Please join the Great Lakes Center, the Biology Department, and the Great Lakes ecosystem science program for the seminar "Restoration of the Buffalo River," presented by John Grabowski, '15, senior ecological planner with the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, on Monday, October 16, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All interested faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

The Buffalo State Theater Department and Casting Hall Productions proudly present Blood at the Root, a play written by Dominique Morisseau and directed by assistant professor of theater Aaron Moss, in the Donald Savage Building's Flexible Theatre.

When Raylynn, a young African American high school student, dares to do something no one at her school has seen before—sit under a tree unofficially designated for white students—the shocking discovery that follows uproots this community's feelings on race, sexuality, identity, and the miscarriage of justice. Based on real events surrounding the 2007 Jena Six case in Louisiana, this ensemble drama examines how a community's roots influence how they commune.

Tickets are available online, by phone at 878-3005, or in person at the Rockwell Hall Box Office.

Final week of performances: October 4, 5, 6 at 8:00 p.m.; October 7 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Are you mentoring a student conducting undergraduate research? If you are, consider taking advantage of two programs offered by the Undergraduate Research Office: the Small Grants Program and the Undergraduate Travel Program. Applications for both programs are currently being accepted.

The deadline for the fall round of the Small Grants Program is Friday, October 20, for student input; faculty members have until Saturday, October 23, to complete the mentor portion of the online application. This program provides support for students to conduct a project exploring something within or outside their major. The money can cover travel or supplies needed to carry out the project but is not intended for student salary or for students to present their research at a conference. You can read more about this program and review the application on the Undergraduate Research Office website.

Applications for the Undergraduate Travel Program are also being accepted. If you have a student accepted to present at a meeting or conference, display artwork at a juried exhibit, or other similar activity, funding is available to help cover students' expenses to attend meetings, conferences, and art shows. There is no deadline for this program, and applications are reviewed within two weeks of submission. You can access an online travel application on the Undergraduate Research Office website.

A flier with information and deadlines for all 2017–2018 undergraduate research programs is available on the Undergraduate Research website on the lower right side under “What's New.” More information about undergraduate research funding opportunities can be found on the Programs tab at the top of the UR website.

The campus community is invited to participate in the interactive installation You and Me by Western New York artist Fotini Galanes, on view in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall through October 19. The gallery is open Monday–Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Ms. Galanes, a featured artist of the Anne Frank Project, will deliver an artist talk today, October 3, at 12:15 p.m. in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery, with a reception from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Ms. Galanes has established My Mark Matters, a global multifaceted story-telling project, by way of personifying and documenting surfaces—first without words, then with them. Thus far, materials have been collected from participants in 37 countries. No one is without marks or the stories from which they came. You are invited to participate by choosing a block that most personifies you or someone you know, and documenting what you see. Then, on the bottom of the sheet, share your story or tell their story. Which block personifies you? What is your story? Your image and writing will become part of this major installation.

Office 365 group training sessions are now scheduled through the month of October. Please register through our Workshop Registration System.

October Workshops
•  What's New in Mail and Calendar? Office 365 (Outlook)
•  Microsoft Office in the Cloud (OneDrive, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel online)
•  Office 365 Groups
•  Delving Deeper into Office 365 (OneNote, Delve, and Yammer)

If you'd like more information on these sessions or online alternatives, please visit the Office 365 training page.

Please note: Individual and department or office-specific training sessions can also be requested through the RITE Self-Service Portal. Trainings can also be scheduled for smart boards, Ensemble Video, Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing, and more.

Contact Todd Benzin, educational technology specialist in Instructional Design and Training, or visit the IDT home page.

Do you remember a time when you rarely heard the words “data breach?” Now they are happening all the time, all over the world, perpetrated by people and organizations. According to Data Breach Today, 2016 was filled with reports, culminating in 4.2 billion credentials stolen. And those are the ones we know about. While much of this is due to phishing, many instances could have been prevented by strong passwords. Please watch this video (it’s under four minutes, packs a lot of info, and it’s fun) about how to create strong passwords and passphrases (even better!). Please share this video with your students.

Do you talk to Siri? Google? Alexa? If you’ve been using these tools, recordings of you exist. Want to listen to them on the web? Read this article by Kim Komando, "How to Stop Your Devices from Listening to (and Saving) What You Say, in USA Today. The article also mentions beacons, the topic of the May 9, 2017, Daily post. And let's not forget the post about the criminal who left Alexa voice command evidence before committing murder.

The Civic and Community Engagement’s Alternative Break program hosts community service trips for Buffalo State students during winter, spring, and summer break. Alternative Break trips incorporate direct service, social issue and social justice education, reflection, and community building throughout the week with the aim of creating positive social change and building leadership and active citizenship skills in students.  

Two service trips are being offered for winter break (December 15–21) with an application deadline of Friday, October 13.

• Fighting Poverty, Creating Opportunity in Niagara Falls, NY
  Over 50 percent of the population of Niagara Falls lives below the poverty line. Students will volunteer, take action, and work alongside nonprofits who are organizing for change and better opportunities for the community. Service projects include community organizing and outreach, preparing and serving community dinners, and rehabilitating homes.
   
• Striving for Housing and Food Security in Washington D.C.
  Homelessness and lack of access to healthful, affordable food is a real concern for one in five residents of Washington D.C. Students will be part of the volunteer work being done with organizations like Martha’s Table and DC Central Kitchen to alleviate and solve issues of homelessness and hunger in the nation’s capital. Service projects include sorting food donations, delivering meals to individuals who are homebound, and preparing meals for community programs. 

More information is available on the website. To participate, students must complete the application process. Fundraising and scholarships are available. Students are encouraged to stop by South Wing 130, call 878-3919, or e-mail with questions or concerns.

The Faculty-Student Association (FSA) is accepting applications for grants to enhance the educational and cultural life of the SUNY Buffalo State campus. The deadline is Friday, December 1, for applications for the 2018 calendar year. Application information and a link to the application form are available on the FSA website.

For further information, please contact Gary Vickers, executive director of the FSA, 878-5211.

Students from all majors are invited to join the Anne Frank Project's fifth student delegation to Rwanda in June 2018. Highlights of the trip include visiting genocide memorials, refugee camps, schools, villages, and wildlife safaris. The curriculum focuses on sharing AFP’s drama-based education and story-building model with Rwandan teachers and students. AFP’s rich history in Rwanda provides for deeply meaningful experiences well beyond typical study-abroad programs.

Informational meetings covering the application process, itinerary, travel cost, and learning outcomes of the trip will be held as follows:

Friday, October 6
1:00–2:00 p.m.
Butler Library 210

Wednesday, October 18
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Technology Building 160

Applications are due Wednesday, November 1. For more information, please visit AFP's website.

Please contact Drew Kahn, professor of theater and director of the Anne Frank Project, with questions.