The Great Lakes Center and the Biology Department invite you to join us for the seminar "New York's Rare and Endangered Plant Program," presented by Stephen Young, chief botanist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, on Monday, October 3, from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West 2. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

National Retirement Security Week (NRSW) is the first congressionally endorsed national event to promote the benefits of saving for retirement and encourage everyone to do so through any or all of their available options. The focus of this featured week is long-term financial planning for retirement and the resources available to help employees do so—especially those available through employment.

NRSW is an opportune time to consider personal retirement goals and develop or fine-tune a plan that will make those goals a retirement reality. The 2016 campaign theme, "Your Whole Story," aims to look at the big picture of your life and your personal savings journey.

Below are some resources to assist in doing this:

• The International City/County Management Association Retirement Corporation (ICMA-RC) provides webinars, calculators, and more
• SUNY's Financial Education and Planning web page offers a variety of financial education and planning tools and calculators, including SUNY Smart Track, to assist with both short- and long-term financial planning.

Embrace the power you have to start saving today. The sooner the better!

Flu vaccines will be available for faculty and staff members today, September 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Butler Library 210. No appointment is necessary.

The following health insurance plans will be accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, Blue Choice, MVP, and Medicare Part B. Employees without a participating insurance plan will be charged $30 for the flu shot. The FluMist will not be available this year in accordance with CDC recommendations.

Participation and acceptance of any insurance is not a guarantee of benefits or payment in full. Co-payments or a deductible may apply. Please call your insurance provider’s member services department with questions regarding coverage. Empire Plan enrollees may obtain their flu shot from an Empire Plan participating pharmacy without a copay or at their doctor’s office (participating provider) for their usual co-pay should they wish to do so.

Please call Employee Benefits at 878-4821 or the member services department of your insurance company with questions regarding your health insurance coverage. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

Don't delay. Get your flu shot today!

Students, faculty, and staff members interested in the multiple opportunities offered by the Fulbright Program are welcome to attend a conference of the Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Fulbright Association on Friday, October 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Canisius College.

The guest speaker will be Maryam Bibi, founder and chief executive of Khwendo Kor, which focuses on the development of women, children, and strong families in the remote areas of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Jean F. Gounard, director of international student affairs and vice president for advocacy of the WNY/NWPA Fulbright Association Chapter, 878-5331.

Flu vaccines will be available for faculty and staff members tomorrow, September 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Butler Library 210. No appointment is necessary.

The following health insurance plans will be accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, Blue Choice, MVP, and Medicare Part B. Employees without a participating insurance plan will be charged $30 for the flu shot. The FluMist will not be available this year in accordance with CDC recommendations.

Participation and acceptance of any insurance is not a guarantee of benefits or payment in full. Co-payments or a deductible may apply. Please call your insurance provider’s member services department with questions regarding coverage. Empire Plan enrollees may obtain their flu shot from an Empire Plan participating pharmacy without a copay or at their doctor’s office (participating provider) for their usual co-pay should they wish to do so.

Please call Employee Benefits at 878-4821 or the member services department of your insurance company with questions regarding your health insurance coverage. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

Laura Hinton, professor of English at the City College of New York, will give a dramatic reading from her latest book of poetry, Ubermutter's Death Dance (BlazeVOX, 2016), on Thursday, September 29, at 12:15 p.m. in Butler Library 210. The reading will include scripted movement, song, still photography, and video as Dr. Hinton explores various cultural and personal strategies for grieving as well as a historiographic view of women's contributions to public representation. Sponsored by the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the Grant Allocation Committee, the Academic and Student Affairs Office, the School of Arts and Humanities Dean's Office, the English Department, and the Women and Gender Studies Program.

AFP 2016: Engage. Lead. Improve the World is the Anne Frank Project's eighth annual social justice festival, held this year on September 28 and 29 in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall and Upton Hall galleries. AFP 2016 is free and open to students, faculty, staff, and the community.

Highlights:

• Exhibits and workshops by Buffalo State professors and staff
• Performances and discussions from local, national, and international guests
• Stories told by three survivors from separate conflicts
• Collaborations between campus offices and community organizations

Check out the schedule for this year's event, register as an individual or a class, and sign up to volunteer on the AFP 2016 website.

If you have questions, please call 878-5559 or contact Eve Everette, festival curator and assistant director.

Follow AFP: @annefrankprjct - Twitter | annefrankproject - Instagram | AFP on Facebook

The Anne Frank Project is proud to host the workshop "Your Values and the World," presented by Aimable Twagilimana, professor of English, on Wednesday, September 28, from 6:00 to 7:45 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall.

This session will focus on brief, free?writing assignments promoting participants' self?awareness as a foundation for leadership and engagement. The theory behind the workshop is emotional intelligence, a concept popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman, which consists of self?awareness, self?regulation, empathy, social skills, and self?motivation as foundational elements of leadership. Professor Twagilimana will facilitate the workshop by asking participants to write about themselves (and share) in a series of assignments exploring their values, visions, and legacies and how these shape their involvement in their communities and in the world. 

AFP 2016 full schedule (PDF, 1.6 MB)

AFP 2016 registration

AFP 2016 website

Questions? Please contact Eve Everette, AFP assistant director, 878-5559.

The 17th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum will be held on Thursday, October 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Houston Gym. The call for submissions is now open.

The goal of this forum is to develop, encourage, and support Buffalo State faculty and staff research and creativity, and to make collaborative research endeavors and grantsmanship more accessible. All faculty and staff members are invited to organize an exhibit to present current research, creative activity, or other scholarship. Individual, departmental, or group exhibits are welcome. This is an excellent opportunity to network with other Buffalo State faculty and staff and to identify common scholarly and creative interests you may have.

To participate, please complete the online form on the Call for Submissions tab of the Fall Forum page. Titles and abstracts or descriptions are to be submitted electronically by Friday, September 30.

Please note: The Houston Gym is a smaller venue, with a limited number of electrical outlets, tables, and chairs. Display space is limited to one 5-foot table or one or two easels per individual submission.

If you plan to use RITE Graphic Design Services to prepare or print your poster(s), please note the deadlines in the confirmation e-mail that follows your abstract submission.

Please contact Mary Kren, manager of communications and learning development in the Sponsored Programs Office, 878-6700 ext. 2, with questions.

Please join us for a Data Analytics Across Disciplines (DAAD) curriculum update and presentation, "Data Analysis, Systems Research, and Applications?" by Piotr Kulczycki, head of the Center of Information Technology for Data Analysis Methods at the Polish Academy of Sciences, on Friday, September 23, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210.

Please download the flier (PDF, 2.2 MB) for more information.