Wilber Hall atrium now bears his name OSWEGO — The president of SUNY Oswego says Frank Maraviglia was once a ward of the state who was dependent on welfare as a child. “He wasn’t […]
Wilber Hall atrium now bears his name
OSWEGO — The president of SUNY Oswego says Frank Maraviglia was once a ward of the state who was dependent on welfare as a child. “He wasn’t a man who came from riches,” President Peter Nwosu said in a SUNY Oswego news release. “He understood the power of giving because he’s been in that space. He would give back when he’s able to. He felt it necessary to give back generously to this institution, and he did it so that other young men and women who came to us would have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a transformative education, which SUNY Oswego has been known for.” Nwosu was among those speaking during a May 8 ceremony rededicating the atrium in SUNY Oswego’s School of Education in Wilber Hall as the Maraviglia Atrium. The school named the atrium in honor of Maraviglia, a 1958 SUNY Oswego graduate, in acknowledgement of a $2 million gift he made to SUNY Oswego last December. “We’re here today to pay tribute to Frank for his many contributions to our university by unveiling this space that now bears his name,” Nwosu said. “It’s a very fitting space because — I’ve been told — that your name, Maraviglia, means ‘to wonder’ or ‘to marvel,’ and let’s look around at the soaring ceilings and the wonderful light. This is a space that conveys the promise of higher education, of growth, of discovery. It is a perfect way to pay tribute to a man who has devoted a lifetime encouraging young minds to learn and to explore.” The donation established the Maraviglia Education Enrichment Fund in the university’s School of Education. It will support scholarship and engagement opportunities for students as well as academic programming from the faculty. Maraviglia spent 35 years as a professor of architectural landscape at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. In her remarks at the dedication, Laura Spenceley, dean of the SUNY Oswego School of Education, explained how the donation would impact the school and its students. Spenceley said the fund will allow investment in students, faculty, and instructional equipment. The money will also help remove “barriers to students’ success and mitigate challenges that students experience on their pathway to their professional goals,” according to the school’s announcement. The donation will also enhance instrumentation in the school’s 11 technical laboratories as well as spaces of learning that “haven’t been envisioned yet,” SUNY Oswego said. In addition, Spenceley said the funding would support student-faculty collaborations and help with transportation to and from students’ off-campus “clinical experiences.” “Frank, as you’ve demonstrated throughout your career, a SUNY Oswego education often serves as a catalyst to lifelong success that retains a focus on community and empowering others toward similar success,” Spenceley said to Maraviglia, per a SUNY Oswego news release. “Your gift, in honor of your wife, Gloria, with whom you shared more than 60 years of marriage, is transformational to our School of Education mission in offering innovative educational programs, built upon the wisdom of the past, the realities of the present and a focus on the future that prepare individuals who continually strive for personal growth and become socially conscious catalysts for change.” SUNY Oswego Provost Scott Furlong welcomed the Maraviglia family and the 100 faculty, staff, students and guests in attendance before introducing Nwosu. Maraviglia — who lives in Jamesville, near Syracuse, and is a lifelong educator —gathered with members of his family for the ceremony. They included his brother Raymond of Port Orange, Florida, a 1961 SUNY Oswego graduate; and nephew, Mark Procopio of Warners, a member of the school’s Class of 1995.