Cayuga Faculty, Staff Recognized with SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

SUNY honored three Cayuga Community College faculty and staff members with the celebrated SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence this semester for their exceptional contributions to Cayuga and its students.

Presented each spring, the Chancellor’s Award recognizes SUNY faculty and staff for their commitment and accomplishments while also highlighting SUNY’s dedication to superior classroom instruction, academic curiosity and drive, and sustained community support. Awards are issued in Faculty Service, Librarianship, Teaching, Professional and Classified Service, and Scholarship and Creative Activities.

This year’s recipients from Cayuga are Professor Mark Montgomery, Excellence in Teaching; Professor & Director of the Office of Institutional Assessment Elizabeth Seton Mignacca, Excellence in Faculty Service; and Custodian Donna Whiting, Excellence in Classified Service.

“Our recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence this year are not only demonstrably successful in their responsibilities at Cayuga, but are also extremely dedicated to the College, our students and our mission. They know the value of the education we offer, and the role we play in the success of our students and community,” said Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant. “On behalf of everyone at Cayuga Community College, I applaud our recipients for this well-deserved recognition of their outstanding work.”

Cayuga will recognize the recipients at the College’s 2025 Commencement on Wednesday, May 14, at 6 p.m. at Falcon Park in Auburn.

Excellence in Teaching

Mark L. Montgomery, Ph.D. — Professor of English

Since starting at Cayuga as an adjunct instructor in 1997, Professor Montgomery has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to helping students enhance their writing abilities. Professor Montgomery uses diverse approaches to instill an appreciation for writing and creativity. He publishes the College’s creative arts journal, Listen, which highlights students’ work, recruits writers to speak with students, and coordinates student trips to Syracuse Stage to see performances and meet with playwrights and performers. His dedication to the College, its academic programs and students includes serving as the Visiting Writers Coordinator and the Writing Coordinator for the School of Media and the Arts. He has also advised the Creative Writing Club since 2013 and co-developed the Creative and Professional Writing A.S. program. Professor Montgomery earned his doctorate from Binghamton University and his Master of Arts from San Francisco State University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from University of California at Santa Cruz and an associate’s degree from Diablo Valley Community College.

Excellence in Faculty Service

Elizabeth Seton Mignacca, Ph.D. — Professor and Director of the Office of Institutional Assessment

Professor Seton Mignacca has been a leader in Cayuga’s internal assessment and improvement efforts for more than a decade, ensuring the College’s programs and offices are continually examining how to enhance services for students. At Cayuga, Professor Seton Mignacca manages academic program reviews, coordinates student learning outcome assessments, and manages functional area reviews, all of which are designed to improve program and office operations. In 2016 and 2025 she coordinated the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reaccreditation processes for Cayuga and wrote the Self-Study Final Report, a key process in the College’s academic and financial standing. She also co-chaired a MSCHE standard committee and served as a member of the MSCHE Steering Committee. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology, a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, all from Syracuse University.

Excellence in Classified Service

Donna Whiting — Custodian

Donna Whiting started working at Cayuga in 2018 as a custodian, and became known across the College for her dedication, engaging personality and willingness to help colleagues with additional tasks. For almost a decade, she demonstrated an outstanding commitment to ensuring the Auburn Campus offices, classrooms and hallways were presentable and prepared for staff, faculty and students. She excelled at making employees and students feel welcome on campus, and frequently helped direct students and campus visitors to the office or classroom they were seeking. She has also served her community as a Girl Scout Troop leader and worked at Emerson Park. Previously, she was a dispatcher with the Cayuga County E-911 Emergency Communications Department for 16 years. She retired from Cayuga earlier in 2025.