May 27, 2025

Coffee Break is delivered every other week in the summer. The next issue is on June 9. Please send your news by the end of the day, June 4.

✨ Send your news to newsletter@sage.edu ✨

Please Post Student Positions by June 15: Contact Nana Owusu-ofori or Jenn Morrill in the Career and Self-Discovery Center with questions. Also see:

How to Post a Position on Handshake

How to Hire Student Workers (once you have applications)

What's New

A graduation ceremony with graduates and faculty in academic regalia on stage and a speaker at a podium.

Commencement In the News*

Lucas Aurelio to speak at Sage commencement (Troy Record and Saratogian)

College Graduations Across the Capital Region (WTEN)

WNYT-News Channel 13 and Spectrum News reported on Lucas Aurelio's visit with Albany High's theatre students while he was in the area to speak at Russell Sage's commencement, and WTEN-News10 promoted the nursing pinning ceremony on its May 16 morning broadcasts.

Also see Returning to the stage where all the world began to open for him (Albanyschools.org)

Lucas Aurelio, Russell Sage alumnus and 'Bridgeton' actor, speaks at local graduation and Rising star Lucas Aurelio inspires Russell Sage grads with heartfelt commencement speech (CBS6-WRGB)

WNYT-News Channel 13 and Spectrum News also included the Russell Sage commencement in their commencement round-up stories.

Russell Sage College celebrates Class of 2025 (Troy Record)

Russell Sage graduate heading back to the Adirondacks as a primary care provider (Times Union)

Russell Sage baseball's first group of four-year seniors forge 'a brotherhood' (Times Union)

College of Saint Rose closed, but these students graduated on time (Times Union)

*Not in the news but super important: A big shout out to Stacy Gonzalez and her team for such a beautiful and efficient commencement ceremony!

Also in the News

Previously-announced initiatives continue get attention:

Russell Sage College set to launch all-female flag football team

Person standing in front of a window labeled Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Specialty Court Offices

A tall green statue with an upward reaching figure atop a patterned sphere among fountains with buildings in the background and a person in a tie dye hoodie pointing up

Ferguson Fellows Zariah Motley in front of Cuyahoga County’s Specialty Court Offices, left, and Hannah Voorhaar at Cleveland's Fountain of Eternal Life, right.

Ferguson Fellowship Sends Students to Cleveland to Study Cuyahoga County’s Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Court

At the beginning of the academic year, sociology majors Zariah Motley and Hannah Voorhaar traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, with support from the Doris Adams Ferguson ’53 Memorial Endowed Student Fellowship for Sociology. Their trip was an opportunity to learn about Cuyahoga County’s Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Court and to explore needs and opportunities in the criminal justice and disabilities advocacy fields. Read about Motley and Voorhaar's experience.

three people standing and smiling at camera

Join Us June 11 for Engage for Change!

The annual Engage for Change conference to support academic-community engagement in our region will once again be hosted by Russell Sage in Bush Memorial on the Troy campus on June 11 starting at 10:30 a.m.

Join faculty, staff, and community partners from over 50 organizations for discsussion, workshop, and networking.

Please register for Engage for Change online.

Man with a beard and sunglasses wearing a white shirt with an earpiece in front of a blurred fence and greenery background

Denver Divens Named Flag Football Head Coach

Athletics announced Denver Divens as the first head coach for the new women's flag football program. He will join Sage on July 1 from American International College, where he's coached men's and women's rugby since 2023. He has also coached rugby and football at Vermont State University: Castleton, and he has been an assistant coach for linebackers at Kenyon College. Read more about Denver Divens.

Way to Go!

Front view of The Arts Center building with decorative facade and glass entrance

Opalka Gallery's Gina Occhiogrosso Named Juror for Fence Select 2025

The Arts Center of the Capital Region named Gina Occhiogrosso, exhibitions and marketing manager at Opalka Gallery, as juror for Fence Select 2025, a special exhibition curated from the Arts Center’s annual Fence Show. Read more about Occhiogrosso’s involvement and how to submit work for the show.

