The spring 2015 "Conversations in and out of the Disciplines" series continues today when M. Scott Goodman, department chair and associate professor of chemistry, presents "Two-Step Spin Crossover Behavior in the Iron(II) Complex of Tris(3-methylpyrazolyl)methane: What Could This Title Possibly Mean?" at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320.

A short, informal wine-and-cheese reception will be held after the talk. Everyone is welcome.

Please also mark your calendars for the other talks this spring:

• Carolyn Guzski, assistant professor of music, will present “Manhattan Project: Desegregating the Metropolitan Opera in the 20th Century” on Friday, April 3.
   
• Tim Bryant, assistant professor of English, will present “Will You Play with Me? The Pleasures of Paranoia from the Cold War to Contingent Culture” on Friday, May 8.

All talks will be held at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320.

The spring 2015 "Conversations in and out of the Disciplines" series continues tomorrow, March 20, when M. Scott Goodman, department chair and associate professor of chemistry, will present "Two-Step Spin Crossover Behavior in the Iron(II) Complex of Tris(3-methylpyrazolyl)methane: What Could This Title Possibly Mean?" at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. A short, informal wine-and-cheese reception will be held after the talk. Everyone is welcome.

Please also mark your calendars for the other talks this spring:

• Carolyn Guzski, assistant professor of music, will present “Manhattan Project: Desegregating the Metropolitan Opera in the 20th Century” on Friday, April 3.
   
• Tim Bryant, assistant professor of English, will present “Will You Play with Me? The Pleasures of Paranoia from the Cold War to Contingent Culture” on Friday, May 8.

All talks will be held at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320.

Registration is now open for the 24th annual Conference on Instruction and Technology (CIT 2015), which will be held on the campus of SUNY Geneseo May 26–29.

Sponsored by the SUNY Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT²), CIT is SUNY's largest and most prominent event on instructional technology in education, providing a forum for faculty, instructional support professionals, and policymakers to present, discuss, and explore innovative avenues for integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment.

The theme for CIT 2015, "Rising to Meet Our Challenges: Preparing for Global Success," is supported by the following tracks:

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• 21st-Century Learning Environments
• The Open Educator
• Access, Completion, and Success
• Keeping the Lights On: Infrastructure and Support

The massive influx and changing nature of technology has created a global society, and higher education must prepare students to be successful in this new landscape. How do we as faculty, students, and administrators respond to the challenges this brings? Challenges present us with exciting opportunities for reflection and innovation. This year's CIT focuses on those areas where we can have the greatest impact on the ways we teach, learn, and serve our campus communities.

A full Schedule-at-a-Glance is now available on the CIT 2015 website. Register by Sunday, May 10, and save $50 on the registration fee.

SUNY FACT² is offering a limited number of $100 scholarships toward the cost of registration for CIT 2015. For additional information, and to submit your Statement of Interest to be considered for a scholarship, visit the CIT 2015 website.

The Orientation and New Student Programs Office has begun registering all new matriculated students for the mandatory orientation programs for fall 2015. Orientation for first-year students will be held Wednesday, August 26, and Thursday, August 27. Transfer students will attend Orientation on Friday, August 28.

For additional information, including information about departmental advisement for transfer students, please visit the Orientation website or e-mail the Orientation Office.

At the invitation of the International Student Advisory Council, Mehwish Sarwari, lecturer in the Political Science Department, will present "U.S. Immigration Policies and International Students/Scholars Today," from noon to 1:15 p.m. today, March 19, in Assembly Hall 1 of the Campbell Student Union. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Buffalo State senior Steven Cornelio will present "The Game of Life: Finding Your Next Step" at the 2015 TEDxYouth@Buffalo conference, InnovationNext?, on Monday, March 30, in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall.

A journalism major with an interest in public relations, Cornelio pegs himself as a new age "visual-ist." At 22, he has developed websites, digital campaigns, and marketing schemes, creating his own opportunities to lead to his ultimate goal of becoming a multimedia maven. With two websites, a video blog, and internships with companies like Teen Vogue and Showtime Networks, he is committed to executing his creative mindset through the media. For tickets, please visit the TEDxYouth@Buffalo website.

If you were unable to attend the Professional Development Center's first conversation, 21st-Century Curricula, we invite you to keep the conversation going. Please answer these questions about what students need at Buffalo State. All answers will be anonymous. We value your feedback and plan to use the information for discussion in this year's Pedagogical Institute.

Thank you.

The Anne Frank Project is accepting proposals for its seventh annual social justice festival, AFP 2015: Identity, Inclusion, and the World, to be held on Wednesday and Thursday, September 16 and 17. AFP supports sessions that provide tools and vocabulary for community building, conflict resolution, and identity exploration. Through workshops, performances, and exhibits, festival participants activate theory into practice.

Please consider this quote to inspire your proposal:

"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood." — Martin Luther King Jr.

Proposals are due Monday, June 1. Submit your proposal online.

For more information, please visit the Anne Frank Project website. An archive of past festivals can also be found on the site. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Please e-mail Eve Everette, AFP assistant director, with questions.

The National Student Exchange Annual Placement Conference has passed, but there is still time to accept applications for the 2015–2016 academic year. Please let your students know of this great opportunity to attend one of the 200 participating campuses within the United States or Canada. Have them visit South Wing 420 for an application, or contact Christine Frezza, director of special programs, ext. 4328, for a classroom visit. Don’t let this great opportunity pass your students by. Thank you.

A portion of Tower Road and 16 parking spaces in Lot I-37 will be off-line from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 (or Thursday, March 26, if poor weather conditions occur on Wednesday). During this interruption, vehicles entering Tower Road from the east will have access only to lots I-36 and I-37. Vehicles entering Tower Road from the west will have restricted access to the Science and Mathematics Complex and to Towers 2, 3, and 4.

Campus map (PDF)

This temporary closure is part of the Tower 1 renovation project and will provide space for the contractors' crane to lift mechanical equipment to the roof of the tower. For more information about this or other projects, please visit the Construction website. Questions may be directed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.