Daemen College has been recognized as one of the top military friendly and veteran supportive institutions in the country in two newly released national rankings.

For the eighth consecutive year, Daemen has been selected by Victory Media as a Military Friendly School, which is awarded to top colleges, universities and trade schools in the country for doing the most to embrace student veterans and have dedicated resources to ensure their success in the classroom and beyond graduation.

Daemen has also been named a top school in the 2017 Military Advanced Education and Transition Guide to Colleges and Universities that measures best practices in military and veteran education.

Daemen College formally opened a new section of campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Nov. 22 to celebrate the completion of a footbridge that connects with the original part of campus grounds.

Set in an attractive wooded area on the south end of Daemen’s campus, the approximately 30-foot bridge is accessible from a recently installed parking lot located by Alumni House, which opened this fall for the Division of Institutional Advancement, and the college’s Honors House. The bridge spans a small culvert and leads to a walking path behind Schenck Hall.

“This new bridge connects our newest facilities with the rest of campus and both symbolically and physically bridges the new and older parts of our beautiful and growing campus," said Daemen President Gary A. Olson. "It signals a new era for Daemen College.”

Daemen College has received an unprecedented $1 million gift from the Paul A. Saffrin Foundation to support the institution’s Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement, making it the largest private gift in the college’s nearly 70-year history.

In honor of this historic gift to the college, the center has officially been renamed the Paul A. Saffrin Center for Sustainability and Civic Engagement.

“Robust civic engagement contributes to many positive social outcomes, so it is my honor and privilege to support Daemen College as it prepares students to acquire the knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make a difference in society,” said Saffrin.