SUNY Adirondack employees earn Chancellor's Award for Excellence

QUEENSBURY, New York (April 21, 2026) — SUNY Adirondack is proud to announce this year’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence winners.

Professor of English Naftali Rottenstreich was awarded for Excellence in Teaching; Michael Sauro, an adjunct instructor in the Social Science division, for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching; and Patti Jo Tennyson, administrative assistant for Administrative Services, for Excellence in Classified Service.

The Chancellor's Awards for Excellence for faculty and staff are system-level honors that acknowledge consistently superior professional achievement and encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

“Our faculty and staff are the heart of SUNY Adirondack, and this recognition speaks to the extraordinary dedication, talent and care they bring to our campus every day,” said college President Anastasia L. Urtz, J.D. “Through their commitment to excellence and service, they create an environment where students feel supported, inspired and empowered to succeed.”

Rottenstreich is chair of the English division at SUNY Adirondack. With the exception of his stint as co-owner of Red Fox Books, his career has been devoted to teaching. He maintains a tireless commitment to balancing rigor and compassion, analysis and imagination.

A Brooklyn native, he holds a master’s degree from George Mason University and a Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center. When he is not in a classroom, Rottenstreich can be found walking, reading and taking quirky photos.

"My classrooms are spaces where students are asked to think with deliberation, to work hard and to take creative risks,” he said. “I do everything possible to provide them with a setting that encourages all of those practices.”

Sauro is a longtime adjunct instructor, serving SUNY Adirondack since 1992. By recognizing diverse learning needs and the complexities of students’ lives, Sauro fosters an environment that creates equitable and supportive learning experiences. He uses varied teaching methods to recognize students’ strengths, support their challenges and help them achieve their academic goals.

He holds a master’s degree and certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from Northeastern University. He has been a Big Brother for twenty years for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks.

“Throughout my years of teaching at SUNY Adirondack, I have understood that we have diverse student learning needs and that it is essential to plan for effective teaching because students often reflect a wide range of educational backgrounds, life experiences and academic goals,” Sauro said. “I am honored to receive this award, and deeply appreciative of the college’s commitment to supporting academic excellence.”

Tennyson is co-chair of the Support Staff Work Group, and serves as a member of the Social Planning group and other committees. Outside work, she is involved in community service, contributing to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, including co-chairing the Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at SUNY Adirondack and International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. She is a member of the St. Mary's Catholic Church planning team for the Women's Retreat at Wiawaka and serves as chair for her high school class reunions.

Tennyson is also a Mary Kay consultant who each year promotes “Project Love,” a campaign for chemo care packages for CR Wood Center at Glens Falls Hospital.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition, but it really reflects the incredible people I work with every day at SUNY Adirondack,” Tennyson said. “I’m grateful to be part of a community that values collaboration, service and supporting one another, and I’m proud to contribute in any way I can.”