Presidential Inauguration

The Inauguration of President Mary Bonderoff

The Seal of SUNY Delhi The Inauguration of Mary Bonderoff
Dr. Mary Bonderoff

Dr. Bonderoff holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY Oneonta and a doctorate from Northeastern University (MA). She began her career at SUNY in 1988 at the Delhi campus as a Residence Hall Director in Russell Hall, then moving to SUNY Oneonta where she worked for 28 years.

While at SUNY Oneonta, Dr. Bonderoff served in roles with increasing responsibility, including EOP Counselor, Director of the Center for Multicultural Experiences; Director for Student Diversity and Advocacy and then as Director of Diversity Education and Community Outreach. She went on to serve at SUNY Morrisville as the Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator, and later as Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer.

Dr. Bonderoff led SUNY Delhi in an interim capacity from 2022-2024. The SUNY Board of Trustees appointed her as the college’s 11th president in July 2024. She has become known on campus as a compassionate leader who meets challenges head-on, works diligently with faculty, staff and students, and strives for a culture of inclusiveness, collaboration and open communication.

Upon her arrival at SUNY Delhi, Dr. Bonderoff charged members of the leadership team and campus stakeholders to develop a strategic enrollment management plan. In 2023/2024, SUNY Delhi enrolled the largest incoming class since 2017. It is anticipated that 2025/2026 enrollment will surpass the prior years’ growth. A critical component of the increases reflects key investments to expand capacity in high-demand academic programs, which historically has significant waitlists, particularly in the applied technology programs. Dr. Bonderoff is deeply committed to continuing to build on efforts for incremental growth. She has worked tirelessly to receive support from the SUNY Construction Fund and industry partners to upgrade and maximize space. Additional investments and global partnerships were made to expand opportunities for international students.

Dr. Bonderoff inherited an approximately 6.5-million-dollar structural deficit and began to address it right away. She intentionally collaborated with shared governance bodies to develop a multifaceted plan. This fiscal stability plan has received significant praise from SUNY Administration and peer institutions for its thoughtful approach. The college is on track to close the structural deficit by 2027/2028. During this time, SUNY Delhi has received historic investment from the state, increased grant dollars, and gained significant donations to strengthen its fiscal position. This work has been instrumental in maintaining compliance for the college’s accreditation.

Dr. Bonderoff is married with three grown sons and a granddaughter.

College History

SUNY Delhi’s exceptional commitment to providing a student-centered, residential collegiate experience that focuses on academic excellence, innovation and applied learning has produced unprecedented growth and the largest enrollment in college history.

Approximately 3,058 students are currently enrolled in more than 50 academic programs leading to specialized certificates and associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees at SUNY Delhi and they reflect the geographic and ethnic diversity of the Empire State. That is in sharp contrast to when the college was founded in 1913 to help stem the migration of young men and women in the area by offering agricultural courses. Nine students from the local area enrolled at what was then known as the State School for Agriculture and Domestic Science at Delhi on opening day.

During its first three decades, the college consistently demonstrated its ability to adapt to regional needs. When World War I left Delaware County facing an acute farm-worker shortage, intensive training programs were created to prepare students from the New York City region for immediate employment on area farms. Teacher training, practical nursing and the nation’s first building construction program were also introduced.

The end of World War II ushered in an era of tremendous enrollment growth. The college’s mission changed as well in 1948 when Delhi became a charter member of the new State University of New York System.

New York State made major infrastructure investments throughout the 1960s as a massive construction program transformed the campus, creating modern facilities to meet the college’s academic and student life needs. Another major change came in 1987 when, in response to the growing role of technology in New York State commerce, the college’s academic focus shifted and its name was formally changed to the State University College of Technology at Delhi.

Baccalaureate programs were first introduced in 1998. Today, SUNY Delhi consistently ranks among the leading Baccalaureate Colleges in the North and as one of the nation’s premier colleges for online baccalaureate education, according to US. News. Many academic programs enjoy state and national reputations for excellence.

The college has also earned national recognition for its commitment to volunteer service. SUNY Delhi is among an elite group of colleges to earn Community Engagement recognition from the Carnegie Foundation. With over 7,000 hours of community service logged just this academic year, our students have donated time equivalent to $110,000 in wages since August. The college is also making impressive strides integrating service-learning into the curriculum.

Today, under the leadership of President Mary Bonderoff, SUNY Delhi is poised to enter an exciting new era as a premier college of technology.

