Ritu Radhakrishnan earns SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service
A strong record of leadership, inclusion and teaching have earned Ritu Radhakrishnan, chair and professor of curriculum and instruction, the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.
“She brings focus and commitment in all that she undertakes and has a great capacity to inspire others,” wrote nominator Joshua McKeown, associate provost for international education and programs.
Nominators said that her record of superior and sustained service has fundamentally transformed the department, the campus and the broader SUNY system. This service is marked by visionary leadership, a deep commitment to social justice and an unwavering advocacy for marginalized communities, nominators wrote.
Radhakrishnan’s many leadership roles on campus and beyond include chairing such key groups as the SUNY University Faculty Senate Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee; the Diversity Committee for SUNY Oswego’s College of Education, Health and Human Services; and the College Technology Advisory Board from 2018 to 2022, helping guide responses in this area to the COVID pandemic.
Her system-wide leadership on equity, inclusion and diversity and in mentorship continue to make an inspiring difference, nominators from across SUNY noted, and complement campus contributions elevating these issues, all while continuing to inspire, excel and develop meaningful connections with students in Oswego’s classrooms.
“Professor Radhakrishnan stands out as one of the most visionary, reliable and impactful faculty leaders I have encountered,” wrote Candice Vacin, president of SUNY’s Faculty Conference of Community Colleges.
In addition to being “an excellent campus citizen,” Vacin described Radhakrishnan as “a system-level asset whose service has transformed programs and practices at SUNY Oswego, advanced SUNY-wide equity and inclusion efforts, and influenced K–12 and
higher education well beyond New York state. Among the many outstanding faculty, I have had the privilege to work with across SUNY, they are singular in the consistency, creativity and impact of their service.”
Welcoming presence
Campus nominators praised Radhakrishnan’s expansive support to make SUNY Oswego a welcoming home to all.
“Of particular interest to me is her consistent and sincere belief in and efforts towards fostering an educational community welcoming to students of all cultural backgrounds including international students,” McKeown wrote. “She has lived and mentored in the Hart Hall Global Living and Learning Community, been a member of the Institute for Global Engagement, chaired the School of Education diversity committee, served as board member for the Journal of Global Education and Research and other important roles.”
SUNY Oswego students and graduates testified to the positive impact and inspiration Radhakrishnan provides.
“As a professor, Dr. Radhakrishnan consistently went above and beyond to provide a culturally responsive learning environment,” wrote Ellen Argueta, a 2025 adolescence education graduate now pursuing a master’s in teaching. “Her classroom and office space became a place of mentorship where all students felt supported to become reflective and compassionate educators.”
Radhakrishnan, Argueta noted, leads the way through actions, engagement and guidance that continue to enhance the pursuit of equity on campus, in the community and beyond.
“Dr. Radhakrishnan’s unwavering commitment to students, colleagues, and the field of education has left a lasting impact on those fortunate enough to work and learn alongside her,” Argueta wrote.
“As an educator dedicated to the work of social justice and engaged in various communities and initiatives, Dr. Radhakrishnan’s positive influence extends far beyond her immediate reach,” wrote Sky Minkoff, a 2025 SUNY Oswego linguistics graduate.
Minkoff recalled the impression Radhakrishnan provided while teaching a “Young Adult Literature” course.
“From the first moments of that class, I could sense Dr. Radhakrishnan’s passion and commitment,” Minkoff wrote. “Dr. Radhakrishnan organized out-of-class opportunities that invited students to develop a deeper engagement in course materials and the fundamental questions of the course.”
Radhakrishnan additionally serves as faculty advisor for the SUNY Oswego chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international education honor society, mentoring students in high-impact community service, including literacy events, book drives and partnerships to support future teachers who are well prepared for the classroom while caring about students and communities.
Nominators also noted that Radhakrishnan played a pivotal role on the 2020-21 subcommittee that advised the General Education Council in drafting learning outcomes for the new "Diversity, Identity and Social Justice in the United States" category.
On top of these commitments, she serves on the boards of the Syracuse Teacher Center, the Central New York Council for the Social Studies and the Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts. Radhakrishnan also has held leadership roles in the National Council for the Social Studies.
Her track record of achievements includes previously earning the SUNY Oswego President’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service in 2023.
Radhakrishnan earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master’s in educational studies from the University of Michigan, a master’s in middle school education from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s in English from Carleton College.