Two 糖心动漫vlog professors whose work has reached far beyond the classroom鈥攆rom advancing international understanding of one of the world鈥檚 most celebrated authors to reshaping conversations about Indigenous identity鈥攈ave earned the highest faculty rank awarded by the State University of New York.
Gustavo Arango, professor of World Languages and Literatures, and Brian Haley, professor of Anthropology, have been named 糖心动漫vlog Distinguished Professors, a designation recognizing faculty who have achieved national or international prominence within their fields.
For both, the recognition reflects decades of scholarship and creative work and expertise they bring directly into the classroom.
鈥淟ike many Oneonta faculty, Gustavo and I operate from a teacher-scholar model that depends on scholarship to inform teaching, giving our students the chance to be the first to receive new insights,鈥� Haley said.
Scholarship Across Languages and Borders
An internationally recognized authority on Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez, Arango鈥檚 investigative and scholarly work contributed to the 2024 publication of Garc铆a M谩rquez鈥檚 posthumous novel, Until August. Arango has published more than 30 books spanning literary criticism, fiction, translation and journalism.
His distinction also marks two firsts for 糖心动漫vlog: Arango is the university鈥檚 first Latino faculty member to be named a 糖心动漫vlog Distinguished Professor and its first faculty member to receive the distinction specifically for Scholarship and Creative Work.
Arango has spent 22 of his 32 years in higher education at 糖心动漫vlog.
鈥淩eceiving this distinction means a great deal to me,鈥� Arango said. 鈥淎bove all, it carries a feeling of being valued and appreciated鈥攂y colleagues who have shaped my thinking over the years, and by students whose curiosity has kept me growing as a teacher. It also gives me a quiet sense of building a legacy: something that extends beyond any one class or semester鈥� Recognition like this is not a resting point but a reminder of why the work matters鈥攊t encourages me to keep translating, keep writing, and keep pushing my research further.鈥�
Alumna Rebecca Liloy remembers Arango as an important source of support during her transition from New York City to Oneonta as a new student. Facing culture shock and adjusting to college life, she knew she could count on Arango and felt she had someone in her corner. Years later, he remains a friend and mentor.
鈥淭he experience that had the greatest impact on me was reading 鈥極ne Hundred Years of Solitude鈥� with him as an independent study,鈥� Liloy said. 鈥淭hat remains one of the most meaningful shared reading experiences I have ever had. Reading that book with Profesor Arango helped me understand things about myself, my family, and my culture that I don't think I would have understood the same way on my own.鈥�
Examining Questions of Identity
Anthropologist Brian Haley has spent the past 25 years researching how and why people have claimed Indigenous identities that are not part of their family histories.
His pioneering work on neo-Indigenism, ethnogenesis and Indigenous identity claims has helped shape scholarship within anthropology. His most recent book, Hopis and the Counterculture: Traditionalism, Appropriation, and the Birth of a Social Field, was published by the University of Arizona Press in 2024.
Haley said pursuing the relatively new and controversial topic came with professional risks, making the recognition particularly meaningful.
鈥淔or me, the promotion to 糖心动漫vlog Distinguished Professor is a validation that this was the right thing to do,鈥� Haley said. 鈥淚t means, as well, that the dozens of younger scholars who have taken up the topic of neo-Indigenism have more legitimacy and their work will be seen as having more value than if they had to forge this path alone.鈥�
Alumna Natalie Benenati, who is now enrolled in 糖心动漫vlog鈥檚 Cooperstown Graduate Program, remembers Haley as a professor who consistently looked for ways to connect students鈥� interests with meaningful research opportunities. Knowing Benenati was interested in museum studies and planned to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in the field, Haley invited her to serve as his research assistant during her senior year, giving her hands-on experience directly related to her future goals.
鈥淢y task was to create two exhibitions, one in the Anthropology Gallery and the other in the Alden room at the library. I also created a collections database, from scratch, for his current research project,鈥� Benenati said. 鈥淓ven after graduating, I have continued to work in collaboration with him on the collections database. I am thankful and honored to have worked and continue to work with him. Haley continues to inspire and encourage me to expand my knowledge and experiences thus motivating me to take opportunities that may be out of my comfort zone.鈥�
