. Visit www.tax.ny.gov/tap.

Find past issues of Coffee Break in the newsletter archive.

For reference:



 

Thanks for Reading!

 

Send announcements for the Coffee Break (employees) or Solutions (students) newsletters to newsletter@sage.edu by the end of the day on Wednesday to appear in the following week’s issues.

 

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