Founder of the Plattsburgh State Expeditionary Studies program, Laurence Soroka, along with his wife, Dean of PSUC Library Information and Technology Services Cerise Oberman, recently established the Expeditionary Studies Endowment Award in order to provide deserving EXP students financial support.
“We’ve found the college to be an extraordinarily comfortable and supportive place,” Soroka said in a PSUC press release. “The college has been good to us, and we wanted to contribute to its growth and creativity. The gift is our way of giving back a little of what we’ve gained over the years.”
The couple arrived at the college nearly 30 years ago after Oberman took her current position. Though Soroka initially worked as a professor in the PSUC English department, he eventually changed programs when, in 1997, then-Provost Thomas Moran invited faculty members to brainstorm program ideas.
Soroka, who taught climbing in Minnesota before moving to Plattsburgh, suggested moving classes outdoors.
“We planned to stay for three years, but the support and opportunities at the college kept us here much longer.”
Since then, Soroka’s idea was transformed into what is now the PSUC expeditionary studies program, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.
The couple said they hope the award will allow students to expand their horizons and take on new opportunities.
“Our dream would be to see the endowment grow to support all EXP senior expeditions, which would let all students dream large.”
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