Convocation focuses on agriculture, manufacturing

Agriculture’s role in advanced manufacturing was the featured topic for this year’s convocation address August 29. The featured speaker was Christopher L. Nyberg, dean of the school of agriculture, sustainability, business and entrepreneurship at Morrisville State College.

“For our freshmen, this is the start of a four-year journey, and the beginning of the college experience is a very exciting time . . . and this is a particularly exciting time to be part of SUNYIT,” Robert E. Geer, acting president, told the crowd in the Student Center multipurpose room. “Within a matter of months, the Computer Chip Commercialization Center or Quad-C will be completed. This $125 million project, under SUNYIT’s partnership with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, is an important part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s vision for revitalizing the regional economy through a reimagining of how higher education prepares people for success.”

Provost William W. Durgin described another SUNYIT initiative, the SUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program award, a $15 million grant for SUNYIT and several partner institutions to support advanced manufacturing. As part of that effort, Morrisville State College will focus on agriculture as a manufacturing process. In his convocation address, Nyberg described how New York State is experiencing a resurgence of interest in hops production because of legislation that will require a New York origin for more of the contents of beer bearing the “Made in New York” label.

More than 300 students, faculty and staff attended the event, which was covered by WKTV and WUTR television stations.