Joseph R. Kandor Nu Chapter, Chi Sigma Iota, Award of Excellence

Dr. Joseph R. Kandor, a 39-year faculty member at The College of Brockport, influenced the counseling profession by educating future counselors and by serving in leadership roles in accrediting associations.

He joined the faculty at Brockport in 1960 after receiving his doctoral degree in education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He became chair of the Department of Counselor Education in 1970, a position he maintained until his retirement in 1999. At the College, he received the Distinguished Service Professor distinction in 1996.

In other professional activities, Dr. Kandor was a fellow of the American Counseling Association as well as a member of its governing council. He served as the third president of Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society of counseling, and he was chair of the board of directors at the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

Because he understood the value of early leadership, he was the founding and first faculty advisor to Nu Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota at Brockport. He wrote several articles on accreditation and assessment for such journals as Counseling Education and Supervision and Journal of Counseling and Development.
His co-author for many of his articles was Carol Bobby, also a past president of Chi Sigma Iota, who said, “Simply put, Joe was one of those guys whose demeanor reflects a sense of confidence, fairness, and reliability. He collected his thoughts before speaking….He had a sense of humor; he was organized. Thus in a short one and a half years after he began serving on the CACREP board, he was elected unanimously to serve as chair.”

In addition to his care for the counseling profession, Dr. Kandor cared deeply for his students and his fellow faculty. He cared about his friends with whom he played noontime basketball at Brockport. In addition, he cared deeply about his family: Janice, his wife of 58 years, his two daughters, and his two grandchildren. Dr. Kandor passed away in 2018.

The Joseph R. Kandor Nu Chapter Chi Sigma Iota Award of Excellence recognizes an outstanding student enrolled in Brockport’s Counselor Education program.

Applicants for this award should demonstrate the potential for academic excellence through a GPA of at least 3.5, have completed at least 18 hours and not more than 42 hours at the time of application, and show a commitment to a career as a professional counselor.