Carl Ponesse

My name is Carl Ponesse and I was born in the City of Newburgh and have lived and served Orange County in many different capacities during my life. I received my Associate’s Degree from Orange County Community College and went on to SUNY New Paltz to earn my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Sociology.

While finishing my Master’s program, I was chosen to work on a federal grant for the Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM) through SUNY New Paltz and the Ulster County Probation Department in Kingston, NY for two years as a researcher.  From the time this grant was completed until present I have been teaching at SUNY Orange becoming a full time professor in 2010.

From the time I finished my Bachelor’s Degree until my time with CSOM at Kingston, I worked in Human Services throughout Orange County serving many diverse populations including MR/DD, mental health, homeless, court placed adolescents and at-risk youth within the educational system.  These were very rewarding experiences which I have been fortunate to continue through SUNY Orange’s Human Service Program here at the Newburgh Campus.

I am proud to have coordinated Social Service Forums annually at the Newburgh Campus to bring together the numerous organizations which work in the City of Newburgh and Orange County to highlight their efforts to serve local citizens in need as part of our Human Service Program.

Areas of academic and occupational expertise include Criminology, Political Sociology, Racial Inequality, Poverty, Environmental Issues, and Sociology as presented in Film. I am a proud member and supporter of the American Sociological Association (ASA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Coalition for the Homeless and the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society among others.

I believe Sociology can work as an important vehicle in society to inform the public, to encourage positive change and to emphasize civic action to work for the betterment of our community.

"No other offense has ever been visited with such severe penalties as seeking to help the oppressed"
--Clarence Darrow