He emailed back! It is definitely an American Toad, Bufo Americanus. Here is what he said:

Well, that location confirms that the toad is an American Toad (Bufo americanus). Although its color pattern is a bit unusual, not all American toads have the standard brown background color. The position of the ridges on the back of the head, the one or two warts per dark blotch on the back, and the dark markings on the chest all help ID this individual as an American toad.
I thought it was terrific that some biology professor at Cortland University took the time to id a toad for me and a fairly ordinary one at that. Good call, Edie! You win the toad identification prize today.