SUNY Canton Names Honors Convocation for Former Lecturer and Tutor
SUNY Canton Provost Peggy A. De Cooke has revealed that the college’s 2024 Honors Convocation will be named for a retired mathematics lecturer and outstanding college tutor who dedicated his career to ensuring student success.
“I’m pleased to announce that the 2024 Honors Convocation Celebration will be named for Frederick W. Saburro,” De Cooke said. “Honors convocation is to be the latest in a series of well-deserved recognition for Mr. Saburro’s dedication to teaching and mentoring students at SUNY Canton. I applaud him for his commitment to engaging, teaching and mentoring students, especially those who were considered ‘at risk’ or otherwise underprepared for college.”
The Frederick W. Saburro Honors Convocation will be held at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, in the Roos House Convocation, Athletic and Recreation Center. The event serves as an annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate the academic achievements of SUNY Canton students.
According to his peer nominators, Saburro’s greatest strength was taking students who believed that they "couldn't do any math" and guiding them to keep trying to reach their full potential.
He worked for more than 30 years, teaching students with a diverse range of needs and competencies in mathematics. In addition to teaching, Saburro worked as a Professional Tutor in the Betty J. Evans Tutoring Center and as a Math Instructor and Mentor for the college’s Jump Start Program.
One of his most notable roles was as Faculty Liaison for the men’s baseball team, where he helped link the players with all the resources available on campus. In many cases, he tutored players himself.
As part of this position, he went to nearly every practice and every game. Saburro even attended spring training with the team in Puerto Rico. He quickly became a team favorite by establishing himself as an outstanding advocate for the entire athletic program.
Saburro received the President’s Meritorious Service Award in 2023. He previously received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching in 2016. He was the recipient of multiple Golden Apple Awards from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He retired from the college in 2022.
“Working at SUNY Canton was the ultimate pleasure,” Saburro said. “Everything seemed to mesh while I was working there, and everyone was just awesome to work with. I really liked the teaching aspect, and I enjoyed collaborating with other faculty members. I especially appreciated my time with the men’s baseball team.”
Prior to teaching at SUNY Canton, Saburro taught middle and high school mathematics for the Schenectady City School District and taught college preparatory math in Jamaica.
He and his wife, Hyacinth, lived in Pierrepont while he worked at the college. They now reside in Liverpool. He spends his time gardening, bicycling and going to the gym.
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.