Program

Prelude

Campus congratulations video

Masters of Ceremonies

Daniel Davis ’91
Dean

Academic Procession

“Symphony Number 1 E minor”
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Price is recognized as the first female African-American symphonic composer

Declaration of Session

Douglas McKee
Grand Marshal

Welcome

Daniel Davis

National Anthem

Annalee Parker
Student

Student Performance

“So Much Better”
Legally Blonde the Musical
SUNY Delhi College Players Ensemble

Invocation

Afsah Diabate SUNY Delhi Graduate
Meir Rubashkin, Rabbi
Marybeth Kearns-Barrett, Campus Ministry Holy Cross

Greetings from

Candace Vancko
SUNY Delhi’s 9th President

Meg Sawicki ’79
Alumni Association & College Foundation

Julia Rios
Student Senate President

Melissa Dacey
Office Assistant

Alice Krause
College Senate Past Presider

Alumni Community Speaker

Ana Almanzar ’00
Deputy Mayor, NYC, College Foundation at Delhi Trustee

Remarks from Colleagues and Friends

Felicia Magnan
Coordinator of Tutorial Services

Diane M. Williams
Executive Director, OAS SUNY Oneonta

Remarks from Family

David, Maxwell, and Samuel Bonderoff

Greetings from Chancellor

John B. King, Jr.
State University of New York

Ceremony of Investiture

John B. King, Jr., Delaney and Finn Holohan

Inaugural Address

President Mary Bonderoff

Closing Remarks

Daniel Davis

Alma Mater
Closing Declaration

Douglas McKee

Recessional

Music by Katie Murphy

Order Of Procession

  • Grand Marshal
    Douglas McKee, Professor,
    School of Veterinary Science & Professional Studies

Official Delegates From Colleges & Universities

  • 1797
    Hartwick College
    James Mullen
    President

  • 1835
    SUNY Brockport
    Heidi Macpherson
    President

  • 1846
    University at Buffalo
    David Hultenius
    Alumnus

  • 1858
    St. Bonaventure University
    Anna Addonisio
    Vice President for Business and Finance

  • 1861
    SUNY Oswego
    Peter Nwosu
    President

  • 1871
    SUNY Geneseo
    Michael Taberski
    VP for Student and Campus Life

  • 1884
    Temple University
    Darrien Davenport
    Associate Vice President and Dean of Students

  • 1889
    Eastern Connecticut State University
    Elsa Núñez
    Eastern Connecticut State University’s 6th President

  • 1889
    SUNY Oneonta
    Alberto Cardelle
    President

  • 1908
    Alfred State College
    Steven Mauro
    President

  • 1908
    SUNY Morrisville David Rogers
    President

    Robert Blanchet
    Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness

  • 1911
    SUNY Cobleskill
    Marion Terenzio
    President

  • 1912
    Farmingdale State College
    Robert Prezant
    President

    John Nader
    President Emeritus

  • 1928
    Elms College
    Khristian Kemp-DeLisser

  • 1946
    Binghamton University
    Kenneth Kidder
    Software Engineer Associate Manager

    Karen A. Jones
    VP Diversity Binghamton University

  • 1946
    SUNY Broome Community College
    Tony Hawkins
    President

  • 1948
    State University of New York
    Christa Grant
    Assistant Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence

  • 1950
    SUNY Orange
    Kristine Young
    President

  • 1953
    Hudson Valley Community College
    Louis Coplin, II
    Officer in Charge

    Kate Better
    Chief Operating Officer

  • 1961
    SUNY Adirondack
    Kristine Duffy
    President

  • 1961
    SUNY Ulster
    Alison Buckley
    President

  • 1962
    SUNY Sullivan
    David Potash
    President

  • 1965
    SUNY Old Westbury
    Timothy Sams
    President

  • 1966
    Herkimer College
    Nicholas Laino Senior
    Vice President for Administration and Finance

  • 1967
    Purchase College
    Milagros “Milly” Peña
    President

Faculty And Staff Delegates

  • Bret Meckel Dean
    School of Veterinary and Professional Studies

  • Cecilia DeCotes
    Assistant Dean, Nursing, School of Nursing, Arts & Sciences

  • Angela Armstrong

  • Liz Avery

  • Brian Bean

  • Jessica Blake

  • Michael Branigan

  • Abigail Brannen-Wilson

  • Bjorn Davis

  • Yanira Dawson

  • Francesca Donancricchia

  • Jason Fishner

  • Kristy Fitch

  • Jessica Fleming

  • Cody Gabriel

  • Angeles Gonzalez

  • Terry Hamblin

  • Nicole Hoffman

  • Elizabeth Hoyt

  • Tanjia Hynes

  • John Kolodziej

  • Nazely Kurkjian

  • Larry Mannolini

  • Scott May

  • Kaitlin Medina

  • Katie Murphy

  • Galya Nocheva

  • John Padovani

  • Jessica Pruschki

  • Simon Purdy

  • Louis A. Reyes, Jr.

