As chants of “Let’s go U” filled a packed Memorial Chapel, Union officially kicked off its 232nd academic year with an hour-long ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
President Elizabeth Kiss presents the Eliphalet Nott Medal to former Union men's hockey star Shayne Gostisbehere ’15 at Convocation. Gostisbehere helped lead the College to the 2014 Division 1 men’s ice hockey national championship over Minnesota, 7-4. Gostisbehere was named the Frozen Four's Most Valuable Player in the tournament. He also won a Stanley Cup this year as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The athletic chants were a nod to a special guest on the dais, former Union men's hockey star Shayne Gostisbehere ’15. Gostisbehere was back on campus to receive the Eliphalet Nott Medal. Established in 1995, the medal is awarded to alumni who have achieved outstanding success in their professional fields. The medal is named for Eliphalet Nott, president of Union from 1804 to 1866, the longest tenure of any American college president.
Gostisbehere helped lead the College to the 2014 Division 1 men’s ice hockey national championship over Minnesota, 7-4. Gostisbehere was named the Frozen Four's Most Valuable Player in the tournament.
In June, Gostisbehere became the first Union hockey player to win a Stanley Cup when his Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
In presenting him with the medal, Kiss reminded the audience how, after winning the Stanley Cup, “Shayne spoke beautifully to the media about how his experience at Union shaped him as a player and a person.
“Shayne’s professional success and the first-class manner in which he continues to represent Union, make him a worthy recipient of the Eliphalet Nott medal.”
Swapping his typical hockey attire for an academic robe, Gostisbehere recounted his first days at Union, when he arrived on campus “as a teenager with a dream to play Division I hockey. Little did I know what was in store for me.”
He spoke fondly of his time at Union, saying the experience “taught me the importance of discipline, accountability and what it means to be part of something bigger. My coaches challenged me, my teammates pushed me and my professors reminded me that success is measured in many different ways both within and beyond the classroom.”
He told the hundreds of students in the Chapel to enjoy their time at Union because it will go by faster than they realize.
“Work hard, be a great teammate, treat people well and don’t be afraid to embrace challenges,” he said.
Throughout his remarks, Gostisbehere kept returning to the love he has for the College. At one point, he got emotional as he thanked his family for all of their support. He also was grateful to meet the woman at Union who he called the “love of is life” who eventually became his wife, Gina ’16. They have a son, Dax.
“Receiving the Eliphalet Nott Medal is an honor in and of itself, but it’s especially meaningful because it comes from a place that means so much to me. It’s a reminder of where my journey began.”
Other awards presented at Convocation:
- Tommaso Gazzarri, professor of classics, was honored with the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Research. Tommaso’s area of focus has been a research program devoted to Roman Stoicism, with particular emphasis on Seneca, articulated across philology, literary theory and the history of ideas. Over the past three years, his output includes two major scholarly books, one special journal issue and seven peer-reviewed articles. He also serves as editor of a journal he co-founded in 2021: Lucius Annaeus Seneca: International Journal of Senecan Studies. He was also awarded a grant from the Masciantonio Fund, which enabled a research visit to the Department of Classics at the Sorbonne in Paris. In the past three years, he has delivered five major invited talks, including in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. Gazzarri joined Union in 2014.
- Junko Ueno, professor of Japanese, was honored with the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Teaching. In presenting the award, Michele Angrist, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said that while teaching one of the most challenging languages in the world, Ueno “creates a classroom filled with laugher, joy and constant interaction.” As one student said, Ueno “makes learning challenging yet fun, and she is the reason they fall in love with learning.” A colleague described her as “by far the best pedagogue the College has. Her holistic approach to student-centered learning represents the highest standards and quality in contemporary higher education.”
Both faculty prizes were created by Abbott Stillman ‘69, David I. Stillman ’72 and Allan Stillman in honor of their father and grandfather, Abraham Stillman.
- Ben DeAngelis, associate director of community engagement, received the UNITAS Community Building award. It is given in recognition of a person who has helped build campus unity through collaborative programs, projects and organizations.
- Benjamin Visconti ’28 received the Hollander Convocation Music Prize. The prize was established by the late Lawrence J. Hollander, dean of engineering emeritus. Accompanied on piano by Akina Yura, affiliate artist in the Music Department, Visconti performed on cello a moving rendition of “Meditiation” from the opera Thaïs by French composer Jules Massenet.
In her second Convocation address, President Kiss officially welcomed the 480 members of the Class of 2030. Selected from more than 9,400 applicants, the students hail from 37 states and 16 countries. The class includes 25 percent first-generation students.
“We are excited that you now call Union and Schenectady home,” she said, “and that no matter where life takes you, Union will forever occupy a special place in your heart. A place of growth and discovery, lifelong friendship and inspiration, and a place that you will always call home.”
Shifting her tone, Kiss touched on the history of higher education in America, and the challenges it faces today. She talked about the relentless drumbeat of negativity in the media about the fragile state of higher education and questionable value.
“Is college worth it? Is there an ROI on degrees? Have America’s colleges lost their way? Is AI an existential threat to the very enterprise of teaching and learning?” she said.
Former Union men's hockey star Shayne Gostisbehere ’15 shares a moment with President Elizabeth Kiss at Convocation. Gostisbehere was back on campus to receive the Eliphalet Nott Medal. Established in 1995, the medal is awarded to alumni who have achieved outstanding success in their professional fields.
Benjamin Visconti ’28 received the Hollander Convocation Music Prize. Accompanied on piano by Akina Yura, affiliate artist in the Music Department, Visconti performed on cello a moving rendition of “Meditiation” from the opera Thaïs by French composer Jules Massenet.
“The view that America’s higher education system is broken is simplistic, sometimes cynical and mostly just plain wrong,” Kiss said.
Calling it a pivotal year for the College, she said an ongoing positioning study will help determine -in a rigorous and data-informed way -how Union can amplify its strengths and stand out in today’s competitive enrollment landscape.
“It will require us to rethink and reinvent aspects of a Union education, to do things differently and to be bold and innovative, just as Union has been at multiple moments of our long history,” she said.
Also at Convocation, Angrist recognized the students who made the Dean’s List last year.
The ceremony opened with remarks from Stacie Raucci, College Marshal and the Frank Bailey Professor of Classics; Julie Swidler ‘79, chair of the Board of Trustees; Kristina Striegnitz, associate professor of computer science and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee; Matthew Masciocchi ’19, co-chair of Union Staff Council and assistant dean of admissions; and Kassandra Smeltzer ’27, Student Forum president.
Fall term classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 9.