Please join John Thompson, associate professor emeritus of computer information systems, in a conversation about the successes he has had teaching online on Tuesday, October 31, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Bulger Communication Center 120.

Dr. Thompson, a Blackboard Catalyst Award for Student Success winner, will discuss his online course design and share strategies to stimulate student interest and engagement in an online course environment.

This session is open to anyone interested in online teaching and learning. There will also be time for those who attend to ask questions and share their expertise of online learning.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

The Art and Design Department invites the campus community to join us for a visiting artist presentation, "Traversing Medium and Re-Appropriating Motifs in Contemporary Art," presented by Xiaohong Zhang, professor of art and design at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, today, October 19, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Upton Hall 504. Professor Zhang's specialty area is 3-D modeling-imaging and digital media. The event is funded by the Dr. Margaret Bacon Visiting Artist Speaker Program.

The fall 2017 Conversations in and out of the Disciplines series continues today, October 20, when Joy Guarino, associate professor of theater, presents "Learning with the Body and Mind: Kinesthetic Methods and Brain Development" at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. A Q&A and short wine-and-cheese reception will follow the talk. Everyone is welcome.

The second annual E. H. Butler Library Archives and Special Collections Charles Rand Penney Speaker Series presents New York Times best-selling author Catherine Pelonero and a world-premiere book launch of her latest title, Absolute Madness: A True Story of a Serial Killer, Race, and a City Divided, on Tuesday, November 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium. The event is held in association with the Canisius College Rev. Clayton J. Murray Archives Speakers Series and is free and open to the public.

Absolute Madness deals with a tragic chapter in Buffalo’s past. Joseph Christopher, a white serial killer, preyed on black men in a spree that began in Buffalo in fall 1980. Before his capture, the phantom gunman was dubbed the .22-Caliber Killer. Christopher expanded his hunting ground to New York City, where he attacked six black males in a single day and became known as the Midtown Slasher. The murders sparked widespread fear and racial hostility that flared throughout Christopher’s capture and two sensational trials. 

The daughter of a Buffalo police officer, Ms. Pelonero spent three years researching the Christopher story, interviewing more than 70 people connected to the case and accessing archival records. Her talk will address her experiences in archival research, true crime, and the Christopher case and will include a question-and-answer session. A reception will follow.

Originally from Buffalo and currently living in Los Angeles, Ms. Pelonero is the author of Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and Its Private Consequences, about the notorious 1964 murder case. Kitty Genovese made both the New York Times and Amazon best-seller lists, reaching No. 10 in the New York Times Best Sellers Crime and Punishment section.

As an author and commentator, Ms. Pelonero has appeared on episodes of the Emmy Award–winning series A Crime to Remember on Investigation Discovery, It Takes a Killer, Fox Files, and Murderous Affairs. She is a contributing writer for CrimeFeed.

The event will feature light refreshments and a cash bar. Books will be available for sale, and the author will gladly sign copies and meet readers. We are proud to offer a 15 percent discount on books to police officers. Officers must present their badges to receive the discount. Absolute Madness will be published in hardcover by Skyhorse Publishing on November 7, the day of this event.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center’s galleries will be open to attendees before the presentation. Free parking will be available in the Burchfield Penney Art Center lot.

For additional information, please contact Dan DiLandro, head of archives and special collections in Butler Library, 878-6308.

Please join the Biology Department, the Great Lakes Center, and the Great Lakes Ecosystem Science Program today for the seminar "Mechanisms Governing Spindle Positioning," presented by Heidi Hehnly, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome

Please join the Biology Department, the Great Lakes Center, and the Great Lakes ecosystem science program for the seminar "Mechanisms Governing Spindle Positioning," presented by Heidi Hehnly, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, on Monday, October 23, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

Please join us for the first fall 2017 Philosophy Department colloquium, "Not So Mad Madge: Introducing the Philosophy of Margaret Cavendish," presented by E. Elise Cloutier, senior philosophy major, on Wednesday, October 18, at 2:00 p.m. in Buckham Hall B-145. The commentator will be Heather Mackert, senior psychology major.

Please join us for the professional development workshop "The Times Are Changing: Strategies to Personally Manage Transitions at Work" on Thursday, October 26, from 12:15 to 2:15 p.m. in Butler Library 181B. Lunch will be provided, sponsored by the Buffalo State chapter of United University Professions (UUP).

Organizational change can be coupled with feelings of excitement, fear of the unknown, resistance, ambivalence, anxiety, and many more emotions; however, as individuals identify their style for dealing with change, what changes they can or cannot control, and their purpose within a change effort, they may begin to feel more comfortable with workplace transitions. This session will provide participants with a framework for exploring their reactions to change, strategies to effectively manage change, and an opportunity to explore their purpose within a changing organization.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

The Buffalo State Alumni Association and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company will offer a defensive driving course for faculty, staff, alumni, students, and the public on Saturday, November 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113.

Class participants are eligible for a 10 percent discount on liability insurance in New York State, regardless of their auto insurance provider. This course will also remove points from a participant's driver's license.

The cost is $25 per person. Please contact Damien Lawrence, Buffalo State’s local representative, (716) 984-9111, by Monday, November 13, to register for the course.

Learn more about the defensive driving course on the Alumni Association website.

The deadline to remove incomplete grades from spring and summer 2017 semesters is Friday, November 3. From the Undergraduate Catalog:

Incomplete Grades
An incomplete grade is a temporary grade issued for medical emergencies or life crises. Students must request an incomplete grade directly from the instructor. An incomplete grade is converted to a letter grade by the 10th week of the following spring or fall semester. If the work is not completed by that time, the instructor will submit a grade based upon the amount of work completed. If the instructor who granted the incomplete is not able to evaluate the student’s fulfillment of course requirements during the stipulated period, the chair or program coordinator is responsible for changing the grade. Anyone not completing the course requirements within this time will automatically have a grade of E recorded.