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SUNY Canton Digital Communications and Storytelling Major Earns Chancellor's Award

Canton, NY (04/28/2026) — An introspective and thoughtful SUNY Canton Digital Communications and Storytelling major has earned a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence award.

Richard Haller of DeKalb Junction is one of two graduating seniors from SUNY Canton who received the award. Haller minors in sociology.

"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," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. "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."

"Richard Haller is an academically exceptional, communityminded student whose curiosity and integrity guide everything he does," said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. "His achievements and character embody the values we strive to instill in all our students."

Nearly all the faculty members in Haller's program said he was an exceptional student, including Associate Professor Phil LaMarche, who serves as the Humanities Department chair. LaMarche noted that Haller's exceptional grades led him to earn President's List honors throughout his four years at college. Haller also consistently received the award for the highest GPA in his major and was a recipient of the prestigious Robert McKenty and Family Annual Scholarship, awarded to students who embody academic excellence and leadership potential.

"Richard is one of the most promising students that I have seen throughout my teaching career," LaMarche said. "Through our time together, I have come to see that he is eager and selfmotivated with an intellect and maturity that consistently elevate the work of everyone around him."

Early in his college career, Haller developed a keen interest in sociology. His work across multiple sociology courses reflects sustained growth in critical thinking, methodological awareness, and the application of sociological concepts to realworld contexts. These strengths underpin his academic performance and inform his broader contributions as a student and emerging professional, according to Sociology Lecturer Daniel McLane.

"He is introspective, thoughtful, and articulate, and he embraces sociology's core discipline of testing perspectives other than his own against evidence and lived experience," McLane said. "His written work and classroom contributions are consistently clear, careful, and analytically grounded."

During his final three semesters at college, Haller began an off-campus internship with North Country Public Radio (NCPR) in Canton. The new challenge allowed him to write and produce news feature stories for broadcast, web publication and social media.

"Richard has a drive for learning, for always improving," said NCPR News Director David Sommerstein. "He's unafraid to take on new challenges. He's a rising star in journalism. We're lucky he's become such a dedicated contributor to our daily news."

Haller is considering a career in journalism after graduation.

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 25 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.

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A student wearing a green shirt and a red ball cap works on a computer in the North Country Public Radio offices.

Richard Haller, a graduating senior in SUNY Canton's Digital Communications and Storytelling major, recently earned a SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellent. Haller, who is from DeKalb Junction, is pictured at North Country Public Radio where he works as a news intern.

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