Please join us for a discussion of the article "'Prospecting for Metacognition' in a Science Museum" by Anderson and Thomas (Issues in Educational Research 24 (1): 1–20) on Friday, April 3, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in Butler Library 181B. Coffee, juice, and bagels will be provided. Please contact John Draeger, associate professor of philosophy and director of SoTL, with questions.

Please register through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System. I hope you can make it.

The fall 2015 Chemistry-Physics Seminar Series continues as Ilya Grinberg, professor of engineering technology, presents "From the Grid of Yesterday to the Grid of Tomorrow: Smart Grid, Its Components, and Transmission Lines Modeling" at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in Science Building 272.

This presentation will introduce the concept of the electric grid and discuss the changes brought by a smart grid as viewed by various constituencies. Transmission lines are one of the main elements of the grid. Parameters of transmission lines—such as resistance, inductance, and capacitance—will be discussed, as well as the modeling of transmission lines from physics and mathematics perspectives.

This talk is sponsored by the Faculty-Student Association.

The State of New York has delayed the upgrade of its Statewide Financial System (SFS) until later this year. As a result, the previously announced shutdown of vendor payments and employee reimbursements has been canceled; there is no delay in processing payments at this time. Deadline dates for 2015 fiscal-year-end payment processing will be posted in the Daily Bulletin once we receive notification from the SUNY Controller’s Office.

Please call the Accounts Payable and Travel Services Office at ext. 4117 with questions. Thank you.

Join the 75-plus Buffalo State faculty members who have worked with the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC) as service-learning faculty fellows to engage over 10,000 students in community-based learning.

Faculty fellows must commit to attending a two-day training conducted by a national expert on Wednesday, May 20, and Thursday, May 21. Fellows acquire an in-depth understanding of service-learning pedagogy and are then supported through the process of converting an existing course or creating a new course that incorporates service learning.

Details and application materials can be found on the VSLC website. The application deadline is Friday, April 24. Please contact Gary Welborn, faculty coordinator for service learning, or Laura Hill Rao, VSLC coordinator, with questions.

The State of New York has delayed the upgrade of its Statewide Financial System (SFS) until later in the year. As a result, the previously posted Purchase Requisition restrictions have been lifted. Departments may now send requisitions to Procurement Services following the usual operating procedures.

The new SFS system upgrade has been tentatively rescheduled for October. Please note that the annual fiscal-year-end order restrictions will take place as usual starting in May. An announcement with the 2015 fiscal-year-end shutdown dates and details will be posted in the Daily Bulletin in early April.

Please call Steve Olsen, director of procurement services, at ext. 4113 with questions.

Beth Bouloukos, Ph.D, senior acquisitions editor at SUNY Press, will discuss publishing opportunities and processes on Monday, April 27, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Butler Library 181B. From edited volumes to single and coauthored works, SUNY Press is committed to finding and publishing quality manuscripts from a broad range of fields. Bring ideas and questions to this informative session on working with one of the nation's premier academic presses. A light lunch will be provided. This event is free and open to the public.

Please register online through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System. Contact Lauren Turner, professional development assistant, with questions.

Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "Explaining Variation in the Effects of Non-native Plant Invasions: The Roles of Climate and Resource Availability," presented by Jennifer Fraterrigo, assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, on Tuesday, May 5, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Technology Building 160.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Seminar Abstract
The effects of non-native plant invasions on ecosystem structure and function often vary regionally, suggesting strong context dependency. This limits our ability to predict changes in ecosystem functioning following invasion. I argue that context dependency can emerge as a result of hierarchical relationships among the processes governing ecosystem response to invasion. I illustrate this idea by showing that forest ecosystem response to Microstegium vimineum, one of the most widespread invasive plant species in the eastern United States, depends on broad-scale patterns in climate and resource availability. Previous studies show that invasion by M. vimineum results in reduced native plant abundance and soil carbon loss. However, we find that macroclimate structures local biotic interactions, such that M. vimineum has negative effects on native plant abundance in drier climates but little effect in wetter climates. Moreover, the effects of M. vimineum invasion on soil carbon storage depend on soil nitrogen availability, such that M. vimineum invasion decreases soil carbon when nitrogen availability is low but increases soil carbon when nitrogen availability is high. These findings suggest that a hierarchical framework can be useful for understanding and predicting invasion effects on ecosystem functioning at the regional scale.

Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "Is Resistance to Biological Invasion Futile in the World's Anthropogenic Ecosystems?" presented by Andrew MacDougall, associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph, on Tuesday, April 7, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Technology Building 160.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Seminar Abstract
Biotic resistance involves antagonistic species interactions regulating the establishment and spread of new species. Given that species invasions are increasingly recognized as a major threat to the resident diversity and ecosystem functioning of many of the world’s biological systems, biotic resistance has been predicted to play a potentially large role in regulating these changes. A fundamental challenge with resistance, however, is the difficulty in consistently demonstrating its importance. It is common to observe resistance in fine-scale experimentally constructed communities, but supporting evidence from field-based studies, at a range of spatial resolutions, varies widely sometimes within the same system. These uncertainties illustrate a wider debate on the functional significance of resident diversity and invasive species in contemporary landscapes. My talk will explore these issues, reviewing recent research on diversity maintenance and species invasions in an attempt to reframe the question from, Why does resistance often fail? to, What are the environmental situations, especially in human-influenced landscapes, where biotic resistance is most likely to be important?

The Research and Creativity Council Incentive Program will accept a second round of applications until the close of business Friday, April 17. Incentive funds administered by the Research and Creativity Council are intended to promote faculty creativity and research with the ultimate goal of generating additional funded programs. Revised submissions of previously unfunded or partially funded proposals are encouraged. Inquiries may be directed to Carol Darstein, director of pre-award and contract services, or Stephani Foraker, chair of the Research and Creativity Council. Please submit applications to the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award and Contract Services Office in Bishop Hall 24. Three council members have been appointed to review all applications received by the above deadline.

One year after receiving an incentive award, recipients are required to submit a full report documenting the use of the funds and to submit a grant proposal to an outside sponsoring agency through the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award and Contract Services Office. Submitting a proposal through the College Foundation does not meet this requirement. Recipients are also obligated to participate in the Faculty and Staff Fall Forum, which takes place in October.

Expenditures considered for support under this program include student assistance, consultation with grant specialists, specialized equipment or supplies directly used in the research or creative project, preparation of specialized support materials for proposal (e.g., graphs, drawings, resource books), release time, travel to consult with a funding source or collaborators, secretarial assistance, and any other expense that can be justified as enhancing the likelihood of a competitive external grant or contract application. Funds cannot be requested for the purchase of computers. Also, it is not the council’s intention to directly pay an individual for writing a proposal.

Application guidelines (PDF) are available on the Sponsored Programs website.

The spring 2015 Critique and Evaluation Period (CEP) schedule (PDF) with block exam details is now available on the Registrar's Office Courses web page.