As the chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, I am delighted to announce a new initiative which will honor the memory of Dr. Khalid Ashraf and also provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the human services and social sciences programs at Alfred State College.
It was a devastating loss to the alumni, students, faculty, and staff at Alfred State when Dr. Ashraf was killed in an accident on June 12, 2007. A native of Pakistan, Khalid joined the Alfred State faculty in 1973 after completing his doctoral program at Cornell University. He was proud to serve as chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department from 1980 to 1997. He taught a number of courses, including general sociology, marriage and family, and contemporary social problems.
Khalid was active in community affairs and enjoyed traveling, cooking for his family, and listening to jazz. Most of all, he loved working with students and was an exceptional teacher. Khalid was a kind and gentle listener who often had students in his office to discuss their academic projects, their problems, and their plans for employment and transfer. He was both a mentor and role model to thousands of students for over 30 years. Students knew that he really cared about them.
Khalid Ashraf would be honored to know that his memory will be kept alive through the awarding of annual scholarships in his name. It is gratifying to realize that all the students, friends, and colleagues who contribute to the scholarship fund in his memory will be saying "thank you" to a dedicated educator for his long and meritorious service to Alfred State College.
The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences plans to award at least one annual scholarship to a student in the human services or social sciences curriculum. It will be based on factors such as financial need, good academic standing, and the completion of at least 24 hours in the program. This scholarship will help us to retain quality students in the department and to provide public recognition for outstanding students in our two curriculum. The first award will be made at Honor's Convocation in spring 2008.
If you would like to participate in developing this scholarship fund, please Click here to Make A Gift! Your gift will be gratefully accepted and your donation will help future students realize their dreams and become successful graduates of Alfred State College. I, along with the rest of the Department, Richard Kellogg, Joe Foreman, Regina Pollard, Choichiro Yatani, Michael Colomaio, Gary Lounsberry, and Nick Waddy hope you will consider contributing to this worthy cause. We would like to thank you in advance for your time and your attention.
Sincerely,
Michael Cobb, Chair
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences