From Goshen, New York to Abu Dhabi, and from the soccer field to the research lab, Ryan Primus has charted an extraordinary path during his time at SUNY Poly. A student in the 4+1 BS/MS computer science program, Ryan is one of two SUNY Poly students selected to receive this year’s prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence—a recognition of not only academic distinction, but service, leadership, and personal resilience.
Ryan’s journey began with uncertainty. Beginning his academic journey elsewhere, he transferred to SUNY Poly as a sophomore. Over time, the tight-knit campus community, supportive faculty, and opportunities to grow helped him find his place and his purpose.
“SUNY Poly became a place where I could build something meaningful,” Ryan explains. “It really is what you make of it—and I found people who supported me at every step.”
A natural learner with a passion for problem-solving, Ryan gravitated toward artificial intelligence and machine learning. That passion led him to collaborate with SUNY Poly Wireless Interdisciplinary Next Generation Systems (WING) Director Dr. Arjun Singh, applying AI to emerging 6G and terahertz communication challenges. This led to Primus giving a research presentation at an international conference in Abu Dhabi in December, supported by WINGS. Their work will culminate in a presentation at ICMLCN in Barcelona, Spain in May.
“Dr. Singh gave me the space to explore and grow,” Ryan reflects. “Our collaboration combined his expertise in electrical engineering and mine in computer science and that blend of perspectives shaped the research we were able to do together.”
Beyond academics, Ryan is a standout goalkeeper for SUNY Poly’s men’s soccer team, where he found camaraderie, mentorship, and leadership under Coach Peterson Jerome. A first-generation college athlete, he credits the program with creating a powerful foundation of discipline, teamwork, and community.
Ryan has also held internships at Hinge and Andro, working in app development and applying machine learning to radio frequency signal classification. As he finishes his master’s thesis, the next chapter includes taking a role as a machine learning engineer intern at Integral Ad Science in New York City.
“I want to keep learning,” Ryan says. “If you’re always learning, you’re always growing. That’s been my mindset from the beginning.”
Ryan’s story is one of persistence, reinvention, and connection—qualities that embody SUNY Poly’s mission and spirit. Whether in the classroom, in research, or on the field, he continues to represent the very best of what SUNY Poly students can achieve.
