Senate Resolution No. 1316

BY: Senator BRESLIN

HONORING Binahayati Rusyidi upon the occasion of
her designation as recipient of the International
Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement by the
University at Albany Alumni Association

WHEREAS, The unity of our State, Nation and the World is built upon
the compassion of individuals such as Binahayati Rusyidi who uphold the
values of community life and who, through their great actions, epitomize
the best of humanity; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Binahayati
Rusyidi upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the
International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement by the University
at Albany Alumni Association to be celebrated with a Gala on May 4,
2019, at Wolfert's Roost, Albany, New York; and

WHEREAS, This auspicious award recognizes international graduates of
the University who are highly distinguished in their profession, either
internationally or nationally in their own country; who have helped
their nation and/or the world by outstanding contributions to
government, science, art, education, business, or human welfare; and who
exemplify the strength of their education at the University of Albany;
Binahayati Rusyidi is one such individual; and

WHEREAS, Binahayati Rusyidi has made substantial contributions to
social work education and human welfare in her home country of Indonesia
through teaching and research; and

WHEREAS, An exemplary international alumna of the University at
Albany School of Social Welfare and current Fulbright scholar,
Binahayati Rusyidi is influential in recruiting prospective
international graduate students who want to work toward a more socially
just world; and

WHEREAS, After receiving a bachelor's degree in social welfare from
Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia, Binahayati Rusyidi earned both
master's and doctoral degrees from the UAlbany School of Social Welfare
in 2006 and 2011, respectively; and

WHEREAS, When her dissertation, "Perceptions and Attitudes Toward
Violence Against Wives in West Java, Indonesia," was published, little
information was available regarding violence against women in Indonesia;
and

WHEREAS, In the study, Binahayati Rusyidi identified significant
implications for social welfare policy, where a recently enacted
anti-domestic violence law was being implemented at the provincial and
local levels; she delineated several roles for social workers, including
providing community education regarding domestic violence and
collaborating with informal institutions to provide outreach to
survivors of abuse; and

WHEREAS, Bestowed with the Distinguished Dissertation Award for this
work, Binahayati Rusyidi completed her doctoral degree before returning
to Indonesia to further her research and build stronger social services
in her local community of Padjadjaran and throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, Since 2016, Binahayati Rusyidi has served as Director of
the master's and doctoral degree programs in social welfare at
Universitas Padjadjaran in West Java; in this capacity, she is
responsible for curriculum design and development, oversees admissions
and student support services, and is the liaison with other departments
at the university; and

WHEREAS, In addition to her role as Director, Binahayati Rusyidi is
a full-time lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences; and

WHEREAS, As a current Fulbright scholar at UAlbany, Binahayati
Rusyidi examines the perception of professional competencies among
social work students in Indonesia and the United States; her
international reputation as a scholar has influenced countless other
Indonesian students to study at UAlbany; and

WHEREAS, Binahayati Rusyidi has been a key player in the development
of Indonesia's National Board for Social Work Certification, established
in 2009 through the National Social Welfare Act; she also serves as
Senior National Assessor, leading efforts to ensure consistency across
assessment panels; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, she is a program development consultant for
The Office of Women Empowerment, Child Protection and Family Welfare, as
well as a member of the Indonesian Association of Professional Social
Workers, where she serves as head of international relations; and

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that when
individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Binahayati Rusyidi upon the occasion of her designation as
recipient of the International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement
by the University at Albany Alumni Association; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Binahayati Rusyidi.