Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center today, November 4, for the seminar "Selection on Pigmentation Genes Leads to Rapid Phenotypic Evolution in a Finch Radiation," presented by Leo Campagna, research associate with the Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. in Technology Building 160. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

Abstract
Recent and rapid speciation events are suitable for associating phenotypes with their causal genotypes. I will talk about the rapid radiation of nine sympatric bird species known as capuchino seedeaters (genus Sporophila), which are differentiated in sexually selected characters of male plumage and song. We obtained whole genome sequences from a phenotypically diverse set of species to search for differentiated genomic regions and found many divergent areas enriched for genes involved in the melanogenesis pathway.

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar "Selection on Pigmentation Genes Leads to Rapid Phenotypic Evolution in a Finch Radiation," presented by Leo Campagna, research associate with the Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, on Monday, November 4, from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. in Technology Building 160. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

Abstract
Recent and rapid speciation events are suitable for associating phenotypes with their causal genotypes. I will talk about the rapid radiation of nine sympatric bird species known as capuchino seedeaters (genus Sporophila), which are differentiated in sexually selected characters of male plumage and song. We obtained whole genome sequences from a phenotypically diverse set of species to search for differentiated genomic regions and found many divergent areas enriched for genes involved in the melanogenesis pathway.

Congratulations to Karen Skoney, secretary 1 in the Psychology Department, winner of last week's SEFA online raffle for a $100 gift card to Wegmans. This week's raffle is for dinner for two at Russell's Steaks Chops and More as well as an overnight stay at Salvatore's Grand Hotel. To enter, simply visit the SEFA raffle site and follow the prompts. Entries close at the end of business on Friday, November 1. For more information, please contact SEFA campaign chair Tom Koller, senior associate athletics director, 878-6514.

Chef, author, and sustainable seafood expert Barton Seaver will educate and excite participants with stories focused on seafood innovations and how seafood is itself a solution opportunity within our food system on Thursday, November 14, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall.

Chef Seaver has written seven seafood-centric books, including American Seafood, and has contributed to dozens of publications and media programs. He is also the founder of Coastal Culinary Academy, a multi-platform initiative that seeks to increase seafood consumption through culinary education for all levels of cooks.

TIAA will present the live webinar "Market-Proof Your Retirement" for Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Tuesday, October 29, from noon to 1:00 p.m. You've no doubt heard throughout your career how important it is to save for retirement. As the day approaches, you'll have additional questions to ask yourself: Am I overexposed to market losses? Will I outlive my money? Am I confident that I can retire on my terms? In retirement, and in the years leading up to it, protecting your savings becomes just as important as growing it. Attend this webinar and learn how to create your own personal pension with TIAA. Register today.

The Teacher Education Council (TEC) will meet Friday, November 8, at 1:00 p.m. in the Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418. TEC representatives and Teacher Education Unit members are encouraged to attend.

The campus has scheduled maintenance and repair work on several elevators to improve their safety and reliability. The work varies in complexity but will require each affected elevator to be shut down, some briefly and others for several weeks, as major components are replaced.

The work has been scheduled to limit the impact on campus operations and will begin in South Wing on Friday, November 15. Only one building elevator will be off-line at a time. Work on elevators in the Campbell Student Union (kitchen service car only), Rockwell Hall, and Moot Hall will be upgraded during the 2019–2020 winter break. Work in the Clinton Center will be done during the spring 2020 semester, followed by work in Chase Hall, Ketchum Hall, Savage Theater and Communication Building, and the Sports Arena in summer 2020.

More detailed schedules will be provided as the projects continue. We ask for your patience and understanding as this important work proceeds.

The dean of the Graduate School, Kevin Miller, will host a meeting of all graduate faculty today, October 25, at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 217. Dean Miller will provide updates on enrollment, marketing strategies, policies effecting graduate students, and the implementation of Slate, the college’s new enterprise customer relationship management (CRM).

Before the meeting, an overview and demonstration of Slate and the application process will be provided, at 2:00 p.m. in Bulger 217. All graduate faculty are invited to attend. Hands-on workshops are being scheduled for those involved in the application and decision process. The workshops will be offered at least twice a week and will provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application review and decision process.

Open training sessions for Slate, the college’s new enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) system, will be offered for graduate faculty members at 11:00 a.m. Monday, October 28, and at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, October 31, in Bulger Communication Center 122. Space is limited to 10 attendees; therefore, please register in advance. To set up Slate training for a department, or if you have other Slate-related questions, please contact Lee Coletti, interim admissions coordinator. Please register for either training session through the Workshop Registration System or use the links below.

Register for the October 28 workshop.
Register for the October 31 workshop.

Intercollegiate Athletics invites the campus community to participate in the annual Fall Blood Drive in support of ConnectLife, formerly UNYTS, on Tuesday, October 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Houston Gym. All donors will be entered in a raffle to win a $100 gift card to Barnes & Noble. No appointment necessary. For more information, please contact Tom Koller, senior associate athletics director, 878-6514.