PSS recognizes pair for outstanding service

Samantha Calabrese and Anna Sotelo-Peryea are this year’s recipients of the Professional Staff Senate’s Outstanding Service Award.

The award is given to full-time professional staff members for outstanding volunteer service to the community and excellence within the individual’s professional position at UB.

The awards were presented at the PSS’ annual awards luncheon held on May 20.

Also recognized at the luncheon were this year’s recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service: Beth A. Corry, associate vice president and controller, University Business Services; Elaine R. Cusker, associate dean for academic affairs and undergraduate education, Academic Affairs; John DellaContrada, associate vice president for media relations and stakeholder communications, University Communications; Valerie Frerichs, associate laboratory director, Department of Chemistry; Jacqueline Molik Ghosen, assistant dean and director of communications, School of Management; Krista L. Hanypsiak, director of general education, Undergraduate Education; Kevin Leary, assistant to the director, Arts Management Program; and Patricia Shyhalla, associate vice provost for resource management, International Education.

Read a related story about the Chancellor's Award winners.

PSS award winner Samantha Calabrese is an academic adviser for the School of Management, where she coordinates undergraduate advising in the areas of admissions, recruitment and prospective student events and programming, as well as provides academic counsel to current students during peak registration times.

She also serves as lead adviser for transfer students, responsible for student admissions intake and in-person recruitment visits to local community colleges.

Calabrese is active within the community as well. She was selected as a member of Business First’s 2015 “30 Under Thirty” class that recognizes professionals in the early stages of their careers who are achieving great impact in their work and in the community.

She is a member of the Buffalo Junior Chamber of Commerce board and serves as a part-time assistant professor in the New York State Drinking Driver Program at Erie Community College.

Anna Sotelo-Peryea serves as public health planner and violence prevention specialist for Wellness Education Services, working to improve and enhance UB’s Sexual Violence Prevention Program. She has been instrumental in the program becoming recognized nationally as a “best-practice higher education model program.”

Sotelo-Peryea also has organized — and now chairs — the university-wide Violence Prevention Committee, bringing together university stakeholders to create policy, messages and programs in support of violence and sexual assault prevention and awareness; improve reporting; and assist with recovery and resources.

She also has played a vital role in building a strong university-community partnership that includes University Police, Judicial Affairs, Counseling Services, Erie County Crisis Services and UB’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

She is regularly consulted by the police, EDI and Crisis Services for her advice and assistance with students, as well as her expertise in programming and policy development.