Student Life will host Men’s and Woman’s Leadership Conferences after spring break. Both conferences are focused on developing leadership skills and teaching students how to apply their experiences and education to their leadership and career goals. A catered networking session will follow both conferences.

Learn more on the Student Life website.

Women’s Leadership Conference: Be Bold
Friday, March 31, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Campbell Student Union Social Hall
Register now and reserve your seat.

Men’s Leadership Conference: Be Limitless
Friday, April 7, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Technology Building 160
Register now and reserve your seat.

Student Life will host Men’s and Woman’s Leadership Conferences after spring break. Both conferences are focused on developing leadership skills and teaching students how to apply their experiences and education to their leadership and career goals. A catered networking session will follow both conferences.

Learn more on the Student Life website.

Women’s Leadership Conference: Be Bold
Friday, March 31, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Campbell Student Union Social Hall
Register now and reserve your seat.

Men’s Leadership Conference: Be Limitless
Friday, April 7, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Technology Building 160
Register now and reserve your seat.

Please join the Chemistry and Physics departments for the seminar "Controlling Photocycloaddition Reactions Using Host-Guest Chemistry: Development of the Cavitand-Mediation Method," presented by Mahesh Pattabiraman, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Nebraska Kearney, on Tuesday, March 28, at 12:30 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 170. All students, staff and faculty are welcome. This seminar is partially funded by Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
Photocycloaddition of alkenes is a bimolecular reaction which yields several regio- and stereoisomeric products. Selectivity in this class of reactions is predominantly influenced by the relative orientation of the reactants during the encounter between the excited state reactant and the other in ground state. The bimolecular nature necessitates proximal placement of the reactants to ensure higher quantum efficiencies as well, especially when competing unimolecular reactions are possible. A supramolecular chemistry approach to controlling selectivity and improving reaction efficiency involves using a macrocyclic host—dubbed the cavitand-mediated photocycloaddition approach. This method takes advantage of the hydrophobic spaces within macrocycles to encapsulate two photoactive compounds through hydrophobic interactions. The tight spaces within the cavitand offers both the proximity required for bimolecular reactivity and the opportunity to prealign the reactants to control regio- and/or stereoselective outcomes. Our group has been engaged in the systematic investigation of this approach to direct excited state reactivity of conjugated alkenes, which is now evolving into a reliable method for producing some dimeric adducts in a targeted manner.

The NYS Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) is seeking nominations for one delegate and one alternate to attend the annual delegates meeting to be held in November. 

Delegates represent their co-workers at the annual meeting and have the primary responsibility to elect a teacher member to the retirement board. Delegates also act as liaisons between their employers and the retirement system. Elected delegates will serve a two-year term beginning August 1.

Buffalo State College employees who are full-time active members of the NYS Teachers’ Retirement System are eligible to serve as a primary or alternate delegate. Nomination forms may be obtained from the Human Resource Management Office, Cleveland Hall 410, and must be returned by Friday, April 14.

Please call Human Resource Management at 878-4821 with questions.

The Buffalo State Alumni Association has teamed up with Liberty Mutual Insurance to offer a defensive driving course to Buffalo State faculty, staff, alumni, and students on Saturday, April 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113.

Save money on your auto insurance by taking this class offered through Liberty Mutual. Friends and relatives are also welcome if accompanied by a faculty or staff member, alumnus, or student. The discount is for 10 percent off liability insurance in New York State, regardless of one's auto insurance provider. This course will also remove points from your driver's license. The cost of the class is $22 per person.

To register, please contact Damien Lawrence, Buffalo State's local representative, (716) 984-9111. The registration deadline for this class is Monday, April 10. Make checks payable to NTSI and mail to Liberty Mutual Insurance, c/o Damien Lawrence, 400 Essjay Rd., Williamsville, NY 14221 by Friday, April 10.

