Albany, N.Y. — Roberts Wesleyan alumnus Khamkay Chitaphong was among 19 individuals honored by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) during the 2008 Independent Sector Alumni Hall of Distinction Awards Ceremony and Legislative Reception on March 3 at the New York State Capitol in Albany.
The Alumni Hall of Distinction was created in 2000 to recognize New York’s Independent Sector graduates who make contributions to society through their careers and community involvement. This year, CICU recognizes courageous alumni who are actively serving in the United States military or are veterans.
Among the honorees, Chitaphong joined the U.S. Army after receiving his Roberts undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology in 1997 and his M.S.W. in 2002.
“After responding to the events of 9/11,” he says, “I felt compelled to act. I also felt I had the necessary skills to help our service men and women and help fight the war on terrorism. Completing my master of social work degree prepared me to appropriately serve our heroes. With my M.S.W., I was commissioned as an officer and placed in a position to work and counsel our brave men and women.”
He was deployed to Iraq in December 2004 through December 2005. For the first six months, he served as the U.S. Army Officer in Charge of a Combat Stress Control (Team Baqubah). The last six months of his combat tour he served as the U.S. Army Mental Health Officer, 48th Brigade, Georgia National Guard, in Baghdad.
In his current assignment as Operation Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom Program Manager for Canandaigua Veterans Affairs, Chitaphong reaches out and finds the best programs and services for returning veterans and their families. He is pursuing his doctorate in counselor education at the University of Rochester and plans to research the impact of war on service members and families of the National Guard and reservists.
Honorees were selected by CICU Board of Trustee member presidents. Approximately 50 college and university presidents will attend the reception, along with state legislators and other policymakers. The Master of Ceremonies for this year’s Alumni Hall of Distinction Legislative Reception and Awards Ceremony was Joseph Robert Kerrey, President of The New School. Mr. Kerrey is a former governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service during Vietnam. In addition to recognition at the reception, a full-scale exhibit including alumni photos and biographical profiles was displayed in the Legislative Office Building in Albany from March 3-7, 2008. A virtual gallery is online: http://www.cicu.org/successStories/alumniHall.php.
Also honored in the 2008 Independent Sector Alumni Hall are: Lee A. Archer, Jr., New York University; Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., New York University; Richard S. Colt, Fordham University; Charles E. Crusha, Elmira College; Michael Dragotta, St. Joseph’s College; Kelvin B. Gentles, College of Mount Saint Vincent; Arthur V. Gorman, Jr., St. Francis College; Larry K. Grundhauser, Rochester Institute of Technology; Mickala S. Henson, Clarkson University; Henry Chin-Hong, New York Institute of Technology; Adam P. Jameson, The College of Saint Rose; Lee Joffee, Long Island University; Robert C. O’Brien, Wagner College; John J. Phelan, Jr., Adelphi University; Robert F. Porr, Marymount Manhattan College; James M. Shuart, Hofstra University; Richard C. Trietley, Jr., St. Bonaventure University; Willie J. Trotman, Dominican College.
The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) represents the chief executives of New York's 100+ independent (private, not-for-profit) colleges and universities on issues of public policy. Member colleges compose the largest private sector of higher education in the world and confer most of the bachelor's degrees (57%), master's degrees (72%), and doctoral and first-professional degrees (81%) earned in New York State. Our member campuses enroll more than 460,000 students, including 300,000 New York State residents. One in three (33%) New Yorkers enrolled full time at independent colleges and universities in the state comes from a family earning less than $40,000 annually. And most (53%) African-American and Latino students who earn their bachelor's and graduate degrees in New York State are Independent Sector alumni.
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