A speaker at a podium with an audience at an event for Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy

Jermaine Privott Named a UAlbany Distinguished Alumnus

Jermaine Privott, Ed.D., executive director of Russell Sage's Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program, received the Distinguished Alumnus in Public Administration and Policy award from University at Albany's Rockefeller College on May 9. He was honored for his career promoting access, opportunity, and affordability in higher education. Privott holds a bachelor's in English Literature, a Master of Public Administration, and a Master of Business Administration from UAlbany in addition to his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sage. Read more about Privott and UAlbany's Awards.

Three people standing by an upright piano with framed photos on the wall behind them

Major Award! A Christmas Story, With RSC Ties, Named Best Performance

Playhouse Stage Company's A Christmas Story at Cohoes Music Hall was voted Best Theater Performance of the Last Year in the Times Union's Best of the Capital Region 2025 roundup. The show starred Professor of Theatre David Baecker (left); Jack Holick, who has performed with the Theatre Institute (center); and Nick Martiniano '14 (right.)

ICYMI: Several with Sage Connections are in Playhouse Stage Company Show

Wall of Wins

"Thank you Chris White for taking the time to show me how to finish a project and to Josh, Tracy, and the rest of the staff who took the time to do Write in the Night! You all are amazing!" -Susan Penk, Facilities

"Thank you to Administrative Assistant for Learning Centers Sofia Baldwin, Administrative Assistant, Interdisciplinary Studies Mav Douglas, Student Success Advocate EllenRose Duffy, and Director of Academic Support Tracy Egan-Lasek, for all of your help when a student was in need of information about their final exam schedule. I really appreciate how we all worked together when the student wasn’t hearing anything from the professor and was starting to worry!" -Senior Library Specialist Marcie Falquez

🟩🟦🟩 This summer, please continue to share the everyday victories that make this college community exceptional: Wall/Google Doc of Wins. 🟦🟩🟦

More Recognition for Student-Athletes

Stearns Earns E8 Conference Baseball Torchbearer Award

Trio Makes All-E8 Tournament Team

10 From Baseball Win All-E8 Honors

Five Gators Earn All-E8 Softball Honors

HR Corner

Congratulations to our Honored Employees!

We were excited to recognize so many of our employees – and celebrate everyone's hard work – during our annual Employee Recognition Event on May 22 in the Armory on the Albany campus.

Special congratulations to Will Charbonneau, our fire safety coordinator, pictured with President Matt Shaftel above, who won the President's Community Award.

Please read about all of our wonderful award winners and those celebrating milestones in this web story.

Open Positions

Student Life Unit Manager and Designated School Official

Assistant Director of Residence Life, Troy campus

Events

Looking for something to do? Check The Chomp online calendar often to see what is going on!

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

Friday, May 30

☀️ Employees invited! Reunion Weekend Cookout, Under the Tent, Troy campus, 6-10 p.m. Purchase tickets for the Reunion Cookout.

Thursday, June 5

🔷 Rensselaer County Sexual Assault Response Team conference, Bush Memorial, Troy. Use code "gator" to register for the free SART conference. (It says "sold out" next to the RSC option, but you will be able to add the ticket with the code.)

Reminders

Wellness and Support Benefits

🌱 Counseling and other resources: Support services are available to employees through the Employee Assistance Program. Log in at www.theeap.com/higher-education-eap or call 800-252-4555.

🌱 More wellness resources at the CDPHP Health Hub.

🌱 Free online fitness classes: Log in at BODi/Beachbody on Demand with

Username: Recreation@sage.edu and Password: Thrive2020

🌱 Free CDPHP Cycle! membership: Free daily bike rides with the CDPHP Cycle! app and the promo code RussellSage: www.cdphpcycle.org.

Find past issues of Coffee Break in the newsletter archive.

Coffee Hour links: Find Coffee Hour recordings; see the Coffee Hour schedule or sign up to present; or email the Coffee Hour team at innovation@sage.edu.

Moodle help: Find updated Moodle links and important information for summer 2025–spring 2026 in this PDF. You can also schedule a training session with Sage Online via the Training Request Form.

Access tuition benefits for employees: Complete the tuition waiver PDF for summer and fall 2025 and submit it to hr@sage.edu.

For reference:

Upcoming Deadlines

Email your news to newsletter@sage.edu. Please use the same deadlines and email address to submit announcements to Coffee Break for employees and Solutions: The Newsletter for students.