FSC Honored at SUNY Online Summit
Department of Distance Learning Earns Multiple State-wide Distinctions
51吃瓜 (FSC) is pleased to announce its recent success at the 6th Annual State University of New York (SUNY) Online Summit. The event, sponsored by , recognized individuals and institutions for their contributions to online education and served as a platform for sharing knowledge, best practices, and networking among online teaching and learning practitioners within the SUNY system.
At the in-person and virtual gathering held in Syracuse, New York, FSC鈥檚 Department of Distance Learning earned third place in the SUNY Effective Online Practices Award Program. Program participants are invited to submit to the Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository, and to present during National Distance Learning Week later this year and as part of ongoing SUNY Online webinar offerings.
Additionally, FSC Professor of Computer Security Qinghai 鈥淛ohn鈥� Gao, PhD, and Assistant Professor of Psychology Kathryn Hauschild, PhD, were recognized as SUNY Online Teaching Ambassadors. Exemplary online educators who are enthusiastic and effective in online teaching, ambassadors have the opportunity to be online teaching advocates and to share their expertise in a variety of ways with the SUNY Online communities of practice.
鈥淲e are proud to receive these wonderful SUNY distinctions,鈥� said Brandi So, PhD, director of the Department of Distance Learning. 鈥淎nd we are truly honored to work with FSC鈥檚 exceptional faculty. We value their partnership, their leadership, and the ways they champion the success of our students with their work in their individual departments and for us here at Distance Learning. They bring meaning to our department鈥檚 mission and their ethic and commitment are big reasons why my job means as much to me as it does.鈥�
The Department of Distance Learning connects FSC鈥檚 faculty, staff, and students with a variety of educational and technology resources, assessment and proctoring solutions, and advanced training and workshops that deepen engagement with teaching and learning across campus and beyond. Through online learning communities, the department also offers valuable real-world experiences, hands-on research, and professional development opportunities.
鈥淏eing an online teaching instructor has been an incredibly rewarding journey, one that has allowed me to not only expand my own teaching practices but also help shape my students鈥� ways of learning in a digital space,鈥� said Gao, who joined FSC in 2009 and has broad research experience with fingerprint recognition, computer security, and cryptography. 鈥淥nline platforms provide the opportunity to engage with students from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations, fostering an inclusive learning environment. As an Online Teaching Ambassador, I鈥檓 excited to continue learning, sharing insights with fellow educators, and advocating for the continued growth of online learning.鈥�
鈥淎 love of learning is contagious,鈥� said Hauschild, who chairs the Psychology Department鈥檚 Curriculum Review Committee, serves on the department鈥檚 Assessment Committee, and hosts a faculty workshop series on neuromyths. 鈥淭his simple principle is the core of my teaching philosophy and informs every aspect of my online course development and delivery. As an online instructor, my goal is to provide students with a supportive, collaborative, and engaging environment that offers meaningful opportunities to explore, discuss, and challenge their own topical understanding.鈥�
While this was the 6th annual SUNY Online Summit, 2025 marks the 26th annual gathering of the SUNY online teaching and learning community of practice. The first summit was held in 1998 as an annual face-to-face meeting of the SUNY Learning Network鈥檚 (SLN) faculty development and instructional design team, and the online campus-based SUNY instructional designers whose campuses participated in the SLN program. Over time, it evolved into the current SUNY Online Summit, encompassing both in-person and virtual events and the .
鈥淚t鈥檚 an incredible time to be involved in education, and I look forward to contributing to the ongoing evolution of teaching and learning in the digital age,鈥� said Gao.
