Albany, NY – In celebration of Women’s History Month, State University of New York Chancellor, John B. King Jr. today announced the Dr. Virginia Radley SUNY Fellowship Program and the Dr. L. Eudora Pettigrew Women’s History Summer Research Excellence Grants. Through these initiatives, students and faculty will have the opportunity to research the significant role women have led in the development of New York State and to recognize the contributions women leaders have played in the state and the region.
The Dr. Virginia Radley SUNY Fellowship
Named in honor of the first woman to be appointed as a SUNY state-operated campus president, the Dr. Virginia Radley SUNY Fellowship Program provides support for a SUNY faculty member with scholarly expertise in history. The upcoming commemoration of SUNY’s 75th anniversary is an opportunity to discover, celebrate, and elevate the history of women’s leadership in New York State. The Fellowship will explore women’s roles and leadership in the development of New York State—including SUNY’s founding, evolution, and growth—and amplify these narratives to SUNY and broader communities.
The Dr. L. Eudora Pettigrew Women’s History Summer Research Excellence Grants
Named in honor of the first Black college president in the SUNY system, the Dr. L. Eudora Pettigrew Women’s History Summer Research Excellence Grants will provide five SUNY undergraduate students with the opportunity to pursue an innovative community-based applied-learning experience in women’s history. Working under the advisement of campus faculty members, and each receiving a stipend and other financial support, those selected will conduct original research at New York historical sites, libraries, historical societies, museums, and other institutions. Participating students will be expected to document their studies and share the results of their research on their campus and through a SUNY system administration social media spotlight in the fall.
“As we celebrate the significant impact women have had in leadership roles in New York State, I am honored to announce these two initiatives to support the research excellence of SUNY students and faculty exploring women’s history,” SUNY Chancellor King said. “SUNY’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion includes addressing current gender inequities, which requires an honest and complete accounting of history.”
SUNY Board Chairman Merryl H. Tisch and SUNY Board Trustees Eunice A. Lewin, Courtney Eagles Burke, Alexandria Chun, Camille Joseph Varlack, and Christy Woods said, “Phenomenal women have broken barriers and made lasting contributions to our state. As the largest comprehensive system of public higher education, it is SUNY’s role to elevate women’s history in New York, recognize those before us, tell their stories of struggle and triumph, and, in doing so, inspire our future leaders for generations to follow. The research initiatives announced today help ensure their legacies will live on.”
About Dr. Virginia Radley
Dr. Virginia Radley was president of SUNY Oswego from 1977 until 1988. Dr. Radley was also the first provost and executive vice president at the campus. She reinforced and sustained SUNY Oswego’s commitment to student success and academic excellence, while also piloting the college’s honors program to attract talented students. Dr. Radley led the college through the tumultuous financial times of the late 1970s.
During her tenure, she increased the number of women faculty and staff by 45 percent to ensure women were more properly represented across the college, and increased enrollment of students from underserved communities. Dr. Radley earned degrees at several institutions including Russell Sage College, the University of Rochester, and Syracuse University. She also served as a professor of English and dean at both Russell Sage College and Nazareth College.
About Dr. L. Eudora Pettigrew
Dr. L. Eudora Pettigrew was SUNY Old Westbury’s president in 1986 and stayed in that role until 1998. Before leading Old Westbury, Dr. Pettigrew was the first Black professor to chair a department at Michigan State University in the 1970s and the first Black leader in central administration at the University of Delaware, where she was named associate provost for instruction in 1981. Dr. Pettigrew served as chair of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP)/United Nations Commission on Disarmament Education Conflict Resolution, and Peace, which promotes global awareness and competence as well as peace and international understanding through education.
Dr. Pettigrew earned a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia State College and master’s and doctorate degrees from Southern Illinois University. In addition to her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Dr. Pettigrew received three honorary doctorate degrees: the first Ph.D. from the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 1997; the second from Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA in 2002; and the third from Western Connecticut State University in 2004. In 1991, she received the Distinguished Black Women in Education Award, the National Council of Negro Women’s highest citation.
About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2022, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.
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