SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech Launches Rebrand

By Lei Rowan
COBLESKILL – SUNY Cobleskill launched an official rebrand on Monday Oct. 20th on campus in Champlin Hall. The new branding focuses on the iconic rolling hills of the campus and how vast the different learning environments students utilize during schooling at the college. The college chose to rebrand to emphasize its connection to the fields of agriculture and technology.

The rebrand has been in the works since 2023. SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech considered hiring an outside group but decided it would be better to put together its own internal committee to give the students, staff, and faculty more say and a deeper connection to the updates. Colin Connor, a brand consultant, was also brought in to add valuable, expert, and outside input to the internal input.

The new logo was designed over the summer by a group of graphic design majors attending the college, including Saro Karageozian of Albany, Jacob Galvin of Esperance, Mickey Polsinelli of Schenectady, and Tristen Wcislo of Sharon Springs. Karageozian created the final design.

They were given instructions to create a modern, timeless logo not bound by a trend. The group went through hundreds of ideas before honing in to the rolling hills and putting their focus there. “I believe the rolling hills of Cobleskill are some of the most unique environmental features here. You see them every day when walking or driving to class. The design is simple and minimalist, evoking the hills and growth of a landscape in bloom, but also leaving room for interpretation on the viewer’s part.” Karageozian stated.

The new logo keeps the original iconic orange, as well as introducing a secondary green to enforce the college's continued message of “Grow, Sustain, Renew.”

SUNY Cobleskill president Dr. Marion Terenzio gave an introduction about how this change is to lean into the campus’s long-standing distinction among other colleges and embrace the unique learning style it provides. “It’s the same name we’ve had for over a century,” she stated, “Education cannot be bypassed, it must be dynamic … it has our students' fingerprints all over it.” Students are actively learning “on a living, working campus,” as they conduct research and develop invaluable critical thinking skills that will help their careers and the career fields they go into after their time at Cobleskill Ag & Tech.

Jason Politi, the college’s communications director, also spoke briefly. He commended the students' devoted work and communication on the project. “It’s not just words on paper, it’s something we can live,” Politi told the audience.

Politi then turned the floor over to Danielle King, Cobleskill Ag & Tech’s marketing manager. King gave a presentation highlighting the different areas where students learn, such as fields, creeks, observatories, barns, art galleries, and much more. She stated the new branding is to represent “the sum of all our parts,” as well as reconnecting the college’s brand with the agriculture and technology career fields.

Currently, Cobleskill Ag & Tech plans to gradually replace the physical media with the old logo on it. The on-campus sports team will remain the Fighting Tigers with the tiger logo, but it will potentially be explored for an updated branding in the future. For now, the college is focusing on one thing at a time: the overall branding.

Dr. Terenzio, Politi, and King all gave the group of students who worked on the project a huge “thank you.” Several graphic design professors came to support the students as well, including professors Adam Daily and Greg Miller.

For more information, contact Politi at PolitiJJ@cobleskill.edu.