Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "Landscape Genomics of Climate Adaptation in Populus," presented by Stephen R. Keller, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Vermont, on Friday, April 8, at 2:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center East.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Seminar Abstract
In light of past and ongoing climate warming, understanding the genetics of local adaptation to climate has become an important research focus in plant ecological genomics. In long-lived species such as forest trees, populations located along southern range edges may be particularly vulnerable to climate warming if they exist at their current physiological limits of environmental stress, and may also face increased exposure to introgression from co-occurring species where ranges overlap. Additionally, southern range edge populations may harbor unique adaptive variants that have been selected under the earliest-onset and longest growing seasons in the species’ range. To address these issues, my lab has been investigating how landscape-scale climate variability has shaped adaptive genomic diversity across the geographic range of Populus balsamifera (balsam poplar), a widespread forest tree and a model system for studying local adaptation to climate. Our approaches integrate measurement of functional traits in common garden experiments, genome-wide patterns of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from high-throughput sequencing, and targeted genotyping of the Populus flowering time network—–genes that function as key regulators of dormancy onset and release in response to seasonality. We use these data to determine the adaptive relationships between phenotype, genotype, and climate and model how climatic variability and the potential for introgressive hybridization in different parts of the range have shaped adaptive diversity. Our results yield novel insights into the landscape patterns of local adaptation in core and southern edge populations, and have implications for plant conservation and forest management under climate change.

Please join the Philosophy and Humanities Department for the lecture "Thinking Through Shakespeare: Finding a Model for Philosophical Literary Criticism," presented by Erik Schmidt, associate professor of philosophy at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, on Monday, April 4, at 4:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210.    

This event is sponsored by the Jim Grunebaum Speakers Series in Philosophy.

Matriculated graduate students can cast their votes for the 2016–2017 Graduate Student Association Executive Board and campus committee positions March 28–April 1. Students must log in to the Graduate Student Association Blackboard Group to vote. Please remind your students to vote today so that the GSA can continue advocating and supporting the needs of our graduate student body.

Platforms for each nominee can be found on the GSA website.

Katherine Spendel, a master's degree candidate in forensic science at Buffalo State, will present the literature seminar "Profiling the Smell of Death" at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in Science Building 272. Light refreshments will be served before the seminar. This seminar is supported by the Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
Human cadaver decomposition is an incredibly complex process that generates a vast number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Decomposition initially begins with autolytic processes driven by the body’s own enzymes and resident bacteria. Further decomposition can progress through the activity of insects, fungi, and environmental bacteria. The complex mixture that results from a variety of pathways requires a highly sensitive methodology for analysis. 2-D gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry achieves the degree of resolution and capacity needed for characterization of the VOC mixture. This methodology has been used to characterize the VOC profile of decomposing cadavers at various times and stages of development. VOC profiles were observed to be consistent between years during the same season despite variation of environmental variables. In contrast, seasonal VOC profiles were demonstrated to be distinct. The vast number of VOCs generated during decomposition results in a large volume of data with difficulty in extraction of useful data. Using stringent criteria, we identified 34 methyl-branched alkanes and formulated an algorithm that successfully screened for grave soil with a cadaveric decomposition signature. The VOC profile has a variety of forensic applications, such as in the location of clandestine graves, improvement of synthetic canine training aids, and potentially in the estimation of postmortem interval.

The deadline to remove incomplete (I) grades from the fall 2015 term is Friday, April 1. 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.

The Career Development Center is proud to announce the first Buffalo State Internship Awards. Nominations are now open for four award categories:

Undergraduate Student Intern of the Year
Graduate Student Intern of the Year
Undergraduate Internship Supervisor of the Year
Graduate Internship Supervisor of the Year

Guidelines and applications can be found on the CDC website. Please nominate outstanding individuals and encourage your students and employers who host internships to nominate outstanding individuals. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 8.

The internship awards ceremony will be combined with the student employment awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 26, at 12:15 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. The keynote speaker will be President Katherine Conway-Turner. This combined ceremony will acknowledge Buffalo State’s commitment to applied learning and recognize the talents of our students and contributions from the community.

Please help us make this event successful by nominating one of your students or internship site supervisors.

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning office (SoTL) continues its series of breakfast conversations focused on general education on Friday, April 1, with a discussion of "Educating for Participation: Democratic Life and Performative Learning," by Eleonora Redaelli, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in Butler Library 181B. The reading (and all previous readings) can be found on Zotero. RSVP to John Draeger, associate professor of philosophy and director of SoTL.

The final conversation in the series will be held on Friday, April 15, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in Butler Library 181B.

Michael Spogli from TIAA will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Thursday, April 7, and Friday, April 8, in Butler Library 210B. Appointments are required. All appointments are between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Discuss your personal financial situation on a confidential basis with an experienced TIAA financial consultant who can help you pursue your financial goals and plan for your future.

Schedule an appointment on April 7.
Schedule an appointment on April 8.
Or call (800) 732-8353 to schedule an appointment by phone.

The call for proposals is now open for the eighth annual Anne Frank Project, "Engage. Lead. Improve the World," to be held on campus September 28 and 29. Think of the theme as an equation: Engagement + Leadership = Improving the World. If we use our unique skills to bring people together and build community, we foster leadership and a commitment to making our world a better place. At AFP 2016, we are interested in learning and practicing how you engage, lead, and improve the world.

Submit your proposal.

AFP’s annual social justice festival is an experiential exchange of ideas with a focus on processing theory into practice. We seek diverse performances, workshops, and exhibits that actively engage participants in kinesthetic learning opportunities and connect to the theme, AFP's mission, and the life and work of Anne Frank.

For more information, please review highlights from past festivals or contact Eve Everette, AFP assistant director and festival curator, 878-5559.

The Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship (USRF) program supports eight weeks of full-time research, scholarly, and creative activities. The USRF program is open to all Buffalo State undergraduates with a graduation date of December 2016 or later.

Each fellowship provides a student stipend of $3,000, a faculty stipend of $1,000, and $500 for travel, supplies, or equipment to support the project. Up to 26 awards will be made for research, scholarly, and creative activities taking place in summer 2016.

To learn more about the program, please visit the Undergraduate Research website.

Deadline for student submissions: midnight Friday, April 1.

Mentors have until midnight Monday, April 4, to complete the application.