Staff Spotlight
By Office of the President | Oct 20, 2026
Cheryl Marriott Helps Keep Downstate's Stories Alive
Whether she’s finding a photograph in the archives or lending a hand at a campus event, Cheryl M. Marriott brings patience, care, and a steady presence to Downstate.
If you’ve ever needed an old campus photograph, information about a former faculty member, or historical material for an anniversary celebration, you may have crossed paths with Cheryl M. Marriott, DRE.
As Coordinator of Archives and Special Collections in the Medical Research Library, Cheryl helps preserve Downstate’s history. She makes it easier for others to explore. It’s work that connects her with colleagues across campus, where she has served since 1986.
A request might start with a simple question: Who is in this photograph? When did this program begin? What do we have from that celebration? Finding the answer takes familiarity with the collections, careful research, and an understanding of how the pieces fit together.
Cheryl collects, organizes, and preserves photographs, documents, and artifacts. She also works with campus offices, transferring records to the archives and helping capture the background that gives those materials meaning. Her goal is to ensure that someone looking for that information years from now can find and understand it.
Her biography offers a thought that fits her approach: “Each person is an important piece in the overall puzzle.”
That appreciation for people shows up beyond the library. Cheryl is a frequent volunteer at events across campus, ready to help wherever she is needed. When schedules get busy and details need attention, her calm demeanor helps keep things moving smoothly.
She has also helped Downstate celebrate some of its biggest milestones. For the University’s sesquicentennial, Cheryl gathered historical material and contributed research and photographs to Downstate at 150: A Celebration of Achievement. Working with editor Dr. Martin J. Salwen, she helped tell the stories of alumni and faculty whose accomplishments shaped the institution.
Her contributions also supported the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the College of Nursing, the School of Health Professions, the School of Graduate Studies, and University Hospital. For the Robert F. Furchgott Society’s 20th anniversary in 2018, she helped plan, build, install, and take down the exhibition.
These projects give the campus community a chance to see what Cheryl works with every day: the people, discoveries, and shared experiences behind Downstate’s history.
Cheryl’s own history here began in the library, with responsibilities spanning circulation, administration, acquisitions, and technical services. Over the years, she has assisted library users, coordinated volunteers, supported purchasing, maintained records, and helped introduce new library systems.
As collections have become increasingly digital, her work has evolved, too. She helps organize digital records so they can be located and used, has contributed to the SUNY DSpace repository, and has supported the library’s transition to the ALMA library services platform.
Her service has earned recognition across Downstate and SUNY, including the 2020 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service and the 2022 Dr. Dale Blackstock Outstanding Service Award. She has also been honored by the College of Health Related Professions and Downstate’s Extraordinary Women of Achievement program.
Teaching and service are part of Cheryl’s life beyond campus as well. Through the Metropolitan New York Library Council’s Library Assistants and Support Staff group, she has helped develop learning opportunities for fellow library workers. Her presentations have covered emergency preparation, self-care, and vision boards.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a doctorate in religious education from Lighthouse Christian College & Seminary. Her background includes more than two decades in Christian education and service through the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the New York Progressive State Convention Congress of Christian Education. At Little Rock Baptist Church in Brooklyn, she has served as Church Administrator and Conference Coordinator.
Whether she is helping a colleague find a record, preparing an exhibit, or volunteering at an event, Cheryl brings care and thoughtful attention to the people around her. After four decades at Downstate, she has become part of the history she helps preserve. We thank Cheryl for her steady presence, her willingness to lend a hand, and the calm she brings to even the busiest days.
Tags: Faculty / Staff