Please join us for the professional development workshop "Purposeful Networking: Creating Valuable Professional Connections," presented by Scott Burns, associate vice president for development, on Wednesday, February 28, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Butler Library 181B.

You may be creative and thoughtful and work well within a team setting, but others often seem to have the edge when it comes to networking and making beneficial professional connections. This session will offer you tips and tactics for developing and refining a networking style that works for you.

Light snacks will be provided during this workshop. Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

The Student Political Society is pleased to welcome Jeffrey S. Sanow, a former CIA senior intelligence officer with 35 years' experience in Southeast Asia, for a discussion of Sharia law and the role of the United States in Southeast Asia on Tuesday, February 20, at 12:15 p.m. in Classroom Building B228.

Mr. Sanow worked as a senior policy maker in the Office of the Vice President and the National Security Council, supporting their policies related to preventing the sale, transfer, or acquisition of weapons of mass destruction. Recently he deployed to Pakistan for a year with XK Group to direct security and intelligence efforts for the U.S. firm responsible for building the billion-dollar U.S. Embassy compound in Islamabad.

All members of the Buffalo State community are welcome.

Employees who contributed to a Flex Spending Account (FSA) in 2017 must submit all unpaid claims on or before Saturday, March 31, 2018, for all qualifying expenses incurred by December 31, 2017. Enrollees who fail to submit appropriate receipts for any unused funds by the March deadline date will forfeit such contributions and will not receive reimbursement or credit.

Please submit reimbursement requests as soon as possible to avoid the rush.

Submit reimbursement request forms one of the following ways:

• Online through the FlexSpend website
• By fax at (800) 743-3271
• By mail:
  Fringe Benefits Management Company
  P.O. Box 14766
  Lexington, KY 40512-4766

Reimbursement requests that are faxed or submitted online should not be mailed as well.

Now you can request Information Security Awareness training using the RITE Self-Service portal. One form allows you to request SANS video training, a group presentation (e.g, for a class, office, or other Buffalo State–affiliated group), or a one-on-one security consultation. Go to the RITE Self-Service Portal and click on Request a Service, then click on Information Security, then click on Information Security Awareness Training.

Visit the spring 2018 Study Away Fair on Thursday, February 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Butler Library lobby. Learn about available destinations, program types, and possible financial support. Representatives from the International Education Office will be there to answer your questions. See you there.

The Economics and Finance Department presents "Innovation, Profits, and the U.S. Economy," a talk by Lefteris Tsoulfidis, professor of economics at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece, on Thursday, February 22, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Classroom Building's fourth-floor conference room.

Dr. Tsoulfidis is an internationally renowned scholar in the areas of the history of economic thought, political economy, and international economics. His books include Competing Schools of Economic Thought (2010), Economic History of Greece (2003), Modern Classical Economics and Reality (coauthor, 2016), Essays in Political Economy (coauthor, 2015), and Issues in Political Economy (coauthor, 1999).

This event is open to Buffalo State faculty, staff, and students. For more information, please contact Victor Kasper, associate professor of economics and finance.

The Barnes & Noble Buffalo at State Bookstore will host a faculty book signing featuring Keli Garas-York, Pixita del Prado Hill, Leslie Day, Kim Truesdell, and Susan Keller-Mathers, who will be signing copies of their book Doing PDS: Stories and Strategies from Successful Clinically Rich Practice, on Tuesday, February 13, from noon to 1:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Buffalo State is proud to announce that the student Emergency Relief Program has officially gone live. In a joint effort between the Gerstner Family Foundation and the Hecksher Foundation for Children, we have been funded to help students facing emergency situations in the short term to help them graduate from college in the long term. Students must be pursuing a bachelor's degree, be enrolled full time, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. The grant (up to $2,000 maximum) cannot be used to cover costs associated with tuition, books, or supplies required for attendance at Buffalo State, credit card debt, cable bills, or legal representation. The emergency must be an unforeseen event and unexpected need for funds; it cannot be a chronic problem or anticipated expense. Examples of emergencies (not exhaustive) include homelessness or threat of eviction, medical emergency, natural disaster, domestic violence, theft, or loss of employment. Examples of expenses (not exhaustive) include rent, utilities, clothing, furniture, medical expenses, back-up child care, back-up transportation, or replacement of stolen items needed for school. The fund will be administered by the Dean of Students Office and the emergency relief coordinator. Students can apply for one grant in an academic year. Applications may be made only during the fall or spring semester. At least one face-to-face meeting with the student is required as part of the application process. More information is available on the Dean of Students website.

Meals should not be charged to Citibank Travel or NET cards when using travel Method 1.  Method 1 provides a flat rate based on location for the allowance of meals, lodging, and incidental expenses regardless of what type of lodging is obtained. This includes lodging with relatives or friends.

Citibank Travel and NET cardholders should not use Uber or Lyft as a means of transportation. Cardholders should use a taxi or shuttle service when available. Uber and Lyft services require travelers to create an account linking their credit card information. Because of increased security risk, Uber and Lyft may be used by travelers only on a reimbursement basis.

Lucas Colon, a fiber major in the Art and Design Department, will present "Traveling to Vancouver: Weaving Tapestries," on Thursday, February 15, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in the newly renovated Upton Hall 230. His talk is the first in the spring 2018 “Artists on the Road: Travel As a Source of Inspiration” series.

Most of the tapestries Mr. Colon observed as part of his research were made with very thick materials—quite the contrast to the nearly thread-like materials he used on his previous projects. “One small summer research project changed my life!” he said.

The “Artists on the Road” series is co-sponsored by the Art and Design Department and the International Education Office. For more information, please contact Carol Townsend, associate professor of design and coordinator of design foundations, at 878-4986.