SUNY Upstate chief of surgery to speak at statewide CSTEP student conference

SUNY Upstate chief of surgery to speak at statewide CSTEP student conferenceApril 02, 2007SU News ServicesSUnews@syr.edu

Paul R.G. Cunningham, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Surgery at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, will address students from across New York state as the keynote speaker at the 15th Annual Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) NY conference April 13-15 at the Sagamore Resort on Lake George. Cunningham will speak at the Student Awards Banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

CSTEP is an academic enrichment program designed to foster an undergraduate or graduate student’s success in preparing for professional licensure and careers in medicine, law, business, education, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health. The program — now in its 20th year — is supported by the New York State Education Department and participating higher education institutions. Syracuse University’s CSTEP program is the coordinator of the statewide conference.

“We are honored to have someone with such national prominence in the medical field speaking to our CSTEP scholars,” says Joann May, director of the CSTEP program at SU. “He is an inspiration to all students interested in pursuing careers in science and technology, as well as an outstanding role model for those coming from economically disadvantaged or historically underrepresented populations.”

Cunningham oversees a wide range of surgical services at SUNY Upstate, including the Clark Burn Center, the Level-1 Trauma Center, the Breast Care Center and the open heart surgery program. His special interests are trauma injury prevention, surgical care for the aging, morbid obesity and minority access to transplantation.

Approximately 500 students and staff attend the CSTEP conference each year from more than 45 higher education institutions across New York State. The three-day conference includes motivational, professional and career-related workshops; dynamic and engaging speakers; and this year will offer the third annual Graduate and Opportunities Fair, connecting students with graduate programs in their field of interest. At the center of the conference is the student poster presentation competition, in which some 100 students compete in natural sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and human services categories to become the best in their field of study.

For more information about the CSTEP program at SU, visit http://www.cstep.syr.edu or call (315) 443-2622.