Drout appointed SUNY Distinguished Service Professor

Dr. Cheryl Drout, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Fredonia, was appointed a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, effective March 18.

SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson noted that, “Our [SUNY] Board of Trustees reserves this distinction for faculty who epitomize excellence in their profession, and in doing do, distinguish themselves and honor SUNY.”

"The selection criteria for the Distinguished Service Professorship are rigorous and exacting. Your appointment is a testament to your professional excellence and extraordinary commitment to applying your scholarship to the greater good.”

SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson

Chancellor Johnson added, “The selection criteria for the Distinguished Service Professorship are rigorous and exacting. Your appointment is a testament to your professional excellence and extraordinary commitment to applying your scholarship to the greater good.”

Dr. Drout, who joined the Fredonia faculty in 1989 and attained the rank of full professor in 2003, has a Ph.D. and M.A., both in psychology (social), from the University of Delaware and a B.A. in Psychology from Muhlenberg College. She is Fredonia's first female faculty member to be named a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor.

She is also a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Faculty Service and the Fredonia President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

In her 30-plus years at SUNY Fredonia, Drout has been an integral part of the psychology department and the campus commitment to serve international students and expand international educational opportunities. By utilizing her training as a psychologist and interest in cultural studies, Drout has enabled visiting Asian students to receive a full SUNY experience. She has worked closely with Japanese international students and hosted students from Aichi University of Education and Aichi Prefectural College in her classroom, providing them with a warm welcome to American teaching as well as interactions outside of the classroom. The students feel at ease partly due to Drout’s own experience living in Aichi, Japan as a Fulbright Scholar. A member of the executive board of the Western New York/Northwestern Pennsylvania Fulbright Alumni Association, Drout collaborated on a Fulbright Outreach, Mentoring and Enrichment grant which she co-authored with faculty from Niagara University and SUNY Buffalo State.  

Her campus service includes two full terms as chair of the Department of Psychology and two years as interim chair. In that leadership role, Drout shepherded, through development, approval and implementation phases, a new B.S. degree in Psychology at Fredonia and SUNY’s first Dual Diploma with Izmir University, Turkey. She also served as chair of the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences.

Her scholarship includes 12 refereed articles, 10 successful grants, and she has served as co-director of the Campus Assessment Office. She is also a reviewer for two major professional journals.

Drout’s engagement in system-wide governance includes three years as a Fredonia Senator in the University Faculty Senate and two as an active member of the UFS Student Life Committee. Her support of new faculty and students, promotion of diversity and encouragement of a greater international perspective on campus are reflected by numerous committee assignments.

It was noted that in leadership roles in the General College Program, General Education Committee, Revision Committee and Title III Grant, Drout contributed to the intellectual development and training of students by revamping Fredonia’s core curriculum.

Drout is also recognized as an effective teacher and a conscientious advisor and mentor and frequently includes students in her research and governance. She has also co-taught courses and professional seminars with Japanese and British faculty and presented her work at state, national and international conferences.

Beyond campus, Drout has shared her expertise and knowledge with local schools, organizations and churches. At the professional level, Drout served as co-chair of the American Psychological Association Division 35 Society for the Psychology of Women 2007 Program and has held leadership positions in the Japan Studies Association and the Western New York/North Western Pennsylvania Fulbright Chapter Board, where she has served for over a decade.