  • Sanum Shafi

  • Miriam Sharick

  • Lauren Sloane

  • Rebecca Snyder

  • Jeff Stedman

  • Jack Tessier

  • Lisa Tessier

  • Lori Tremblay

  • Emily Tylock

  • Kirsty Vander Werff

  • Gabriella Vasta

  • Erin Wagner

  • Mary Wake

  • Julia Ward

  • Christina Wood

  • Heidi Yorke

Student Representatives

  • Marina Barresi

  • Samson Cane-Franco

  • Donovan Church

  • Lincoln Constable

  • Kelsey Folts

  • Akosua Frimpong

  • Dylan Fuentes

  • Sandro Garcia

  • Lillian Gallup

  • Derek Grabeklis

  • Cooper Hicks

  • Joseph Horan

  • Eric Inman

  • Gabriel Manso

  • Nicholas Meisner

  • Catherine Messina

  • Jahzeel Moscoso Duarte

  • Eli Napper

  • Emma Newman

  • Justin Ortiz

  • Albert Osterman

  • Phillip Patskovskiy

  • Kevin Reilly

  • Hailey Savino

  • Michael Shannon

  • Rumeal Solar

  • Luke Tarantino

  • Samantha Thompson

  • Philip Thorne

  • Jada Valenti

  • Michael Wharton-Kawall

  • Tyler Zimmerman

Stage Party

  • Ana Almanzar ’00
    College Foundation at Delhi Trustee

  • Marybeth Kearns-Barrett
    Campus Ministry Holy Cross

  • David Brower
    Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

  • Mary Bonderoff
    President

  • Melissa Dacey
    Office Assistant Classified Staff

  • Daniel Davis
    Master of Ceremonies

  • John B. King, Jr.
    SUNY Chancellor

  • Alice Krause
    Past Presider SUNY Delhi College Senate

  • Felicia Magnan
    Coordinator of Tutorial Services, Former student of Dr. Bonderoff

