SUNY recognizes Alfred University School of Art and Design faculty Sikora, Jones
Two faculty members in the Alfred University School of Art and Design have been honored by the State University of New York with 2024 SUNY Chancellor’s Awards.
The office of SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced last week that Linda Sikora, professor of ceramics, has received a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Meghen Jones, associate professor of art history, has received a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.
The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes “demonstrated superb skill in teaching,” according to a letter from King to Sikora congratulating her on receiving the honor.
“Your mastery of instruction, dedication to your students, adherence to the highest academic standards, and continued professional achievements are reflected in your selection for this honor,” King wrote. “This nomination underscores the respect and esteem of your colleagues, students, and campus leadership for your professional accomplishments.”
Sikora has been a member of the faculty at Alfred University since 1997, serving as chair of the School of Art and Design’s Division of Ceramic Art twice: from 2005-08 and 2015-20. She earned a B.F.A. from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) in 1989 and an M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1992. Sikora’s artwork is held in several public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum. Her artist residencies include the Archie Bray Foundation; Chunkang College of Cultural Industry, Korea; Tainan National College of The Arts, Taiwan; and Clay Edge, Australia.
The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities “was developed by faculty for faculty, and only those who have demonstrated a record of sustained scholarship in the sciences, humanities, and professional studies, or consistent creative productivity in the fine and performing arts receive this distinction,” King wrote in his letter to Jones.
“Your contributions to developing new knowledge, enhancing the University's vibrancy, and fostering the intellectual and cultural growth of its students are reflected in your selection for this honor.”
Jones joined the faculty at Alfred University in August 2014. She graduated in 1993 with a dual major B.A. in Japanese Studies and Fine Arts from Earlham College. She has an M.A. in Ceramic Craft Design at from Musashino Art University, Tokyo (1997), and an M.A. and PhD in Art and Architectural History from Boston University (2014). Her research, for which she received Alfred University’s Faculty Scholar Award in 2022 and 2023, focuses on Japanese art and design from 1868 to today; global flows of ceramic art and design; modernisms; and craft theory. Jones’ lectures on Japanese ceramics and related topics have been hosted by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Crocker Art Museum, and the University of Michigan, among others.