CANTON -- Professor Raymond G. Krisciunas was recently awarded the Distinguished Faculty Award by SUNY Canton.

Krisciunas teaches history in the school of business and liberal arts.

He will receive his award and be a guest of honor at the Nancy R. Auster Honors Convocation at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 in the Roos House.

Krisciunas enriches students' experiences by providing an evolving awareness of world events, according to Professor Patrick K. LaPierre, who also teaches history.

"Ray's knowledge ranges widely," LaPierre said. "His broad focus stems from a genuine interest and concern about the human community."

Krisciunas consistently changes his courses to meet current academic trends and adapt to the needs of his students.

Krisciunas has received numerous awards and has traveled the world to present and gather topics for his research.

He received a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute Award on the topic of "Rethinking Europe/Rethinking World History," which later became the foundation to develop a world history course at SUNY Canton.

He has spent time in Argentina, Brazil and Chile on a State University of New York grant, presenting on "Learning about the Americas.”

He has served as a senator in SUNY's Faculty Assembly, on the SUNY Faculty Senate Executive Committee and chaired the SUNY Faculty Senate Student Life Committee.

He has also served as the vice president for academics in SUNY Canton's chapter of the United University Professions union.

At SUNY Canton, Krisciunas served on the Faculty Affairs Committee, Liberal Arts Committee and the Library Committee.

He has been the department chair for history, political science and economics and the chair for social sciences.

Krisciunas received his bachelor of arts and master of arts in political science from the University of Connecticut and continued with his doctoral studies in history at Indiana University.

He also spent four years in a research position at the University of Kiel (German, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel).

Krisciunas and his wife Diana have two sons, Gintas and Linas. He said his family played a critical role in his successful career.