  • Douglas McKee
    Grand Marshal

  • Julia Rios
    President SUNY Delhi Student Senate

  • Meir Rubashkin
    Rabbi

  • Meg Sawicki
    Alumni Association

  • Djata Toure
    SUNY Delhi Student

  • Candace Vancko
    SUNY Delhi’s 9th President

  • Diane Williams
    Executive Director, OAS, SUNY Oneonta

  • Keith Landa
    Board of Trustees Representative

  • Jack Schoonmaker
    College Council

State University Of New York Board Of Trustees

  • Merryl Tisch
    Chairman

  • Joseph W. Belluck

  • Courtney E. Burke

  • Eric Corngold

  • Marcos Crespo

  • Robert J. Duffy

  • James Haddon

  • Giovanni Harvey

  • Keith Landa

  • Eunice A. Lewin

  • Stanley Litow

  • Cesar Perales

  • Edward Spiro

  • Cary F. Staller

  • Candice Vacin

  • Camille Joseph Varlack

Suny Delhi College Council

  • Jack Schoonmaker
    Interim Chair

  • Seth Blocker

  • Tahirah Clark

  • Jeanne Ellsworth

  • Wayne Oliver

  • Ray Pucci

  • Julia Rios

College Senate

  • Douglas Holub
    Presider

  • Cheri Rossi
    Associate Presider and Parliamentarian

  • Lisa Tessier
    University Faculty Senator

  • Genevieve Salerno
    Secretary

  • Leslie Barger

  • Brian Bean

  • Beth Boyd

  • Jason Cash

  • Lori Ciafardoni

  • Barbara Davies

  • Max Dehne

  • Carrie Fishner

  • Daniel Gashler

  • Kari Haugeto

  • Alice Krause

  • Cheri Rossi

  • Heather Schwartz

  • Sanum Shafi

  • Shannon Shoemaker

  • Lori Tremblay

  • Michael Tweed

  • Megan Wolfe

Student Senate Executive Board

  • Julia Rios
    President

  • Albert Osterman
    Vice President

  • Madison Miller
    Treasurer

  • Madelyn Loennecker
    Secretary

College Foundation At Delhi, Inc. Board Of Trustees

  • Richard Hayes
    President

  • Charles Lefkowitz
    Vice President

  • Peter Gioffe
    Secretary

  • Michael Sullivan
    Executive Director

  • Ana Almanzar

  • Mary H. Bonderoff

  • Scott Fichten

  • Edwin Griswold

  • Anthony Helstosky

  • Chelsea Mathieu

  • Dominic Morales

  • Neil Riddell

  • Meg Sawicki

  • Darryl Sheetz

  • Dan Woodside

Alumni Association Advisory Board

  • Eddy Acosta

  • Todd Baright

  • Karen Baright

  • Mary Bonderoff

  • Lucinda Brydon

  • Heather Cochran

  • Alan Franks

  • Virginia (Lynn) Giles

  • Nate Gresock

  • Nancy Heimbuecher

  • Len Mitchell

  • Maryann Neff

  • Meg Sawicki

  • Scott Seeley

  • Brianne Smith

  • Ralph Smith

  • Michael Sullivan

  • Arvin Tangalan

  • Jared Yando

Inauguration Committee

  • Peter Ames

  • Peter Brusoe

  • Andrea Dibble

  • Ruth Ehrets

  • Carrie Fishner

  • Kari Haugeto

  • Amanda Holland

  • Nazely Kurkjian

  • Larry Mannolini

  • Michael O’Donnell

  • Riikka Olson

  • Laura Pehrsson

  • Cody Ruff

  • Michael Sullivan

  • Dustin White

Volunteers

  • Mackenzie Anders

  • Amber Boulay

  • Andrea Dibble

  • Ruth Ehrets

  • Carrie Fishner

  • Monica Liddle

  • Suroyya Lomax-Williams

  • Tiesha Mayfield

  • Rob Mazzei

  • Mairead Murray

  • Chris Nicholson

  • Laura Pehrsson

  • Juliana Stevens

  • Tracey Stefanelli

  • Nicole Vasquez

  • Carlos Vidal

Academic Dress

The rich history of academic dress dates back to medieval Europe, in the early days of England’s oldest colleges and universities. Today in the United States, academic regalia is the traditional attire for formal collegiate events, such as commencement and inauguration ceremonies.

Academic dress essentially represents where the wearer has studied and what they have achieved. Academic regalia typically refers to the gown, cap, and hood, each with distinct variations according to degree level, discipline, and institutional tradition.

Presidential Medallion

The presidential medallion showcases the distinctive SUNY Delhi seal, and features laurel, symbolic of SUNY Delhi’s agricultural roots, modeled after art that appeared in the first college yearbook. It also highlights Scholarship- Leadership-Service, which are the foundation of a Delhi education.

Mace

The mace is one of the oldest symbols of authority and traces its roots to the Middle Ages. Considered a symbol of the office in academia, it is used to lead the academic procession at Inauguration and other special ceremonies. The mace is made from dark walnut with an oak ball finial. It also prominently features the SUNY Delhi seal.

Presidents Of The College

Carl E. Ladd
1913-1917
Charles 0. DuBois
1917-1929
Harlond L. Smith
1929-1955
William R. Kunsela
1955-1973
William F. Kennaugh
1973-1974
Francis J. Hennessy
1974-1978
Seldon M. Kruger
1979-1991
Mary Ellen Duncan
1991-1998
Candace Vancko
1999-2016
Michael R. Laliberte
2016-2022
Mary Bonderoff
2024

Special thanks to the faculty, staff, and students of the Hospitality Management Department and SUNY Delhi’s partners at CADI, Sodexo for sponsoring and hosting inauguration related events.

Alma Mater

Sheltered by the Catskill Mountains
In a vale so fair,
Stands our College well-beloved
By the Delaware.

Delhi, hail, our Alma Mater,
May we strive to learn.
Through our time and ever after,
Longing to return.

When we leave to start life’s journey,
Our sweet memories
Will recall the joyous hours
We have spent with thee.

Delhi, hail, our Alma Mater,
Sing to thee our praise
With our knowledge as an ally
Ever through our days.

Green Converse Shoe
Questions?
Office of Admissions

118 Bush Hall