SUNY Orange Associate Professor Liz Carris Named SUNY Academic Momentum Fellow

Liz Carris, associate professor of mathematics and Shared Governance president at SUNY Orange, has been selected to serve as a SUNY Academic Momentum Fellow, SUNY Orange announced Feb. 13, 2026. The selection places Carris among an inaugural cohort of 24 fellows systemwide who will support campus planning teams in implementing approved action plans beginning in spring 2026 for up to 12 months.

The SUNY Academic Momentum Campaign, launched by Chancellor John B. King Jr., is described in SUNY Orange materials as "a prestigious faculty and staff leadership program designed to advance student success and retention across the State University of New York (SUNY) system." The campaign aims to accelerate degree completion through evidence-based strategies such as degree mapping, proactive advisement, and timely interventions while seeking to "increase retention and completion rates for all undergraduate students, while eliminating equity gaps for historically underrepresented and Pell-eligible students."

SUNY Trustee and University Faculty Senate President Bruce Simon and SUNY Trustee and Faculty Council of Community Colleges President Candice Vacin framed the initiative as a system-wide effort to redesign student supports: "Advancing student success and supporting SUNY campuses to empower their students is at the very core of what faculty and staff do every day across the SUNY System. We are proud to work with our colleagues to advance SUNY’s Academic Momentum Campaign and ensure more SUNY students are able to succeed, both in earning their degrees and preparing for life after graduation. The stellar inaugural cohort of Academic Momentum fellows and the support to redesign gateway courses will benefit students throughout the SUNY system."

SUNY Orange cited Carris’s work co-leading the implementation and refinement of Orange Connect, the college’s early-alert system, as a key reason she fits the fellowship role. Dr. Erika Hackman, SUNY Orange provost and vice president for academic affairs and student services, said: "Liz brings the perfect combination of curriculum expertise, governance leadership, and student-centered focus to this fellowship. Her work has already made measurable differences for our students, and she will now help campuses across SUNY accelerate academic momentum for all learners." Carris commented on the selection: "I’m honored to be selected and to represent SUNY Orange. We’ve been doing meaningful, collaborative work to support student success and I’m excited to contribute to a SUNY-wide conversation about what really works."

The Alfredstate listing for the inaugural cohort names several fellows alongside Carris, including Heidi Baez (Assistant Professor of Sociology, SUNY Westchester), Sarah Bray (Associate Professor and Chair of Business and Administrative Professional Services, Jamestown Community College), Sabrina Caine (Professor of English, Erie Community College), Nikki Childrose (Director of the Center for Innovation, Teaching & Learning, and Professor of History, Columbia-Greene Community College), Casey Cowburn (Assistant Director of Student Success, Alfred State College), Jacqueline Emery (Associate Professor and Department Chair of English, SUNY Old Westbury), Christian Heisler (Professor of English and Creative Writing, Onondaga Community College), and Andrea Hemmerich (Director of Student Success & Advising, SUNY Polytechnic Institute).

Carris’s biography notes a career path from adjunct teaching at SUNY Sullivan to positions at SUNY Ulster and SUNY Dutchess before a full-time role at SUNY Orange, and leadership roles that include chairing the Student Success Committee and co-leading the Strategic Planning Team. Her New Paltz profile identifies her as "a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community" and quotes her leadership philosophy: "I believe that great leadership stems from having a great team, and my leadership style is both authentic and adaptable, emphasizing strong communication, active listening, and leveraging the unique strengths of each team member." SUNY Orange also posted an Instagram announcement celebrating Carris’s selection; the college’s social post reads in part, "Our very own Associate Professor of Mathematics and Shared Governance President Liz Carris has been selected to serve as a SUNY Academic" in the provided excerpt.

The SUNY Orange release and Alfredstate materials note the selection process was competitive, that the cohort includes 12 fellows from state-operated campuses and 12 from community colleges, and that fellows will be assigned to campuses based on areas of expertise and campus needs; the announcement did not specify which campus planning teams Carris will be paired with.