SUNY Oswego psychology faculty member Mark Mirabito has earned the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching.
Mirabito has brought his knowledge, teaching ability and communication skills to SUNY Oswego since 2001 as an adjunct teacher. The versatile instructor taught in a variety of departments before teaching regularly in the Psychology Department for the past decade.
Nominators praised his overall impact inside and outside the classroom as a teacher and involved member of the campus community.
Matthew Dykas, a professor of psychology and former department chair, emphasized the sense of connection and positive example Mirabito has provided to students over the years.
“I cannot emphasize enough the number of students that have forged close personal relationships with Mr. Mirabito because of his openness and receptiveness to helping students from a range of personal backgrounds,” Dykas said. “Mr. Mirabito’s communication skills with students are outstanding and he is socially sensitive to both students and faculty, which is important considering that he is sometimes a ‘front line’ for student introductions and inquiries.”
Dykas also praised Mirabito’s “ability to offer a sense of stability and genuine human connection” to so many students, adding: “Mr. Mirabito’s care, compassion and willingness to lend a listening ear to students who need it the most can be life-changing for students.”
Mirabito continuously earns positive student evaluations related to his subject knowledge, storytelling, level of engagement, real-world applications and humor. Nominators noted that Mirabito brings a relaxed and informal style while supporting his students striving for success in his courses and beyond.
“He has mastered the art of making students comfortable and engaged while maintaining the rigor necessary for learning at the college level,” wrote Thomas Darvill, a professor emeritus of psychology. “The students I witnessed during my observation were interested, consistently attentive and quite respectful. . . . Young people will learn best when their instructor expects them to be capable of mastery and shows this in his interactions with them.”
Retired from his time as a teacher, coach and adviser with the Oswego City School District, Mirabito now dedicates much time to a wide range of SUNY Oswego committees and in service to the Psychology Department, from recruitment events to providing academic advisement.
Many also have heard his voice as a public address announcer for a variety of Laker sporting events since 2008. Beyond that, Mirabito has also served as the Auburn Doubledays baseball club’s announcer, on the board of directors for the United Way of Greater Oswego County and as a volunteer driver for Disabled American Veterans organization.