Two SUNY Cobleskill Students Honored with 2025 Chancellors Awards for Student Excellence

COBLESKILL – Two SUNY Cobleskill seniors, John Christopher (Bronx, NY) and Cristian Gilces (Fresh Meadows, NY), have been honored with 2025 Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence (CASE) as part of SUNY’s annual student recognition showcase. CASE is the highest honor awarded to SUNY students who have best demonstrated academic excellence and leadership. 

Graduating with a 4.00 GPA in Fisheries and Aquaculture, Christopher has earned multiple honors, including the President’s List in each of his semesters, the Outstanding Student Award in his major, and the Academic Achievement Award for highest GPA in his major. As a Teaching Assistant and President of the American Fisheries Society student chapter, his efforts have increased engagement and access to professional opportunities for his peers. His leadership in conservation work, research collaborations, and work with the U.S. Geological Survey and SUNY Research Foundation speak to his passion for environmental stewardship and embody the values of SUNY Cobleskill.

Gilces is a dedicated student leader and peer role model, serving as SGA treasurer and former president, managing significant budgets and advocating for student interests. He has enhanced opportunities for underrepresented students in agriculture as President of MANRRS, and his efforts on behalf of his fellow students include increased accessibility to hygiene products and increased awareness and engagement with DEIJ-focused events. Gilces mentors high school students as part of SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps and serves as the Village of Cobleskill’s first Liaison of Student and Community Engagement, strengthening ties between students and the community.

“SUNY represents academic excellence, and our students have worked tirelessly to not only excel in their academic studies, but also stepped up as community leaders,” said SUNY Chancellor Dr. John B. King. “Congratulations to this year’s CASE awardees who’ve distinguished themselves amongst their peers through their work ethic, determination, and commitment to their fields of study.” 

"John and Cristian manifest the exceptional talent and ambition that define our student leaders. Through John's conservation work and Cristian's efforts to build stronger campus-community connections, they show the real-world impact our students can achieve,” said Dr. Marion Terenzio, President of SUNY Cobleskill. “Their accomplishments reflect our institution's mission to develop leaders who are academically prepared to meet future and contemporary challenges while being deeply committed to making meaningful contributions to society and our environment." 

Systemwide, 193 students from 63 SUNY campuses were honored.