SUNY Canton Celebrates Recent Faculty Promotions

SUNY Canton is recognizing faculty members who recently received promotions from each of the college’s three schools.

"It is my distinct pleasure to recognize the dedication and achievements of our faculty members,” said Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Peggy A. De Cooke. “Their collective commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship and service plays a pivotal role in advancing the mission of SUNY Canton. Their promotions are a testament to their hard work and unwavering dedication to our students and academic community.”

Educators who received promotions include:

Kevin Carvill, J.D., of Norwood, was promoted to senior lecturer in the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice. He teaches law and criminal justice in the college’s Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. He has established a reputation as one of the department's most respected instructors. Some of his most popular classes include Criminal Law and Procedure, Ethics in Criminal Justice, Causes of Crime, and Organized Crime. Carvill completed a bridging year at The Clarkson School, earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Lawrence University, and his Juris Doctorate from the University at Buffalo School of Law. Carvill is proud of his commitment to innovation and excellence in teaching. In his free time, he enjoys playing pickleball, racquetball, and squash.

Kelly R. Ficner, Ph.D. of Potsdam, was promoted to assistant professor in the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice. She teaches in the college’s Criminal Justice and Criminal Investigation programs. Ficner moved to the North Country from St. Paul, Minnesota. She earned her undergraduate degree at Hamline University, her master’s at Concordia University St. Paul, and her PhD at Capella University. Her hands-on classes include mock crime scenes, moot courts, and excavation of skeletons. Ficner advises the Alpha Phi Sigma criminal justice honor society. She also serves as the college’s Faculty Athletic Representative. She can be found cheering on our student-athletes at a variety of sporting events. She has recently been involved in several true crime television productions, including Investigation Discovery’s documentary series “See No Evil,” the ABC Docuseries “Me Hereafter,” and an additional show that has yet to air.

Kambiz Ghazinour, Ph.D., of Potsdam, was promoted to professor in the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice. He serves as Chair and teaches in the Cybersecurity Department. He is also directing the Advanced Information Security and Privacy (AISP) Research lab. He is the founder and chief security officer of CyberSpara, Inc. He received his PhD in 2012 in Data Security and Privacy from the University of Calgary. He was a post-doc fellow at the University of Ottawa and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario until 2014. In 2007, He received his Master’s in High-Performance Scientific Computing from the University of New Brunswick in High-Performance Scientific Computing. In 2003, he received his bachelor's in Software Engineering and received a second bachelor’s degree in French Literature and Translation from SUNY Potsdam in 2023. He has previously held roles as a software developer, systems analyst, and database administrator. He is a renowned scientist with hundreds of publications and projects in data science, security and privacy.

Nicholas C. Kocher of Canton was promoted to senior lecturer in the School of Business and Liberal Arts. He teaches in the Esports Management program and is the director of the Business Department. Kocher is dedicated to fostering strong connections with the regional business community, aiming to transform their marketing challenges into valuable learning experiences for his students. By incorporating these real-world challenges into his courses, he provides students with hands-on opportunities to apply their skills while simultaneously helping businesses tackle pressing issues. Kocher is a SUNY Canton graduate with degrees in Finance and Information Technology. He received his MBA from Clarkson University with a concentration in innovation and new venture management.

Lawretta Ononye, Ph.D., of Potsdam, was promoted to professor in the Canino School of Engineering Technology. She teaches Physics and serves as the Coordinator of the Applied Physics Minor Curriculum. She served as the principal investigator for the National Science Foundation Scholarship for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (NSF S-STEM) Grant from 2010 to 2016. Her efforts garnered $600,000 in NSF funding to support and mentor a diverse group of talented, financially disadvantaged students. Ononye is the recipient of the 2014 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. Her dissertation earned the 2008 Electronic Theses and Dissertation Award powered by Scirus. She has authored a book and published several peer-reviewed journal papers. Her research is in the areas of surface science, material processing and characterization, solar cell development and devices and physics and engineering education research. She is a board member of the American Society for Engineering Education Saint Lawrence Section. She is a member of the American Association of University Women and a member of American Physical Society. Ononye earned her Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering and her Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. She earned two bachelor of science degrees in Physics and Computer Science.