Cynthia Steiger Beery

A graduate of Buffalo State, Cynthia (Cindy) Steiger Beery completed her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders in 1974, a master’s degree in deaf education at Canisius College in 1975, and returned to Buffalo State for a master’s degree in Communication Disorders (1981). Initially a teacher in the Tonawanda Public Schools, she moved to the Grand Island School System as a speech-language pathologist and teacher of the deaf. Cindy established this scholarship to honor her late husband, Dewayne A. Beery.

Dr. Beery spent most of his life studying and teaching physics. After completing his bachelor’s degree (at Manchester College in Indiana, 1960) and master’s degree (University of Toledo, 1963) in physics, he joined the faculty of the Physics Department at Buffalo State. While working full-time at Buffalo State and serving as department chair, Dr. Beery earned his doctorate from the University at Buffalo in 1976, basing his dissertation on research conducted at Argonne National Laboratory.

In 1979, Dr. Beery moved into administration, first as associate dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Education for five years and then as associate vice president of academic affairs, a position he held for eight years. During this time, he remained in touch with the classroom, continuing to teach and delving into the pedagogy of physics. He returned to teaching full-time in 1993, remaining in the classroom until his retirement in 2007. He again served as department chair from 1993 to 2004. Prior to his retirement, Dr. Beery also directed the campus’s Title III Program to improve the quantitative and mathematical performance of Buffalo State’s students.