Please join the Chemistry and Physics departments for the seminar "Targeting Claudin 1 Interactions to Alter Tight-Junction Function," presented by Elizabeth Anderson, visiting assistant professor of chemistry at Skidmore College, on Tuesday, March 14, at 12:30 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 170.  All students, faculty, and staff are welcome. This seminar is partially funded by the Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
Tight junctions (TJ) prevent the diffusion of environmental chemicals, antigens, and pathogens through the paracellular space between epithelial cells. The ability to transiently alter barrier function in the epidermis could facilitate needle-free vaccine delivery. In skin, expression of the Claudin 1 (Cldn1) protein determines the strength of the TJ barrier, and peptides that mimic Cldn1 sequences can alter epithelial barrier function. We synthesized Cldn1-mimics and their scrambled analogs and discovered that in bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE cells), they disrupt TJs in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations at least an order of magnitude lower than previous reports for similar Cldn1-based sequences. When formulated with surfactant, these mimics form self-assembled, amyloid-like cross-b structures, as seen by circular dichroism, FTIR spectroscopy, and x-ray powder diffraction. These structured mimics also cause changes in the expression patterns of Cldn1 and occludin (both transmembrane TJ components) in cell culture. Importantly, these structured Cldn1 mimics caused no apparent cytotoxicity, and barrier function recovered when the peptide was removed. Future work will identify key determinants in extracellular Cldn1 interactions to guide design of the next generation of structured mimics to target TJ barrier function.

CSTEP will host a workshop with INROADS on Thursday, March 9, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Science and Mathematics Complex 161.

INROADS' mission is to develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership by offering paid internships with prestigious organizations.

The purpose of CSTEP is to increase the number of underrepresented students (African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, or Alaskan native) who are pursuing professional licensure and careers in mathematics, science, technology, and health-related fields.

Please inform any student you feel would benefit from this opportunity.

For more information, please call the CSTEP office at 878-4197 or e-mail us at cstep@buffalostate.edu.

The Admissions Office will host its 2017 Spring Open House on Saturday, April 8, from 9:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This program is designed to highlight Buffalo State’s academic departments, student services, and campus life for all accepted students.

Visitors will gather in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall for the welcome at 9:15 a.m. Campus programming will begin at 9:45 a.m. and continue until 1:00 p.m.

Students and families can choose from a wide range of programs at Open House. Academic departments will present individually to those students who are specifically interested in their major programs. Tours of the campus, athletic facilities, library, and residence halls will give students an opportunity to envision life on campus. Financial Aid representatives will be available to meet with families one-on-one. Student services offices, University College, and student groups will meet with visitors in the Campbell Student Union.

View the full Open House schedule (PDF, 2 MB). 

If you know anyone who is interested in attending Buffalo State, please invite him or her to attend Open House. Registration is available online.

Open House is one of our largest campus events, and we welcome all interested faculty and staff members to participate.

Enjoy full access to the New York Times with an Academic Pass, courtesy of Butler Library. Thanks to a schoolwide subscription, students, faculty, and staff now have access to all the articles, breaking news, blogs, multimedia, and more from the New York Times. All you need is a valid Buffalo State e-mail address to enjoy access to NYTimes.com and the NYTimes mobile apps from wherever you are.

To claim your pass, visit nytimes.com/passes. You can then create a free NYTimes.com account using your Buffalo State e-mail address (e.g., username@mail.buffalostate.edu OR username@buffalostate.edu). Check your e-mail inbox and open your confirmation message, then click on the link to validate your e-mail address.

By including established, trustworthy news sources in your media diet, you will become a more savvy media consumer, will improve your information literacy, and will become more skilled at distinguishing real news from fake. An Academic Pass for the New York Times is one step toward a well-balanced media diet.

Please join us for coffee, a light breakfast, and scholarly conversation about the importance of high-impact practices on Friday, April 28, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in Butler Library 181B.

This session, we will discuss "The Role of Self- and Social-Directed Goals in a Problem-Based, Collaborative Learning Context" (Dirk T. Tempelaar et al., Higher Education, 66 [2], 253–267).

Please register online through the Workshop Registration System. Contact John Draeger, interim director of faculty development, or Lauren Turner, professional development assistant, 878-3841, with questions.