Maritime College Family,

Week 3 of the semester and we are in full swing! Wednesday, the Quad was hopping with the Fall Club Fair. Thursday, we celebrated student achievement at Fall Commencement and heard from one of our own, John Dabbar ’82, who spoke about the 3 Ts and the importance of opportunity. On Friday, we held our 25th 9/11 ceremony as we remembered and paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the horrific attacks of that day and in the years since defending our nation. We promise to never forget and always remember. Thank you to everyone who came out to honor their memory. We also launched our fundraising campaign for the Great Boatlift Monument. See below for more details on this important student-initiated effort to preserve this remarkable story of courage, service, and sacrifice.

Earlier today, I met with Mr. Robert Borka, Associate Administrator for Strategic Sealift, and other members of MARAD. Maintenance and repairs continue onboard Empire State, and based on my discussion today, I do not anticipate her departing before the end of next week. Active-duty Navy personnel supporting Military Sealift Command will be aboard this week for a site visit. I will keep you posted as I receive additional information or if anything changes.

Here are a few additional highlights and updates from around campus:

Admiral's Dinner. The Admiral’s Dinner is September 15 at Marina Del Rey. This is our premier fundraising event, creating access and opportunity by helping eliminate financial barriers for our talented students. Scholarship support has never been more important. I hope you will join us as we celebrate leadership, achievement, and the transformative power of Maritime Nation. You can purchase tickets or sponsorships on our website. I look forward to seeing everyone there for what promises to be a very special evening for our College and, most importantly, for our students.

Weight Room Ribbon Cutting. Wednesday, September 16 at 1:30 PM we will ceremonially open the new weight and cardio rooms and thank the SUNY Maritime Foundation and Faculty Student Association for their investment in the student experience. Please join us in showing our appreciation.

Messdeck Ribbon Cutting. Tuesday, September 22, from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Join us to celebrate the grand opening of the new Messdeck! Every 15 minutes, our Chartwells teammates will introduce a new menu item and award a prize to a lucky student in attendance. Come early and stay for a chance to win. Five lucky students will also win a free Spring meal plan compliments of Chartwells. To enter, scan the QR code in the Messdeck or follow the link.

SUNY Harvey Milk Leadership Award. Student Leadership Award Opportunity! Please consider nominating deserving students who make a difference on our campus. The Harvey Milk Award for Student Leadership, named in honor of University at Albany class of 1951 alumnus and LGBTQIA+ rights champion Harvey Milk, recognizes two outstanding students (one upper-level undergraduate student and one graduate student) who have dedicated their time to improving LGBTQIA+ inclusiveness on their campus for fellow students. Please visit the Harvey Milk Student Leadership Award Nomination page to review the award, criteria, timeline, and nomination process. Any questions, please contact the Dean of Students.

Constitution Day. Come celebrate Constitution Day on September 17 at 3:00 PM in the MAC MPR, featuring a keynote presentation by former Congressman and author Chris Gibson, followed by a Faculty/Staff/Student Trivia Quiz with great prizes, cake, and refreshments. The League of Women Voters will also be on campus beginning at noon on September 17 in the Student Union and MAC Atrium for our Constitution Day Voter Registration Drive. Come, participate, learn, and enjoy as we celebrate America’s constitutional tradition and explore the ideas, principles, and debates that shaped the founding of our Republic!

Shredder Truck. A shredder truck will be in parking lot #6, Friday, September 18, from 8:30-9:30 AM. Please bring your papers to the truck, and please no paperclips, binder clips, binders, or cardboard (staples are okay).

Call for Honorary Degree Nominations. The call for nominations for SUNY Honorary Doctoral Degrees, the highest recognition conferred by the SUNY Board of Trustees, is now open. The award honors individuals of exceptional distinction whose achievements, public service, philanthropy, or contributions to society exemplify SUNY's mission, inspire its diverse student body, and elevate the College's reputation through excellence and leadership. Submit your nominations via this nomination link no later than September 18.

Spring 2026 President and Provost Lists. The Fall 2026 Academic Recognition Ceremony, celebrating the academic achievement from the Spring Semester, will be on Tuesday, September 22, at 3:00 PM in the Riesenberg Gym. The lists will be posted on our website later this week. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Great Boat Lift Monument. Last week, we officially launched an initiative inspired by our students to create the first monument dedicated to the 9/11 Boatlift. As Jessica DuLong shared with us, the stories of heroism, care, and compassion displayed by mariners on 9/11 must never be forgotten. That is why it is so important that this monument stand at Fort Schuyler, overlooking New York Harbor and Lower Manhattan. It will honor the courage and service of the maritime community and preserve this remarkable story for generations to come. Support the monument and read the testimonials by visiting the website. One Hand. Thousands Answered.

APL Scholarship. APL is offering students at the State Maritime Academies a $25,000 one-year scholarship for eligible educational expenses for Fall 2027. Juniors and seniors in good standing enrolled in an unlimited-tonnage Deck or Engine license program, with strong academics, leadership, faculty recommendations, and a commitment to sailing commercially as a U.S. Merchant Mariner. Active-duty military commissioning students are not eligible; Navy Reserve SSO participation is permitted. Complete scholarship packages must be submitted directly to Klaus Luhta and Luc Saintgenies no later than October 31.

Scholarship Form Scholarship Rules

Monomoy Races. This Saturday, September 19, the waterfront will come alive as we welcome with Cadets/Midshipmen from US Merchant Marine Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and California Poly Maritime Academy for George C. Previll Memorial Inter-Maritime Academy Monomoy Race sponsored by The Marine Society of the City of New York. We need strong participation from our MUGs and Open Boat teams, as well as the seamanship skills competition. For more information or to participate, contact Mrs. Kathy Tart. Let's take home the trophy this year!

Fall Athletic Sports Pep Rally. Our Fall Athletic Sports Pep Rally is Thursday, September 24, from 3:00–4:00 PM on Reinhart Field, bringing the campus community together to celebrate the start of the fall athletic season and recognize our student-athletes and teams. The event will highlight the dedication, teamwork, and spirit of our fall sports programs while building excitement and momentum for the season ahead. All members of the Maritime community are encouraged to attend, show their support, and help cheer our student-athletes on to a successful year.

Student Success Center. As we begin to put ideas into action they year, I encourage you to share your comments and recommendations through the Student Affairs - Student Success Center Feedback Form. A cross-campus steering group has been established to help refine the vision and move the project forward this year. If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact Dean Adam Grohman.

Digital IDs. The Digital ID is here! To get started, download the TouchNet 360u app on our website and follow the setup instructions. Once activated, your Digital ID can be used anywhere your Maritime ID is accepted and will replace the physical card. Over the coming months, we will transition away from physical ID cards as the Digital ID becomes our standard campus credential. Download your Digital ID today and make the switch to a faster, more convenient way to access campus services.

Athletics. Fall sports are in full swing, and last week the accolades started rolling in! Congratulations to Cindy Chen and Chase Miller, Skyline Conference Runners of the Week in women’s and men’s cross country; Emani Abdool, Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week in women’s soccer; and Gianni Spinelli and Dennis Matich, NEWMAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week in football. A special congratulations to Chase Miller for finishing first at the Purchase College Invitational this past week. Check out the latest results and full schedule on the website.

With utmost respect,
John