The State University of New York Distinguished Service Professorship

Two SUNY Potsdam Professors promoted & given new rank
05.14.09

The State University of New York Board of Trustees has named SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music Professor John Lindsey a distinguished service professor and Professor of Art Dr. Caroline Downing a distinguish teaching professor.

These ranks, along with the distinguished librarian and the distinguished professorship, are the four designations that constitute this highest system tribute conferred upon SUNY instructional faculty.

“The genius of SUNY faculty lies not only in their intellectual capacity, but also in their surpassing excellence in teaching and in their ability to apply their scholarship and research in service to the campus and larger community in which we all live,” said SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl T. Hayden. “ These SUNY faculty attract students and scholars to our campuses, enhance the prestige of the entire university, and they are most deserving of highest academic rank the university can bestow. My sincere gratitude and hearty congratulations go to them all.”

“ SUNY faculty who receive appointment to the rank of distinguished service professor are nationally- and internationally- recognized scholars and scientists of the highest academic distinction, ” said SUNY Vice Chancellor and Officer-in-Charge Dr. John J. O' Connor. “ Each of these remarkable individuals has met or exceeded the rigorous requirements for this promotion, and I commend the Board of Trustees for recognizing their talent and service by approving their appointments to distinguished rank.”

“ We are exceptionally proud of Professors Lindsey and Downing and have a deep and abiding respect for all they do for our campus and our students,” said SUNY Potsdam President Dr. John F. Schwaller. “ They have inspired greatness in those around them as they strive to be at the top of their fields. ”

The distinguished service professorship is conferred upon instructional faculty at
SUNY' s state-operated and community colleges who have achieved a notable reputation for extraordinary service not only to the campus and to SUNY, but also to the community, the state of New York and/or the nation, by sustained effort in the application of intellectual skills drawing from the candidate's scholarly and research interests to issues of public concern.

Further, many candidates for appointment have rendered influential service contributing at the international level.

To be eligible for the nomination, service must exceed the work generally considered to be a part of candidate's basic professional work and should include service that exceeds that for which professors are normally compensated. The service must extend over multiple years.

The distinguished teaching professorship recognizes and honors mastery of teaching at the graduate, undergraduate or professional levels. For this prestigious tribute to be conferred, candidates must have demonstrated superior mastery of teaching, outstanding service to students and commitment to their ongoing intellectual growth, scholarship and professional growth, and adherence to rigorous academic standards and requirements.

Further, to be eligible for nomination, a faculty member must have attained and held the rank of full professor for five years, have completed at least three years of full-time teaching on the nominating campus, 10 years of full-time teaching within the SUNY System, and must have regularly carried a full-time load as defined by the campus.

Lindsey has been a member of the Crane faculty since 1981. An active performer, he is concertmaster of Orchestra of Northern New York and the Eleva Chamber Players (VT) as well as first violinist of Aurora Quintet, The Potsdam Baroque Soloists, and the Potsdam Piano Quartet. He has performed major recitals in the Carnegie Recital Hall and Bruno Walter Auditorium in New York City, as well as in major halls in Chicago
Montreal, Dallas and Boston.

In the summers, he has been on the faculty of the National Music Camp in Interlochen (MI); the Ameropa Festival in Prague; the Canna Chamber Music Festival in Canna, Italy; The 2008 Bulgarian Chamber Music Festival and tour; and the Woodstock Mozart Festival (VT).

Lindsey was the recipient of the 1993 President's Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2003 SUNY Chancellor's Award, for Excellence in Teaching. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Thailand Chamber Music Festival, which will commence during the winter holidays in 2009-2010.

Dr. Downing has been a member of the SUNY Potsdam family since 1990 in the Department of the Art. She has been director of the Teaching Circles Program, a member of the Honors Council director of the General Education Program, director of learning Communities and a co-author in a recent publication titled “ Ideas That work in college Teaching.”

Aside from her two awards as Distinguished Honors Professor of the Year, she has received a SUNY Potsdam President's Award for excellence in Teaching in 2005 and in 2007 she was recognized with a student's Choice Award from the Office of Academic Honor Society in 2002.

Dr. Downing is a dedicated, reflective teacher and scholar who has continually demonstrated her commitment to students. Her efforts help to make SUNY Potsdam a truly teaching centered institution.

http://www.potsdam.edu/newsandevents/509_newrank.cfm