At a time when colleges and universities are under the microscope as never before, The College of Saint Rose proudly introduces a new event to create crucial dialogue about the future of higher education. Sue Cunningham, president and CEO of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), launches The Michael and Margaret Picotte Presidential Lecture in Higher Education Innovation and Leadership with a talk titled, “Toward a More Meaningful Dialogue about the Value of Higher Education.” The lecture will be held on April 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Touhey Forum of the Thelma P. Lally School of Education, 1009 Madison Avenue, Albany.

Recent events in education – admissions scandals, rising tuition, and enrollment challenges – have catalyzed conversations about wealth, entitlement, and the promise of higher education for underserved students. Cunningham will explore the relationship between institutions and communities and how colleges and universities can transform lives and society.

The new lectureship was established with an endowed gift by Michael and Margaret Picotte to further the reputation of Saint Rose as a national model of innovation in higher education and in recognition of President Carolyn J. Stefanco’s leadership in higher education. The annual speaker series will bring education leaders, business experts, and researchers and practitioners to Saint Rose to share innovations and best practices.

Read more about the Picotte lecture.

President Carolyn J. Stefanco will be a featured speaker at “Not by the Book: Women Map New Paths to Education and Growth” on April 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hearst Media Center, 645 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville, New York.

The event, sponsored by Saint Rose, and organized by Women@Work and the Times Union, will include networking and conversation about the new nature of lifelong education. The other panelists are: Jenny Rao, head of school at Emma Willard School; Markeia Robinson, coach, speaker, and author of “From G.E.D. to Ph.D.”; and Karen Kirstein, Excelsior Service Fellow at the NY Executive Chamber. The event is $25 for Women@Work members and $30 for nonmembers.

Read more about the panel and register for the event.

Dr. Patrice Milos ’80 loves science, innovation, and business challenges, arguably in that order. That’s obvious from her resume, which begins with postdoctoral positions at Harvard and Brown University, follows with 14 years of executive leadership at Pfizer, and most recently includes CEO experience at a handful of biotech startups.

She’s spent the past two years focusing on her newest startup, Medley Genomics, which combines extensive genomic research with advanced analytics to identify the best treatment approaches for cancer patients. The goal is a user-friendly software product that seamlessly interfaces with data from pharmaceutical and molecular diagnostic organizations. “We’re trying to invent the next phase of how to treat cancer,” she says.

Today, she also mentors young women interested in STEM careers, remembering how much she grew as a student and a woman at Saint Rose while earning her B.A. in Interdepartmental Studies: Biochemistry.

Read more about Milos’ story.

Dr. Kwame Morton G’02 is the principal at the Cherry Hill West High School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Morton graduated from Saint Rose in 2002, with his M.S. in Educational Administration and Supervision. “It’s the greatest opportunity that anyone can have to interact with kids who are full of vigor, so full of life and opportunity. Every day, for me, is a blessing.”

Prior to his 10 years in Cherry Hill, Morton served as a “turnaround specialist” principal at a historically low-performing school in Philadelphia and worked for a decade for the New York City Department of Education as an assistant principal before that.

“Entering the program (at Saint Rose), I knew that I had ambition, and I knew that I wanted to learn. I was very fortunate to be able to go through that experience and pick up a tremendous amount of knowledge. I’m still doing that to this day, taking some of the ideas I’ve learned and applying them to my daily responsibilities.”

Watch a video about Morton’s experiences in education and at Saint Rose.