Four Oswego students this year received SUNY’s highest systemwide student award recently, the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.

Lakers honored included:

  • Oghenetega (Tega) Adjoh, a double major in operations management and information systems and in finance
  • Daniel Hall, a technology education major
  • Emma Halsey, a double major in business administration and information science
  • Mufaro Malungisa, a computer science major

Adjoh, Hall and Halsey all were nominated as SUNY Oswego students, while Malungisa was nominated by Jamestown Community College before graduating in December 2025 and transferring to SUNY Oswego in spring 2026.

Adjoh has provided extraordinary contributions through her leadership and deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, nominators said. Adjoh received the SUNY ACT for Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship and was selected to serve on the National Grid Foundation’s inaugural Youth Advisory Council. 

She held numerous leadership positions, including Student Association president, resident assistant, Educational Opportunity Program peer leader and treasurer for the SUNY Student Assembly. She was a Management Leadership for Tomorrow Fellow and has completed internships with Deloitte and Noggin Guru.

Nominators said Hall has contributed in extraordinary ways to the campus and community in the areas of accessibility and sustainability. He developed a campus-community bicycle giveaway program, expanded the BikeShare program, and organized the first Repair Café. 

Hall was the president of the Oswego Technology Student Association, vice president of Team Mini, a student representative for his college’s Faculty Council and a teaching assistant. Hall also won many manufacturing challenges at national and international conferences and designed a carbon-neutral sap-to-syrup processing system that he presented at multiple conferences.

Halsey holds an impeccable academic record, impressive research acumen and extensive leadership experience, nominators said. Halsey has provided stellar leadership to six student organizations, including the Data Club, which she founded. She also spoke at this year’s TEDxSUNY Oswego conference on “How to Break Down Boxes.”

She also was recognized as the Student Leader of 2025. Halsey volunteered weekly at the campus Students Helping Oz Peers (SHOP) pantry and led numerous service projects. She was the chief financial officer for the student-run Rich N’ Pour cafe and a tutor, and has conducted multiple research projects that have directly improved the community.

Before coming to Oswego, Malungisa served as a Student Trustee at Jamestown Community College, representing the student body and sharing concerns and ideas at Board of Trustees meetings. Malungisa also served as vice president of Jamestown’s International Club, coordinating club meetings and excursions.

Malungisa also served as a JCC Student Senate member, helping produce weekly videos for social media to update the campus on issues and bring student feedback to meetings. Malungisa additionally served as a resident assistant, building community through creative programs, and helped the college’s basketball program myriad ways as team manager.

The four were among 205 students from all 64 SUNY campuses honored by State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. and others on April 27 in Albany. 

This award recognizes SUNY students for outstanding achievements in areas including academics; leadership; diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice; campus involvement; civics and service; research; and the arts. This is the highest honor SUNY provides to students for academic excellence and leadership.

"SUNY students are New York's future, and the outstanding individuals I am proud to recognize with the Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence embody the very best of our state university system," SUNY Chancellor King said. "The students who have earned this recognition have inspired their classmates, their educators, their campuses and me with their inspiring work, tenacious drive, and dedication to their academic success. I commend each of the awardees and thank them for being examples for others to follow."