Perry woman receives Lanford Presidential Prize

Jennifer Zaso, Class of 2006

President Dennis L. Hefner announced that this year's recipient of the Lanford Presidential Prize will be Jennifer B. Zaso, a senior public relations major from Perry, N.Y. President Hefner will present her with the award (a bronze medallion and cash prize of $2,500) at Fredonia’s commencement Saturday, May 13 at the 10 a.m. ceremony.

Lanford Presidential Prize winners are selected for embodying SUNY Fredonia ideals in academic life and student leadership. The prize denotes a person of honesty, integrity, and moral character, in addition to academic excellence.

The prize was created through the Oscar and Esther Endowment of the Fredonia College Foundation. The late Dr. Lanford was the ninth president of SUNY Fredonia, serving from 1961 to 1971. He left the campus presidency to serve in Albany as SUNY Vice Chancellor and head of the SUNY Construction Fund.

Ms. Zaso is a member of two honor societies on campus: Golden Key International Honour Society and the Alma Mater Society. Like Lanford Prize winners who preceded her, she has been active in numerous campus groups: she was treasurer and promotions director for Spectrum Entertainment Executive Board, public relations director and president of the Applied Communication Association, co-editor of the weekly Campus Report during an internship with the university’s Media Relations Office, and a charter member of the Fredonia chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. She was a member of the select Leadership Development Program and editor of the Student Phone Book. Last fall, she won a scholarship from the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. This spring, she received the Students In Free Enterprise Service Leadership Award.

Ms. Zaso graduated from Perry Central High School in 2002. She is the daughter of Michael Zaso of Batavia and Sandra Zaso of Perry.