Faculty and staff members are invited to participate in one of the largest community events in Buffalo, the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, on Thursday, June 23, at 6:45 p.m. in Delaware Park. More than 11,000 Buffalonians take part in this annual charitable event. A 3.5-mile run (or walk) starts the evening, followed by a party in the park that lasts until dusk. Please register online and be part of the Buffalo State College team!

All employees from Buffalo State are invited to participate. Runners, walkers, and race supporters are all welcome. The Buffalo State team is supported by the President’s Office, UUP, PSC, Alumni Affairs, College Relations, Chartwells, and other constituents. The $36 per-person fee includes your donation to the race's charity (the Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship Program), a Corporate Challenge T-shirt, a race swag bag, a Buffalo State team T-shirt, and admission to the Buffalo State hospitality tent.*

For more information, please contact team captain Kelly Boos, executive assistant to the dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences, 878-6674; or Jude Jayatilleke, senior academic adviser for the Educational Opportunity Program, 878-6028. The deadline to register for the event is Monday, June 6, but we are encouraging individuals to register by Friday, June 3, to receive a custom Buffalo State team T-shirt.   

*Non-race participants (i.e., party-only people) must still register to join the hospitality tent. An array of food and adult beverages will be available at the tent for the post-race celebrations.

The menu from Chartwells:

• seasonal fresh fruit display
• crudité display
• picnic buffet with hamburgers, barbecue chicken, garden burgers (vegetarian), potato salad, and pasta salad
• assorted cookies and brownies
• fruit-infused water
• lemonade
• iced tea
• bottled water/Gatorade and whole fruit before the race

Join your colleagues to celebrate and have a great time!

The Buffalo State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers Weight Watchers meetings on campus every Wednesday from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Butler Library 208. Meetings are open to faculty, staff, and students.

To learn more before joining, please visit the Weight Watchers Open House on Wednesday, June 8, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Butler Library 208. Join the At-Work program between June 6 and 10 and receive a “Year-Round Fresh” cookbook, a fun H2Glow water bottle, and a tote bag. 

If you have been thinking about joining the program, now is the best time to join. If you are currently attending these meetings, keep up the great work and get ready to welcome some new members.

The benefits of the At-Work Program:

Flexibility – When you sign up for the Monthly Pass, you’ll get access to weekly At-Work meetings; unlimited local meetings; plus eTools, the Internet weight-loss companion.

Convenience – Weight Watchers brings the meetings right to campus, so even the busiest person can still attend.

Daily motivation – Since a majority of our week is most likely spent at work or school, attending Weight Watchers on campus creates a great network for ongoing support and motivation.

Fee – Participants must register for a Monthly Pass, costing $44.95 a month, payable by credit card, debit card, or PayPal.

RSVP to Gina Game, campus coordinator.

Please join your Buffalo State colleagues for the 2016 Corporate Challenge, an annual start-of-the-summer event, held this year on Thursday, June 23, at 6:45 p.m. in Delaware Park. This 3.5-mile run/walk is followed by a celebration with staff members from local agencies, corporations, and other educational institutions. Runners and walkers ($36 fee) may register online.

Anyone wishing to volunteer, please contact Kelly Boos, executive assistant to the dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences, 878-6674; or Jude Jayatilleke, senior academic adviser for the Educational Opportunity Program, 878-4224. Anyone with photos from previous Buffalo State Corporate Challenge teams, please send them to Kelly Boos. Watch our team page evolve. Let's roar!

Please join us today at the Fitness Center for a free visit on National Employee Health and Fitness Day. Our doors are open to all members of the campus community. Stop in for a tour. Sample our fleet of cardio and strength machines. Get information on membership deals.

During the month of May, we offer a summer membership deal: three months for just $50! The Buffalo State Fitness Center is located in Houston Gym 230 (second floor). 

Please contact Nicholas DeMarsh, Fitness Center manager, with questions.

The Student Life and Student Success offices invite the campus community to a farewell reception for Sister Charlene Fontana on Friday, May 20, at 2:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. Sister Charlene  is retiring from Buffalo State College after more than 25 years of service, most recently as assistant to the director of student life for the past 11 years. Please join us as we wish Sister Charlene farewell as she enters a new chapter in her life.

The Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Caf in the Campbell Student Union will be open all summer for breakfast and lunch MondayThursday 8:30 a.m.4:00 p.m. and Fridays 8:30 a.m.3:00 p.m.

Summer-long promotion include 50 percent off pizza on Thursdays, Mystery Deals on Tuesdays, soup and half sandwich combos, and two for $4 combos.

Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State will hold a Mystery Caf Deal every Tuesday in May and June. To receive the deal, you must download the My College Bookstore App from the app store and show it to the cashier.

Faculty and staff members are invited to a farewell celebration for Kevin Railey, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School, on Wednesday, June 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Halls. Railey has been appointed provost at St. John Fisher College beginning July 1.

In addition to his current role, Railey's 25-year career at Buffalo State included English Department chair, interim associate vice president for enrollment management, interim provost, associate director of the campus affiliate of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI), and structure committee chair of the SUNY-wide Diversity Task Force.

RSVP to gradoffc@buffalostate.edu or (716) 878-5603 by June 1.

In partnership with the nonprofit organization Haitian Outreach Pwoje Espwa, a small team of Buffalo State students will make history as the pioneers of our first study tour to Borgne, Haiti. Led by Educational Opportunity Program Director Yanick Heriveaux Jenkins (a native of Haiti), and assisted by Charlson Joseph, graduate intern, students will travel to Haiti and participate in service-learning activities specific to the needs of the people of Borgne. This trip will serve to prepare students for participation in an increasingly global society by learning the cultural norms, needs, and values of the people of Borgne, a small fishing community in the northern part of Haiti. The group will match actual needs on the ground in Borgne with student travelers' skills, knowledge, and resources. The trip is scheduled for May 15–24. The Hope for Haiti study-abroad team will be selling $20 “Ayiti Cherie” T-shirts to help fund their trip. Please consider a donation to EOP Fund 310888, purchase a T-shirt in South Wing 710, or e-mail Yanick Jenkins. Thank you.

May is blood pressure awareness month. Nearly one in five people has high blood pressure but is unaware. Hypertension increases the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, and stroke, the third leading cause of death in the United States. Take an active role in your health and get your blood pressure checked regularly. Know your numbers!

During the month of May, Weigel Health Center will offer two ambulatory blood pressure monitors to interested faculty and staff members. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a technique to gauge accurate blood pressure over a 24-hour period using a monitor. The monitor can be worn on a belt or in a pouch, but the blood pressure cuff must be worn on the participant's non-dominant arm for a full 24 hours. While wearing the cuff, participants must keep their arms relatively still each time the cuff is inflating. Participants are also unable to shower or exercise while wearing the monitor.

The monitor is programmed to take readings every 20 minutes when the wearer is awake and every 60 minutes when the wearer is asleep. At the end of testing, results are downloaded and printed for the participant. The readings are very reliable, accurate to within 5 mmHg of readings taken with a manual blood pressure cuff.

Weigel Health Center is not responsible for treatment or follow-through on results but asks participants to follow up with their doctors accordingly. Weigel Health will not use the results of any tests performed for any purpose.

If you are interested in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, please call Julie Nichols, nurse practitioner in the Weigel Health Center, at 878-6711. Testing will be scheduled Monday through Thursday only, preferably in the morning. Please wear loose-fitting clothing to the appointment. The cuff will be placed on your nondominant arm.

We look forward to seeing you and answering any questions you may have.